The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1894-08-18
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whether they come from the Atlantic
or the Pacific oceaas. and thar is how
the United States was extended to-
wards the setting sun
Let Us enter one of those primeva
scheol houses 60 years ago, as the bell
rings for school.
The larger children take the seats
nearer the walls and press into ser vice
the writing desks either as supports for
thelr backs, or as rests for their books
ana states. The smaller ones occupv
Ihe benches IN the interior of the room.
II was usual IN some schools for ch;l-
afeh TO study ont loud. but when
started to school that practice was
stopped except in one instance TIN.
VIII mention directly.
remember having heard discussions
among parents as to which was the
netter way, to conduct loud. or 4 81
lent school. Parents. in maEy instan-
Ct, ars. were like those of the present day.
Ihey Thought they knew more about
teaching than the masters.
The master would take his sea nm
on the platform, look behind him 70
ascertain IT lis switches were all right,
and repeat to himself:
II ain monarch of all snrvev
Ay right there is none to 1ispute.n
The smaller scholars would be call
ed up with A B lessons, then those
farther advanced. and so on and their
lessons heard. Those in arithmetic
| would work ont their problems on
their states which the master would
verify. Those in Geography and
Grammar were in classes. When the
proper time for exercises in penman-
ship arrived. all were nut to work At
the same time, whilst the master walk
Ell behind them. mendipg pens, Civ
ing Instructions, &c.
Just before noon and night all were
told to study their spelling lessons.
and permission was then given to stu
dy out loud, and for fifteen inmates
the Niagara Falls. if they had been
within 100 Yards, could not have been
heard. There were two spelling
classes: divided between the younger
and the older children and their am
bltion was aroused, by tile presenta-
ton OF ticket, to the one who was at
the head of his class each lesson, and
she holder of the most tickets at the
end of the session secured a prize.
During school hours, if any unlucky
boy or girl did something wrong, the
teacher wonld take switch and throw
1t, large end foremost, at the feet of
the malefactor who would pick it up,
carry it to tie master and receive his
or her reward
A failure to know lesson, going to
sleep and falling of the seat, whisper
ing, or talking, were each rewarded
with Judicious application of the
switch. Masters and parents had
great confidence IN the virtue of a well
regulated switch. They believed that
any knowledge that child could not
take in by the eye and the ear, could
be absorbed through the back when
judiciously applied by keen switch.
"Spare the rod and spoil the child"
was an adage daily quoted to us, as
coming down through the ages, from
Solomon who was said to have been
the wisest man that ever lived, as il
any man could be considered very
wise who had 700 wives. The switch
has been abolished l think, from the
schools of the present day. Civiliza-
tion is said to be always moving for
ward, but when the club. or ruler or
stick was substituted to wrap children
over the fingers and hands. civilization
rolled backwards as fast as ever the
water passed over the Falls of Niaga-
IA.
More than half a century has drop
ped into the memories of the past since
/ first taught a school.
did not possess that implicit faith
in tue merits Of switch that my con-
temporaries entertained.
One day when it was raining too
hard for me to 60 fishing, or TO my
neighhors to play marbles with the
boys, had read chapter in the BIZ
BILE. | found that Solomon the wise
man. whose adase | have quoted, had
il very bad and ungrateful lot of broth
eIs. In my mind the question arose
whether the father had ''spared the
rod iii one instance and let the broth
ers grow up unruly and vicious, or
whether by a judicious application Of
it, Solomon became such good and
wise man, that he married all the old
maids Of his kingdom.
| did not seize either horn Of the di-
lemma, and concluded better disci-
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