The Press., 1910-08-31
Rsniniseeness of VEHlusssn by Native of the

Town-Ns. 10.
 The passing of the old sohoolhouse on the Hill recalls pleasant memories of my very early days. My earliest of my school days were in the old sohoolbouse at the East Hollow. The seats were aa hard as an oak board could make them, the lower seats forming the floor for the higher seats. On the top of the back of the lower seats was rail that was used as foot rest for the higher classea. as we'll as head rest for the tired little ones who had bat very little to keep them awake, and can recall times of resting my head on that resting place and sleeping. The first teacher that I recall distinctly was in the school on the Hill, near the Nathan Hale monument, in the winter of 1S83-4, the year that our family lived In South Coventry. The teacher was Walter Newoome, tall, young man from Wilmington. He was Q stout, two-fisted fellow, and an in- cident of that winter that I have never forgotten was his punishment of my brother Austin, two years younger than myself. picking him up by one leg and carrying him across the room with his head downward. I don't think that ever had as much respect for him afterward. The two teachers at the Hollow that I recall wsre Merrick Johnson and Will lard Fuller. Mir. Johnson used to refer to my being one of his early pupils when I visited him In his home in Willimantic during some of his last years
 My next acquaintance with the old red schoolhouse was at the Glass Factory school on our return to the Merriok homestead in the spring of 1886. or rather the winter following, as was needed during tae summer to help dig living for the family out of our hard farm, and never at tended summer school after I passed my eighth year.
 The schoolhouse at the Glass Fac- tory was lit le more modern than some of the other ones in the town, as perhaps being the latest built after the starting of the glass works, and as having instead of the large, open brick fireplace at one end of the room. 1t had the open Franklin stove set in the center of the room, with a large sheet iron pipe going up tD near the ceiling and u the chimney at the rear of the room. Brick were not very plenty nor cheap, and the chimney of our schoolhouse was built on supports far enough below the ceiling to re oeive the stovepipe.
 I recall an incident of the open fire place at the Hollow and of how they kept the fire before the days of that indispensable, the friction match The fire was kept not only in the schoolhouses. but In every farm Il use. by covering the bltklog or foresti' k in the coals under the andirons and covering the coals with ashes. and in that way the fire could be kApt for near 24 hours.
 James Weston, the oldest son of widow Weston, lived vary near to the schoolhouse, and during winter he looked after and made the fire at the sohoolhouse. One morning in that very cold and snowy winter of 1856 they had lost their fire at their hom e, and he went U the echoolhouse for some coals to start his own fire. A plan of one would b a plan of nearly everyone in the town at the time of which write.
 It would be interesting to know just what the early inhabitants had for schoolhouses I recall hearirg my father tell of his teaching in the same schoolhouse in which I attended school, bat do not recall of his tver spe aking of an earlier one, and think that we are safe to assume that the Glass Factory schoolhouse was
 he last to be built, and as it was dis trict No. 8 and the town was in eight school districts, and were known not so much by their number as by their location. Four at least were named after some prominent family and the others by section of the town. think that the districts were nine in- stead of 8. Beginning at the south west the Peck, the 'Fenton, the Toplif, the Hollow" or "Oity, ' the Rider, the Roaring Brook. y the Village Hill." the Glass Factory and the "Center or 'Hill' schoolhouses, and dividing the town into nine nearly equal parts.
 The Peck district originally in- cluded a part of Holland, and the schoolhouse was on the Holland side of the river at what was known as Peck's bridge. Several families on the Holland side were included in the district. I think it was in the sum mer of 1888 that my sister Elizabeth. at the age of IT years, began her life work as teacher in the Peck school house just across She river. It was a custom then for the teacher to board around. and I, at 12 years of age. was trusted to drivo with her Monday morning and for her Friday or satur- day.
 About 1840 the old schoolhouse on the Holland side was abandoned and a new one built near the home of James Peck, later known as the Gurley place. As have said plan of one would be for all, will describe the one in the Glass Factory district, where I koclx rav daupnoS @,c,,o 4H "a