Newark post., 1915-07-28

Misses Platt, who were friends of
my family, l do not recall much of
the school. This | do recall, how
ever, that those Curtis boys spelled
down me and the whole school
one day when their aunt came in
to oblige the Misses Platt, and
gave out the words whole" and
toad" with a New England ac-
cent that made them altogether
unfamiliar. l still think that
thing was unfair.
How many, many men and wo-
men, when l mention the name of
Miss Maggie" Wilson will rise up
to call her blessed! Hers was the
best OF the small private schools
that Newark had in my recollec-
ton. 1t was kept in the lower
floor of Odd Fellows Hall, and
perhaps earlier or later elsewhere.
Some of my oldest and best
friends among men and women |
made at that school. Miss Mag
gle had natural gift for teaching.
If she had any problems of dis
cipline | don't recall having dis
covered the fact. Several Of the
boys entered college directly from
her hands, and l cannot believe
that any boy or girl failed of pro-
fitting in character from her teach
ing and example. Her patience
was astonishing, and the good
work that she got from her pupils
unusual. Map drawing was an i'm
portant part of the school work,
and at this Wilbur Wilson with his
meticulous patience beat us all
His maps looked like copperplate
AS this is not history, but loose
reminiscence, | am not bound tc
say exactly how long she kept
school, but l think of the perioc
as something like twenty years
No pupil can think of that schoo
without pleasure, and Miss Mag
gie's life is a fragrant memory tt
all whom she taught.
Before the consolidation of the
public schools, there were two a
Newark, No. 80 nearly opposite
Claringbold's store, and No. Al fal
up town opposite the J. R. Arm
strong house. Both sites are nov
occupied by other buildings. No
80 was a small rectangular bricl
: structure of only one room,
. think, while No. Al was yellow
, washed brick house of two stor
les, with the older pupils on tn
, ground floor, and the younger ol
the second floor. No. 80 stood ia
from the street at the rear end o
: a long green lot. A natural path
edged with coarse wire-grass LEI
: from the street to the school
, house, and it was the delight o
us fellows to tie this grass INT
) snares at intervals all along tn
2 path. with the benevolent hop
that somebody would be trlppe'
5 up. For some mysterious reasol
= that nobody has explained, W
! who lived nearest No. 80 did no
Y attend it, but walked more than
e quarter of mile up to No. Al
4 There were boys from far beloN
!, the town who did the same. Wh
attended No. 80 | don't know. A
G +b;c moment 7 can not recall tn
I name of a single boy. There were
t however, pretty big boys there
> though nothing like so many as a
! No. Al. We of No. Al greatly &c
: spised those Of No. 80; there wa
d something shady about that schot
e if | may judge from my curlou
D impression of the place. Once RI
l call that we of No. Al came dow
y in overwhelming numbers an
It shamefully whipped No. 80 IN
It SNOWFALL fight. There must c
n some living being that can solv
e the mystery of No. 80. | shoul
t. really like to have it solved.
n, No. al was a real school. l.
-e lower room, the only one VIII
n which | had any acqualntanc
[e was the most i'll ventilated apar
,r ment | ever sat in. How any OF |
,e survived the conditions in wlnt'
10 time it beats me to explain. III
N benches were to the last degr'