The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1906-05-15
ENGLAND AND AMERICA.

Ahe story OF Former MorristoWn
Boys life Here and In England.
! With John Bull and Jonathan, is
| the title Of a very Interesting book BY
! John Morgan Richards, Of London.
! 1T is the "reminiscences Of an Ameri-
cams life ia England and in the Unit
ed States for sixty years.
| The writer is the grandson of James
| Richards, who was the pastor Of the
| First Presbyterian Church in Morris
| town from 1894 to 1902 and son of
James Richards, who was pastor Of
! the same Church at a later period.
The writer says
| 'slAs soon as we we're settled my
| father placed my brother and myself
in the Morris Academia partially
endowed and excellent local school.
There were about l2O boys and girls
there, and the management was in the
hands of a Principal, Mr.. Isaac A.
Blauvelt, whose wife had charge of
the girls department. The usual cur
riculum was enforced and here, in my
Ieighth year, was placed in the Latin
class.
/ Amongst the many boys here, with
whom we became very friendly, only
one or two are now living with one
of whom, George e. voorhees,, sue
cessful merchant in the town, I have
held correspondence from the time Of
leaving school to the present day.
While at this school my brother
James and / suffered much from a
pleasant custom which existed, known
as g A Donation Party This was
neld once a year at the Pastors house,
land was attended by members Of the
Ichurch and congregation, and other
friends, who came laden with gifts in
tended to supplement- the pastors
salary. No one in the family was ex-
empted from the kind attentions OF
the visitors, and the gifts, for the
most part practical, included eggs and
butter, flour, vegetables, loads Of fire
wood, poultry, joints, groceries, and
clothing. These last mentioned caused
the suffering to which / alluded. The
clothing was in most instances second
hand suits which other boys had out
grown; dresses of the previous season,
a trifle out of fashion in colour or
style and what was donated had, to
be worn, lest the donor receive Offense.
My father, however, was exempt from
any humiliation on this score. He
was so tall that no garment worn by
anyone else in the town would fit him I;
and although my stepmother was not
altogether exempted, the chief burden
of shame, James and considered, fell
upon us. The clothers which came to
us were, of course, those which had
been worn at school by our fellow
Pupils, and had been carefully put
aside by the parents against Donation
Day.
shall never forget upon one occa-
sion appearing at school in pair Of
secondhand trousers, and being at
once accosted by other boys. Hello!
John Morgan, they cried out, ~
guess you've got on Dick S. 5 trousers
Ha ha z
Upon another Donation occa-
sion was presented with cap and
top-boots all were new. The cap was
so large that | had to place thick
lining of cotton wool inside the head
band to keep it on my head. The
boots were several sizes beyond my
measure. / was greeted at school
with some words OF chaff regarding
the cap the boots were at once hailed
| as canal boats, all to my complete
! undoing. ] absolye the good friends
/ who sent these gifts from any motives
other than utter kindness, but they
lacked the instinct to understand
boys
James was more obtrusively pug
nacious than l, and when they began
! upon him he armed himself with a
leaden sling, and gave notice that he
would let fly at any boy who jeered
him. One Of the bigger lads, relying
| uponhis superior strength, commenced
chatting him, and at once received a
blow which cut through the skin of
his head. This came to the know
ledge of the Principal, who put stop
at once to the annoyances to which we
were subjected.
AT the very first Of these Donation
parties held in Morristown my step
mother was presented with silk
dress which had been worn by one of
the ladies of the congregation. This
she, wore on the following Sunday, and
while standing in the vestibule warm
ling her hands and feet over the regis
ter before going inside, the previous
owner stepped up TO her, and raising