Evening star., 1897-04-10

questions. In concert was greatly and
| Year, Fourth Of July and Christmas, with
all Saturdays. There was no deviation
FROM from this lis rule rule By the addition Of other
in the history class usually were answer
able for procuring q few others.
Getting Additional Holidays.
This they did the afternoon before or
morning Of February %. September 12 and
October 10, by writing to the teacher Pc
tition for holiday, setting forth that the
proper observance of the day would i'm
press on their minds the important his
torical event. The slate containing the pc
tition would be passed from hand to hand
| for the signatures of pupils and finally
reach the teachers desk. Generally these
days were observed with some ceremony
and there would be at least halliday
parade of the local military companies
The teacher generally would write note
to the trustees for their approval. When
the answer came, the teacher would i'm
press on the pupils the fact of Washing
tons birth. the battle of North Point, or Of
CORVALLIS surrender, by announcing a
holiday.
One occasion is remembered when q hoIi
day, on the 10th of October, was obtained
after the request had been turned down
This was done by some of the boys Lighting
the dense growth of dry grass at the
northwest corner of Franklin Square ca,ls-
Ing dense smoke and alarm of fire. which
called out the engines from ell secrions of
the city, and put an end to schooling for
the day.
The oid-tme school room would be an
oddlty IN these days. 1t was quite as plain
ana simple as was the exterior of the
hulld1ng, and pupil of today would be
tempted to utter derisive remark on
viewing one.
The Old-Time School Room
A room intended for sixty or eighty
pupils, crowded by twice that number of
all ages and both sexes; platform and
teachers desk at one end simple forms
or desks made of three planed boards, with
slantlns top, and narrow slanting board
for seat The latter was not as comfort
able for the pupils a saw horse. for
che could rest his back against the latter
and would not have his breast forced
against the desk by the natural law of
gravity las was the case with the seats),
rlsklrg the stability of his spinal column
rms condition gave the teacher much trou-
bic, for the safeguard against round should
erS and lung disease was to sit erect and
the pupils needed these to overcome the
tendency to contraction of the lungs The
girls department was partitioned off from
the rest of the room by curtain On
the walls were one or two maps, while a
portable blackboard stood in a prominent
place. Framed states were uncommon and
lead pencils scarce article. At 8 O'Clock
daily the school would be opened by the
teacher reading from the Bible and so
often was the morning lesson from the book
of Proverbs that the wonder is why the
hearers did not become the wsest men of
| the community. This proceeding was sup
plemented during the day by lessons in the
same line and every effort was made so
inculcate them by precept and example
and make the pupils models in their be-
havior. With the crude surroundings the
natural bent of the boys especially, could
not always be checked. and the innate mis-
chievousness would crop out. There was
| plenty OF room for play in those days, but
school hours left but little daylight for
boyish sports. especially town ball.
shiny round cat" and hob scob.''
from which the present popular base ball
game was evolved. At times some of Hen
shaw's most daring pupils would raid for
cherries and mulberries in the summer, and
peaches. apples or turnips in the fall. The
old stable was infested with rats and
they became SO tame that they frequently
came out of their holes In school hours at
pupils. for fashion for all and necessity for
few led the boys to adopt natures style
in warm weather.
New Ideas aud Methods.
With the introduction of the district
system and the establishment of the pri-
mary schools. 'old things passed away"
to great extent, and modern furniture
took the place of the old bench and
FORM new and improved systems Of
readers, SpeHerS. gramnarS and histories
Were introduced the pupils were graded
and the number of classes reduced. Though
the accommodations were far below the
requirements. it was a work which has
useful citizens have come from under
the early training of Ould. Henshaw
| and Kelly of the first district. Watkins and
Randolph of the second, Mccormick, Gold
smith and Fill in the third and Hardy and
John f. Thompson in the fourth, as we'll
as from the early primaries. On the whole
| the rerospecton of the survivors of the old
schools is pleasant, for of large propor-
| ton of their schoolmates it can be truth
fully said the world is better off by their
existence.
Among others who may be recalled are
Mr.. George c. Henning, president of the
Traders National Bank: Capt. Robley d.
Evans C'Fighting Bob'D: Chief Engineer
Robert l.. Harris Tetired), Engineer Sam
uel Savage (dead), Samuel Lomax "a -
OF the navy, Engineer II. Henshaw ire
| tired). United States revenue marine; John
T. Hoover, e. H: sipe, James Robbins (re
tired builder), Judge S. C. Mills, J. T
Clements. Edwin B. Hay. J. D. Cailagnan.
!. b. Linton and j. I. Mexican. lawyers
r. c. Croggon dead. d. w. Prentiss. S. w.
Began, z. a. Adams, II. f. Leach dead,
S: A. Amery (dead), j. T. sothoron, physi-
| Clans; A. A. Wilson. United States mar
| shall; S. V. Leech, a distinguished Metho-
cist minister; Madison Davis Thomas b.
Marche, Joseph OIrand dead, VIM. Fer
guson dead, Chapman Ourand, Henry
Croggon. department clerks; 3. f. Lloyd,
claim agent, and for many years a trustee:
E. X. Gray, w. II. West Joseph L. Pear
son tdead), George w. Pearson (dead) and
c. B. Pearson well known in business
circles; J. Y. Potts, journalist and clerk
of Police Court: Capt James E. Bell of the
city post office, S. H. Wmsatt, c. r. Repet-
ii, E. M. Grinder, o. T. Thompson j. Rich
ard Riggles. r. II. Hardness, o. II. Bes-
ter, G. Taylor Wade A. Dallas Tucker,
George McE,lfresh (ex-detective), Sam Polk
inhorn. f.. W. Piling, Jos. Weyrch Tom
Dewdney, T. +. Cross, John Nelson. Wales
Burroughs. George Dexter of Columbus
Ga. Gates Burroughs, C. Laporte J. Hen
ry Hewlett. c. r. Dexter of Annapolis. Nd.
}. II. Byram, Charles Denham, c. Edmon-
ston Phil Mohun, ''Sterly'' Gait, Lew Den
nam. Enoch Edrnonston, S. F. GIL, John
Cook, Syl Gates, +. Ober, c. c. Pursel,
VIM Goddard, Joseph Godfrey, VIM. Colds
borough, \. Il. Bouvet and W. H. II. Svn-
der.
SECRET DRAWERS,