The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1943-04-01
excellent spoilers and did not fear a

not a High School or Academy in
Garrett County to give ambitious
boys and girls an opportunity to fur
Their fit them for successful lives. l
believe that boys and girls in the
previous generation were slightly
more favored than those in mine, for
on my Grandfather jeremiah Elbows
farm there was a one-rOOm heWn log
structure called 'The Academy" Here
a man named Warren taught a num-
Der of years Mr. Warren appears to
have had useful fund of knowledge
and his teaching seems to have left
its imprint upon his pupils This was
shown by the preciseness with which
some of his pupils spoke the English
language. This log Academy stood
unused for school purposes for many
of my boyhood years. Patrons of this
old Academy were the early Elbows,
Brownings, DeWitts, Friends, Hoyes,
Matinglys, Townshends and others.
Not seeing my way clear for a
more advanced schooling, l, in 1878,
left the Elder Hill School and took a
Teachers Examination and received
License to teach. The schools
taught in Maryland were the Bishoff
Beachy, Grantsville, Oakland, Mid
lothian Mines, and Boston Mines. To
exc out an existence, | taught select
summer schools at Gap Run and
Selbysport. At the close of my semi
normal school at Selbysport, the
County Superintendent held a Teach
ers' Examination. This | believe was
the first one held in Selbysport, |
was later Principal of the Summer
Normal School at Accident, Ephraim
Lee and Miss Matte Porter being my
assistants.
In those various schools | had for
my patrons many Of the oldest and
staunchest families of Garrett Coun-
ty. The pay of teachers at that time
being so meager, Silas Weimer, Alex
ander W Dewitt, Ephraim Lee, Ed
ward Browning, and myself crossed
over into Allegany County where the
school year was longer and the pay
better. Dewitt was Vice-Principal of
the Frostburg School, Weimer,
Browning and | each was Principal of
a school near Frostburg. Weimer,
Browning and | lived in a select
boarding house, the Landlady Of
which was Mrs. Coyner, a sister Of
the late Daniel Offutt of Oakland,
Md. Mr. Lee was in another part of
the County and we did but rarely see
him, but we four in Frostburg had
many pleasant days together.
My last public school teaching in
Maryland was as Principal of the
Oakland Schools, and my assistants
were Miss Mamie Weber, Miss Mat
tie Porter. Miss Julia Stanton. Miss
Lou Thayor and Nathan Sclby. This
was in 1883 and 1889-53 years ago.
The schools were housed in three diff
fcrcnt buildings, two Of which were
privately owned and in one Of these
Miss Lou Thayer taught, and in the
other Nathan Selby taught the
colored pupils The Oakland Schools
were then kept open only months
each year The Principals pay then
was only $4,000 per month. This was
less than a school of Is pupils paid
in California. Of course | now under
stand Oakland Schools are we'll
housed and that teachers receive bet
ter pay than onc-half century ago.
Some teaching was done by me in
three States other than Maryland.
viz West Virginia, Ohio, and Cali
fornia In the fifth year of my
teaching in California | was Principal
of a school and President of the
Board of Education in Marin County,
from which place, in 1892, was di-
rcctcd to so to San Francisco for APP
pointment in the United States Gus
toms Service, where | remained for
almost 40 years, serving as In
spcctor of Customs, Special Agent,
Customs Agent, and as the Customs
Representative on the Board of Civil
Service Examiners. ! was retired in
1892.
In a few days ! shall be So years
If age, and in looking back over a
rather long life to my school days ON
Elder Hill and to my subsequent
teaching, compensating h GU g h s
come to me when | observe more than
half century later that many of my
pupils in Garrett County. Maryland
not because of my contact with them
as their teacher, but rather despite
my bungling teaching, went forward
to responsible positions in life. re-
( fer to a few of them:
Jacob Ferguson became a Teacher
and School Superintendent
Norval Speelman became a Teacher
and Attorney.
Mahlon c. Hincbaugh became a
Teacher and Physician.
Charles Fazcnbakcr became a
Teacher and Physician.
Harry RvIand becan,o - To.cbo,