Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1891-12-02

was falling, called the people out from
the comfort of their Preside and filed |
the Opera House to its utmost capacity, !
a number having to stand all the even
ing. Had the weather been good, the |
hall doubtless would not have held |
them. A general interest seems to |
have been awakened to see our older |
citizens boys and girls again in an old |
fashioned school with the extravagan-
zas naturally put on for the amuse-
ment of the occasion.
The scholars met in the Alderman's
Office below, and promptly at the hour
for calling school, o'clock, the
teacher, Walter o. HOffecker, rang the
school bell from the head of the stairs,
and the scholars, sc in number, dres-
sed as in the days of yOre," went
bounding up with books and dinner
baskets and buckets, crossing in front
and ascending to the stage and thus
taking their seats in the most rOlicking
way. They were followed as they hop
ped and skipped along, by every eye,
the audience greeting with bursts of
laughter the Oddity of their dress,
or the grotesqueness of their move
ments. The last to follow was baby
Benton Weldon, led in by his twin
sisters, Mrs. Eva Riggs and Mrs. Annie
Jones and introduced to the teacher,
as his first day at school,
After bringing the school to order
"Daisy Deane" was sung, then the
teacher proceeded to call the roll, each
pupil rising and answering to his or
her name, with all the varied voices
imaginable from coarse to fine. The
/ F,II. hi
Lydia Mcdowell, Geo. D. Collins,
Rachel Collins, John Henry HOffecker,
Lottie J.. HOffecker, Mary Denney,
Rebecca Collins, Sallie Baggs, James
G. Robinson, MOllie Cooper, r. d. Hof-
fecker. Marietta Savin, T. L. Mason,
]. w. Jones, Anna Jones, Eva Riggs,
l.. NJ. Price, Jennie Price, Anna
Mackey, Mary Hudson, Herman Roe,
Maggie Roe, o. b. Voshell, E. NJ FOw-
} Ter, Maria Fowler, John COsgrif, Anna
: COsgriff, Caroline Williams, ]. Ed.
Hoffecker, Annie Scott Hoffecker,
Emeline Clifton, Anna Waters Hof.
fecker, Ida Anthony. Benton Weldon
} Several were called not named above
: who did not answer. and for whom
. excuses were rendered-One had played
: truant, another had gone fishing, an
? other had gone to Behmler's to buy
q mOlasses candy, another expected
3 company the next day and had to stay
: homo and prepare for it sc. They
g were then sternly directed to get thei
3 lessons at once, but in little while
!, one and another was calling out tt
: him to know how to pronounce this anC
e that word, ridiculously spelled, which
t afforded considerable amusement.
The first class called out to say a
lesson was the A. B. c. class-Sallit
8 Baggs, o. B. Voshell, T. L. Mason
9 Geo. D. Collins, b. V. Weldon, and tn
It Primer Class-Anna Mackey, Ami
l. Jones and Eva Riggs. They gave al
l. the evidence of new beginners, ant
a made much merriment, the first, in tn
a way it got over the letters and the sec
l. Ond in spelling its words of first sylla
i bles. Then followed in order tn
t. classes in reading, geography, gram
.e mar, spelling, occupying the time unit
y the noon hour, all full of laughable mis-
q takes.
10 ]. Ed. Hoffecker early in the session
s. made such racket in jumping up an
r rubbing himself because boy sittin
II behind had stuck pin in him that b
|
lie cap put on his head, and from tina
Id time OH he was the clown of the even
lie ing, amusing, astonishing the audienC
e. with bis antics, and the freshness an
aptness of his answers where som
would seem to fail in their classe
m often getting off a pun that wOul
I'd bring down the house. Benton We
lis don, as the new scholar or baby, file
IS, his place with characteristic broadnes
d the audience always expecting hi
IS. when he arose, to say something
to Herman Roe was a veritable "JOhnn
d. BulP' in pronunciation if not in size
a o. b. VOshell in a we'll initiated vol,
to got off some Irish Bulls" and E.
er Fowler acted we'll the high struI
ed American boy.
Vn AT noon with the usual abandon
le. children the girls swinging around
lis rings, the boys playing leap frog, Il
fe time was occupied between play al
be eating their dinner.
wv School being called, the teacher a
ay nOunced that they were to be visit
of by the school commissioners, and
IN wanted them to show how well tn,
". could behave themselves, but the VII
tors were not there long before Il
IA boys were "scrOuging," throwing 81
II balls, &c, and one of them had to
ne logged for hurting one of the A. B.
~ Class, as another was sometime befO
~ that for hugging one of the girls.
A rap on the door was answered
s Sam Randall Fowler, THAT was h
school name) who announced to t
aL teacher, it Twas them commissioners
~. They were invited in, and John
oly HOffeeker, N. F. Wilds, and E.
~ Walls walked in, were warmly greet
sS by the teacher and given seats. A
'aI other rap on the door was answer
i@i and Mrs. Hannah POstles as NJ
"c' HOneysuckle, mother of the twins "
= ushered in, coming, she said, "
", way of encouragement like" and
10 read him some poetry. The teach
' "" very naturally wanted to show t
." visitors the progress the school "
70 making, called out Smart Ale
HOfecker" to speak "CassabianC
which he did with extravaganza var
the tons, "Ezekial Benton Weldo
our Though his first day. called out to
i've master that he had speech, and ga
at new version Of you scarce exp
ter, one OF my age" &C., and like I
)ng other was encOred TWO or three tim
the Mrs. Jennie Price recited MARY
in Little Lamb" and Mrs. Mack
ay. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" r.
Ork Hofecker was called in for oompc
)Gte ton on "COws,n Rebecca Collins
am Boys" E. M. Fowler on "B. Frankli
by o. B. VOshell on Smyrna" and L.
is Price, directing to the School Co
,rk, missioners."
led. John A. HOffecker, on behalf of
to Commissioners arose and gave his i'd
any of what "Deestrict Skule" should
han and complimented the teacher on
With advancement the scholars lad ma
and only he would like to see them h
lilly more knowledge of the seripters
,en- Proverbs, Cantickles &C." and Z
pay ceeded to ask a number Of questi
hen and getting some very odd answ,
hen Smart Alex. and Ezekial Benton
quently ipterposing with an ans
that would not fail to stir the risib
ties of the audience. The visit of
Commissioners was appreciativ
ave acknowledged and the exercises clio
hen with the school singing "Auld III
but Syne," at quarter past ten O'Clock
r on II was generally pronounced a 8
-. | oaoa for tyhat IL xvae intandad N hit