The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-12-24

Tho faces OF several hundred school
children bore look of eager expectancy.
as they looked up at DR.. Flippo ut the
Opera House yesterday afternoon. They
wero there to hear him mako u short
address and then name the winners in
The TINES PRIzR ESSAY CONTEST. and
to see tho bright five-dollar gold pieces
given to the successful competitors. It
would DO hardly fair to say that the
teachers were not equally interested,
for they were.
On tho platform with Dr. Flippo were
Mayor Evans. who presided; Col J. L.
Penn, superintendent Dorr. School
Commissioner Stevens. and Principals
Many and Bcclsham. Mayor Evans
opened the meeting informally by pre-
sonting the wcll-known pastor OF tho
Baptist Church. who said:
"This inspiring scene brings up the
memories OF bygono days. pleasant and
sad. We used to have boys and girls
then, now they are all young ladies and
gont.cmon. Whom looked at you rly
memory went back like flash Of lirht-
ming to early days and I thought OF the
advantages which you have and which
VIC had not
I'm my school days we generally had
log cabin school houses. The one where
| first went to school had slab roof
and dirt floor. Our parents wanted us
to stand OH firm foundation I suppose.
There was only one chair and one table,
On which tho schoolmastor rested his
tired limbs when be took his daily nap,
and he always had one. 1'ho children
all sat or slab benches with sprawl;nu
legs
We couldn't reach the floor with our
feet. and the benches had no hacks.
Once in = while the legs would come
out ana the benches would be turned
over and wo would have to sit on the
SLAP sides and stretch out our legs, and
when we went home our mothers would
turn us round and round. and say those
benches ought to be fixed, and then put
now catches in our old clothes.
All the classes were spelling classes
and the teacher used TO sit with
a switch rs long as an angling rod
and read out words in stcntorian
voice. The best scholar was the one
who could spell the fastest and showed
WV tiO5S -htll Al EGIIlHE ErOUnU tho
corners with the examinations
Hero DR.. Flippo gave an illustration
of the methods OF spelling, which dofies
reproduction, but which convulscd tho
audience with laughter. lie continued
with further stories OF old time school
life, which held the closest attention OF
his youthful audience.
My first compositions" said ho. "was
written with goose quill OIL foolscap.
fitting combination, and my subject was
Woman and it ran away with me.
How vol l remember tho sinking heart
with which | stood in front O, the
teacher and heard tho rules read Tho
sixth rule forbade boys and girls play
ing together at noon. That was ali |
went to school for, and 1 broke that
rule every day. and have been sinner
that way ever since.
"But now | can SEQ how much
brighter, how much nero polished, how
much better taught ara tho scholars OF
to-day than wo were. All honor to The
TINES for inauyurating this friendly
contest which has provided J. mental
stimulus for you. believe it will do
you good and only good. believe that
In Offering prizes it has stimulated
latent energies you didn't know you
possessed, and III SO doing lead You TO
noblcr and better lives to fit you for the
life TO come"
Dr.. Flippo then read tho essay which
was found co have been written by Miss
Fannie p. l'olcy, of Grade A, Room ?,
of Third Ward school, to whom special
s. prize will DO given for the best essay
submitted from any school. He then
proceeded to call the names of the prize
winners, who came up rs called and
were presented with the well-earned
prizes. Those who deserved honorable
mention were also named, and then the
audience was dismissed.
Below will be found tho prizo-winninc
essays as we'll as those which were
given honorable mention. Each is
signed with the name OF its author, the
school, and teacher