Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1901-03-01
BARRING OUT"

tury mile stone of life, and more espe-
cially those country born, will at once
recall as part of their school eXper-
fences, an old time custom called bar
ring out That the younger genera
| ton may know something of that GUS
tom this hasty sketch is written.
Fifty years ago in many parts of
our land it was a well established GUS
tom, Il say well established, for the
reason that Blackstone in defining a
custom, says that it must have con-
tinued for such period that the mem
ory of man runneth not to the con-
trary,) along about holidays for the
pupils to ask the teacher to give them
treat" of candies and fruits. Should
| the teacher refuse-as the custom to
which have referred, presumed he
would-then ensued the barring out,
the oparation being as follows: During
the absence of the teacher from the
choolroom--usually at the noon hour
the girls and smaller boys were ex-
cluded from the room. the windows
were securely fastened, and the door
barred with the benches" as the seats
were called 1t should be recollected
that in those days the seats were form
ed from rude, heavy planks, making
should also be borne in mind that the
houses were at that period constructed
of logs just as they were cut in the ad-
joining woods.
After the teacher was effectually fas-
tened out, then came the question of
endurance as well as strategy.
Sometimes the contest was prolonged
for days until either the teacher had by
superior strategy secured an entrance,
or had given his promise to treat"
in which event the door was unbarred,
and school resumed as though no in
! terruption had taken place. However,
in most instances, the teachers pride
urged him to do everything in his
power to secure possession without a
promise.
Many are the stories of the ''old fell
I lows" in reference to the exciting
barring outs in which they partici-
pated, when they were youngsters. AS
| heretofore stated the house was of
| logs, and the projecting ends furnished
excellent ladders, so that one might
climb to the tops of the building with
out difficulty.
On one occasion a teacher on being
barred out prepared himself with a
quantity of red pepper and several
boards, and climbed to the top of the
house. 1t required but moment to
empty the pepper down the chimney,
cover the top with the boards which
he had brought for the purpose, and
then await developments.
He had not long to wait. In few
minutes the door was thrown open,
and the boys with eyes streaming, and
convulsed with coughing rushed forth.
When the smoke had escaped and the
odor of the pepper was out of the house
the teacher quietly took possession,
and the war was over"
This is an instance in which the
teacher was successful, but usually the
boys hold the fort" until a surrender
takes place on the part of the teacher.
On another occasion a teacher was
barred out on his refusing to treat and
made no effort whatever to gain an en-
trance. Each morning he would
come leisurely to the house, ascertain
that the door was barred against, and
knowing that his pay was going right
along, would as leisurely walk off and
spend pleasant day with his friends.
This went on for days, until the boys
became disgusted with such proceed
ure. 1t was neither exciting, nor ac-
cording to the rules laid down to guide
teachers and must be stopped And
stop it they did. The next morning the
teacher came as usual and tried the
door and to his establishment found it
llC DuL
was Immediately seized, thrown down,
and tied hands and feet. Then he was
carried to a neighboring creek. and
there soused until nearly dead in icy
cold water, and he was glad to make
the required promise.
But it is asked and very naturally,
why did not the teacher call on the Di-
rectors of the School, or the parents to
interfere? The answer is as already
stated, that it was a custom that had
been observed by scholars and teachers
for so long a time that no one knew the
date of its origin, and hence had be-
come the unwritten law of that region
of the country. Parents and teachers
had engaged in the same diversion
when young, and why should they in
terfere with the boys now?
There was feature about Earrings"