Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-11-24

year, in our article on "Educa ton
in Georgia." / gave glance at
an old field school, but this fea-
ture OF Georgia life is too important to
be passed over so hurriedly. The first
schools in Georgia were the primary
schools Of Savannah and EbeneSer.
The frst school teacher in Georgia was
I'm all likelihood Charles Delamotte,
who came with his friends. John and
Charles Wesley, to Savannah, expect
ing to go among the Indians as a mis-
sionary. He went back to England
with Mr.. Wesley, and James Haber-
sham took his place as the parish
schoolmaster. The Germans at Ebenez-
er had a school from their first settle
ment in bingham county. and the
Dorchester people in Liberty brought
their teacher with them to the Midway
settlements in 1880 1t Is certain that
the Scotch-IFish who were in Jefferson
and Burke had schools. but of them we
know nothing historically. My friend,
Col James Barrett. says his great
grandfather a Mr.. Hays, taught
school in upper Burke, and in an old
Journal of John Andrew, the father
Of Bishop Andrew / find graphic
picture OF a county school he taught In
Wilkes in 1872. There was a provision
made in the first constitution In III,
for a system of public schools like to
that in New England. for the most in
fiuential element in the religious and
educational features OF early Georgia
was the Puritan. and the views Of the
New England Puritans on the Sabbath
and on education were Incorporated In
to our earliest laws, but when the rev.
-, M tho rxrarHnwfno HNNA
OF immigrants poured into Georgia
from Virginia and North Carolina a
new order OF things obtained. Virginia
and not New England then gave direc-
ton to the new society.
The Virginia people had had no COM
mon schools. and while many of the
gentlemen were educated and we'll edu-
Gated in private schools. the plain peo-
pie had few advantages, and the old
field school was brought from Virginia
to North Carolina into upper South
Carolina and Georgia. We got
glimpse of H. in Governor Gilmer's
Georgians m John Andrews Journal,
in Judge Longstreet's story Of the
Turn Out" and in Malcolm John
sons story OF how Berry Whipped the
School Master" The school house was
always in the country, generally at the
cross roads, II there was q good spring
mead by. 1t was of logs with very
large cracks between them, sometimes
the more pretentious had a stick and
dirt chimney-none of them had glass
windows, and the light came in
through the door, and two openings
which were without sash, but were
closed with board shutters. The seats
were made OF split logs. or when saw
mills came in, of puneheons. The chill
dren had the privilege Of Bringing
chairs and often brought spit bottom
ones for better seats. The. f1Qor was
of split logs or coarse boardssS There
was nothing attractive about the
school rooms, or it's surroundings, but
schools were not places to be enjoyed.
They were places for very hard work,
and the little fellows found not a
little suffering. The teacher was often
a young boy, which having learned
how TO read and write and cipher was
seeking a place and sometimes he was
a preacher, who had no income from
his work in the pulpit, and taught
subscription school, to add to what he
made. by his work on his little farm,
during his spare time. Sometimes he
was a trifiing adventurer. who taught
a three months school and then
went on a debauche, and left the COM
munity. Some OF these schools and
some of the teachers were much bet
ter than others. Andrew b. Stephens,
the father Of Alex II. Stephens. taught
one of the best OF these schools in
Wilkes county, and among some old
papers in Wilkes, / found bill made
out to the estate OF Wyflie Wright,
for teaching two students twelve
months. $500" The account is dated
Christmas day. 1895.
The tuition paid John Andrews was
5000 for II months. This was the gen.
eral rate. The studies were nearly al
ways. as the country folks used to say,
in the three R's-"Readin', Ritin' and
Rithmetic"-but the girls were not
generally taught to cypher. The first
book was sometimes a horn book, of
which I never saw but one. It was
made Of two pieces of transparent
horn, between which there were letters
and short syllables. or a paddle on
which were pasted the A, B, c, DIS.
The old Dilworths speller then came,
and in later days the picture primers,
and then the blue-back speller. School
began at in winter and in summer.
The picture Of the village school mas
ter in The Deserted Village" is the
picture OF the higher order Of old field
school masters. He was very rigid in
his discipline. In many OF the schools,
as i'm China now. the little fellows were
compelled 10 study aloud, and IL one
was caught keeping silent the teach
er touched him mp with switch.
There were first the a, b, c, duicans,
as they we're called, then first, second
and third classes in spelling; then the
reading from the spelling book, and
perhaps from the Young Reader or the
Testament.
The discipline OF the school was very
rigid. To spare the rod was to spoil