St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1886-03-20
''PROF." SMITHS SCHOOL.
Forcing Young Ideas in the South
west Many Years Ago.

Thirty years ago education in the
Southwest was a lucky accident. ANY
man who happened to know more than
his neighbcrs became 4 teacher There
was no system of schools, the only
common belief being in the birch ROD
as quickener of the intellect.
Throughout this section of country
were 4 number of families from the
older Southern States, and chiefly from
Virginia. These families were usually
of good lineage, and drawn to the new.
er country through land grants for mil.
itary and other services. With them
they brought the habits and opinions OF
the mother State. These included.
above everything else, devotion to some
particular religious sect and respect for
letters. The sons of the families were
usually sent to college. and were con-
sideTcd oracles Of learning when they
returned.
Such a teacher, belonging to one of
shesc old Virginia families, was Will
lam Smith. His grandfather had
moved with his numerous family at an
early day into the famous blue grass
region of Central Kentucky. in conse-
anence OF a grant of six thousand acres
from the mother State on account of
military services. Owing to the imper-
feet surveys of that day and the result.
ing iitigations, he threw up the grant
in disgust and retired to a neighboring
State
When William Smith was bow, the
center of all accessible learning in that
country was the Miami University. at
Oxford, O., and to it the youth was
sent. Such an event in those DAYS is to
be compared with that of a modern ex-
plorer to unknown lands. The family
seamstress who got up his ,y,rdrobe.
was much in demand in social circles,
owing to her acquaintance with its de-
tails and her opportunities for compre-
hcnding the family's state Of mind in
view of the great event.
When William Smith returned from
college no youth was thought to have
ever carried away SO large burden of
iearMng. All disputed questions-such
as the spelling of word, puzzliuy
problems among the bricklavers, and
bitches in the exchange of butter and
eggs for calico-werc brought before
him. Parents were fired by his sue
cesses with ambition for their own
sons; and William Smith, instead of
becoming the teacher i'm ordinary as
tine other college men had been. opened
a school for boys preparing for college
Into this it was the hope of every
father and mothsr to get their boy.
The school house was large brick
building, painted white. with portico
and those imposing columns that were
a part OF the digniiied architecture of
that country, and was called the col
lege. In keeping, William Smith was
styled professor. Years after. when
the school was only memory. middle
aged men would occasionally drift
around to William Smiths home, then
In different State, and to the astonish-
ment of his family. who knew him only
as an active business man. call him pro-
fessor-a title that sent his grandchil- |
dren giggling behind the tables and |
chairs.
At that time. however. rs if to make |
amends for the restraint of the title, |
the boys out of school spoke familiarly |
of him as Bill Smith. \ real college |
professor has since told me that his life |
was made miserable Mt one time. when
an installment of William Smiths bows |
was sent to his college. by being con-
tinually told THAT wasn't what Bill !,
Smith said;' Bill Smith didn' do it in
that way"
William Smith himself used to tell
with glee how little Drake Beasley.
whose father begged to have him sit in
the school room and gather what
crumbs of learning he could, since he
was too young to be admitted. too pre-
cocious for other schools. and too bad
to keep at home, used to twitch him by
the elbow in the midst of a lesson:
Say, Bill Smith, lend me chaw of
The familiarity was all the more
marked since little Drake might have
borrowed tobacco from any OF the bows,
Tor wooden boxes filled with sawdust
were as much a part of the school fur
nlture as the desks.
knew William Smith as an elderly
man, although for some time familiar
With the reputation of this school.
which is one of the traditions of the
country he had long before left. Since
ne mas retired from active business, as
I'll men whom circumstances have
turned aside from chosen pursuits. his
mind delights to dwell on those early
lays. Ihls pleasure particularly keen