The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1957-11-28
School Days
BY E. E. ENLOW
Reprinted from The Glades Star.

Reprinted from The Glades Star.
Prior to the advent of free
schools in Maryland there were c
few subscription schools near my
home in Allegany County, Mary
land. These summer subscription
schools were taught by good ladies
who had in some way acquired a
little more knowledge than those
whom they were to teach. For these
schools our parents subscribed to
the best of their ability, sometimes
for one child or two for one sum
mer and for a like number of
other children for another summer.
! remember three of these schools
one at Johnstown NOW Hoyes)
another of the Robert Sterling
Farm, and still another in a shop
on the Elijah Friend Farm, now
owned by j. Bunnell Friend, in
which / attended school for at
least a few days. My only recollec-
tions are that we had slab benches
Continued from Page 1881
and that Ellie Frazee was the
teacher
Close upon the coming of free
schools, one room school build
ing was erected in our district and
named the Elder Hill school, This
school was on the east side of the
Oakland-FriendSville Highway. and
it stood back in the woods Just
across the highway from the school
there was rather large charcoal
pit which l believe had been used
when there was an iron furnace on
Bear Greek at Friendsville AS we
had no playground on the school
premises, we used the charcoal pit
which served our needs for some
plays, but as there was no water
at school except a small pail of
drinking water carried from quite
a distance, the charcoal pit did not
serve well to keep our hands nice
and clean. If our Spencerian Copy
Books could be reSurrected they
would show unmistakable evidence
of the charcoal pit. Town Ball re-
quired more space than the char
coal pit furnished which was sur
rounded by the woods on three
sides. so we boys cut out under
brush and climbed trees and cut
off branches that we might strike
the ball at greater distance When
we had made ourselves a respect
able playground from the woods
and the pit, we were indeed hap
Ply lot of boys.
Elder Hill was dubbed by one
teacher The Bee Hive. Here /
attended school under ten different
male teachers and one female
teacher, Miss Mary McClintock.
The male teachers were: Benton
White, William Ensley, John C.
Durham, Asa 7. Matthews, Thomas
Welch, Milton Forsyth, Henry
Friend, James J. Ryland, John
Dell and Silas Weimer. So far as
l know none of my teachers held
a college degree or a State Normal
certificate. but some of them re-
garded teaching as a noble calling.
The Bee Hive" was an ungraded
school and we did not always know
what grade we were in, but | am
quite sure that all of us who used
M A. NeWell's Sixth Reader, were
not in the sixth grade. Our teach
ers had not time to give us much
individual instruction, yet some
pupils acquired the habit of help
ing themselves and thus became
able to face some of life's prob.
lens.
My school days at Elder Hill are
still recalled rather wildly, but
must not indulge in too much remi-
niscence lest l may weary those
who may read this rambling mar
rative of my school days. Suffice
it to say our first superintendent
of schools was a one-armed man
named Mckay, whose office was
in Cumberland, Allegany county,
which is now in Garrett County
believe Superintendent Mckay