Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1890-03-01

even &C m III n
school" when the situation was offered
me in little Tuolumne county mining
camp. Isaid SO to my old friend. Pete
H., who had secured me the position
"Well," said he. after reflective pause,
"do you retain a clear recollection of the
twenty six letters of the alphabet: For.
II you do. you arc equal to any cduca-
tional demand this camp will mako Oh
you" e
1t was reckless camp" No phase
of life was viewed or treated seriously.
They did walk their horses to the grave
slowly at funeral. but how they did
race back!
It was legally necessary, however. that
! should DO examined as to MY ability by
the school trustees. These were DR.. D.,
Bill X, a saloon keeper, and Tom j.,
miner. 1mct them in the Justices Office.
The doctor was an important appearing
man. proud. pon,po,,s, we'll dressed and
specialized. He glared ut me with an cx-
preston betwiXt sadness and severity.
saw he was to bc the chief inquisitor. /
expected from him searching cxamina-
ton, and trcnbicd; it was years since
had seen II school book. l knew that in
geography was rusty and in mathc-
mates musty.
Before the doctor lay one thin book.
1t turned out to be q spelling book. The
doctor opened it. glarcd on me lcisurely,
and finally said: "Spcll cat" did SO.
spell hat spelled. Rat" said the
doctor. with look of explosive fierce
ness. and il IL tone an octave higher.
spelled, and then rcinarked: "But, doc
tor. you surely must know that l can
spell words of one syl!ablc?' III don't"
he shouted. and propounded "mat" for
me to spell, with an increase Of energy
IN his voice, and 80 Went on until had
SO spelled long enough to amuse him and
the other two trustee triilers. Then he
shut the book. saying: "Young man.
you'll do for our camp. l wouldn't teach
that school for 1000 year; and there
arc two boys you'll have for scholars
that advise sou to kill. if possible, the
first week. Let's all go over and take q
drink"
My school house was the church. built
and paid for partly by the gamblers and
partly by the good people of Jimtown-
AL tAiC uoS VI I'LL HCCkS Osl Cu{ltltNS.
for educational purposes on week days.
was shut up in that little church six
hours II day with sixty children and
youths, ranging from to IS years Of
age. In summer it was tie-ccly hot
little church. The mercury was always
near 90 by noon. and sometimes over
100. and you could at times hear the
shingles split and crack on tho roof Ct
the cathedral. \ few years of interior
| California summers Suns will turn un
painted boards and shingles almost as
black as charcoal.
The majority Of my pupils parents
being from New England and North
America. they brought and carried into
effect all their North American IDEAS Of
education. The California summer heat
is, think, unfit for educational pur-
poses. 1t is too hot to herd sixty rest
less children together six hours day.
| They proved this in several cases. Some
fell sick suddenly. Some faintSd. But
| this made no difference. Tho school
went ON iM all its misery. l sent q faint
ing child home enc day. and the father
returned with it TN hour aftcrward. lie
~OS iCVs Ullu SNlS tic NUutctt HIS CIllIu
kept in school when no sent it to school
This was in Californi,s early days
Ny scholars We're the children Of the
| Argor2utS. and in some cases had come
out with them. Their. WAS then no rc.,u-
| lar system CT lex, books. Publishers
had hot commenced making fortunes by
| getting out a new school book system
every three years.
My scholars came. bringing great
variety Of school HOOKS. They brought
pixies Arithmetic" which had come
over the plains. and Smiths Geo. ;ra-
ply" which mad sailed around Cape
Horn. Seldom were two alike. But the
greatest variety lay in SrannnarS.
| There was regular museum of En:,iish
/. grammcrs, whose authors fou, ht each
other with different rules and called the
! various parts Of speech Ly ,!;.fcreu,
nauacs. accounted tor ,hv great vari-
ETY. OF Granmars On t.:o s;.pi.o.i,ic. tina,
il is or was III" ambition Of :. tsrse pro
norton of schoo!,nastcIs 10 W.igr Il work
"A grammar before ,ney died AMI say:
i have left another grall.....tr to bless
and confuse po>tcr.!.,
Besides brinSiAS grnMrars. most 81
tho boys brought dogs. Dog, of many
breeds e. ! sizes lo,crci around the
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