USA > New Hampshire > Grafton County > Warren > The history of Warren; a mountain hamlet, located among the White hills of New Hampshire > Part 27
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CHAPTER VI.
THE FIRST SCHOOLS OF WARREN; OR HOW THE YOUNG IDEA WAS TAUGHT TO SHOOT; AND OF A CERTAIN OIL MUCH USED IN YE ANCIENT DAYS.
VENERABLE and much to be respected are ye worthy men of ancient times, who had the public good, the prosperity of the State at heart. Benning Wentworth and the honorable pro- prietors of our mountain hamlet, next to the cause of religion, as we have before mentioned, believed in public education. So in addition to the other reservations in the charter for great and good purposes, the excellent governor provided that one share in the township of Warren should be reserved " for the benefit of a school in said town forever."
The proprietors, as before, seconded the governor's good inten- tion, and in the drawing of the lots, No. 3 in the 9th Range, 1st Division, and No. 15, in the 7th Range, 2d Division, were devoted to the cause of education .*
Yet it was many years before any revenue could be derived from the lands thus appropriated, and the children of the hamlet would have grown up in the most lamentable ignorance if they had waited for an education till the lots got productive.
Our sturdy settlers, before whose strokes the forest bowed, could all read and write, as is well attested by the old documents that have come down to us, and they could not bear the thoughts that their darling offspring should be deprived of a good educa- tion.
* Other lands were set apart for school purposes, for account of which see Appendix.
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HISTORY OF WARREN.
Yet they went at the work in rather of a negligent and dila- tory manner; now and then supporting a private school in some settler's cabin, and then letting whole years go by without any school at all. But now the town being so well organized, they began to agitate the subject of opening a public school. But it was only agitation at first, and then an attempt which was a fail- ure. At the annual assembly of the citizens, otherwise called the town meeting, for 1781, held March 22, it was " put to vote to see if the town would raise money to higher schooling, and it passed to the contrary."* The same thing happened at the town meeting held March 6, 1782. The inhabitants felt as though the burdens of taxation were heavy, and they could not afford to raise money in addition to what they had to pay to build roads, to furnish soldiers, to raise town supplies, and pay the State and Continental taxes. Some said - and there are always a few of that'sort in every enter- prise -"O, why can't we have private schools? We have always got along well enough so far with those."
But next year, when they could see the war drawing to a close and peace beginning to dawn, they voted almost unanimously to raise six pounds sterling " to higher schooling this year." At a subsequent meeting held May 5, 1783, " voted to lay out this money that is raised this present year, in hiring a woman school;" also " voted to begin said school the twentyeth of May enstant." And finally, " voted to keep said school at Stevens Merrill's for this present year."
In those times the selectmen were charged with the duty of hiring a schoolmarm and providing her a suitable boarding place. They immediately commenced their labor. First they looked over the hamlet, but found no one qualified whom they could engage. They then journeyed in the neighboring lands-to Wentworth- where they met with no better success, and thence on horseback to the region called Oxford, now Orford. There they hired Miss Abigail Arling, and she promised to be on hand at the appointed time, May 20. Returning home, they fitted up the school room in the most substantial manner. It was in one end of Mr. Merrill's barn,- a rough school house but good enough for the hot summer.
* Town Clerk's Records, Vol. i.
315
THE FIRST PUBLIC SCHOOL.
A rude table and chair for the schoolmarm was set on one side by an open place where a window should be. There were no desks for the scholars, and the seats were planks placed upon rough logs.
First day of school in the country-who does not recollect it? The scholars are up bright and early in the morning, faces washed, hair combed, dinners and books packed up ready to be off the moment they can get permission, so as to get the first choice of seats. It is so now; it was so then; and from the Height o'land, Pine hill, Runaway pond, and the Summit, the children that morn- ing trudged merrily along the bridle paths and tote road. They did not think so much of traveling a short distance then, as now, and they could walk by the paths easier than the settlers in the land of Trecothick, now Ellsworth, could come up by Glen ponds and over Mount Carr, as they often did, visiting. What if a moose was killed that very summer near the mouth of the Mikaseota, and Joshua Merrill shot a wolf by Cold brook, that came howling along down from Blue ridge, and they themselves tracked bears in the muddy path; they did not mind it much, for they were used to such things. They were born in the woods; the hills and the valleys, the wild flowers of summer, the mottled fawns and young rabbits that lived among the evergreens, and the swift waters of the glens were their live-long-day companions, and they went happily home to their bean-porridge supper and a bed as simple as their garments. The young Copps, the Clarks, and the Lunds, the Whitchers, Trues, Patches, Clements, and Merrills, made a numerous school, and they liked the schoolmarm, for she was gentle and good and did not anoint their backs much with the oil of birch, to sharpen their wits.
They did not have many visitors nor any superintending or prudential committee; but one day when the golden rays of the sun streamed through the great cracks of the barn, reflecting the myriad of particles ever floating like things of life in the air, and the swallows were twittering in their nests on the ribs of the roof, Stevens Merrill, who had been swingling flax in a shed near by, followed by his dog, looked in. An involuntary murmur of sur- prise and gladness went round the school-room, for the children could see through the netted tow and whiteish down that covered his hat, clothes, and face, like a thin veil, a happy smile of ap-
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HISTORY OF WARREN.
proval, which they did not always get from him. Their studies were as simple as their school-room. It did not require " much book larning" to teach school in those days. The Psalter and Primer were the only books used, and " readin', ritin', and 'rith- metic," the latter learned by rote, were the only accomplishments required.
Abigail Arling received three pounds for teaching that school twelve weeks. William Butler was paid two pounds fourteen shillings for boarding the schoolmarm, and Stevens Merrill got six shillings rent for his school-room .*
Once begun our settlers did not falter in the work. The next year they formed themselves into a union district, voted to build them a school-house in which to teach the young idea how to shoot, chose a building committee who called upon each man for labor and lumber as fast as wanted, and in less than six months the house was finished and furnished.
It was a framed building with rough benches and desks for the scholars. A huge stone fire-place occupied one end, and the walls were sealed with white pine boards, instead of being plastered. It was located by the tote road, a little above the present railroad crossing, north of the depot, and was right in the heart of the wilderness .;
Nathaniel Knight taught the first school in it; and to him three families sent twenty-five scholars. He was an excellent teacher, a splendid penman, and the most authentic tradition has it that he applied the birch in the most magnificent manner, as was common in old times. Yet he had a pleasant winning way with him, and the scholars liked his school and its surroundings.
He commenced in the autumn; but before the term closed the snow came, and then the boys took their sleds of broad run- nered, frame work pattern, along with them, often giving their
* Aug. 28, 1783. Paid to Abigail Arling, three pounds for twelve weeks' schooling 3 00 Paid to William Butler, two pounds fourteen shillings time for boarding school mistress . 2 14 0 . JOSHUA MERRILL, { Selectmen. WILLIAM BUTLER,
David Craig once got three shillings room rent for a school .- Selectmen's Records, Vol. i.
t The windows were of mica or isinglass, which was obtained, as tradition has it, on Beech hill. Good isinglass or mica is now worth $12,000 per ton.
317
NATHANIEL KNIGHT'S SCHOLARS ENJOY THEMSELVES.
little sisters a ride, and at noon-time, just as the boys go to Beech hill now, they went out on the hill-sides,-the sharp pitch down to the moat,* or to the long declivity down to the bank of Black brook, for a coasting frolic.
When the crust was hard and sparkled in the winter's sun, then boys and girls together enjoyed the exciting sport. Up hill nimbly climbing; down hill flying swift as an arrow, scranching and goring the frozen snow. The wind whistles by their ears, their hair streams far back as they come down on their light- winged sleds, and the fine grail craunched and scored by the run- ners, glances up in their faces and furzes their clothes and hair. They leap the hollows and mount the swelling ridges, gliding on swifter, faster, surer, than the snug trimmed yacht before a spank- ing breeze flies through the troughs and over the crests at sea.
Nathaniel Knight also taught the following summer, and the children loved besides the school the pleasant woods full of sweet sounds, and dancing brooks, and cold crystalline springs, all about.
It is very interesting for young persons to know - elderly peo- ple need not read this -that in these ancient times, just the same as now, the scholars often went up at the nooning to the foot of Mt. Helen, sometimes called Keyes ledge. Here they traveled beside Cold brook, which made music with the mossy rocks in its bed; and they crossed by the tree bridge, from under which a pewee flew, chirping as it left its nest. They saw flies and spiders and long legged creepers dancing and jumping on the surface as though their feet were cold in the chill water, and down near the bright sandy bottom were half a dozen shy, speckled trout, their bright eyes glancing as they lay almost motionless in the current. Tall birches grew on the banks, and poplars and maples, and here and there great pines shot out, like tall sentinels, a hundred feet above them.
The scholars came up here to get the young checkerberry, its red plums and flowers. It was a cool nice place for a summer noon, full of birds. A wood thrush sang sweetest by the edge of
* The moat is a cold spring situated down the bank, and a little south and east from the town house. James Dow named it the moat, and for many years got his water to drink there. Owing to recent freshets which have changed the river's course the spring is now in the river bed.
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HISTORY OF WARREN.
the clearing ; clinging to the breezy top of a white birch, a robin chanted its sweetest madrigal; a little yellow poll, perched on a rustling beech tree, whistled, and chattered, and chanked, as though it would burst its throat; a blue jay in a cluster of sapling pines screamed sharp and shrill, then itself flew away up the steep hill-side, as an old owl, disturbed in the shadows, hallooed and whooped in affright.
They got great handsfull of checkerberry, tied up with a little root of the gold-thread, a pocket full of red berries and bunch plums that grew under the pines. They also found partridge berries on evergreen vines, and unripe blueberries. Then they made a nice bouquet for the teacher, gathering the beautiful pur- ple cranesbill from where the fire had newly burned in the woods, bright purple twin flowers and star of Bethlehem from a cool grassy recess in the forest, and from Joseph Merrill's new field red clover, yellow buttercups, white daisies, and deep blue violets. Then they wove in blue-eyed grass, mosses that grew together family like, star grass and brown sorrel.
One day, as the story goes,- and it is an important bit of his- tory that should not be forgotten,-the larger boys and girls started for the summit of Mt. Helen. They wound slowly along among the stately three-leaved ferns that overhung the flowers like elm trees, through blueberry bushes and beds of yellow brakes, a music box where numberless crickets and grasshoppers keep up a perpetual lulling murmur, following sort of a path trod by hedgehogs, wild deer, and bears, till they came to the open ledge upon the summit. Around them were scattered red oaks, a few hemlocks, great pines, and among the rocks, blueberries, this- tles, and bind weed were growing.
The woods shut out the view of the mountains to the north- ward; but east and west the sky seems resting on the lofty crests, and adown the valley where Black brook, the Mikaseota, flashes in the sunlight, and Baker river winds like a silver line through the forest, far in the south is seen the round, bald top of old Mt. Car- digan. The clouds floated away in the mellow sky above it; and it is here through the rifts the sun first shines, and the first bit of blue sky appears after a storm.
Farmer Joshua had a pasture then, cleared at the foot of the
319
KEYES LEDGE OTHERWISE MT. HELEN.
steep precipice on the right, and from it came the music of the well remembered cow-bell, mingling with the lowing of cattle, and the bleating of sheep. Then there was the cawing of crows in a clump of hemlocks, where they had their nests, the whimper- ing of hawks overhead, and their sharp shrill scream at intervals ; by them swarms of flies wheeling in circular squadrons buzzed a lullaby ; the tree-toads and hylodes chimed in with trilling chirup ; the locusts made melody in the branches, and the flying grasshop- pers with trapsing, quivering wings, gave out a pleasant note like mowers sharpening their scythes in haying time. A robin by tiny Cold brook, sent up to them " his long, sweet, many-toned carol." From the warm swamp near by, came the chubbing, grumming, croaking, crooling, trilling melody of the frogs, and through the woods, just audible from the farthest distance, the voice of Asquamchumauke's waters. And then all the time odors sweet smelling, and perfumes magnificent, from the blooming swamps, the flowering trees, the brakes and the ferns, the millions of wild flowers and grasses in the pastures and fields came floating up on the gentle breeze to regale and delight the senses. Amidst all these charms of nature, perhaps unnoticed but felt, the scholars made a sort of pic-nic, eating their dinner under the shade of the wide-spreading beech trees, and quenching their thirst from a pail of pure sparkling water brought up from Cold brook.
One of the numerous other visits which has been made to the ledge since that olden time, deserves especial mention in this his- tory, for it then got a new name which seems most likely to cling to it. The scholars begged an afternoon as a holiday, and then all marching two and two, wound their way to the summit. Here they gathered flowers in the woods, sang songs, told stories, and played plays. On the large flat rock the older boys and girls formed for one of the simple country dances, and to the merry music of their voices kept time with nimble feet. When they were tired of this, as some tell the story, they feasted on the abund- ant collation which they had brought. Then a rude stone altar was erected ; the fragments gathered up and placed upon it, a rus- tic throne built, and on it was seated the most beautiful girl of the party, named Helen, crowned as queen, with a garland of ever- green and wild roses. All the youths and maidens joined hands
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HISTORY OF WARREN.
in a circle around her; the master of the ceremonies lighted the fire, the flames leaped up devouring the offering, a libation of pure Cold brook water was poured and then all dancing around in the circle sang :-
" The hill shall be called Mt. Helen, The hill shall be called Mt. Helen, The hill shall be called Mt. Helen, Henceforth and forever more,"
until the offering was consumed, the fire went out and the blue smoke from the white down-like embers and ashes no longer curled away in the summer breeze.
Long years passed before a new school-house was built to take the place of this first one, and then another was erected only because number one was too small. James Dow moved Warren's oldest school-house away to Pine hill, where it did good service for a whole generation.
From this first union district, the germ sometimes called the " Centre District," sometimes the " Village school on the Green," have sprung first Runaway pond district,* otherwise known as the Weeks district, in the school house of which for many years the town meetings were held; and then in their order came the now defunct Charleston district,t Beech hill district, Pine hill district, the Summit, Height o' land, East-parte, The Forks, sometimes called Clough district in " Patchbreuckland," Streamy valley or Sawtelle district, and Moosehillock district on the south-western mountain spur.}
* "Uper scholl house," first mentioned in 1792, in Town Clerk's Records Vol. i. + Nathaniel Merrill taught school in Charleston in 1795, at old Mr. Lund's. Nathaniel Merrill was the son of Rev. Nathaniel Merrill, and settled on Beech hill .- Selectmen's Records, Vol. i.
School Districts .- "Voted, March 26, 1793, to have two districts. Voted at same meeting to begin the public school the first of Aug. next."
June 2, 1794 .- " Voted that all to the east and south of Mr. Batchelder's 'Squire Copp's and Col. Clement's shall belong to the loer school house, & the rest to the uper one, as far as it did extend last year."
" Voted to begin the public school the first of September, at the upper school house, & the first of August at the Loer school-house in said town."
School districts were as follows in 1806 :- "Voted, The first district begin at Wentworth line, thence north as far as outlet of Runaway pond, thence on Pine hill road as far as Mr. Batchelder's, and on East-parte road far enough to include Mr. Knight, Mr. Ramsey, and Timothy Clifford. The second district to take all on Beech hill. The third to take all upon the main road to Piermont line, including Mr. Batchelder. The fourth district to take all Charleston. The fifth district to take from Mr. Batchelder's on Pine hill to Coventry line. The sixth district to take all the inhabitants on East-parte road east of Mr. Ramsey's. The inhabitants of this town are divided and defined accordingly."
1812 .- Paid James Williams for building a school house in the East-parte, $94,00.
321
EARLY SCHOOLMASTERS.
In these primitive school-houses, Nathaniel Knight, before named, Nathaniel Merrill, David Badger, a wandering pedagogue, Josiah Burnham,* (sad was his fate for he was hung at Haverhill jail,) and master Abbott, not yet quite forgotten, all knights of quill pens and the birch and ferule, to make the young idea shoot quick, taught with marked success. Then came Lemuel and Joseph, Benjamin and Moses, Nathaniel 2d and Robert E. Merrill, Jesse and Jonathan Little, and David Smith, keen witted, shrewd, and long headed, and each did honor to the profession.t
From these schools,- and may they continue forever - have gone out some who were brilliant, and some who were dull, of course ; yet none but who could read, write, and cipher, and all sharp and keen enough to compete with the best and smartest of this whole shrewd, swapping, peddling, jockeying, guessing yankee race.
* Josiah Burnham took his pay for teaching in produce. He taught in 1795. This unfortunate gentleman was not born in Warren.
t Schoolmasters.
Thomas Whipple. Robert Burns.
Ezekiel Dow.
John French.
Stevens M. Dow.
Calvin Sweat.
Luke Aiken.
Job E. Merrill.
Michael P. Merrill.
George W. Copp.
Isaac Merrill.
Russell K. Clement.
Master Newell.
Russell F. Clifford.
James M. Williams.
Anson Merrill.
William Merrill.
Horatio Heath.
Levi B. Foot.
Moses Davis.
Ira Merrill.
Jacob Patch.
Joseph Fellows.
Ira M. Weeks.
Wm. B. Patch.
Reuben B. French.
Albe C. Weeks.
Stephen Batchelder.
David C. French.
William Merrill.
John L. Merrill.
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CHAPTER VII.
HOW SARAH WHITCHER WAS LOST IN THE WOODS; WHAT HAP- PENED AND HOW THEY HUNTED FOR HER, TOGETHER WITH A REMARKABLE DREAM, AND HOW A BUSHEL OF BEANS SUD- DENLY DISAPPEARED.
IT was the most beautiful Sabbath of June, 1783. Quiet pervaded the haunts of men. The clatter of the mills had ceased, no rude cart rumbled along the stony path, the voice of the ploughman was not heard, and the woodman's axe was hushed and still. A mellow softness pervaded the air, the woods, and the waters, and a thin haze of the most delicious and tender blue, rested upon the mountains. All nature seemed in worship. The leaves murmured melody in the light breeze, the brooks sent up the gentlest music from the mosses of their stony beds, the clouds like silent nuns in white veils worshipped in the sunbeams, and the birds sang psalms.
And yet there was no religious meeting in our mountain hamlet. The settlers with their families sat down in their homes or reclined in the shade of the trees about their dwellings, reading their bibles or engaged in silent meditation.
On Pine hill, Mr. John Whitcher dreamed the morning hours away, and then suggested to his wife that they pay a visit to Chase Whitcher, their relative, who lived by the wild roistering Oliverian at the Summit. The idea was agreeable to Mrs. W., and in a few minutes they were ready for the pleasant walk along the bridle- path through the woods ..
.
323
A LITTLE GIRL LOST.
Their little girl, Sarah, not yet four years old, lispingly asked her mother if she could go, but was told she must stop at home with the other children, and they would bring her something nice on their return.
And then they walked rapidly away across the ridge, and down toward babbling Berry brook, admiring not a bit the dewy wild flowers in the path, and hardly noticing their delicious per- fumes as they crushed them beneath their feet. In an hour they were at Chase Whitcher's by the Oliverian.
The day was spent most agreeably. The new fields of full blown clover and honeysuckle, and on the borders of which the bright purple cranesbill was just blooming, were alive with the music of the vireo, blackbirds, and the wood-thrush, and the mild fairy-like hum of the myriads of wild bees sipping their nectar from the delicious flowers. Among the grasses they found the sweetest wild strawberries, and they passed the hours talking of the wonders of the deep forests where they would go hunting in autumn, speculating how high was the mighty precipice of Owl's head, and what an abundance of blueberries were growing on its summit.
It was only when the sun was sinking behind Webster-slide mountain in the west, that they said good by, asked Chase Whitcher and wife to come and see them and then hurried for home.
It had hazed up in the afternoon, and as they climbed the gen- tle slope of Pine hill night overtook them, and the few stars that shone out struggled through the rifts of the rainy clouds and the moon was scarce seen at all. But the bright light that streamed from their cabin window was cheerful and made their home doubly inviting.
" What made you leave Sarah up at the Summit?" said one of the older children almost as soon as they entered.
" We did not leave her," instantly replied the father, aston- ished.
" She is certainly not at home. Where can she be?" each one exclaimed, and then the dread reality burst upon them in a mo- ment. Lost! lost! Sarah is lost in the woods !
Mr. Nathaniel Richardson tells that the ruddy face of Mr. Whitcher turned pale, but he said, " Trust in the Lord ;" that Mrs.
i
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HISTORY OF WARREN.
Whitcher's countenance lighted up with afright, and the other children gathered closer to them, not knowing what to do. Reu- ben Whitcher who was present, seized the dinner-horn and started instantly for the woods. Mrs. Whitcher followed him, then came back and with the older children went to Mr. Stephen Richardson's to spread the alarm. The father seemed as if smitten down, then agitated paced to and fro in front of the house, then hurried away in the woods alone. The nearest neighbors came, shouting and hallooing in the forest; then built great fires that gleamed through the trees. Thus passed the night.
When her parents were gone little Sarah followed after them, then missed the path and wandered away in the woods.
As she -" Mrs. Dick French"-told the story in after years, it was a new world for her; the giant forest extended itself inter- minably, and the huge old trees looked as if they grew up to the skies. Among their roots was the young wood sorrel, its beautiful white flowers with brown spots about the stamens; then she gath- ered handsful of wild peony with deep red flowers, with leaves that curled over the purple and yellow flowers of the adder tongues, like Corinthian capitals. In the branches above were strange birds that she had never seen before. The Canada jay, called sometimes carion bird, because it robs the hunter's traps almost before his back is turned, with slate colored back and white breast, sent its strange wild note deep in the forest. Large owls in hooded velvety sweep, flew by her. Squirrels chattered and scolded one another, and their companions the partridges clucked . before her, or flew away with heavy, rumbling flight. Once an eagle screamed above her; and she started back affrighted as a wild cat sprang past.
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