The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-12-22
REV. R. H. WHITAKER ON THE
OLD DAYS AT FUQUAY SPRINGS
Battle OF Wits Betwe II Boys Who Would Turn
teacher Out and Teacher Who Wouldn't
be .Turned.'

on the Mills railroad. although il soes
Ftght out into the country n when /
was raised, passes through two plant1-
tons my father once owned. runs very
close TO the old school house II which
! learned 70 spell. read, write and cipher.
and goes through the Old goose ne,i
held where / used 10 pillow, and down
near the lake where used TO fish. ant.
through the low grounds in which use
liz hunt, and across Middle Creek in whose
waters we boys used 10 SWIM. and tEta
runs on down to FuQuay Springs ne"r
which l had my first experience as :
school teacher. and IN the direction Of
where | used To 90 70 see my first sweet
heart. l say, although and notwithstau3-
ing all these things l have never taken
a trip on the Mills road. think ! VIII
before long, Tor I very much wish 10 SIC
the places which were once so dear to
re. the bare recollection Of which max,
the blood course through the veins
stronger anu the pulse beat quicker, a.
| am carried back 70 that May day OF
lie when all was tiuged with hopes ard
bright anticipations.
| am sorry for the child that does not
have a happy Misunderstanding to loci
back upon with pleasure, when cares.
49, 9C4-A ~ StAA AACNAA-AN
come, as they viii to ali, sooner or later.
Il | had but one suggestion TO make t,
parents, It would be, make home AMI
child lie pleasant to our children; 10
they will remember that pleasant home
Life when the grass covers the lust OF
iather and mother, and find their sWeetcst
pleasure II recalling the incidents, and
looking with mem0ry's eyes upon the
scenes OF that happy period.
As l intimated, l taught my frst
school not far from Fuquay Springs. IN
the neighborhood OF Piny Grove church.
and l have the little book in which is
recorded the names OF all the scholars
and the time cacn one came. l had as
scholars SIX Ballentines, four Hollands,
six Jones, seven Smiths, four Poweils,
three Masons, a Baker, a Crawley, a
Driver, 4 Fuquay, a Cover, a Johnson, ID
Kennedy, a Lee, a Matthews, an Oliver,
q Spence, a Staiings, an Utley and a
Wood; forty-four in all. Where are
they? Ii | were TO go out into the old
ncighbOrhood and ask fer the parents
OF those children, l doubt if a single Que
would be found. And were l to 20 TO
the old school house or where it used
to stand, and call the roll how many OF
the Ballentines, or Hollands, or Jones',
o. Masons, or Powel's or Smiths, thirty
all told, would answer? And how many
OF the fourteen others would respond 10
the call?
a brother Smith hailed me on the
street the other day to ask me if l We're
the writer OF the reMlnlsceuccs in the
News and Observer, and said he lived III
the Fuquay nelghborho0d, but he did
not remember me as 4 teacher there n
1913. 1t seems SO strange that people
can't remember, when IL all seems 20
plain and real to ne. But It dcNns on
ne that 1913 was So years ago, and many
of these old g%ray-haiTed fathers ard
mothers, I see now, were not born thea.
and, OF course, / must excuse them tol
not knowing ne, and remembering the
first school II taught. For the life of me
1 cannot imagine how people get ahead
OF me as they do, IN growing old and
becoming bald or gray-headed. l meet
who are stcop-shouldered and ga
headed, and bear marks, otherwise, Of Old
age; yet, when | begin to talk 10 them
OF the old times they don't seem to re-
member They look older than l feel,
they must be older than they think
are, but they just can't remember
When l go out to Fuquay, l nope to-
see some of my old time friends, and
over things that arc remembered by
US. James D. Ballentine, Esq, was ono
OF the smaller boys IN my school. John
was the eldest brother OF the five Bal
boys, but not my Oldest scholar.
David CraWiey was about 80 years Old,
l believe, while Chesley Driver and David
Fuquay were over p, as l now remem
Der. My school lasted So days, and
about half of the scholars attended every
day. Some went only 5 days. The night
before my school would close the next
day l was informed by old Mrs. Crawley,
the grandmother of Mr.. James Ballen-
tine, that l was TO be turned out" tire
next morning; which meant, tn scholars
were 10 go to the school house carly
and barricade the door, and when | came
| would not be admitted, but must sltJ-
nit to such terms as would be proposed
them. IN case I declined 20 submit
to their proposal, | was TO be taken to
the branch and tucked until ! did sub
nit. IL the matter OF turning out
teachers there was an unWrlttcn law to
the effect that, ii q teacher was IN his
chair, he was in authority, and he could
not be molested. SO. before day, tie
next morning, I was at the school house.
IL Wien L HtcId the OOJS Ginning. JUS
as Gay was breaking, l went in and took
ry seat. Here they came like q Whlrl-
every one talking and laughing, and
ell bent on, and expecting to have a
whole sight of fun, besides eating several
pounds Of candy and fruits and other
things, at my expense. 1t was he
coming light enough to see men and
faces, wren one Of the boys threw opeu
the door and looking IN behell me. Ike
fell back as if he'd seen a ghost, exclaill-
ing: Boys III be drat if he amt IN
there:" That announcement stlled the
tumult for awhile, the boys drawing off
n a safe distance to consult. I heard
one say, You can't do that; you dare
not touch him if he's in the chair, it
amt lawful to do that" From which
1 inferred a proposition bad been made
to bounce me any now. 4 plan was final
~ agreed upon. 1t was to get up an
sham rabbit race. and make that
race right up to the school house, ard
that the rabbit had gone under
the house. Then they were to come in
and raise the floor planks, especially tie
che my chair was over, with the excuse
I:A