The Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1870-1875, 1870-12-26
By THOMAS BICAvoY.

/ was instructed ana uellEhted on
Tuesday last By the admirable per-
Torrance in exlempoTe compost
ton, of the class of little
boys and girls, Who are IN
der the charge of Miss McFarIand, of
the Primary Department of the
City Public Schools. The exercises
consisted of a description of the OBJ
jects delineated in the pictorial illus
trations of the reading lessons, as
found in their school books. Memory,
with magical power, presents to my
intellectual vision a picture crowded
with familiar objects. Let me try
whether can, in delineation Of this
picture, acquit myself as creditably
as did those little boys and girls on
that occasion.
In the picture I an contemplating,
l see streets ungraded. unpaved and
unilluminated with gas; the pavements
in q Wretched condition, aud the prin-
cipal part of the structures, used for
business and residence purposes,
which edge the streets. planned only
to supply a necessity. and constructed
of wood. Thia Vas snaPhAtieaiig
the aUo0deR age of Evansville.
L SEE A4GO q CUGGO0AEZ VI AuEu AuA
women perambulating the streets.
Their faces are very familiar, and the
tones of their CHEEKY voices sound
pleasantly in my ears. These were
the men and women who primarily as
sisted to lay the foundations of
this fOurishIng city. They were
hard working, good hearted, sens
ible and upright men and women
for whose familiar countenances and
cheerful voices / now look in vain
They have passed beyond that
bourne whence no traveller returns"
and would you know their names you
must visit their graves. They fulfill
ed their destiny; and their failures,
faults and virtues are buried with
them.
'No further seek their merits to disclose
Or draw their frailties frsm their dread
There they alike in trembling hope re-
The bosom of their Father ana their
In the year 1850, Lamasco and Ev-
ansVille were distinct corporations,
and Division Street was the line OF
demarcation between them. Their
consolidation was effected in 1857. In
1850 the cid fashioned District sys-
TEN was in force: each District hav'
ing a Trustee who had full control of
its school interests. Evansville pos
sessed no public school house, and
Lamasco but one. q small frame build
ing on Leet Street. For school puT
poses, the upper rooms of the engine
houses, and the easements of some of
the churches, were used In Evans.
Vile. Mr.. Chute, an eslimable citi-
zen. who had devoted q long period OF
an honorable life to the vocation OF
schoolmaster, Qlike that good, old,
expressive and unpTetending appella-
tion,) assumed the management of a
District School IN the basement Of the
Locust Street Methodist Church. Mr.
A. j. Wheeler, District school in
the upper room of the PhOnix E7
CINE House, on Vino Street, and MIR
Charles Is. BrOug h'On, another in the
old brick house at the head of Main
street. Mr.. Horace Piumer was
School Examiner, gave certificates oil
qualification and license to teach.
DR.. Lindley was School Treasurer for
the county, and resided at String
town. These particulars, I think
comprehend the officers of the school
eystem as Il then existed, and the ed
ucatloBal advantages possessed bJ
! Evansville and LamaseOin 1850.
While looking at and admiring the
| elegant aud convenient appointments
of this apartment, am painfully re.
minded OF the poor and insignificant
rooms we occupied at that early date
no such comfortable accommodationG
welcomed our scholars; no such aids
and appliances were then provided as
helps to the school master in the elu-
cidation Of scholastic exercises; nc
such provision made for the support
of the teacher as the muniicent lib.
crafty of che city government noW
makes from year TO year. Now q jan.
itor performs the mental tasks, which
then the teacher performed himself
or bis school room remained IN.
swept, aBd tue Gre unlighted
| Nov. when the teacher arrives
at bis place OF business, he
finds every thing conducting to good
humaF. and the morning faces of his
sckolafs beaming q delighted welcome
| Then for time, everything wen
wrong, and the teacher was exceed.
iDply uuamiable while his iii
temper tasted. The wonder tc
nle now IL. not that we accom-.
pli.hed 50 mneh, b1t that we &C.
conn. ske au+ssl NJ. corsiderine
cur et-a tsrccs III LamakoO
the p oDie tLen took a decided and
active interest 10 the prosperity and
management of the school, and when
we had a school meeting, which usual
ly happened every three months for
several years. the school house was
crowded No such enthusiasm is
manifested nova days, and I am per-
picked when / attempt to account
for this cuipsble Indifference on the
part Of parents.
The picture am contemplating has
several cOmpartments,i in one Of which
l see the boys and girls. whose educa
ton vas entrusted TO me, and de-
light il the remembrance Of my asse-
citation with them in their youth, for
those we're halcyon days. nOtWith-
standing our mutual hardships, priva
tons aud difficulties. Those boys
and girls have, in the course of time,
become men and women, and nearly
all who have survived are themselves
parents. l ind most of my pupils