The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-03-07
WHAT HAVE OBSERVED.
Editors anderson Intelligencer:

and hearing what is to be heard,
have observed great many things oi
late, few of which I desire to give
the reading public the benefit.
l. I have observed, in the first place,
that greas many people are always
very "wise in their own conceits. u
Such persons always think themselves
just little wiser than any one else.
Not few people seem to think what
they don't know has either been torn
out, or is not worth knowing. Being
very wise and apt, they are, conse,
quently, always well informed in all
matters of general interest, as well as
the neighborhood gossip. They have
just seen old Mrs. They-Say and
heard all the news for miles around.
They know who is sick, who is dead,
who has married, who is going to mar
ry, the very day the marriage is to
take place and all about it. They
knew who is in debt, what for and how
much, and whether he will ever pay it
or not. They, to hear them tell it,
have been taken into the confidence of
everybody and learned all about their
private business, and are always anx-
ious to give the public the benefit of
their knowledge. They are always
the first to hear of family feud, a
neighborhood broil, or Church
trouble, and always feel honored when
called upon for information, ior quite
sure are they that no living man
knows more about the matter, OF could
tell it better than themselves. Very
confident are they that if their wise
counsel, which is always gratis, were
but taken, all the troubles and calami-
ties to which the human family is heir
might be readily averted, and that
peace and harmony, health and hap
piness would abound from sea to sea
and from shore to shore. Verify,
they do wonder why other people are
so ignorant.
2. I have observed also that these
"wise ones" however illiterate them
selves, know far more about teaching
and managing a school than the best
educators in all the land. They know
just what each pupil ought to study
and what he ought not to study, as
we'll as how far to pursue each course.
They know exactly how to maintain
perfect order at all times, and how 10
keep each child interested in his
books and busily employed throughout
the day. In all matters Of discipline
they are thoroughly conversant, know
ing at all times and under all the va
ried circumstances that may arise,
just what ought to be done and how
to do it. As to who and how and
when to punish, they are never at a
loss. However, I have observed that
it is always the other fellows child
that needs the clicking" I recall an
instance that occurred years ago when
I occupied the prcceptor's chair and
welded the ferule. A very intelligent
patroness vcntured to suggest one
morning that she thought I was too
lenient, that I ought to use the rod
more. "Well, madam said I, eff
you will tell me which Of your three
children needs whipping I will GER
tainly attend to the matter at once.
"Oh p said she, ''I do not think
mine needs whipping at all, it is some
body else's.'' But, when I began to
inquire around among the patrons, I
found that they were all just Of her
opinion-that it was somebody else's
child.
But I have observed that these all
differ among themselves as to the
plans and methods of::.eaching, as we'll
as to the books to be used. Some ad-
vocate the 'sphonic' method, others
the "word' method, while few (and
few still cling to the old ga, B, G"
method. / was very much surprised
to see an article in a recent number OF
the INTELL1aENcER from the pen Of
esquire Fewel," advocating the latter
method. Allow me to say, in passing,
that I have always regarded the
esquire" as the ablest writer and pro-
foundest thinker among the many
lo,al contributors TO your paper, and
have always read his articles with
much interest, although I consider his
views little irregular on this point,
vet I will not venture an elaborate dis
cussion with one whose opinions have
always been in such perfect accord
with my own. He spoke very ten
derly and lovingly Of his old teachers,
and seemed to think their methods far
superior to any that have existed
since. Now, this is all perfectly nat
ural, and when I read that article it
touched responsive chord in my own
heart and awakened many fond rccol-
l.ctions of the past. thought of
Mrs. Ann Williams, my first teacher,
of the little "Primmer,'' my first
book. Oh, how I priced it Of Fowl
er's Arithmetic, with its Single and
Double Rule of Three, than which
none has ever been simpler, and when
one was handed me the other day l
felt like an old friend had been resur-
rected from the dead. Then [ thought
of old Squire Newton and old Capt
Watkins both of blessed memory,