Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-15
SCHOOLS THEN AND NOW

No greater contrast could be shown than
between the handsome. weil.heated school,
houses of today and those Of colonial times.
Not until after the revolution was school
free" in our sense of the word. Previous
to that time payment wis given in the in
convenient exchanges. which had to answer
as money at that time. such as wampum,
beaver skins. Indian corn wheat. peas,
beans or any country produce known as
truck" It is told of a school in Salem
that one scholar was always seated near
the window to study. and TO hail passers-
by endeavoring to sell themethe accumula-
ton of corn. vegetables, etc.. given in pay
ment.
Logs for the great ffeplaces were fur
nished by the parents, as part payment for
schooling. West Hartford passed law In
1738 that every child should be barred
from the fire whose parents had not sent
wood Truly were the sins of the parents
visited upon the children.
The early buildings were OF logs with
rough, puncheon foo s. The teacher sat In
the middle and pegs were thrust between
the logs around the walls. three or four
feet from the ground. Boards were laid on
these pegs and formed rude desks for the
older scholars who sat with their backs to
the teacher. Not until a century ago were
windows of glass Newspapers or white
papers creased with lard were fastened In
the rude sashes to lei In a dim light: AT
the end of the room a cato clay" Chin
ney furnished fireplace. There were no
blackboards, maps, nor globes, ana
lead pencils were not In common use All
the old arithmetics or "sum-books which
have been preserved, are done in ink. The
copy-books were made of fooscap paper,
sewed into book shape and ruled by hand
For this the children used lead plummets
These were made of lead melted ana cast
in wooden molds cut out by the ever-ready
jack-knives. Paper was very scarce. and
this is one reason that such microscopic
handwriting was acquired. The scholars
turned to the forest for the plentiful birch
bark and it formed a delightful substitute.
The first slate of which we have mention
was In 1852 A schoolboy writing to his
father at that date, plainly shows us that
boys then were a good deal like boys now
barring the spelling.
''Honored Fethar:
Mama please to send me some Ches
Nuts and some Wal Nuts. You please to
send me a slate and some smok befe. and
for a pare of Schuse schillings.
II am your Duty full son.
JOHN TEN BROCK.
PERHAPS one reason for Master. Ten
BrOeck's bad spelling was the TACT that MS
teacher had so many and such varied duties
to perform Besides teaching from until
O. o'clock, he had to further instruct his
scholars, on Wednesday and Saturday, IN
the catechism and common prayers. 10
ring the church bell on Sundays, read the
Bible at all church services, lead the sing
ing and sometimes the sermon; carry the
water for baptism and provide the bread
and wine for communion; to perform all
duties now done by the sexton, including
sweeping out the church. deliver invitations
to funerals and carry messages; sometimes
to dig graves and to visit and comfort the
sick For all these services the pay was
board and lodging and 81 cents week
Despite the poor small schoolhouses In
the good old times" their scant furnish
ings, uninteresting books and severe disci-
pine, the children did obtain their educa-
tion and at a very early age.
Rev John Barnard of Massachusetts. IN
writing about his schouii lfeY says:
''By the time 1 had passedmy sixth year
1 had left my reading sdhooa1 having read
my Bible twice through My parents
thought me to be weakly. because of this
habit and of pale countenance.
While approaching our modern school
buildings with all of their up-to-date equip
ments for learning. do not condemn the
school methods of past centuries. Remem-
Der what Pope wrote over two hundred
years ago:
'Still is tomorrow wiser than today, -.
We think our fathers fools, so wise we
grow, -,-.s.4 - g.-..- -s1...-
Our wiser sons no doubt will think us So"