The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1886-03-17
The Gs.xnAR KING. No. 9.

times taught in tumble-d0wn houses ant
ontbuildingS. and sometimes in rude hnt.
such As NAV still be seen beyond the stat
line There vas then no school law, fOl
even the law p.oviding for the schooling o.
poor children had not yet been enacted. Al
were subscription schools taught only in the
winter. and few as they were, they were
not ALWAYS supplied with Teachers. Il
seems that most of those employed were
Irish and Germans. of whom amusing sto
ries are still current The boys ofthe period
were somewhat rough. but they could gen
erslly manage them: for if thev failed tC
thrash them when they deserved il, they
would take ii up as unfinished busines:
sometime when the spirit moved them. II
however, they happened to become top
heavy, they might consult their dignity by
timely retreat, and then there would be
81 no school till Monday At the holidays
the boys would change the program by
barring ous the Master, and would hand
him note demanding nuts, raisins, ginger
bread, apples, with cider, cherry bounce,
egsnog. or whiskey straight The Dominic
might try to break in, and if he succeeded
all could not get cut fast enough may be,
and somebody's back would have TO suffer.
Sometimes, too. he would get the worst OF
il: but the affair was usually compromised,
in which case If there was liquor in the
treat. belize some would feel eldted with
6 >ka rslI
were respectable characters but what did
they know. and what could they teach,
where the country dialect was spoken al
most exclusively, and the children under
stood no other language. They had the Ger
man primer, testament and psalter, or Dill
worth's spelling book, English testament and
Reader, with the cyphering book and the
Masters copies for the big boys, and the
windows to look out at, and long for the
time when the dreary farce should be at an
end
In this rude state of society my father was
born, and commenced his career as a jobber,
clearing land by contract. He also attended
a school taught by Mr.. Schober, at Berlin,
which is about an hours walk from the
place of his birth He had formed the hab-
it of devoting his leisure to study, even tax
ing a book along with him TO his work
His knowledge of English was still very
limited, and it was not spoken among the
people by whom he was employed. Hewas
therefore Obliged 10 study it with the aid oil
the Dictionary and Grammar. labor like
that of scboOl-boys marching under Cesar
TO the conquest of Gaul. 1t is not known
when he commenced teaching, but it was
not hard to do, for lin the kingdom of the
blind one-eyed men are kings" Moreover
the craft was then held in so little honor
that the common saying was, they taught
: lazy to work In after life he was free tC
/ confess that he was unfit TO teach at the out
set. and related an incident in proof of it
He used to go to hear English sermon:
and addresses as means OF improvement
/ On one of these occasions he happened {,
/ remark TO an acquaintance, in speaking o
/ the orator, thar he was All eloquent man
/ but the other misunderstood him. and snap
/ pishly replied that he did not consider hIn
/ i'll. looking He committed many defini
/ tious and extracts to memory, and retained
the custom of coming over phrases selecte,
/ from his reading, To master new words h,
/ had looked uT in the dictionary. The loui
STUDY of grammar and pronunciation mad
him an inexorahle critic in regard to both
| Even in Church he would make note, no
of Errors in doctrine for that was not in hi
line, but such as pertained to his favorit
studies and be honestly believed that tn
preacher should feel obliged TO HIM for call
/ ing bis attention to them. Yet prosy ser
mon was apt TO be too mach for him, unles
/ he had something to read to keep hin
awake He found ample scope for the exer
else of the faculty among his fellow Law
makers at Harrisburg One of them finally
/ became restive under the infiiction, and sait
this thing must be stopped; that it was o
no use, for ne had never been to college
and knew nothing about them ietckHio,i
terms" The Grammar King saw that
was plain case of cruelty to dumb animals
and agreed to let him off, bur Immediately
added Only don't say tetehnioal.'
! His school was an object of wonder, and
curiosity. which the most ardent disciple
could never reproduce The order was per
/ feet, for he was no respecter of persons, ant
( boasiers dreaded his authority as much a
young pupils. A visitor might find tn
room crowded, and the noise made by twt
or three classes reciting at once, absolutely
bewildering; yet any unusual sound woul,
be distinctly heard The male and femal
( sections of class had each its own head
place kept every one on the alert Th
teacher, though employed in another par
Of the room, was supposed to hear ever,
word, and seldom allowed an error to es
cape him-a result which could only be Al
tained by enforcing good articulation, witt
proper loudness of voice Conscious of tn
absurdity Of having children to read with
out being taught to understand, he made
rule that all who were learning EGglisl
must speak it from the time of leaving hom
till they got back from school. Object les
sons were devised 10 teach the names O
things, the names and tools of mechanics
trades, etc, with their photography Th
German accent was carefully corrected. il
self labor of no small magnitude Pupil
were trained in reading manuscript. il
which they took much interest. In every
thing thoroughness was sought, yet 'cus
tom could not state his infinite variety
In short, his teaching, though limited in il
scope, was probably the best for the tim,
being always adapted to the wants of tbos
entrusted to his care, who wee Obliged {
study Just what they should, and not whs
they would His influence acquired in tn
intercourse of business and bis service as
magistrate, was always exerted in favor {
education He urged upon the young IS
pecially the importance ofselfimprovemen
which he had 50 well illustrated by his ow
example He promoted the adoption of. tn
common school law by his district, and cor
tinued to teach the same school, for the lo-
wages then paid, most Of the time durin
toe uext twenty years. In private life h
vas distinguished by a strong sense of duty
aud firmness that never swerved from tn
right, His heart was open 10 all. wbie
caused him to lose much that harder nj
tnre might have secured He believed /
the inspiration of the scriptures, huttook n
interest in theological discussions Rpare