The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-04-20
TOM REEDS WAY AS TEACHER
A Turning Point in The. Life of The
Future Speaker-His Service in
The District School.

Iopeka, han, April. Zine recent
death of former Governor E. n. Nor
rlll at his home at Hiawatha recalls
some interesting incidents in his life.
One of them is that when member
Of a district school board in Maine
he confirmed the employment Of the
late Speaker Thoams B. Reed as
teacher, and later stood by him and
saved him when other directors and
patrons of the school sought to dis
place him.
It was fifty years ago when Reed,
then about II appeared at the little
village Of Westbrook, ten miles west
Of Portland, Me-, and applied for the
job Of teaching the district school.
Westbrook, now town Of 5000 peo-
pie, was then a hamlet.
E. n. Morrill,, who later came to
Kansas and served this State as Con-
gresham and Governor, lived on a
farm near the Westbrook district
school. He had been elected a mem
Der of the school board, and among
the other duties devolving upon that
body was that Of employing a teach
er for the eight weeks school term
during the midwinter. Reed was a
student at Bowdoin College and was
doing chores mornings and evenings
to pay his way. He had eight weeks
vacation during winter and decided
to put in the time teaching a country
school at S25 a month. He selected
Westbrook because Of its nearness to
Portland.
DR.. II. c.. Linn, Kansan, who has
spent many years in Washington and
was a personal friend of Speaker
Reed and Governor Morrill,, in rem
iniscent talk about the early friend
ship between these men in the little
village of Westbrook said:
II wish I could tell the story as l
heard Tom Reed tell it in Washing
ton when he and Governor Morrill,
were in Congress. Nobody on earth
could put it in black and white as 1t
was told in his inimitable drawl, with
the twinkle in his kindly eyes, the
Jolly laugh or slowly coming smile
that changed so marvellously the
whole expression Of the face.
''From Reeds description Of this
his first business venture in the world
the district was no Happy Valley by
anv means. There was neighbor-
hood broil always on the Goals at
Westbrook and one was stewing away
when he put in his application for the
district school. It was there that his
path crossed that Of Governor Nor
rill, who, though only five years MS
senior, was chairman Of the district
school board. Thomas B. Reed pass
ed the examination and was engaged
to teach the school for eight weeks,
Governor Morrill, signing the certl-
fcate
"Reed didn't get along very we'll
even at the first, because as he said,
he undertook to introduce city meth
DDS into country school. He was
verv strict. He insisted that lessons
should be learned and proper decorum
observed during school hours.
"When pupils made poor reelta-
tions he sent them back to their seats
and kept them after school hours,
laboring with them longand earnestly.
Misdemeanors were visited with Sc
we're condemnation also. I remember
Of hearing Governor Morrill, ask Reed
if ha wasn't something Of czar when
a boy.
"sOh, hang it, Reed replied,
whats the use Of doing thing un-
less you do it properly? I was there
to teach: school. 7 was paid for 1t,
and 7 intended to earn my money II
T had to fight every day.
: "In describing one particular en-
counter which led to Reeds arralgn-
ment before the school board, he said
his; attire was sadly rent and dis
eouraged and he looked to have been
the under dog in a fight.
But the former Speaker added
with a twinkle in his eyes, 'the other
fellow didn't look very pretty either.
"The neighborhood row that was
going on finally involved the district
school, and charges of Czarsm
against the teacher or something akin
to it were preferred against him, and
he was accordingly arraigned before
the school board. The battle waged
all one day, Chairman Morrill,, OF the
school board standing by the sturdy
youth to the very end.
IlN;rb+ oaro., on and Tom Reed