The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-06-30
F|FTY-SIX YEARS
A SCHOOL TEACHER
Remarkable Record Of 72-Year-
Old Woman Who Has Just
Resigned.
STILL WALKS LIKE A
SCH00LMARM IN TEENS
Writes Inscriptions on Black
Board With No TremOr
in Her Hand.

Seventy-two years old-and still
school teacher This remarkable rec
ord, the only one of its kind, perhaps,
in the history Of the public schools of
this country. is furnished In the career
of Miss Annie Lyle. of the Cohockslnk
school. Fourth street and Montgomery
avenue, Philadelphia, who has Just re-
signed her position after having served
the city for ffty.six years in one of
its most obscure schools. Her resigna-
ton, however, does not take effect un-
til the end Of the school year, June 30,
when she becomes beneficiary of the
Teachers Retiring fund, from which
she viii draw $500 year as long as she
lives, says the Philadelphia Telegraph.
Strong at Seventy two.
Many women at ~ are almost physi-
cal wrecks Many Of them are bedrld-
den, and the remainder congratulate
themselves if they are abe TO walk a
few squares without assistance. But
the septuagenarian whom the reporter
saw walked buoyantly about the room.
from bench 10 bench, with the agility
Of a scboolmarm still in her teens.
There was elasticity i'm her steps. There
was brightness in her blue eyes. There
was strength IN her voice. and her geS-
tjculations showed that there was plen-
ty of strength in her arms. AS the re-
porter stood silently at the door look
ing at the teacher she wrote several
inscriptions and examples upon the
blackboard. There was no trembling
of the hand there. Each word and fig
ure was written in Spencerian style,
large, distinct and with flourish
"Surely," thought the reporter, "this
woman cannot be 72-year-old Miss Lyle;
too energetically for a woman of that
advanced age, Nevertheless, this
youthful old woman was Miss Lyle. as
she smilingly confessed. Then she told
the story of her wonderful career, at
the same time instucting her pupils
and answering their many questions.
Began to Teach at Is.
Miss Lyle was born in 1888, in the
old Kensington district. Her mother,
Margaret Lyle, who died when she
was AZ. came of Scotch-Irish stock, and
her father, John Lyle, who died at 53,
was of Quaker descent. They had only
two children, Annie and Mary, both of
whom became public school teachers.
Mary died when she was 81, having
been a teacher only five years Annie
received nearly all her education at the
old Harrison school, Second and Master
streets. In 1851, when she was only
Is years old. she began her career as
a teacher. Three months later =, her
mother died. Her class consisted of
more than a hundred scholars and her
salary for the first year was only $l25.
That school was the Franklin, located
on American street, above Columbia
avenue.
:. You did not have to have political
pull in those days. said Miss Lyle, re-
miniscently, this morning. ''You were
appointed solely upon your worthiness
and merit, The next school ut which
she taught and where she has remained
ever since, was the Cohocksink. TO
which she was transferred in 1867.
At is she was advanced to the princi-
Palship of the school. Miss Lyle has
always taught the fourth grade.