The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1895-07-27
A BACKWARD GLANCE UPON
TIE EARLY EDUCATIONAL
MOVEMENTS OF THE
TOWN

f6rnapS more Una Is tuOukuI Vic
clOse-quarters feature which obtains for
the worlds activities this latter half Of
the century serves to boost up and push
along humanity's doings, even the
ventures OF the individual
in the impetus thus sympathetic
cally given by the Onrush OF the whole.
All the globe is but an extended
neighbOrhOOd, and cOntiguity being n
chief factor in the furnishing OF the
heat and magnetism necessary for the
incubation Of human power, all the
works Of man should lie the larger and
better founded because OF the n OF
the century concencus of universal globe
sympathy and magnetism, which boOms
endeavOr up to its best.
Who benefits most by the ciOsening
together of the four corners Of the earth
into the likeness of of an ingle-n0Ok, so
circumscribed that a man with his feet
on a fender girdles the globe In less than
an hour, sucking free draughts OF human
argOn from the pages Of his morning
paper? Who Is it does best work when
buOyed upon success and drawing in
the air of sympathetic recognition with
every breathf Let us see.
But little more than half q century
ago Lafayette county was a wilderness,
primemval, and trodden over only by
some adventurous hunter or occasional
backwoodsman picking a cautious way
In and out through the perils Of lair and
wigwam.
K little later and Lexington vas u
prophesy of the possible. A rude hos
telry built Of rOugh-hewn logs arose in
the timber, and beside it was placed u
blacksmith's forge and hammer. These
beginnings of all civilization stood in
the incipient town neal to If not upon
the spot where Is now the grocery store
Of Mr.. E. b. Campbell, in Old Town.
A decade farther on and lines began
to be drawn across the streets from east
10 west by hOOp-tOp wagons and family
carry-alls. Multiplyingly these threaded
the overland stretches lying between
MARYLAND, Virginia, Kentucky, and the
then youngest state in the Union; and
some amongst them halted here on the
putting down the foundations OF the
future towns social structure with the
Drawn and brain, and birth OF some Of
| the best OF the oldest states.
In Q community so founded 1t was
only natural, and an inevitable link
| forged in q chain Of necessary sequences
| that the claims of education should be
of paramount importance from the
start. Thus, 50 Dol as Lexington
received christening as q town, schools
became q feature of the place.
From Martinsburg, Va. came the
founders Of the first Female Seminary
in the upper part Of the state. In or
near the year Of 1910 Miss Jane r. Long
| established the Ingleside Seminary, in
| the double frame house on the blum,
now occupied by the family of Mr.. Andy
| Graham. Soon the venture Outgew its
first quarters, and the school was trans
| ferred to the homestead square, still
known as Ingleside. This was q board
ing and day school, and 1t thrOve and
fiourished In Miss James most capable
hands and under her notable intellectual
powers until closed by military authority
in 1852, she refusing to take the military
oath imposed at the time upon all
preachers and teachers In the state.
Should the old roll books of the Semi
nary be brought out from the attic, their
pages would show the names Of pupils
from all the surrounding cOunties-Ray,
Carroll, Saline, Pettis, Howard and
COOper-and also the sOft-sOunding
applications of half blood Indian maid
ems from out the far West.
In this school two gentle-born women
of Scottish birth taught the art Of paint
ing on principles a. sound as those OF
our present schools Of art. These were
the Misses Eliza and Euphemia Niven,
who were for long interesting members
of the towns society.
But a short time forward now, q year
or two at farthest, and Mrs. Mary Green,
wife of the Rev. Jesse Green, a man
revered by all who came in contact with
his earnestness Of purpose In life, began
q mixed school of preparatory and
academic classes, which continued
/ Lr@.-l q. N... rsv. -. Aar sAo nnroo
being marked by great success and use
fulness. She put into practice in thu
management OF this school the idea Of
the need OF religious training for thu
young pari passeu with that OF TIN
mind, and many must he those ye
living, though past middle life, VIII,
have borne the impress OF her teaching
aud influence through all the year
since then.
In the days when Laurel street was
dignifed retreat for the offices of doctor
and lawyers, and "Ackman WEIGH
Att0rney-at-Law," I'D. s. Diggs, M
D., and other forgotten names swuni
there in the breeze, the corner room
southwest in the old block, held Mis-
Martha Livingston's. school of litera
and 1t may be for young gentlemen
also, as the schools Of that time usual,
received the youth of both sexes. Mis-
Livingston afterwards became the wifi,
of Missouri's most famous painter, MI
Bingham, and both long ago went u
join the ever-increasing ranks Of tn,
silent majority.
Somewhere near the year l847 q gram
mar school was established by the Misse
Hawkins, who came to the state frOn
Kentucky. This ideal child's schOO
was opened out in q sheltered cOttag
which stood where now is the residenc
of Capt. Andrew, on the west end O
South street. Lives there an old resi-
girl or boy in that day, and had the goo,
fortune to ''gO to school" over there
whose pulses do not quicken with tn
memory Of that time, long gone into tn,
past?
1t is safe to say that never before wa
there ever such a school for the satisfaC
ton of childhood and youth, and blesse,
are those who are still privileged to EMO
its peculiar advantages of heing laugh
under a feeling of ~at-hOmeness. san
fear or the repression of young inclina
lions.
In the long ago the school hOus
stood upon the edge Of a belt of WOO,
which covered the hill to the south wit
a dense greenery and shade almOs
primeval. A fern-fringed stream
dotted along its course with cool, dee
pools, divided the playground from III
bOsky shades beyond and no NOR
advantageous situation can he imagine
as furnishing frequent stolen retreat
from books. At the end of recess tn
silver tinkle of the little bell ut tn
recitation room door invariably Gale
into sight q scampering horde of sma
figures, just emerged from thicket
4 tumbled out of grapevine swings. role
= down from of tree branches, or wetly
shedding from bare legs the last clingin
i drops left from wading in the stream
J. all eager, alive, and climpIng the grass
y slope of the playground to begin
fed the old hen," "Twinkle, twink
q little star"
y. School kant Inter in tho uoar tho