The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1917-09-28
THE PASSING OF OLD
chicken COOP" SCHOOL
One of It's Scholars Becomes ReInl-
niscen And Writes an Account OF
The Years he Spent al The school,
house on Academy Street.

The passing of the little school on
Academy street, Familiarity known DIS
Chicken Coop" brings back to many
of the citizens of Cambridge fond
recOllections of the days spent wlth-
in its doors. One scholar, who Is
now one of the Blue Hens chickens,
has written the following article
about the spot, which in memory
and association, is dear to his heart:
Reading a few days ago in The
Banner, in cold faced type, that the
schoOlhouse on Academy street, near
Cemetery avenue, had probably oeen
closed for all time, and perhaps
would be sold, called TO my mind the
most pleasant memories. 1t was
there. under the able direction Oh
Miss Mamie Conner, that L passed
through the '.Primmer," learned the
ten commandments, and how to sing
the multiplication tables, (Which L
now find myself singing to the same
old tune when in doubt as to whether
six times seven are forty-tWo or
fOrty-eight.) Particularly do l re-
call not being at times allowed TO
sing, since / was accused OF Initial
ing a certain Captain" who sang,
and still sings, bass.
Also l remember my perplexlty
when we had advanced so far IN
arithmetic, that l found the sum To-
tai OF column OF figures exceeded
nine, and did not know how TO car
ry'' the excess to the next column.
Particularly do l remember my dea:
old Dad, who was in the habit OF
taking me along to unload cinders,
being unable one day to gain admls-
sion regularly through the gate, in
working clothes, dirty from the &C
emulation of grease and CRIME,
Jumped" the fence tan unpardon-
able crime) and in soto voice asked
If l might be excused. Needless to
say, l was, and enjoyed myself.
When through reading the "Prim-
mer, land having made suitable pro
ficiency in the art of 'tractin, multi
plying and 'viding, we were sent up
STAIRS" and when school opened for
the next term, we found ourselves
under a woman who, though long
since passed to that great beyond, and
one who was a past mistress in kid
psychology" and understood up to
that time with the foremost, sci
ence but little talked of then and
hardly in the dictionary-her name
Miss Helen Woodrow. 1 am posi-
tive that each boy and girl who went
to her" has nothing but the most
pleasant recollections of her person
atty and ability.
Here we passed through the second
\and third reader, books covered with
brown and published, if my memory
me- rio w II Annlofnn ~
Sons. Particularly do l remember
the story in one of the readers about
the girl who insisted on waiting on
herself, and who without consuits-
ton with her mother, when cutting
bread, cut instead her fingel. Also
do l recall about the kids who, on
their way to school, saw drinking
from a brook, before the Snow and
ice had disappeared from hill and
dale. that harbinger of spring, a rob-
in, and on telling their mother about
the incident, she taught them a beau
tiful lesson of how spring grows up
on US, and that the robin, when he
lifted his head, was thanking God
that He had sent that glorious sea-
son, when all things wake from
their winter sleep.
Likewise do recall sad piece, the
story of which slips me now, but is
recalled in its sad part because a
certain auburn haired girl could not
read it without crying. In these
years we were visited by that grand
old man, DR.. Bryan, who also, by
practical illustrations, always left
good thought with us.
/ wonder il certain typo" in
Cambridge remembers when he wore
curls and because he read SO beauti-
fully and in such a droll manner" Mr..
Finny and the Turnip," recalls being
sent by Miss Mamie to Miss Helen,
and asked to read before the whole
school that poem? Does he particu
larly remember the kiss which was
implanted upon his cheek when he
had finished?
Hard by on each side lived saint
ly people. and it was with longing
eyes and watering mouths that we
viewed Capt. TOMS grapes. My,
how we ran for protection to Mrs.
Phillips when those bold hearts
among the boys hollered here comes
the gypsies." In the play ground, of
which l have many pleasant recollec-
tons, particularly of a certain boy,
who invented, quite by accident, when
playing baseball, the art of sliding to
third
Are those boys still living who re-
member a certain fight which grew
SO fierce that one boys nose was
made to bleed? Well do l remember
the severe lecture by Miss Helen con-
corning that fight, and because the
father of one of the boys whose nose
was made to bleed was then Chief of
Police. she was very much afraid of
an arrest
1 wonder lat has become of that
six-lever brdY lock which kept us Sc
curely locked out when school was
not in session, and as securely lock-