The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-04-28
MONTPELIER IN THE FORTIEs.
"Reminiscences OF Life at the State
Capitalize Schools, Private and
Public OF an Earlier Period.

To the Editor of the journal:
On reading the interesting article
in your paper on "The Older Mont
pelier' felt that perhaps little
reminiscing of a date prior to that of
which zone OF the Boys" wrote might
not be uninterestng to some OF the
Oldest inhabitants. DO any of them
remember back i'm the fortics pri-
vate school taught by Miss Smith,
in the old Washburn place, between
the brick house, afterward owned by
Ferrand Merrill and the Burbank
place? Col. Washburn was a benev-
client looking man with long silvery
hair and a smile that won MS child
rem. He had a fine garden IN which
grew luscious apples and caraway
into which VIC were not allowed to
trespass, but whether through world
ly wisdom or generosity. the old gen
tleman always sent to the school room
baskets of the fruit, the free will Of
fering compensating us for our self
denial. Miss Smith. our teacher,
seemed to our youthful eyes quite old
"as much as twenty" but the fact
that she was engaged to Alfred Pit
kin, VINO taught school in the little
brick school near by threw halo of
romance about her.
There was a closet in the school
room with long shelves against which
the door shut tightly As a punish
ment the offender was laid on a shelf
the closed door leaving him in dark
ness and silence, supposedly to search
| his heart and mediate on his
sins, but | can vouch this did not al
ways follow. but that kicks and fists
often made it question of the lady
or the tiger" En- Peck, the scape
goat of the school. lived in a tumble
down house across the street, then
called the old Langdon house. The
punishments that fell to her lot were
! many anu fdIltu, Out VI WulCH was
to stand in the corner with a pair of
| horns tied to her head. Whether this
was done as a means OF grace to her
! self or to remind the rest of tne
scholars that a certain individual
VINO wore horns would catch US If we
didn't watch out is not known.
In one corner of the room two Buff
falo robes were spread down on
which the very young pupils might
rest. | remember my modification
when one afternoon George Spalding
and William Storrs visitors from the
big school asked if they could lie
down and being given permission they
fell fast asleep. To me it seemed very
take nap while having audience
with the Pope at Rome
From this private school we went
to the district school taught by Mr..
! Pitkin, next Mf. Burbanks house. the
impression on me than the gnawing
envy | had of William Burbank
whose father owned the building.
which gave him the right of way to
the cellar beneath. where he could
collect the numberless slate pencils
that fell through the cracks in the
floor of the school room above. This
wealth of resource being paraded
quite ostentatiously seemed in the
nature of graft. The new building
! on LOOMS meadow being finished
we next attended school there. 1t had
four grades, but remember little
till we reached the upper grade
taught by Mr.. Chasclle as we knew
him. He was a young man of attrac-
tive personality. and born teacher
He did away with all rules and put us
on our honor and nowhere was there
a better governed school or scholars
more ambitious and studious
The spelling classes were OF
great interest. James Peck and his
cousin, Alonzo, were the champion
spoilers and the side they were on
was usually the winning side If they
We're opposed to each other the con-
test was long and exciting. Ore
morning the scholars found the
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be found in the country, a soil well