The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-06-11


some with hats that look as if they had
been pulled from under the right fore
foot of an elephant, or had been struck
by a pile driver.
When you enter the hall you are
met by a drove of strict face boys with
the lapel of their coat covered over
with 81 cent a yard ribbon, like unto the
| ornaments on a circus horse; hair
parted in the middle and a cane in
their hands, and they are called the
''marshals." They g you seated.
You are then handed a 6x1O sheet of
paper printed on n side, which reads
as follows:
PROGRAMME
For this Day.
LI~zzARDsvILLE HIGH SCHOOL,
May %, 1895. 10 a. m.
By the Rev J A. Skybuster, Presidtnt Of
Wahoo College.
MUSIC
By the StakevIIle Band, led by Nimrod
Softsodder, with Miss Julia Ann
Dooly at the Organ.
This part acted, a man with store
clothes on steps to the front of the
rostrum and announces that twelve
young men will contest for a prize.
The first speaker will be Mr.. Tink
ling Symbal from CiderviIle. Subject:
''The Crickets Lamented when the
Chimney fell down" Thus the exer-
cises are continued until the II have
given an exhibition OF their oratory.
This over, the Programme says the
afternoon exercises will be the Ami.
versary Address by the Rev. L. Q.
Kuucks, D. D Ii. D., of Boxwood
College, S. D. Delivery of prizes, by
Col. Steve Mahooley, from G~rass5urg.
This, with a nickel concert that costs
from Is to % cents, closes a modern,
common every day school. In many
clases the public money that should
go to educate the poor children that
are not able to get an education any
other way, is e~quandered in these So
called High Schools, by giving the
principal $50 per month and he will hire
it taught for $40 per month. All that
is necessary to make some of these
schools complete is to introduce into
them a copy Of the history of the last
legislature, a revised edition of Hostel.
ters Almanac, a copy of the Ne1Us and
Observer, a few copies of the second
edition of the ''silver resolutions"
passed by the Democratic executive
committee at Raleigh, May goth; a
copy of the bill repeating the North
Carolina Farmers State Alliance Char
ter by the last Democratic legislature,
and one bottle stomach bitters to keep
the ir livers in good condition.
The old way was on this wise: The
patrons of a school district would get
together the first of July and Novem
berand talk aboutatwo months school.
If there was a suficiency of public
money they would talk over a three
months school. They would agree that
the school would open November 18th,
at 8 o'clock; or, July 9Th, at 2 o'clock
sharp, and teach until shutdown, and
If it was cloudy a little later. Then
came the applicants for teachers. They
were generally men who we're too tired
to do anything but teach school. A
well rested man was not hunting that
kind of a job. The day of opening was
the only busy day the teacher had.
Every boy and girl came with such
books as they might pick up about the
house, and it was mostly a blue back
speiler. The larger DO s and girls had
IN addition to the speller, a quire of
tooIscap paper and a well worn geog-
raphy, with a map attachment. The
first thing the teacher did was to assert
the children as a farmer asserts his
potatoes and get as many of them to-
gether in classes as possible. So as to
give him the least trouble, he would
make out the page for each class to
commence with and tell them to go to
work. Then the fun commenced. Every
one read or spelled aloud at the top of
his voice. The noise made in a Dutch
beer saloon at IL o'clock any Saturday
night in the year would be sweet music
compared to what you would hear in
passing the average school house.
! When you and I were boys, Major, all