Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1904-03-09
TEACHING YOUNG FIL1p1Nos.
Many Startling and Amusing Things
Are Done by Native Teachers
and Pupils.

One thing aside from the roosters and
mosquitoes that will make me remem-
Der my first night in Maunabo was the
sheets. writes an American teacher in
the New York Tribune. When l lay
down on my cot felt around for the
sheet to cover myself. l struck some
thing that seemed like board. I dis
covered that 1t was the sheet, starched
so stiff that might as we'll have tried
to cover myself up with piece of sheet
iron. In the morning stood that sheet
up against the wall and sighed Other
experiences with starchirg propensities
encountered in the napkins When
ever tried to wipe my lips at table
didn't know whether it was file or
napkin I had. When l sent my liren
suit to be washed the first time the
trousers came back starched stiff and
creased on the sides, according to the
custom there. After l had explained
that / wanted them creased in front
they came back creased both ON the
sides and in front, giving startling
boxlike effect when wore them.
Shortly after my arrival at Maunabo
l made the acquaintance of several Of
the teachers, two of them from the rural
schools and another from town All are
men between forty-f1ve and fifty, the
young man before mentioned and my
self being the only young teachers in
the region. The Tuesday following my
arrival the school opened in earnest,
and the three rooms of the dilapidated
schoolhouse were crammed with ne
groes. mulattOes, whites and mixtures
OF all kinds. some with sense, many
without. Nearly all were barefoot, and
with only one garment. usually ragged
and filthy. to cover their nakedness. I
was to teach nothing but English, and
began with the smallest ones by in
structing them In some Of themore COM
mon expressions. such as Good morn
Ing. teacher" For weeks after when
ever l appeared in public, whether
morning, afternoon or night, Geo
morn, techah." was hurled at me from
the streets, from the dirty shops and
from the low doors of straw matched
huts. Among other things l taught
them that "un polio" meant "a chicken"
and also that EN- Dios conflamos" was
''In Cod we trust" For some days they
remembered "a chicken" as they liked
to hear themselves pronounce 1t. but one
day l asked tiny darby girl what
"un polio" was in English. Without
any hesitation she complacently as
sured me that it meant ON God we
trust
Perhaps the thing that struck me the
most at first in my school work was the
frequent request of the pupils, and more
especially the girls. to be allowed to
leave the room to spit. More than orce
have been interrupted in recitation
by one Of the girls jumping up and rush
ing to the door to eXpectorate. Another
sight to which l am now calloused is to
see one of the teachers walking up and
down between the rows of pupils smok-
ing a huge black cigar and at the same
time conducting a class In arithmetic.
One of the rural teachers was seen to
send boy out to cut piece of sugar
cane, which he gnawed with nonchal-
ance behind his desk, while the young
sters were compelled to DO sums and
watch him enjoy it.
Every English teacher on the island
is supposed to conduct a class three
times week for the benefit of the ma
tive teachers. English Is translated to
Spanish and vice versa, and some Of the
assaults on the English language are
surprising to an American.