The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-03-16
Front The Mansfield Advertiser
Schools OF Elk County,
BY FLORA I. SPENCER Is. N. g., tbAss
1867


Ignorance Is the curse Of Gbd, educa.
ton the wings with which we fly to
Observation-Disclosures,
A rich harvest has been reabed from
the pine-clad hills of Elk county and
q mine of wealth is still beneath their
brown and stuhp-scarred peaks, but
there is a still greater souce of wealth
in her schools, aid her people are
wide awake to this fact, as is clearly
proven by the rapid growth and ih-
provement in all things pertaining to
schools.
Not many decades ago Elk county
was bowling wilderness, and many
J who were then among the brave and
hardy pioneers are still living. Some
times we have sat with bated breath
listening to their recitals of those by
gone days that to us seem to have
been full of excitement and romance;
and listening to the story of the many
| deprivations they have suffered, the
many obstacles and trials they have
as brave conquerors. Among the
many things of which they were de-
prived were good schools. A few
| evenings since 1 heard described one
of the old time school-houses. 1t was
a log structure, low and dark. The
windows were well up towards the
ceiling and were very sIhall; some
times they were filled with oiled pa
per instead of glass. One side of the
room was occupied by a huge fire.
place. The floor was of slabs split
from logs and furnished good venti-
lation, the cracks being wide enough
to slip a large whip through 1--WE do
not intend to imply that they were
used for that purpose. The benches
and writing forms were also of slabs.
The principal text books used were a
spelling book and Testament. The
teacher was always armed with the
rod of correction. A teacher without
q whip would have been a marvel.
Time has waved his wand, and all
is changed. In the place of the log
huts stand large pleasant houses
neatly furnished with comfortable
desks and benches, walls decorated
with maps, mottoes, and often pic
turs. Our schools are mostly supplied
not only WITH 81 eat blackboards, maps
chhrts, globes and numerical frames,
but with that indispensablea article, an
Unabridged Dictionary.
Elk county has eleven school dis
tricts and fifty-five schools, with an
attendance of one thousand four
hundred and thirty-nine pupils. Five
of the schools are graded; one at Bene-
zette, employing two teachers; one at
Centerville, in commodious new
house, two teachers. Wilcox thriv-
ing village, noted for being the l6ca-
tion ofthe largest tannery in the world
has a graded school employing three
teachers. The people of Wilcox are
highly interested in education, as
may be seen in the enlarged and inn
proved appearance of their school
building. 1t has three large hand
somely furnished tpoms. Judging by
the praise given him by his pupils, the
school is utider the giildance of a most
excellent principal.
Our cbunty institute was held in
this pleasant village, and I will ven
ture to say that no body of teachers
were ever received with more cor
diality, or that there was ever more
successful institute. The attendance
by citisehs was Large: And rs the
time spent bs the teachers at the in
stitute 8as given by all THE districts,
except one, the attehdai1ce of the
teachers was also large, the absent
teachers being all from that one dis
trict-a forcible argument in favor of
granting time and pay to all teachers
attending their county institute.
AT the close of the institute, the fol-
lowing resolution was unanimously
passed.
Resolved, That we, the tHaehers of
Elk county, will unite with the
teachers throughout the State, in a
petition to the Legislature fbr the en-
actment 0fa law ttiaking it obligatory
upon boafds of school directots to al
low time and pay 10 teachers in their
employ while attending teachers in
stitutes, and that the Department. Of
Public Instruction and bur county
superintendents are REQUESTED to aid
in procuring the passage of such
law.
AS this resolution is Of interest to all
teachers, I have taken the liberty to
quote it Iii tliis article:
Ridgway, the county seat, fts a
graded school (fdhr teachefs.) This
school has only been IN operation
about five years, but las done much
for Ridgway and vicinity. st. ffarys
has also graded school. employing
four teathets. German and the higher
branches are taught.
hi almost every township We have a
township uniformity of tent BSoks,
and our worthy Superintendent is
making great effort to complete the
uniformity by another year.
District institutes are held in three
townships.
We have no such relic Of barbarism
as boarding round!
There are but three Normal