1907 Magnet Yearbook

Tin:
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ttbe (Sral1tl11ar Scbool in tbe fiftic9.
I
8\" DII'. JA)l~:S IIA~
CI/I,/ Lilm,,.ian. Torollio Pllblir libm/"T,
A~I ask~'d for my recollections of schooldays in Ih", fifties.
whl'n TOl'onto was a lown of betw",en a fifth and a ~ixth of
it!' prel;ent size. and nearly all north of Oueen Street was
Ill'W territory, Let me first describe the old school.
When! look back !sce a lon2 tW04tor}', weather-beaten
buildin~, somewhat out of repair: the lower poriion occupied
as a so.::hool. th", upper as a dweJlinj;Z f..r the h..ad master.
Th.. easl end. which was built out to Ihe street line. was broken b}'
two rows of three windows. the lower l)laced some diSlanc\,' from the };round
so as 10 be beyond the reach of the Mred arab. who was I·CSllonsihlt· for Ihc
dilapidated alll)earanCe of the clap-boarded walls. Runninj;Z nutlh to the
COrlll'r and alollj;Z :'o.larch Street (now Lombard Slrt'et) was a hij{h board
fenct'. wdl patched on Ihe inside, which shut out the I'iewof the rows of
disreputable bou8C8 which lined that street. but did not \,'xclude the noi>iC
and unpkasant odors. sheherinR; from outside obsen·ation th", plan~·round.
when' nl,ither trees nor j{rass were dsibJ.-,
On openinj;Z the rude ~ale in the fence. the buildin/.: was seen 10 be
betwe~'n fift\' and sixt)' feet long. l·unn;n/.: eaSI an.d II'eSI wilh tile enlrance 10
tile school on the northwest corner. facing- tile 1>laYl{round This was about
Sixl)' feet by one Ilundred, not Jarj{e enouj{h for cricket. but admirably
suiled for pla}'in/l: prisoner's ba~. a j;Zame ! hal'e seldom seen since. and
which. I fear. owed somewhat of its IloOpularil)' to the opportunit}, it afford",d
to the prisoners, of witne8llinj{ tbrouj:th th", holt'tl amI crack!; in the fence th",
frequent brawls in the adjoininj:t street. Indeed March Sire.. ' had at that
lime a reputation for squalor. dirt and crime which nonl: of ils succeSSOnl in
Toronto have attempted 10 ril'aL It was a tradition amon~ the ho)'s that the
police were afraid 10 put in an appearance cxcept in cou"l('s, and eel'lainl}"
no bo}' would I'enture home that wa}'. The weSI end was formed b,· th..
j:table end of some old wooden hou8e8 and the' IIOlIth b}' a still more dilapidated
fence, wbich sclnrated Ihe school j;Zrounds from th.. adja.:ent properl}',
The external aspec.t or Ihe whole place pr~nted to youthful eyes the
appearance of old aKe and deca}·. The door 0l'en..d ullOn a small hall al>ollt
six feet wide, on the ri/l:ht of which was Ihe staircasc leadin~ 10 Ihl: relSidl.'llCI:
aoo\'e. and in front. tile door openinlt into th.. school conli;stin~ of onc lar/.:c
and two small rooms, Tile largest of thesc was in our q'es capaciollli but
would be considered small in this day of impro"ed public ,..;hools. and the
size of the smaller rna}" be judj:ted by the fact thai the bo}·s. randy eX~"'edin~
twenty in number. salon forms placed along th.. \\'alJ.l..al·in~ a !'\)ilC