Evening journal., 1907-08-14
What | Know About
Delaware Politics and
Other Things
SECOND ARTICLE
By Washington Hastings


quae opinion as 10 It's value educational nsttu-
ton Oporhaps am not now) but l was capable,
uousnt was Of Judging the character Of the head
master and his fitness an instruction Of youth In
regard to the second proposition. thought It
uemey limited as 10 the first thought that he
a brute At this epthet sounds harsh l can only say
hat thought IL was warranted them and. after this
apse OF years think still The has been dead
seIs-caled to render his account before higher
tribunal and all animosity should stop at the edge Of
,he grave but the dismal recollection Of this walk
s up ana down In the aises between the desks rap
hins the helpless unhappy boys the knuckles with
ruler because they did not hold their correctly
VI poNhs them on the ears with book. because they
could not answer offhand question about their les
sons all this and more Of brutality that ] during
my snort stay at that school must be my excuse for this
ransgresson if transgression It be
what contrast between that charicature of school
compared with our magnificent public schools Of to-day
with their OF we'll trained intelligent teachers and
conscientious we-educated. high-minded masters
w pne'psis' an working tremendously and together In
training The minds OF the youth under their care for
future usefulness, and directing their footsteps into
pains OF honor truth morality and good citizenship.
Belng at this time to large degree my guardian,
left the public school the summer vacation-which
was one week, and too short went hunt-
ing establishment OF j. w. Maury & Company. they
being the Of all the lottery business this
tion OF the country would remark that the lottery
business, In those days considered respectable by
many people-perhaps majority-here and elsewhere.
The sale Of lottery tickets perfectly legitimate being
authorized by charters granted by this by
many Others and the business Of selling the tickets
was engaged In by number OF very respectable people,
openly and above-board
This however. did justify the traffic in the eyes
of many; they disapproved OF IL, and some OF them
publicly denounced IL immoral degenerating thor
oughy voiousi but 81" went all the same and continued
TO for years. and some reputable men In this
community made fortunes at IT, And So l. a boy of
thirteen, secured my Job and took my place printers
devil" printing office then and for years after
salary of six dollars month without any compunc-
tions OF conscience; and / do not suppose / would
have been deferred II had had any, I continued at
work In the printing department for five months and
was then promoted to the cutting department where
wi peeorl
into single tickets and put In packages Here the
was lighter and peasanter and the pay somewhat better
averaging about ten dollars month, which was a VERY
important consideration with me-" Weller said
remained there several months when an onnorf,n
TO go to school was afforded which embraced joy
fully as had before been fortunate enough
attend real, genuine secular school And so was
admitted to the private school Of Theodore Hyatt
conducted in the old building the corner OF Tenth
and Market streets. and now occupied by the Della
half schoo-years, paying my tuition bills by making
the fires and sweeping out and dusng the two school
always helped me out when late and school hour
approaching Much to then and subsequently
20 work again The time spent at Mr. Hyatts school
was the happiest Of this early period of my life. Mr.
ough master Of his profession and devoted W under
standing the genus boy perfectly; his joys and
qualites-f he had any-and his bad and always
enent and kindly with the latter No "Dogberry' or
Squeers, and, though deeply religious man, Chad
band;" good and sympathzng friend 20 all, he spent
his time his energies and his life in trying bad
from such kind instructor and friend with extreme
and bitter regret but it had 10 be.
OF the acquaintance friends those early,
and all too brief school days at "Hyatts" some have
passed TO the beyond have removed 70 fight the
battle ON other fields and some have remained Looking
back TO that time recall among the former. Earl stim
son, Howard Adams Casually dubbed "MonkD Hay
ward Bradford the Brobson boys Samuel southard,
William Boes, Charles Murguiondo Joseph Fgarola a
splendid young fellow from Cuba Emeie Passola, also
from cuba Enoch b Moore and William w Pinkerton
m n
Bush Courtney O'Callahan. Jimmy Cann the assistant
tutor whom nobody particularv liked or dlslked and
last but not least, Levi c. Bird. uncut diamond in
character frank hearty and full Of mischief the
hrim little rough perhaps sometimes but dearly loved
by alias he all his life-whose highest ambition
then seemed 10 be have everybody understand that
he could lick Pres Lea All dead some of them long
ago! "Out Of the darkness and into the light and at
peace
OF those who remain-some perhaps. "only waiting
like myself-Preston Lea, Governor OF Delaware
big, good-natured and slow just he is now,
who only laughed Lewis idle boast of superior Prov
Court OF Delaware-usually called "Pug'-short for
"pugnacious' he anything but that in dis
and getting his mark OF perfect in recations and
always ready TO help Tame duck who had
| c. McIear a former Mayor of Wilmington, Edward C.
Bradford Jr then the little fellows Judge of
Charles Brgadier General retired, Of the army
and Charles p Bonney. Good fellows all enjoying the
boy-life OF the time to the full, now, all Of them well
past middle age with gray hairs here and there upon
them," they have climbed the HILL passed over the
htte level pain on TOP ana are descending on the oter
towards the Some Of them, bearing their
blushng honors thick them," in the fullness OF
years others in humble walks, others stil the
shady side OF the highway, but all of them knowing
something by experience of the joys and the
prosperity and the adversely of the great mystery
| I.fel
left the school in the spring OF 1858 II was the last
I attended and the only education" that ever
Through the instrumentaly OF good friend
1 obtained a situation errand boy in the hardware
William X. McClees at the corner OF Second
| nd n / tria
weeks At the end OF my probation my employ
er told that he thought would suit him; that IL
continued we'll had done that far, he knew
! / would I told him would try. He said that IL con-
tinued 10 do well he would like TO have me stay until
l was age, he tired OF changing boys told
him that II he would keep me I would stay After
year or two, sometimes regretted having made this
promise. I really liked the business, though
did like my employer and my surroundings; however
he kept and stayed. My pay was fixed az twenty