Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1880-08-27
Old Time Schools ID Augusta.

LaQ has, III I0SpOuS6 w tuO ACQucSu VI oue
State Superintendent of Schools, prepared
sketch of education in Augusta in for
mer years. It is gathered from all the
sources at the command of Superinten-
dent Grattan and is interesting reading.
We copy it in full:
From the close of the Revolutionary wal
down to about 1910 or 1872 nothing was
taught in the common or ':old feld'' schools
save the "three RS" Reading, Riting and
Rithnaetic and this by class Of men in
many cases scarcely less ignorant than the
pupils they attempted to teach; as Illus
trating this and the methods by which
they were selected. I remember an old
story related by my grandfather as happen
ing about the beginning of the century,
My grandfather was one of the gentlemen
in the neighborhood in which he lived.
who were generally consulted as to the &C.
quirem ents of the candidates to teach. On
one occasion he was called upon by an APP
plicant who desired to get his endorsement,
when the following dialogue ensued ::
.sWhat can you teach?'' "Well, most any
thing" ''Do you know your letters?'
"Oh! yes" "Can you spell?" "Oh! yes. y
.4Can you reaa?" s'No; 1 cannot, but l
think can learn while the scholars are
learning to spell.'' This particular appli-
cant was not endorsed, though doubtless
there were many like him, laboring in the
intellectual vineyard. There were exceL-
tions, but they We're rare, and up to 1910 or
1872 if ayoung man of the county desired to
acquaint himself with the classics OF study
The higher mathematics, there was no 9th.
er Way but to hammer it out himself or
procure the private .utorage Of some OF the
ministers of the Presbyterian church who,
were scattered in most of the neighbor-
hoods and were all men of education.
About 1872 George Alfred taught at Col.
Anderson's, near the present village of We
roma, English grammar, bookkeeping and
surveying; Francy Johnston taught the
same at Mowry's, in the neighborhood of
New Hope.
There were other schools | suppose of
this class in the county at this time, as
there was nothing in the two localities to
give them higher intellectual advantages
than other points, so that about this time
we may reckon an advancement from the
''three Rs'' curriculum.
About 1910 young man named George
Bolen Taught at Bells Grove Academy Oh
the lands of William Bell, about miles
northeast of Staunton. In this school Latin
and mathematics were taught, and here DR.
John Hanger and Mr.. James Nelson, both,
through long lives, useful and influential
citizens of the county, were taught.
In 1918 or 10 DIR. Hendren, then young
man, came to the county from Amherst.
He had two or three years before gradua-
ted at Washington College and married.
been licensed to preach and gone to Am
herst to take charge of an academy there,
where he remained for year or two and
came TO Augusta and settled near the pres
emit village of Parnassus, and took charge
of one or two churches. Here for period
of 20 years he taught an excellent classical
school, having generally from 70 to %
young men with him annually. They came
from all parts of the State, drawn by his
reputation as teacher and disciplinarian.
[ suppose he is entitled to the credit OF
curing and licking into shape more crook
cd sticks and cross tempered cubs than any
other teacher in the State and so sensible
was his course and admirably administered
his discipline, that while they feared they
loved him and the evening of his long and
useful life was gilded by the loving light
reflected from the eyes of his pupils where
soever he wandered in his State. His lib
erality to poor young men, especially those
preparing for the ministry, was noted, and
not few of them owe him the help that
has enabled them to be useful and honored
men. Very many Of Virginia's noblest
and best men owe their training in youth
to this excellent man. Time forbids to name
them, yet cannot omit to mention one.
who has shed so much lustre on learning
and gone down in green old age to an
honored graye--Dr. Gessner Harrison,
late of the University of Virginia. John
&. Slower, one of DR.. Hendren's pupils,
succeeded him, when, about 1888, he gave
up at the school, and Mr.. Slower removed
it to Churchville, where he continued 1t
successfully until, and for some years after
the war. Mr.. S. is now living and Is an
active business man, being the County
Surveyor
About 1920 DR.. Wilson, who had prevl-
ously taught in Staunton, removed to the
neighborhood of Waynesboro, bought the
pace now known as the Grove place, and
opened school, which he continued while
he was pastor of the Thinking Spring
church. am not quite sure whether Shls
was exclusively for girls or was mixed. The
Dr. taught boys in Staunton and was notet
for the pleasure he seemed to take in ad
| ministering the birch. This school LASTED
until near 1910, from which period thi
neighbol hood has never been without 8
fine school, taught by DR.. Ben. Smith, Mr.
Richardson, Mr.. Jones. MIR. Phillips, MI
| Kemper and others that cannot now re
call, and has turned out some useful mer
| in the world of letters notably the Mas
sizes and Fishburnes.
| About 1888 the Rev. Enoch Thomas es
tablished school for girls and boys a.
| Shemariah church, which after shor
time drifted into a male classical school
It was considerably patronized and con
tinued until near 1850, when the Rev. MI
Emerson took charge of it and it was con
tinued I think until about the commence
ment of the war.
| -.
| In 1S45 the Rev. D. F. Bittle established
a school near Mt. Tabor (Lutheran) churcl
on the farm of B. F. Mailman, this was
Lutheran school, and was known both a
the Lutheran Institute and as Hartmann