The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1905-07-21
History of Pike Township.
BY JACOB SMITH.

class in spelling, The lesson was one
in which the words were given and
had their definitions attached, as:
Rain, falling water; apple, a fruit;
potato, a vegetable; horse. an animal;
ak, tool for chopping wood, etc. The
word upon this occasion that made n
lasting impression by reason or its
pronunciation and definition was
gnat (pro. natl small stinging fly
In the pronunciation and definition
given by the teacher it was G-nat,
small stinksn fly. At that day there
could be no special blame attached
to the teacher for the pronunciation
given the word, or in the definition
as lie was simply applying the rule
used in the German language of no
silent letters in the first instance, and
his tongue being a little too heavy tc
handle the other properly yet in this
day we would be very ready and quick
to declare against persons attempting
to teach who could make no bstteI
use of the English language.
On another occasion one of our pion-
eer teachers while busily at work lis
tening to the recitations of his scholars
suddenly became aware that there was
a strange rumbling noise somewhere
which could be distinctly heard at
short intervals. After listening in
tently for few moments he called the
attention of the schuoI 20 the noise
which still continued. Shortly after
ward the noise ceased, and the teacher
having become convinced as to its
course told the scholars that the
rumbing noise was caused by an earth
quake at some great distance from
there; that whenever they heard a
noise like the one which they had just
heard, they might rest assured that It
was caused by distant earthquake
One of the scholars, boy about twelve
years of age and of somewhat mis-"
chiefous proclivities, who was sitting ir
one corner of the room. had laid his
head down upon the desk in front oi
him, and for a short time had contin-
ued to draw his forehead back and
forth on the desk, which caused the
earthquake that for time had en-
gagged the teachers attention. 1t is
useless to say, that the explanation of
the noise given by the teacher con-
vinced the boy of its correctness.
That same boy at another time com
ing to school at an early hour, found
the teacher busy preparing his break
fast The was bachelor and lived in a
part of the house used for school pur-
poses) Looking in through window
he saw the teacher taking sack out
of a pan in which he had baked it
over bed of Goals. Lighting it up
carefully in his hands, he remarked tc
himself that it was beautiful cake,
and one good enough for the president
of the United States or the king Of
England to eat" On his way to the
table the cake being a little too warm
to carry without changing from one
hand to the other, it happened to slip
from his grasp and fall to the floor.
Strange to say, by chance there was
an opening between the puncheons OF
the floor just large enough to let the
cake pass through, and before he could
catch it, 1t had disapparead beneath
the floor. At this misfortune of the
teacher, the boy haw-hawed out loud
ly, which so stirred his wrath that h,
Immediately took after the boy, bent
on furnishing him for this breach of
good manners. Not being sufficiently
nimble on feet to catch the boy he
finally gave vent to his wrath by say
ing, you must think yourself a great
fellow standing there grinning with
them big horseteeth of yours" The
boy after arriving at young manhood
emigrated west to Indiana, where he
taught school for many years, filling
that place with honor, and was a bless
ing to the community in which he
lived. He died about fifteen or twenty
years ago. We might add good many
other incidents of a similar nature
which occurred in the early school days
of our fathers, but we will let the fore
going suffice.
The war record of Pike township
during the great Rebellion is one espec-
tally worthy mention. 1t was one OF
the few townships in the State that
was not subjected to a draft having
filled every quota and kept ahead OF
every call for troops. The majority
of the young men in the township
between the ages of eighteen and twen-
ty four enlisted in the service and
went forth to do duty for their country
in its time of need. 1t is impossible
for us at this time to give the exact
number of those who volunteered dur
ing the great conflict, without looking
over the military register of the town
ship, or the state roster of troops. 1t is
sufficient to say, however, that in pro-
portion to population 1t would be a
very difficult task 20 find another
section Of country that has done better
in that direction than what we have
Without boasting we may safely say
that which is good, Pike township
stands among those who head the list