Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-03-31
THE COUNTRY SCHOOL.
SOME CURIOUS PHASES OF SCHOOL
LIFE IN THE COUNTRY.

Substitutes for the Pencils, Pens and
Ink in Use Today-Wsshing States.
Principal Text Books in Use-Learning
Rules "by Heart"
Some of the phases of the school life In tbs
country were curious. There were no such
shings as slate and lead pencils as they are in
their present shape. For use on states, PEN
ellis were whitfield out of pieces of slate taken
from deposits of that material along q stream
In the vicinity. For pencils to be used on
paper, resort was had to piece of wood, on
whose surface groove was dug with jack
knife, and in this melted lead was poured,
which, when cold, did very fair service as a
pencil, and was known as plummet. Ink
was of homo manufacture. Steel pens were
unheard Of, their place being taken by goose
quilts. States had to be purchased. and were
usually cheap production, with numerous
inequalities formed by the intermi1ture Of
flint
In doing sums" the use Of sponges for
cleaning of the figures was unknown. When
the slate was full the owner spit on it and
then rubbed it over with his fingers and dried
1t with his fist When, once a week or so,
1t became too greasy for the reception Of
marks the teacher, in response to May l
wash my slater permitted the boy to go out.
Washing a slate gave a boy an opportunity
for a vacation. If il were winter he would
60 outside, and after a leisurely survey Of
the situation. and sending SNOWFALL or two
after passing farmer or q boy from some
other neighborhood, be would gather hand
full Of snow, and finally return to the room
Cleaning slate gave him the privilege of sit
ting by the stove. Laying the slate on the top
Of the stove he would let it remain till the
frame began to smoke with the heat, and
then, in response to rap on his knuckles
from the teachers "ruler," hs would remove
it ard commence rubbing the snow over the
heated surface.
After it had been washed long time was
occupied in drying it, and at length the boy
would shuttle off to his seat, after managing
TO spend half an hour in doing what he could
have done as well in three minutes.
PRINCIPAL TEXT BOOKS. .
Webster's spelling book, DabolPs and, q
little later, Adams arithmetic, the Pioie,
Hale's history of the United States for read
ing books, and Kirkhams grammar included
the principal books used in the course Of
study then taught. In later years algebra
made its appearance here and there and
great was the awe with which the teacher
was regarded who could teach it ard the boy
or girl who could study it That young per-
son was "a studyin' algebra" was soon known
over several school districts, and the student
at once rose to the dignity Of a superior
character. There was now and then genius
who "ciphered through the 'rithmetic" in the
course of q winter, but usually the "rule of
three" entangled him about February and
held him there till the close of the winters
term
Mere memorizing was all there was of in
structiou. LEARNED by heart all the rules of
arithmetic, grammar, and the facts narrated
il the Bible and the historical work, and in
no case did they advance beyond the memory.
1t was not till some years later that dis
covered the reason why "one is carried for
every ten" in simple addition, or why vulgar
fractions were multiplied or divided by the
given rules, or what was meant by the state
ment that "the verb must agree with its
nominative in number and person." I knew
that the whale swallowed Jonah, but il left
just the same kind of impression on my mind
that did the rule propositions govern the
objective case"
Some years later, when working for
farmer for term OF three months, had for
my own use forty mimi IS each day at noon.
/ took up the study Of English grammar, and
during that period mastered Smith, Kirkham
and Good Brown, and for the first time dis
covered the principles underlying gram
NAUTICAL "Poliuto" in Chicago
Times