Ottumwa weekly courier., 1876-05-10

There arc difficulties 10 hc en-
cOnntcrcd in every road, and espcc-
tally in royal roads to learning. The
following account of the distressing
defeat Of the "Carthaginians" and the
final discontinue of the "Romans," is
from the Philadelphia Bulletin, and
occurred in the reformed method of
studying history:
Barnes. the schoolmaster, in sub
urban town, read in the Educational
Monthly that boys could be taught
history better than in any other way
by letting each boy in the class repre-
sent some historical character, and
relate the acts of that character rs if
he had done them himself. This
struck Barnes as mighty good idea,
and he resolved to try it on. The
school had then progressed SO far in
its study of the history of Rome as
the Pmic wars, and Mr.. Barnes inn
mcdiately divided the boys into two
parties, one Romans and the other
Carthaginians. and certain boys were
named after the leaders upon both
sides. All the boys thought it was
big thing, and Barnes noticed that
they were so anxious to get to the
history lesson that they could hardly
say their other lessons properly.
When the time came, Barnes ranged
the Romans on one side and the
Carthaginians on the other. The
recitation was very spirited. each
party telling about its deeds with cx-
traordinary JUNCTION. After while
Barnes asked a Roman to describe the
battle of Canine. Whereupon the
Romans heaved their copies of Way
lands Moral Science at the enemy.
Then the Carthaginians made.a bat
tering ram out of bench and jammed
it among the Romans, who retaliatcd
with volley of books, states and
chewed paper balls. Barnes conclu-
ded that the battle of Canaa had been
sufficiently illustrated, and he tried to
stop il; but the warriors considered it
too good thing to let drop, and ac-
cordingly the Carthaginians sailed
over to the Romans with another bat
tering ram and thumped couple OF
them in the stomach.
Then the Romans turned in and the
fight became general. A Carthagin.
ian would grasp Roman by the hail
and hustle him around over the desks
in a manner that was simply frightful
to behold, and Roman would give a
fiendish whoop and knock Cartha.
ginian over the head with Grcenleaf's
Arithmetic. Hannibal got the head
of Scipio Africanus under his arm
and Scipio i'm his efforts to break
away, stumbled, and the two Gcner.
ais fell and had rongh-and-tumbl.
fight under the blackboard Caiu.
Gracious tackled Hamilcar with {
ruler, and the latter in his struggle.
to get loose, fell against the stove ant
knocked down about thirty feet O
stove-pipe. Thereupon the Roman.
made grand rally, and in five min
, utes they ran the entire Carthaganial
army out of the schoolroom ant
Barnes along with it, and then they
locked the door and began to hunt M
the apples and lunch in the desks o
the enemy.
After consuming the supplies the,
went to the windows and made disa
greeable remarks to the Carthagin
, ians, who were standing in the yard
', and dared old Barnes to bring til,
1 |
Then Barnes went for u policeman
r and when he Knocked at the door i
was opened, and all the Romans wer,
found busy studying their lessons
When Barnes came In with the defeat
ed troops he went for Scipio Africa
nus, and pulling him out ofhis sea
by the ear, he thrashed that grca
military genius with a rattan unit
Scipio began to CRY, whereupon Barnc
, dropped him and began to paddl
Caius Gracious. Then things settled
i down in the same old way, and mex
morning Barnes announced that il
, the future history would be studio,
as it always had been; and he wrot
a note to the Educational Monthly {,
say that in his opinion the man VIII,
suggested the new system ought t.
be led out and shot. The boys dono
, now take as much interest in Roma
history as on that day.