1/05/2006

This is a Reply to an Email the Editor sent out.

Enjoyed your letter. You must have quite a setup back there in the woods. Must have been quite a job clearing enough land for the arrangement that you have. I assume that you must have a few bears roaming around also.

Regret that I have no pictures of the South Amity school, don't remember ever having seen one. Marion Libby at one time showed me one that she had of the North Amity school and the teacher and students, probably taken around 1934-35. I assume that Hugh would still have that in the event that you are interested. I would like to have a copy of that because my younger sister was in it. I believe that it was the year that I started at Ricker that the powers that be apparently decided, for whatever reason, that Spring Hill would be the school dividing line. South of there would go to South Amity, North of there would go to North Amity.

Up until that time we and those who lived on the Tracy Road went to South Amity, but after that approximate time my sister Geraldine (Gerry) went to North Amity. It had to be around 1934-35 because she was only two years behind me. I believe that I remember most of what went on in those years. I remember the names of probably all of those that I was in school with, and some of those in North Amity. I believe that my first teacher was Glennie Estabrook who was also, I believe, Arthur Estabrook's daughter. They lived on the back road which I think is called the Estabrook Road. (please excuse the "I thinks" and "I believes", we're getting practically into ancient history here). I think that their old home is still there. It has been quite a while since I've been in on that road but if I remember correctly one has to go past the old Simpson place and it is possibly near Alden Hall's old place, but on the opposite side of the road.

Other teachers, not in order, I think Velora Black was one, Caroline Dwyer, Carl Reed, Verna Bubar, (before she married Clark, Verna Benson) one year, I think she was only about 18 years old then. And my last one in that school, and in my humble opinion, one of the best in any school, was Mrs. Bradley from New Limerick.She was my teacher in at least the 7th and 8th grades, I don't remember if she was there in the 6th grade.

I firmly believe that I came out of that little one room country school with as good or better a grade school education as I could have received anywhere, and that includes the cities and all those with all the bells and whistles. And a lot of the credit goes to Mrs. Bradley, and I believe she was working for seven dollars a week. I think I'll call it a day. Thanks for the letter, I enjoyed reading it, looking forward to hearing from you again.

HEB