The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1880-03-27
A LOOK INTO THE PAST.
A Trip from Smithfleld to Nor
gantOwn Forty Years Ago.
By REV. WILLIAM HANNA.
From the Republican Standardl

FeOruary, lS4U:--tr rec schools have
been introduced in Pennsylvania.
A board of directors have been cleo
ted in Georges township, Fayette
county, Pa, who were never suspected
by their neighbors Of being either
Solomons or Solons. They seem
never to have given themselves credit
for any superior sagacity, but now
that they had been elevated by their
constituents to the dignified office Of
school directors, as matt of course
their whole standing in society was
changed. One of the first evidences
of their concentrated wisdom was
seen in the decision that no free
school could possibly be taught at
McClelleu's Academy.
Another was that the old factory
school house was in the wrong place,
and must be moved from the farm Of
John Robinson to the end of the
lane near the stone house Henry
Smiths.
Our old professor, N. r. Walker,
had married young wife miss
Martha Brownfeld.) Some three or
four olive plants were already gath
cred around his table. He had also
invested the few handfuls of silver
that he had accumulated in a piece
of land, so that he seemed under the
necessity Of staying where he was.
And as he was not skilled in any
other branch of business he was un-
der the necessity Of accepting the
position of teacher in common
school, the whole course of which was
confined to the three RS" He wish
ed to continue to instruct some of his
former advanced pupils in the old
academy, but the directors forbade
it unless they would recite during the
noon hour, or after o'clock P. n. ]
was one of the three or four who had
recited at noon, and was now prepar-
ing another lesson to be recited after
four, when | was attacked with a
severe chill which no warmth about
our school house would remove. l
therefore slowly wendell my way
across the fields to the house of my
uncle, about one and half miles
distant.
DIR. G. w. Ncff, of NJ asontown, was
sent for, who pronounced my disease
bilious plcurisy. The afflictioI kept
me confined until April, when l was
sufficiently recovered to ride to Smith
field for. our mail. l was there in
formed by Mr. James Caldwell that
Messrs. H. & Fl. Dauelerty, Of Nor.
gantown, Va, wished to employ some
one to make 400 ploughs, for which
they would pay $500. This in my
estimation then was almost . fabu-
lous sum.
now hoped the means were at
hand for the payment of my doctors
bill, boarding, books, tuition &c.
Cheered by these bright prospects l
rapidly recovered, and in few days
started on horseback to Morgantown
to secure the job. About noon / ar
rived at the new tavern of Johu Ad-
Olson, who was formerly a butcher
by trade, and who few evenings be-
fore had called his visitors together
to decide what should be painted on
the sign he soon expected to have
swung up before his door. Various
suggestions were made. Finally one
of his visitors proposed that the sign
should have large broad horned OK
painted on it, to inform the public
where the butcher had bone. Also
a small man resembling the tavern
kecper) crawling out at the little end
of one of the horns, as kind Of pre-
diction of whore the thing would end.
The suggestion was not taken, and
no such sign was painted.
Yet, strange to say, the tavern
keeper and his sarcastic fried both
came out at the little end Of the
horn.
Two weeks from this time I took
the stage at Smithfield for Morgan
town. While waiting for dinner at
New Geneva Rev. James Davis (now
of Blairsville, Pa, came into the
room and engaged passage in the
same coach. He was then pastor Of
the Presbyterian Church at Morgan
town, man whose presence enliven-
ed our journey and seemed to shor-
ten the way. ! always considered
cred my meeting With him as proyi-
Dental, as he forthwith TODD a deep
interest in my welfare, introducing
me to the best families OF the place,
taking me with me occasionally to
his afternoon appointments at Stew
arttown, &c.
During my entire stay he was the
same earnest, kind, whCle-souled
man.
Arriving at MOI gantown l was let
down at the house Of Mr.. George
Hill, with whom l was to board. He
was man Of deep, ardent piety, yet
had not always been such. In his
young days he had been a promiscu-
GUS reader of books, bad as well as
good, and although alwas an exceed
ingly upright man, was skeptical
about some things contained in the
Bible. While in this state of mind
he paid his addresses to Miss Julia
Henderson, in the forks Of Cheat.
This lady was of ''the most straitest
Sect and although she admired MI.