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→A Winter School
All my fears proved groundless. The Harringtons <u>were</u> superior people, but not aristocratic, as we are wont to use this word: they were superior in every way, except in their own eyes. There was a delicate kindness in their manner toward that dispelled all embarrassment. I was only seventeen, but looked older by several years, and they never asked my age. They had at least a half a dozen boys in school older than myself, they were from good families and helped much by their example to maintain order.
Charles and Mary Harrington were my "star" pupils. Ma___ Mark Harrington was away at college. George Harrington had left home in his teens, not caring for school, he had gone to California to make his fortune. He had returned home that fall without a fortune, and with very little education. He was twenty-seven, and was studying arithmetic at home. One day he came to me to ask if he might occupy a desk in the school room. "I will give you no trouble", he said, "I think I could study better there, the atmosphere would be a help." I thought he was joking, but soon found he was quite in earnest. When Dr. Harrington added his plea, I could not refuse, lest I should seem ungrateful for all their kindness. So George established himself in a corner, and I trembled in my shoes. I felt sure the first problem he was unable to solve he would bring to me.
Now, arithmetic was never my strong point. I loved grammar and reveled in difficult parsing. It was not that I was ignorant of the principles of arithmetic. I required my pupils to memorize definitions and rules, and I knew them myself, but I was slow at figures and easily confused. What did I do? I got a key to the arithmetic and kept ahead of George, solving the problems at night, and making sure of the method and answer. He did ask my help, not infrequently; perhaps sometimes, for the fun of it. Not once did he find me unprepared. It was splendid discipline for me, and arithmetic seemed less difficult afterward.
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* Dr. James Harrington (b. 1806 ON - d. 1893 Sycamore, DeKalb, IL), son of Lot (b. VT) & Sarah Sage (b. CT) Harrington. His mother died in Ontario in 1809, leaving five children, of which James was youngest, and relocated to New Berlin, N.Y. to be taken care of by relatives, in Chenango Co. Started teaching at the age of 17, while studying medicine, in 1829 he opened up a practice at Eagle, Alleghany, N.Y., returning to New Berlin 1831, then 1844 came to Illinois and bought a claim of 120 acres of land, situated on sections 8 and 9 of town 41, range 5, now Sycamore. He was elected School Commissioner in 1845 (and re-elected in 1856). The log house which had been erected served as a tenement until 1846 when Dr. Harrington built a frame house, and a commodious frame barn, which is also the same year he was elected for the House of Representatives. In 1864, he sold the farm and removed to Ann Arbor, MI to educate his children. Then returned in 1865 to Sycamore and bought a block of land with a brick house.
* 1st wife: Charlotte Walrod Harrington (d. 1871), m. 1831 @ Alleghany Co., N.Y., daughter of Peter & Mary (Wait) Walrod.
* 2nd wife: Susan Wyman Harrington
** Diana Vermon Harrington (1832-1856)
** Dr. William Shaw Harrington (b. 1834 New South Berlin, N.Y. - d. 1922 Seattle, WA). Methodist preacher. Presiding elder @ M.E. Church in Portland, OR.
** Joseph B. Harrington (1837-1874)
** Susan Elizabeth Harrington Shurtleff (1841-1883)
** George Leach Harrington (b. 1839 New South Berlin, N.Y. - d. 1929 Sycamore, IL)
** Nelson Rounds Harrington (1844-1912 Sycamore, IL), City Marshal @ Sycamore.
** James Franklin Harrington (b. 1846 Sycamore, IL - d. 1885 Jewell, KS). He was born on the old homestead 4 miles north of Sycamore, the house was still standing in 1928. He served one year in the Civil War, then homesteaded a farm in 1871 in Jewell Co., KS. In 1872, he returned to Sycamore, and married Henrietta Durant (b. 1846 St. Charles, IL - d. 1929 Sycamore, IL), then they moved back to Kansas. He moved from his homestead into the county seat in 1883. He was City Marshall of Jewell in 1885, and while attempting to arrest a horse thief, Jacob Loy, he was shot, and survived 12 hours.
** Mark Walrod Harrington (b. 1848 Sycamore, IL). m. Rosa M. Smith. Graduated U of MI in 1868, and lectured on astronomy at Oberlin College, OH, and at Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge. For a year he was connected with the Chinese foreign office in Peking, and spent a year in AK. Then he was professor of Astronomy at the U of MI, then head of the Weather Bureau at Washington, D.C., then President of Washington State U.
** Mary Sylvia Harrington (b. 1850 Sycamore, IL - d. 1930 Belvidere, Boone, IL). Married P.K. Jones, druggist @ Sycamore
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What fine spelling-schools we had! Frank Harned was the best speller in the country. He had spelled down every school for miles around, and could himself only be spelled down by unusual words culled from the dictionary. I used to say: "Frank, remember, I <u>depend</u> on you." "All right", and his smile was good to see.
Not long after came the news that Frank Harned was ill in a hospital with measles. Another two weeks, and the news came that he was dead. He was convalescent when his regiment was ordered away; nothing would do, but he <u>must</u> go with them. The doctor said he could join them when he was a little stronger. Frank said, "<u>I</u> <u>will</u> <u>go</u> <u>with</u> my regiment." He caught cold, and <u>died</u>. His body was sent home and we had a <u>sad</u> funeral, but it was only <u>one</u> <u>of</u> <u>many</u> <u>thousands</u>, all over the land!
* Hosea Harned (b. 1798 Smithtown, Suffolk, N.Y. - d. 1876 Elgin, Fayette, IA)
* Fanny Babcock Harned (b. 1804 N.Y. - d. 1879 Elgin, Fayette, IA)
** Frank Harned (b. 1846 Streetsborough, Portage, OH - d. 1865 Dalton, GA), 147th Illinois Infantry. Entered service Feb. 10, 1865, died measles on March 16, 1865.
==A Year in Berlin==
