The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1894-08-11

Ell nails used.
These rude cabins were comfortable
ana warm. and answered very we'll. to
all outward appearances, the object
for which they were constructed.
The deficiencies were all in the in
terror arrangement.
Children of the present day would
think that their condition ana conve-
nlences would be very hard were thew
sent into such a school house.
There We're no public schools in
those days.
When teacher desired to secure
, school he went, with subscription
list to the parents who subscribed N.
number of boys and gills that each
would send, and when the list was
completed and satisfactory. the scllunl
would he opened for term of 3 to 5
| months.
During, or at the close of the ses-
sion, the master had to go to eaci, sab
scrIber and collect his dues.
Sometimes in districts where the
parents were poor, and unable to paw
innch money, arrangements were made
by which the monthly fees We're re-
duced, and the master remunerated by
being furnished board BY his patrons.
This was called "boardng around.n
The master would board two or four
or more days with each parent accord
ing to the number nf children he plac-
ed ut school, moving from family to
family as the session advanced.
Suppose the Superintendent of Pub
llc Schools we've to notify the teachers
who are here tonight that their wages
j would be reduced next year, and that
they could aboard aroundn as a com
pensatlon fOr the reduction; wonder
how high they would turn uptheir no
ses at the suggestion / fear that the
ceiling of this Opera House would be
too low for them.
The school children of 60 years ago
had hard time to advance in their
studies. There were no printed blocks
with which they learned their letters
whilst playing, before thev knew what
schools were FOR there were no illus
trated caids, no pictures or picture
books that to-day are such great as
slstances as object lessons, giving an
idea to the child of those things that
ne would be required to study and
comprehend.
The only pictures that we had in
those days were in the spelIer-the
giddy girl with the pail of milk on her
iiead-the bad boy caught in the far
iiiers apple tree--poOr Dog Tray
found IN bad company, and the farmer
and the lawyer disputing the differen-
ces that u change of ownership in an
OK would cause. Those were all that
we little urchins had in the way Of
pictures to enlighten the dark places
in our daily studies.
remember one day that a circus
agent came along and threw us an i'm
mense poster covered with pictures of
the many strange animals that the cir
Gus would exhibit in few days.
There was an object lesson for us we
spread it OHt in the shade of a beach
tree and all Of US, boys and girls,
learned more in half hour about wild
animals and their appearance than we
would otherwise have acquired in six
months reading, whilst it developed
and brought forth the hidden powers
of oratory lying dormant within us,
for doubt, if ever as much genuine
oratorical talent was exhibited by any
set OF boys and girls as came to the
front when we were begging our fa-
theirs and mothers for ''bitn or 121
cert piece to pay our way into the cir
Gus. And it proved to benone of your
spread eagle oratory, but the real gem
uine material, because when the great
show day came, the master found no
pupils came to school, and yielding to
the inevitable, closed the door, and
went to the show himself. Some Of
that oratorical power has descended to
the children of the present day, if we
can judge from appearances here when
the circus comes.