The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-03-27
CHANTING FROM RALEIGH TO
HONG KONG IN THE LONG AGO
A Glimpse Of the Old Fashioned School interest
ing Stories of Governor Vance Most
Interestingly Told.

When Il was boy we had geography
singing school at the old Red Meeting
House, now Hollands church, Starting
in sort of chant. which sounded very
much like sure enough song, our teach
er would name all the divisions of the
earth, including islands; the oceans, seas,
CULTS, lakes, bays and archipelagoes; the
rivers, mountains volcanoes, countries,
capitals, largest cities. and so FORTH until
he. had gone all over the world a dozen
times ina day. Scholars had. no books,
but sang after him as he led the song
large map hung on the WALL and with
reed he would point out the places as he
would call their names. The noise was
equal to pack of hounds in full cry at
ter fox.
A fellow could not help learning, going
over the same thing every day for two
or three weeks He would soon get so
that he could not only name all the coun,
tries, capitals, oceans, seas, lakes, rivers
etc., but could locate them on the map
as readily as he could call out their
names. 1 am sure 1 learned more geo
graphy in that singing school than ever
did before or since.
taught orally, which did more to acquaint
me with old Lindley Murray's Rules,
Notes and Exceptions than l could have
gained in years, AS in the study of geo
graphy, we used no book but repeated af-
ter the teacher until we had learned to
say what he said; after which we began
to parse" and We're thus taught the
meaning and use of the rules. notes and
exceptions. Then we began to use ouf
grammars. and to read for ourselves
what we had already learned by oral
teaching. Thinking over the matter, l am
inclined to the opinion that DIR ohildret
would learn faster and more thoroughly,
what they do learn, If fewer studies were
taken up at time. 1 see children goins
to school with from a half dozen to a
dozen books. and l wonder if the little
boy or girl is getting as much benefit
from many, as he or she could from fewel
books, we'll studied and expla med.
But, as / have been out of the school
teaching business for over fifty years, and
as great changes have taken place and
greater Improvements have been made
along all lines, especially in schools and
in teaching, l guess / had better not
NEEDLE with the school business. l will
say this much however, the advantages
to get an education are a hundred fold
better than they were sixty years ago.
and, of course, the outcome OF our schools
ought to be hundred fold better than
when the advantages were 50 few and SO
poor.
Old John Young, to whom I went. when
a boy. was able to teach Latin, and that
fact gave him a standing in the commune
ty no former teacher ever had. But he
did not call Caesar ''Kiser.' nor Cicero,
''Kickero,' therefore don't suppose he
was much of a Latin scholar. though he
could read it, as the boys said, Just as
easily as he could the stories in the spell
inc book.
BY the way, have never read in these
latter days, any stories that equalled
those old spelling book stories. Why no,
I'll never forget them. l read Ovid and
Caesar and Sallust. and many others of
the old Latin writers who were noted
for telling interesting stories. but none
of them so impressed me, with all their
elegance or eloquence, as did the rude
boy up the apple tree; the monkey, the
cats and the cheese; the "goring of the
OK and such like stories I read when
boy. And / never can forget that verse
of poetry. which seemed to have been put
in the old spelling book to fill out the
page:
Glow pleasant is Saturday night.
When I've tried all the week to be good;
Not spoken word that was bad,
And Obliged every one that could
1t was said that Senator Hoar repeated
that stanza. one Saturday evening, after
the Senate had adjourned, addressing him
self to Senator Vance. vances reply was:
Senator, l own that I'm a pretty hard
case but ! can't lie like that
Mr.. William Womble. a young man of
about my age. whom 1 have known for
fifty years, stopped me in the market
few evenings ago to tell me how much he
was enjoying my "reminiscences, and
while talking, gave me an incident that
is worthy of a place in history Mr..
Womble lives. on East Hargett street,
and it was just beyond his homo that
Aunt Abby House spent her last days. in
a little cottage which Mai John Calling,
Sheriff Dunn. and other Confederate sol
diers built for her in token of their gra-
titude for what "Aunt Abby" did for
them, and the soldiers generally. in the
way of nurse, in the camp. Mr. Womble
Abby" and knew what happened every
day He said Governor Vance frequently
went to see the old woman and would
sit and talk with her. "and,' said he. "Tli
tell you what I saw with my own eyes:
Zeb Vance coming to my well. drawing
water and carrying a bucket full to Aunt
Abby when she was too helpless to
wait on herself
The reader may say that was doing no
more than any one else ought to have
done, to which l agree; but. it IS not an
everyday affair to see the Governor or
Senator in the Congress of the United
States, visiting on the outskirts OF city
and ministering to the comforts of an old
Woman. The incident is worthy of his
toric setting, as it shows how warm
heart the Governor possessed and how
true he was to the poorest and humblest
il life.
While am speaking Of Governor Vance,
/ will relate story he told on himself,
during the canvass he made for his second
term as Governor. 1t is known. of course,
that he was elected the first time while
n II Il