Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1903-09-10

reading lesson of the day. No rules
for spelling were ever taught.
The children wrote in copy books, at
the head of each page of which there
was in script or in the teachers hand
writing a sentence, such as Evil COM
munications corrupt good manners"
which was to be repeated on ruled
lines to the bottom of the page by the
scholar. When his school days were
over, so far as anything he had learned
at school was concerned, the pupil
would know absolutely nothing of any
business forms or of how to properly
compose and place on paper letter of
business or friendship. A father who
had in youth attended these schools
seeing his child of eight years writing
letter, remarked to me. "She can
write better letter now than can
and probably he spoke the truth Eng
lish grammar was thoroughly taught
technically The textbooks in use
were good, and all they contained was
acquired by the pupil. I do not under
value the usefulness of this, although
in our daily conversation am sure we
used the vernacular, and if we had
been corrected in It, so rarely was it
done, we should have considered it al
most a personal affront More time
was given to the study of arithmetic
than anything else. Greenleaf's larger
arithmetic was used by the older
scholars for written work, and Col
49,
our high and grammar schools a. to-
day are not often as proficient in this
study as were the best scholars in the
country schools of fifty years ago
Development may have been one-sided
and lacked the symmetry of these
times, but the reasoning faculties
were strengthened and the mind re-
ceived good discipline by the thorough
training in arithmetic
The discipline of these early schools.
and the means used for enforcing it.
were wholly in the discretion of the
teacher. No rules were established
for the guidance of teacher or pupil
by the committee, and little parental
interest was taken only that the
teacher should be strict. Punishment
was chiefly by blows on the palm with
a ferule in the hands of the teacher.
All teachers made use of it, the in
prodigally. Youth or sex
was no bar to its application. My
own first painful experience was at the
tender age of four With two others
OF like maturity we had at the boys
recess, which preceded that of the
girls. in company with older boys.
been to see the flying of kite, SO far
from the schoolhouse that our short
legs failed to carry us back till after
the girls had been 'let out" For this
we three were feruled Whether or
not this was preceded by the familiar
assurance of our teacher that she
would far rather receive the punish
ment herself than inflict it on us if it
would be equally for our good. the
great lapse of time prevents me from
stating with certainty.
Causing the scholar to sit in what
was called an easy-chair was some
times resorted to as punishment.
Never having heard of it elsewhere. it
may have been of only local usage.
and if so showed great ingenuity as
well as possession of a grewsome
humor in its inventor. 1t consisted
in placing the pupil under the teachers
desk in the attitude of one sitting, but
without any support for the body or
limbs, and with arms pendent at the
sides. The desk was of such height
that the head and upper part of the
victims body were brought forward.
the pose in profile resembling the
figure "a" This position soon caused
the most excruciating pain, as can be
readily proved by trial. The last child
| saw punished in this way fell to the
floor, and could only regain a normal
position with assistance. The ancient
and awkward device of requiring the
pupil to raise hand of the level of
the head and keep it there till the
teacher gave permission to make his
request known was then practiced, and