The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-12-10
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People.
A PREVENTATIVE.

What difference there is between
the schools or today and those or say
four decades ago.
And / was constrained to make this
assertion after hearing the double
''22" pounded out on the big fire-bells
at 8 o'clock this morning.
We boys of the sos had to paddle
to school. no matter how hard IL
rained, or how deep was the snow.
IL was not our pleasure 10 be warned
that there would be no session. We
simply scurried through the rain and
slush, and with wet feet sat through
three hours OF misery, with nothing
but the heat difused from stove over
In one corner Of the room TO warm us
and dry our clothing.
And ventilationP Nobody ever paid
any attention I'm those days 10 such
trifies as ventilation and fresh air
The schools were maintained for husi-
ness: the teachers had 10 earn their
salaries. and the children had 10 study,
There was no such tomfoolery as
matching bits OF colored paper. cut
tinp out stars, or stringing straws and
beads on threads.
Children were sent to school as soon
as they had passed the 5-year-old
mark. and a good many OF them went
in at fa years and began at once TO
master the alphabet and to learn to
spell words OF two and three letters.
BOYS and girls were then out Of the
grammar school when they were i3
and IL years old. and the boy who
couldn't. having been graduated from
office and accept q position requiring
a complete and practical knowledge
Of mathematics. wss looked upon as OF
no use.
Wa had stern teachers in those days.
Wis, principal of the Elm street school
a perfect terror TO idlers. the mis-
chievous and the dullards.
Brutal indsed was he when he used
a rattan and he used IL continually.
have seen him beat boys across the
tips OF their fingers until the distts
were purple and terribly swollen from
the awful punishment
j have seen him beat boys until tney
writhed i'm agony on the floor and have
watched other children turn white
with fear and anxiety lest the victim
would die.
There was one hoy, Polly Ward
well. we used 10 call him. for whom
Mr.. Davis seemed to have special
hatred. and whom he was continually
abusing.
The brutalities practiced upon
Polly were such that should any
school teacher OF today attempt 20 In
fiict a tithe of them I've would be- rail-
roadsd To jail by the indignant school
committee and the police.
polly" would be looking out of a
window instead OF studying silently
the door-knob would be turned, IKE
a fash the door would be thrust open
and like big jack-in-the-boN In would
pop Mr. Davis.
''poiIy" occupied a front seat, and II
did seem to us boys that old Red
Head" knew Just whore 10 focus his
.syes before he opened the door, for
he always had them fixed on Polly
''Ma-s-te-r-r w-a-r-d-w-e-l-i. step
forward
That was the inevitable command
and I'm far less time than ~ takes 10
tell what transpired, the big broad
ShOuldefrd. nrey-tempered man nnu
the boy clutched In a Viss-like grip
and was showering blows upon the
thin body OF the victim.
And Yet 10 others the terrer Of the
Elm street grammar school could be
and was as tender-hearted as a young
mother.
This double temperament always
puzzled US: but as We escaped the
wrath We never cared 10 question the
better side OF Red Heads nature.
RED Head" went to his reward
years ago. Poor Polly" died Insane
The had simply hadn't mental eapac-
ity for the school work mapped out
for him aud those OF his years. and
WAS beaten because Of that failing,
Again remark. how different are
the schools of today and those of four
decades agone.
The Gossip.