The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-09-25
Unique State Of Affairs on Great
Duck Island. Where Only In
habitants Are Light
keepers.
GOVERNMENT PROVIDES HOUSE
Disused Barn Remodeled to Serve
Us Classroom of Isolated In
stitution OF the Coast
of Maine.
EEPCGfYr asErT.r.

REPUBLIC SPECIAL
Portland. Nc. Sept. "A public
school on an island on the coast is liner
estinS in THO particulars. II IS composed
OF one mans children. and Is held IL :
building fitted Up by the Government for
the purpose. Great Duck Island. TIE out
ermost island OF the Penobscot BAY group.
has the distinction OF having the first
school OF its kind on the coast.
Duck Island Is peculiarly desolcte on ac-
count Of the wreck OF 4 spruce forest that
leaves dead tree trunks and tangled
branches tossed across each other IN Wild
confusion everywhere. y. one end. where
lighthouse stands. with the cottages Of
the keepers. Is I level cleared acreage
that supplies fair open space for child
rem to play IN. During tho early sum
nier sea Guils rear their young among
the dead wood close to tas reservation
fence and hover In thousands all about The
Island. dropping so lor as 10 strike the
mead OF person walking among them. -
that some OF the children arc too tinid to
stray FAR from the house. There are 10
amusemcnts other than playing abou. the
de!d around the house. There Is no beach.
and tho rugged rocks all around. svwn
thick with gulls. and eggs in the summer.
0 e.. no soil Pisy !s ia s no, ,
for vegetables or flowers. hence there is
no garden TO tend. The Government estab-
iished this IMPORTANT lighthouse on the
ocean end OF Duck Island fifteen years
ago. Married men with families had the
preference when the appointments we've
made.
Tho principal keeper. William STANLEY.
took with him thre. little children, and II
vas in meeting III. problem OF the .iuca-
ton OF those three tina; Mrs. Stanley. now
known as tho champion OF educational in
terests Of Hghtkeep-rs' children. because
aware OF the needs II Is through her ef-
forts that the matter was brought before
the Lesisiat IRE ard through her that the
Government provided school accommo-
datione.
At the island Mrs. Stanley herself KEEP.
school at times for her own children and
those OF the other keeners- Sometimes the
keepers hired a teacher to 60 10 the island
for few months in the year. But UP to
1913 there had never been q public school
on Great Duck In that year, however.
the required number OF pupils for a
school Of the kind supplied 10 GnorSanized
townships Was suddenly furnished in the
large family OF Charles Reed, n new as
ststant keeper. with ;:teer. children. OF
these he had a. the island eight to ten
at q time. all but one being Of school
aEs &C. pa. u,6. . ..,,o, .s... 49,,
last fall a school was opened in q building
at tho north end of the island. built tv
David Van Horn. a fisherman who would
send FIVE children to the school During
the winter the first little schcolhouse was
abandoned and school was Kept In Mr..
Reeds sittins-foonl. In the absence Of Nr.
Van Horns children there j. record of a
period when the eleven scholars all be-
ionGed TO Mr.. Reeds family.
Through fhe efforts of Mr.. Stanley. who
went to Washington and interviewed tho
President. the Lighthouse Board made
preparst tons to ds UP permanent school,
room at the reservation at Great Duck.
and before summer diSuSed barn had
BEEN altered to serve as a schoolroom.
The school Is now in session, and al
though Mildred Grey. the 5-ycar-oid
daughter OF the second assistant keeper.
sometimes attends school. the group 10 for
most Of the ten weeks composed solely Of
the Reed children. 1t Is the only school
OF its kind on the coast. md doubtless the
only public school in the State made UP
Of one mans children