Composition Notebook Winter Term by George Murdock (1 results)

Condition: General wear. A composition notebook for twelve year old George F. Murdock during the winter term of his "3rd Class". It has thirteen (13) short essays, short stories, and/or sample letters with subjects ranging from Paul Revere, a description of what is in the classroom or seen from his window, and a short story of about a man on the moon. Murdock himself would late go on in life to become an educator and high school principal. It is clear that some of these entries were graded as the majority have a grade written on the top in pencil. Presumably each assignment was graded out of ten points, and Murdock received 9's, 9.5's, and 10's. Below are some excerpts from the composition notebook: "This man lives in a yellow farm house which contains sixteen rooms. Besides the house the man has a a woodshed, a large barn, and a farm containing one thousand acres which covers the surface of the moon. His farm is a very valuable one requiring but little attention except in harvest time' so the man has a good deal of leisure and makes himself very comfortable. He is the only person found on the moon; but once a balloon containing several persons lost it sway , and while trying to get back to the earth it touched the moon near the man's house. The people were kindly cared for by the man and after several months they set sail for the earth which they reached safety." - Excerpt from "The Man in the Moon", January 8th, 1880 "One Thanksgiving evening when I had been indulged at the supper table more hat usual I went to bed while the clock was striking eight and was soon asleep. I dreamed I was preparing to go to Europe. I spent a week packing my trunk and arranging things at home so that they would be preserved until I returned. I arrived at the depot which seemed to be somewhere in New York and went aboard the train for Boston. On reaching that city I hired a hackman to carry me to the wharf. After riding about ten hours the hack stopped; I stepped out and found myself in a forest. I gazed around for a minute and turned to speak to the coachman; but he, the carriage, and horses were all gone. Suddenly night came on, and it began to rain. After many wanderings I found an opening in a rock; I entered and found a large room under the rock with supper waiting for me to which I bountifully helped myself, and then went to bed." - Excerpt from "A Dream", January 26, 1880 Tan wrappers, lined interior pages, two thirds full. Measures 8 1/4" x 6 3/4" George Frederick Murdock was born March 8, 1867 to Charles Nathanael Murdock (1835-1904) and Julia Ann Temple (1841-1873) in Hopkinton, MA. He had at least one sibling: Charles Henry Murdock (1865-?). He married Abbie Barker Wade (1867-1939) on February 9, 1893 and had three children: Arthur Wade Murdock (1893-?), Evelyn Louise Murdock (1897-1980), and Frederick M. Murdock (1911-1995). George was the Principal of Major Victor E. Edwards High School in West Boylston High for twenty six (26) until his retirement in 1938. His date of death is unknown.