Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1876-05-05
A G O0d Idea Illustrated.

BARNES, the schoolmaster in suburban
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 represent some historical
character and relate the acts of that char
acter as 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 Punlc wars,
and Mr.. Barnes Immediately divided the
boys into two parties-one Romans and
the other Carthaginians, and certain of
the 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 upon
one side of the room and the Carthagin-
ians on the other. The recitation was
very spirited, each party telling about its
deeds with extraordinary JUNCTION. After
a while Barnes asked Roman to de-
scribe the battle of Gamma. Whereupon
the Romans heaved their copies OF Way
lands Moral Science at the enemy. Then
the Carthaginians made battering- ram
/ OUT Vi u DGllCil anu ~ OlAlOuE NhC
| Romans, who retalliated with a volley of
books, states and chewed paper balls,
Barnes concluded that the battle of Gamma
had been sufficiently illustrated, and he
tried to stop it; but the warriors consid-
cred il too good thing to let drop, and
accordingly the Carthaginians sailed over
to the Romans with another battering-
ram and thumped couple of them in the
stomach. Then the Romans turned in
and the fight became general. A Cartha'
ginian would grasp Roman by the hail
and hustle him around over the desks in
a manner that was simply frightful TO be
hold, and Roman would give a fiendisf
whoop and knock Carthaginian over tho
head with Greenleaf's Arithmetic. Han
nibal got the head of Scipio AfricanuS
under his arm, and Scipio in his efforts t
break away stumbled and the two Gener
ais had a rough -and-tumble fight unde
the blackboard. Caius Gracious tackled
Hamilcar with ruler, and the latter il
his struggles to get loose fell against tn
, stove and knocked down about thirty fee
of stove-pipe. Thereupon the Roman
made grand rally, and in five minute
they ran the entire Carthagipian army ou
, of the school-room and Barnes along wit
il, and then they locked thedoor and hega
Z tohuntupthe apples and lunch in the desk
of the enemy. After consuming the SUI
4 plies they went to the windows and mad
lisagreeable remarks 10 the Carthagin
/, ans, who were standing in the yard, an
: dared old Barnes to bring the foe ono
5 more into battle array. Then Barn'
i went for policeman, and when
e knocked at the door IL was opened and a
G the Romans were found busy studyiT
G their lessons. When Barnes came in wi
It the defeated troops he went for Scipio A
y ricanus, and pulling him out of bis sc
It by the ear, he thrashed that great milital
&c genius with rattan until Scipio began
% cry, whereupon Barnes dropped him al
d began to paddle Caius Gracious. tn,
N things settled down in the old way, al
4 next morning Barnes announced that hi
is tory in the future would be studied as
II always had been, and he wrote a note
ut the Educational MOathly TO say that in
a. opinion the man who suggested the n,
is system ought TO be led out and shot. t
I'd boys do not now take as much interest
e Roman history as they did on lhat day
iibflqdslphia Bulletin,