Show BIT OF REEDS HISTORY build ng where he once taught school in cal forma until recently there stood in a pret ty oak grove in the heart of stock ton calif a forlorn looking brick building which perhaps in its palmy days had some architectural beauty to recommend it but for a long time as age and neglect began to show dis figuring hands upon the structure its windows stared blankly and its shut creaked upon their rusty hinges until people fancied the old place was haunted if the old walls could have spoken what interesting anecdotes they would have been able to relate of bygone days what tales might be told out of school tor this building was once van dorn hall built expressly for school purposes and famous as the place where thomas B reed late speaker of the house of re presenta tives taught school for several months he was then a young man a giant in size and strength fresh from bow doin college and he came to stockton to fill the position vacated by his for mer classmate W E greene who rec commended om him highly as his success or it was the first and last position held by tom reed as a school teach er for soon afterward he received the appointment of assistant paymaster in the U S navy and he then returned in 1864 to his eastern home william S rice in sunset magazine |