The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1894-08-11
FIFTY YEARS AGO.
BY UNCLE SILAS.
No. %.

Peabody Teachers Institute in the Thtbo-
daux Opera House on the evening of july
3rd 1S94.1
10 appear before an audience as IN
telligent as the one assembled in this
Hall tonight, which. for two davs has
been listening to speakers whose du-
ty 1t is to study oratory. and to in
struct the public from the rostrum. is
a position that I did not desire: but
when The Superintendent of Public
Schools Informed me that several
young men whom lie had invited to
speak, and who We're capable of de-
iiverlng instructive and intelligent adj
dresses. had refused the honor. felt
that ongltt not to decline the invita-
tion extended 10 me.
when | was youth, my compan-
IONS considered it an honor to be iny,-
ted to address the public upon any oc
caslon aud an opportunity to deliver
spread eagle address upon the 4th of
July, or at any other time, was deemed
one OF the grand opportunities of the
life of a Young man.
But times have changed. Oratori-
49, 'A'f'SAo tti Z HoU CotcItu Nv tDG IiS-
Ing generation who place them seeon-
Diary to those won by skillful Base
Ball player, or All expert rider of bl
cycle.
I'm not sure whether it would not
be better for me this evening, instead
OF attempting speech, to simply re-
peat the first defamation | ever at
tempted, Of which remember but two
lines:
lyon d scarce expect one of my age
10 speak III public on the stage.'
The subject upon which | shall
dwell this evening is:
The Schools of 60 years ago, and
some OF the changes that have since
taken place"
And those schools of which I s.,all
speak are the ones that were found in
the wild woods Of the West, to which
the boys and girls growing up on the
farms were accustomed to attend. Of
course, in the cities and towns better
accommodations and conveniences
were had for children to obtain an ed
ucation.
When sufficient number of chill
dren were found in one vicinity to JUS
tify the opening of school, the men
would assemble at some point pre-.
viously agreed upon, perhaps in the
midst of a dense forest, cut down
trees, hew them on one or more sides,
drag them with horses to the proper
spot, and erect a school house, cover
it with clapboards, put in floor, often
made of slabs split from the side of a
tree, everything in the most primitive
style.
There would be one door, and on
the sides and ends of the building
would be inserted windows to give
sufficient light.
The spaces between the logs would
be chunked and daubed with mud, and
a wood burning stove placed within
to warm the room in the cold winter
days. which stove was something new,
as it was just coming into service.
In order to obtain seats for the
children. the men would chop down a
tree about II inches in diameter, split
it in two parts, new off the rough
spllnters with an axe, bore two holes
near each end, and insert round pegs
inclining outward, and thus form what
was facetiously called bench. There
We're no backs to these seats upon
which the children could rest their
bodies, whilst they were invariably
made too high to allow their feet to
touch the floor.
Parents generally imagined that
school boys or girls ought not be too
comfortable otherwise they would not
think of their studies.
Around the sides Of tie school house
holes were bored into the wall, pegs
driven therein, inclining downward,
upon which wide planks were fasten-
ed.
These composed the writing desks
on which the pupils learned to make
crows feet and pot aooks and finally
to indite letters to their uncles and
their cousins aud their aunts, general
ly beginning thus
Nov | take my pen in hand to in
form you that one OF our spotted pigs
IS dead, and mamma has had the agne
for two weeks ard hope yon are all
enjoying the same blessings, &C."
Near one end of the school building
there was constructed platform
bout two feet high upon which small
desk was placed This was for the
master. There were no teachers OF
professors in those days. They were
masters.
In the wall behind the masters sea
a anfo i. ii