The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1886-09-25
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
LIFE OF JEREMIAH WOOD.

ISaO--The old Court Houses, sc.
Mr.. Jeremiah Wood the subject Of this
sketch, well known citizen Of Ottawa for
period of forty nine years, was born on
Long Island, Queens county, n. Y, Oct. 9th,
1917, as shown by his fathers family bible,
venerable old volume, printed about one
hundred years ago Mr.. Woods father was
named jeremiah, and his mothers Elenor
Whitman, and they were married June 18th,
1898. They were "Old settlers "native
and to the manor born" but probably of
English stock. They became the parents of
ten children, six boys and four girls. OF this
family Jerry" as he is called, was the
youngest and is now the only survivor. Of
his early home Mr.. Wood remembers little
more than the marvellous changes that took
place since his childhood. Then it was, for
the most part drearv waste of rocks and
sand, bayous and ponds, sea.gulls and wild
fowl flying hiher and thither; the sea DASH
ing upon the shore in an unceasing, solemn
monotone. Now, as if by magic, villas
parks, palaces, roadways between rows of
lofty trees cottages, school houses, churches,
villages-even cities-have grown up and
transformed the scene into that Of fairy
wonderland, ~
Jerry grew from an infant to a baby, a
baby 10 child, child to a small boy, and
then his mind began TO thirst for informa
ton about great many things, and so they
sent him to a school, where he was admitted
into
THE SAND CLASS.
This was a peculiar feature Of the ancient
Holland schools, imported by the old knick'
erbocEers who first settled New Amsterdam,
afterwards changed by the English to New
York The Amsterdammer school was the
original graded system. The lower, or in.
FAINT class, the A. B. c. department Of those
days. was known as the Sand Class for
the reason that the want now supplied by
states AMI pencils, was provided for by
means of square Of l2xlS inches or so, let
an inch deep into the top Of each desk, or
raised border of narrow strips Of wood en-.
closing square Of this size, on the top of
the desk, which was level. The receptacle
described was filled with fine, white sand.
The pupil copied with piece of rattan let,
tiers from the blackboard or enlarged from
some book, chiefly the bible. After GER
tain proficiency was attained, the pupils
were promoted to the blackboard, and SO on
through all the mysteries of the Three
RS" There were other remarkable features
in this old-time school The head teacher,
while ostensibly in charge of the school, and
especially Of the highest class, did every.
thing but one specially by the means of
monitors. These were the more advanced pu-
pills who had taken the three degrees of wis
dom impaired by this famous school. They
were masters Of all below them, and harsh,
even to brutality, at times. They levied
sort of blackmail upon the pupils, in the
way of apples, gingerbread and other dan-
ties, and woe unto the lad who failed to keep
on the good side" Of his monitors !
REWARDS OF MERIT.
Schools in those days in this country, cop
led from those beyond the seas, were con-
Quoted entirely ON the coercion or fogging
plan. 1t was the special province of the
principal to correct the pupils early, often
and between times. And the more severe
and relentless the rules, and the sricter
they were enforced, and the oftenest, by
the means Of the rod, the greater the merit
of the school and the glory of its manage
ment Upon each desk was placed a block
of wood, one side of which was covered
with leather. On the school being called
and the children seated, the monitor of each
division calling attention" and getting up.
on the top of the desks would walk upon
them, row after row. Each scholar had his
own seat and desk, and "tell tale block The
monitor, finding any boy absent or a viola
tor of any of the many rules, would turn
over his block, wood up. That meant a
thrashing for the luckless defaulter, who, on
his next appearance, would be obliged to
shoulder his block and march up to the prin.
cipals room and take his place at the
WHIPPING RAIL.
This was pole about l6 feet in length
placed horizontally upon uprights, in the
room of the great man of the school, who
seemed to take a special pride in the whip.
Ping part of his vocation, and often whipped
more for the sake of keeping his hand in
than for the punishment due offenders n
broken rules. Each culprit would march in
and take his place at the foot of the row Of
victims and wait his turn with such patience
as he could muster. Just imagine his feel!
ings, as more or less worked upon by the
bowls, lamentations and groans of his fellow
sinners ahead, wnie he was waiting his turn,
On one occasion Jerry" provoked the
wrath of his monitor in this way: He WIS
spelling and pronouncing ,-singularly enough
for such school-the word knowledge
and the boy spelled and pronounced it cor.