The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1892-02-26
A RBMINISOENOE.


ces of former times, which may be in
teresting to some Of your readers.
We commenced going to school to-
gether at what l shall designate, as the
log college. AS perhaps but few of
your readers ever saw just such struc-
ture, and fewer still enjoyed the privi-
lege of getting their education wholly
or in part in a building of that kind, a
short description of it may not be out
Of place.
1t was located a short distance west
of the road leading from Jerseytown to
Danville in what is now Montour, but
was then part of Columbia county.
1t was not, as the name l have given
it might indicate, very imposing
structure. According to my recollec-
ton, it was about eighteen by twenty
feet on the ground and one story high.
1t was built with round logs, hence the
name. The interstices were filled with
sticks and mortar but not SO closely
as to give any of us reason to complain
of lack of ventilation.
This building was adorned with four
windows, one in each side, and one IN
each end. The window at the north
side had six SxIo lights placed side by
side in horizontal position. AS the
house was set in bank, this style was
adopted in part 10 raise the windows
to proper height from the ground,
and in part to avoid cutting off logs
and thus weaken the structure. Peo-
pie Of that day were not lacking in ar
chitectural ability, as will be manifest
as we proceed.
This house had a door for ingress
and egress. 1t also served another pur-
pose which the architect may not have
had in mind, when he was drawing his
plans.
The male students were required on
entering the house in the morning to
take off their hat and make a bow to
the professor. The younger lads some
times forget this formality, but the lar
ger boys had to remove the hat to keep
1t from getting dinged, and had to
make bow to avoid humping the
head.
Slate or metal roofs were not in
common use at that time, so our build
ing was shingled with what was known
as half price boards laid as close to-
gether as such boards would allow, and
the joint was covered with a slab,
round side up. This roof made a rath-
er fair protection, when the rain or
snow came nearly straight down; but
when either was accompanied with
driving wind, it made it rather unpleas-
ant for the lads and lasses.
will now give brief description
of our furniture, at the risk of making
the modern school boy turn green with
envy. Here the Architect manifested
his skill to perfection.
Holes were bored in the logs at
proper distance from the floor, sloping
downward from the wall; large pins
were driven in these holes, and wide
boards were secured on top of them.
This formed the writing desk. The
benches were made Of slabs, that were
considered too heavy for roofing pur-
poses. Holes were bored in the round
ing side of the slab for the reception
of legs. The bench when completed,
stood with the fiat side up. A seat Of
that kind was no doubt we'll calculated
to excite mental activity With the aid
of crooked pin which mischievous
urchins by long practice knew just how
to place, they sometimes produced
physical activity.
This building was not heated with
steam, nor lighted with electricity.
Such Improvements were not consid-
cred economical at that time.
For heating purposes we had what
was called a ten plated stove, which
had very disasreeable hal it of refus
ing to get very warm only in summer
time, when to get it out Of our way,
we sometimes carried it out in the sun.
For light at ou. evening exercises
we used exclusively the tallow dip,
which while it did not make as showy
an appearance as some of our modern
fixtures for lighting colleges or intel
lectual halls, 1t answered our purpose
very well.
l may as we'll add, that ali this ex-
pense was not gone to, merely to pro-
vide house for day schools. 1t was
used for church as we'll The first
sermon / ever heard preached was de-
llvered in that house. The first Sab
bath school | ever attended was there.
And many are the pleasant recolec-
tions connected with this antiquated
structure.
And now, my little school boy
friends, let me say word to you. II
some censorious old grandsire should
presume to find fault with you, for not
making as rapid progress in your stud
les, as he thinks you should do, YOU
can say to him, that you do not have