The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1877-09-19
FRAGMENTS OF THE EARLY HISTORY
or OHIO COUNTY.
CHAPTER XIII.
BY n. %. TAYLOR.

II
The educational record Of early days j:
also very obscure. The first school teach
err Of which tradition speaks was Mr.
James Shanks, the father of Q. c. Shanks.
He seems TO have been we'll educated
man for that day, and much esteemed as
teacher and disciplinarisn. The late
Robert Moseley, who was among the
first urchins that bathed in Rough creek
and played hide and seek" behind the
stumps and logs in the then new town Of
Hartford, used to tell story that illus
trated his teachers discipline. He
(Shauks) enjoined it upon his pupils to
say their prayers, night and morning,
and punished them il they did not He
boarded with Moesleys father. Bob, as
boys will sometimes do, fell asleep before
bed time and before saying his prayers,
and it was quite a job to arouse him.
Some one got him on his feet, and in his
half sleeping, half waking state, told him
to say his prayers and 60 10 bed; but be
swore with an oath that he would do no
such a thing. When looking around
there stood school master, at the sight OF
whom he fell on his knees and prayed
like he was at camp>meeting. Col
Shanks, however. explains this feature of
his fathers discipline, by saying that it
Was only in compliance with the wishes
Of bis employers. that his father thus
taught his pupils for his father, like
himself, wac a staunch unbelever in re-
ligion. This might have been the case,
but as his father died in the Colonies in>
fancy he might be mistaken, at least
most OF us would fondly hope that our
parents died in Christian faith for few
of US reach or envy those intellectual
heights that assure us there is no here
after that death is eternal gloom
At very early period the Legislature
passed an act incorporating the Hartford
Academy, and granted it several thou-
sand acres of land. These lands, it was
said, were entrusted to a surveyor to To-
cate on the shares, and tradition says
that this surveyor had no difficulty in
finding good salesble, lands, on which to
locate his own share, but could find no
place vacant except in the swamps Of
Cypress creek, on which to locate the
Academy's share. That they we're 80
located was at least true, and the early
trustees Of the Academy paid no a,ten-
ton to them. A new act Of the Legisfa-
ture, passed between the years 1885 and
1910, vested the property Of the Hart>
ford Academy in the Hartford Seminary,
and the trustees Of the latter institution
procured copies of the original patents,
and sold those lands for scarce a portion
Of their real vslue, the proceeds Of which
aided In building. that now dilapidated
old building which stands as monument
Of disgrace to our town, called the semi
nary.
Daniel Barry, q small framed mercu,
rial Irishman, and, who it is said, was
scarce ever known to stand or set still,
the old records show Was appointed clerk
Of the Ohio Circuit Court as early as
1903. He, perhaps taught the largest
and most popular school ever taught in
Hartford. Many Of the most distin>
guished men of the State attended this
school in their youth, among thep Ben.
Hardin. Many are the stories that used
to be told Of the prsnks and frolics Of
Barry's school boys, Notwithstanding his
most rigorous and strict discipline. He
had the reputation OF being not only
thoroughly learned in all the branches
which he protested to teach. but had the
tact of rapidly and thoroughly teaching
each pupil to the full extent Of bis men,
tai capacity. Nearly always on his feet,
alternately Furnishing. iustructing or en-
couraging each scholar, lie was the terror
and admiration Of all, and it was thought
an honor in after days TO have gone to
school TO Daniel Barry.
It was not the good fortune, however,
of the early settlers to have many such
teachers as Daniel Barry. Some were
cruel and iRhumane 10 their punishment,
others lazy and careless, and others yet
drunken and dissIpated.
The writer Of these sketches was 40
unfortunate as to have for his first pre-
ceptor fanatical idiotic, old hypocondric,
whom the older boys could manage as
they pleased. and procure q holiday
whenever they wished, by persuading
MIN that be was very sick and looked as
pale as q corpse, upon which the poor
old creature would take an affectionate
leave Of us all, and request US to meet
him in Heaven, as be felt assured that
his end had come. Being too feeble and
cowardly TO chastise the large scholars,
he would fog the little ones by way of
caution to the older ones. A severe, but
a