The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-12-01

Close Intervals, blackboards six feet Square
were placed along the walls, Ia front Of
which semi.eircles we're struck with chalk
on the floor for tho class 10 too when
called on to read or recite.
The reading lessons, which were all
from the Old Testament Scriptures, were
printed and posted on boards l4xlS inches
In size, each board at its upper end hAv.
Ing hole with string on Il by which
to suspend 1t to nail In the blackboard,
Each class had cOmmandant, styled
Mentor whose business II was TO keep
order In the ulass and instruct It. On one
end OF each desk was q telegraph with
signals. These telCgraphs were rods ono
and ahali inches in thickness andRlx feet
long, Surmounted BY painted hexagonal
block, the rods turning freely In tho holes
In the desk In which they were inserted.
On the platform, on other side Of the
masters, were the monitors desks. One
was occupied by the monitor Of order;
the other by tho monitor Of reading,
These monitors were selected from among
the older scholars, and each was furnished
with whistle. tn addition to these two
each class was provided with q monitor,
who acted as a signal operative for two
stations, and took his cue from the one oil
the platform. At the sound OF the whis.
tie each class monitor turned his signal to
correspond to tho one shown on the plat.
form and governed himself accordingly.
II the signal was for reading, each moni.
tor formed his class toeing the chalk mark
and the monitor within the circle facing
the class. At q signal from tho whistle
each Class monitor wheeled and took
pointer or long wooden rod, and placed It's |
end on the first word In the lesson. Al a |
second signal the head boy or girl OF the
class commenced to read aloud, and as
every class was reading different lesson
1t took pretty good lungs TO mask the noise
made by the adjacent classes so as 10 On.
able The monitors to hear their own
readers.
AT the end OF the room and forming the
tirst row Of benches were the sand boxes.
These were shallow, and Of convenient
width, and contained enough sand to form
a layer one.f0urth OF an iuCh thick over
their uSper surfaces. In front OF
these, above the heads OF the scholars, in
the next row Of benches, and supported
On posts, were boards on which were
painted the alphabet In large and small
characters, also the numerals, which the
beginners copied, making the characters
in the sand with their fingers. All study.
ing was done at will, but mostly aloud and
70 the uninitiated would have been per.
tect Babel, but each soon learned to heed
none but his own voice, and prosecute his
studies quite as well as II no others had
been studying aloud around him. The DO.
'uliar feature WIS the advanced scholars
acting as teachers the master teaching only
hose advanced scholars not engaged as
monitors. Nothing was taught but read.
ng. writing and little arithmetic.
The instruments OF punishment were
lot necessarily connected with the plan OF
eaching, but belonged to the times rather
han to the system; they consisted OF the
'Owhide, ferule, cat and rattan, with the
sustaining OF weights in the hands, with
he arm extended. standing on one foot a
md one hand holding up the other foot r
With the other hand ut the same time, &c. 5
Eighty years have passed, each bringing 6
u share OF improvement. Times change,
'ut character remains unaltered. Mr..
lindsey gave an impetus to education in 2
his State, which We can plainly reCog- y
'ize in our present status. Young and y
immature In many respects, our school 4
ystem compares favorably with those OF /
ar older States. Our citizens are eSpon. b
nts OF the system. Wheeling has rcpu. 5
alton for high integrity aud for straight. :
Orward business dealing, Of which she y
nay justly be proud. And to Mr.. Linds. II
~, as much, II not more, than to any one y y
lan, must be- accredited the shaping oil !
his character. 1t is not a vain boast that a,
lr. Lindsey was "the beneiaclor of man. n
ind" Could prophetic vision have been q
ranted him he might justly have said, and j
!ecan say, for him, "SiQuGriS mOnumeni,tDl, c.
iTcn,nHpic&. "