The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1939-11-10
PART III
(BY JOHN BARR

It was treat to attend morning
exercises at Public School No. n
as remember the scene of 40
years ago.
It was a treat to look into the
eager young faces of the hundreds
OF boys who crowded the assembly
room - sitting in grade and class
order, with their competent and
devoted lady teachers standing in
the side aisles.
1t was a treat to see the en-
trance of Principal Edward Boyer,
as he came smiling in the room,
stepped up on the platform, flashed
a comradely look that took in
every single boy-and in the tone
Of voice that they all loved,greeted
them: GOOD MORNING,
YOUNG GENTLEMEN" and
the hearty response of all those
musical young voices, GOOD
MORNING, MR.. BOYER!"
Then came the biggest treat OF
all when the Flag squad left their
seats, came forward, opened the
cabinet, brought out the Ameri-
can Flag and carried 1t proudly
up on the platform - as every
body stood at salute, to repeat
in concert the Pledge of Loyalty
and sing the National Anthem.
In closing the morning exercises,
Mr.. Boyer never failed to send his
boys back to their class rooms in
prime spirits for the days work
- with a few rousing words Of
encouragement or a good story
that would set them in gale of
laughter.
Public School No. n Is cosino-
politan, drawing the sons of rich
and poor families alike. They
come from Riverside Drive and
West End Avenue and from the
tenements, and that democracy
strongly appealed to Mr.. Boyer.
He told his boys that he wanted
that school to have as high code
of honor and Americanism as West
Point has.
Mr.. Boyer encouraged manly
sports among his boys-and good
craftsmanship. He cultivated close
comradeship between himself and
them, and made them feel that he
was not only interested in the
school as whole, but also in each
individual boy.
When he was having one Of his
informal heart-to-heart talks with
his boys, he would say: "You un-
derstand, fellows, we're pulling to-
gether in everything, and the fact
that I happen to be little older
and more experienced than the
rest of our crowd Of fellows, I
want you to come to me, alto
gether, in groups, or individually
whenever you're in any doubts
or difficulties"
Mr.. Boyer told his boys that
the attachment that had grown
among them was not going to end
with their leaving school, but that
when they were grown up and
were successful business and pro-
fessional men. they would be COM
ing back to visit him in old "77"
and back him up in boosting the
new set of youngsters who would
be sitting in their present seats.
This turned out to be a fact,
and enabled Mr.. Boyer to carry
out some Of the plans dearest to
his heart.
Mr.. Boyer had it understood
among his boys that in case it
became necessary for any of them
to leave school and go to work,
that they come Immediately to
him-that he nigh help them find
suitable positions.
This he developed into one of
the most helpful features of his
work. When I knew him, he had
a list of hundreds of business men,
many of whom had been former
students Of his. who heartily CO.
operated with him.
illustrating how his plan
worked: One afternoon called
at his office and found him en-
gagged, but he asked me to sit
down as he would soon be at
leisure. Throwing me an envelope,
inclosing q letter that he had Just
opened and read. he said. "Read
it-No. wait till after I tell you q
little story about one of my bows"