The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-04-17

TO begin the study of arithmetic
until he twelve years old. Consequent
ly his entrance upon the intricate science
of numbers constituted an important era
in his life-he felt himself indeed "a great
boy and within haling distance of man.
hood
| The old-time Hoosier schoolmaster taught
| arithmetic and penmanship together and
his pupils were required to copy in crude
books made of foolscap paper or in tall
blank books bought for the purpose every
step in arithmetical progress from simple
and compound addition to the deep COM
pleXities of compound interest, discount,
| exchange and elementary bookkeeping.
In the archives of many old Indiana fam
lilies are still treasured these TALL old,
marblcd-back, leather-cornered. yellow
| leaved ''grandfathers' arithmetic books"
with 100 faded pages of grandfather's prim
| penmanship and exact figures-the eX-
amples and rules written in large round
hand and then worked out in precise
boyish fashion The old book shows the
| d-fashioned ks and long SIS" but the
| grandfathers were sometimes shaky in
| spelling, as CHEESE and ''shugar'' testify.
Grandfather's full name is written at the
| head Of each page in stately style-"Clem-
ent Nance Shields. 1s2O-1S21.' Grandfather
made grand pen hourishes in all the empty
spaces; and pressed many sweet country
roses in his old arithmetic book.
| Strange to say, country girls of that pc
riod were not expected TO have much use
for figures, and few of them studied arith-
| metic beyond the first simple rules-addi-
ton, satisfaction, multiplication and di-
vision
Money was scarce and schoolbooks were
high-priced in the early days, and the coun-
try teacher sometimes owned the only full
set of textbooks in the school, States
were often broken 'pieces of slate, without
frames, and pencils were splinters Clipped
from the edge of the slate. A Harrison
| county remembers that he worked
three days at farm work to earn money to
| buy his Kirkham's grammar, and when he
secured a country school in Washington
county he had no knowledge of algebra
whatever DR.. Benjamin Newland kindly
| taught him algebra at night, so he could
meet his algebra class with credit each
Gay. Clement Nance Shields's old "arith-
metic, book gives current prices of some
school necessities of 1920. Bought Bible
| for 81, an English reader for 30 cents, an
| Introduction Co English Reader) for 90
cents, a slate for Sl14 cents, slate pencil
| for l cent, a copy book for l212 cents; how
| much do they all amount to-"
| More than all other old schoolbooks the
| ancient arithmetic is a valuable preServer
| of human data reliable historian OF old
| days and old ways. Like the old newspa-
! per- it is "a map of busy life, it's fuctua-
| lions and its vast concerns. In second
| hand book shops now and then, is found
| little old brown leather bound book
! ''DabOllS SchOolmasterS Assistant, adapt
| ed 70 the use of the United States, 1899;
endorsed by Noah Webster, Prof. Meigs
Of Yale College and others of mathemati-
cal note Another early American arith-
| metic of marvellous interest is Michael
| Walsh's Mercantile Arithmetic, adapted
| to the commerce of the United States in
| it's domestic and foreign relations, pub
| lished at the Franklin Head, PitIsburg.
| 1875" In both these old arithmetics the
| spirit of old days in young America is writ
| large, and touches the modern mind with
| a delightful antique flavor. The imprint of
| England was still on American affairs. and
| American school boys figured these
problems:
| 1.-The Prince of Wales's salary is 1900
| pounds a year, what is that a day?'
THE war between England and America
| began April 10, 1775, and a general peace
took place Jan. 90 17S3-how long did the
| war continue?"
But the American point of view was not
| altogether overlooked.
''The salary of the President of the
| United States is $4,000 year, what is that
a day."
The number of inhabitants in the United
States is 100000; suppose each should pay