The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1875-07-29
Gbe 1ntelligs'1eer.
0ld.Field Schools in Olden Times.

"REMINISCENCES, WTIGGeH tOI tuc Nieeu-
Vile Enterprise and Mountoiaesr, gives
the following truthful and life-like de-
scription of the "old-6eld schools of
his Young days, and which were common
even at a later period. The fidelity Of
the picture will be recognized by many
of our readers:
'I have very vivid remembrance OF
nay old-field schools, although sixty-tour
years have passed away, since | began to
20 to them, and ffty-four since | left
chem. They we're all pretty much alike.
There was a log house, twenty feet square,
built near spring, and frequently III the
woods instead of an old field. In one
end of the building there was a huge
fire place, extending almost across that
end of the bnilding. The chimney was
proportionably large. There were great
cracks between the logs, which let in the
light, and rendered it unnecessary to
have more than one window, which was
about one foot and a half square. Some
times the cracks were chinked in the
swinter,. but the chinking was al
ways knocked out in the Summer. This
made the school room airy, as we'll as
light. There was desk in one corner
for the accommodation of the teacher
and keeping books and papers. On this
desk there were always q large hickory
switch about three feet long, and brought
into effective use every day, and some
times every hour in the day. The prop.
er use of this switch seemed to be as nee
cessary to the pedagogue as his learning,
Mr.. Petigru went to school to Dr.
Waddell, at Wilmington, who, it is said,
had great experience, as we'll as sleight-
of-hand, in the use of the switch or
hickory, and after he graduated at the
South Carolina College, he taught
school himself for short period, and
said that if he had continued much long
er than he really thought he could have
equalled his old preceptor in the dexte-
GUS use of the switch. It is remarkable
that such a barbarous practice should
have been universally tolerated by pa
rents and practiced by school teachers.
An .ill-natured pedagogue gets in the
habit of logging his boys, and does it
very often to crafty his own bad feelings
and passions. have seen boys whipped
severely for the most trivial offences,
when word of reproof from the teach
er would have had much better effect
on the boy. 1t is said there are two
ways of governing, one by fear and the
other by love. The latter never was re-
sorted to by school masters in my boyish
days. I.hope there has been change
in this respect since that time. have
seen boys whipped in school until they
did not seem to regard it all, and it had
no effect in improving their behaviour.
IF they had been treated kindly by the
teacher, and gently reproved, it would
have had much better effect.
There was plank or puncheon on one
side of the school house for the scholars
to write on, instead of table or desk.
There were benches all around the room
for them to sit on, and sometimes when
the school was large, there would be two
or three across the middle of the room.
The girls were generally seated on one set
of benches, and the boys on another. In
learning our lessons we would repeat them
as loud as we pleased in school, and
sometimes when all were intent on learn
ing, the school house was a perfect babel
At the door hung a paddle or stick,
which every one had 70 carry out with
him when he left the room and no one
dared to get out until he returned. This
badge was seldom hanging at the door
idly. AS soon as one returned with it
another took it. But all had first to ask
leave of absence from the school master.
If we did not know how to pronounce a
word we went to the teacher with fin
ger on the word, and he gave the proper
pronunciation. Very often this was done
out of pure mischief or idleness.
The larger boys who were learning
Arithmetic or Grammar, were permitted
to 90 out of the school house to get their
lessons. Certain classes were called to
recite at certain times, and the teacher
was kept very busy from early in the
morning till twelve o'clock when there
was an intermission in the school of an
hour or two. This was "play time."'
Baskets were opened and all partcok of
their dinners first and then went to play.
Some times there was an exchange of
dinners, or a swap of one article of food
for another. The plays were numerous
with balls and marbles. l do not remem-
Der all the varieties. There were "pris-
oner's base," "cat," "shinney," "nucks," :"
''quoits," etc. etc.
When our play time had expired, the
teacher would come to the door and cry
out in stentorian voice, "come to
books" Instantly all plays were at an end,
and all were Fastening back to the school
house. The school continued in the eve
ming till towards sun set, and not like
the present fashionable schools, one-half
the day only. School keeping now a
days is nothing more than 'lesson hear
ing" The boy is expected to learn his
lessons at home, and come the next day
and recite them. The parents have to
become teachers, and the boy trudges
along with q satchel full of books. We
generally left our books at the school
house and learned our lessons there un-
der the direction of the teacher. When
the school closed there was a rival
ry amongst the boys as to carrying the
teacher home with them. He board
ed amongst his pupils. Sometimes he
would stay at one house week, and then
again he would change his lodging every
night. He generally favored those with
most Of his company, where he found the
best accommodations. This was very nat
ural and excusable. The teachers were
most commonly young men, and without
families. The first school master, how
ever, that I ever went to, was married
man, He got drunk one night, fell into