The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-13

the punishment without finching,
and then, watching his opportunity,
jumped out of the back door and
ran away. His father did not force
him to return--doubtless he told a
false story and his father believed him
without enquiry. AS a matter of
course, when older he embraced bad
courses
The next Of my teachers, the first
half of 1S43, his school-house during
that term being at the northwest
corner of Wilmington and Jones
streets, and afterwards at the Acade-
my, was Jefferson Madison Lovejoy,
"Old jeff He was a native of YER
mont and graduate of Middleburg Col
lege. He came when a young man to
Greenville, where he was principal of
a school. Here he married Miss Vir
ginia Steptoe. He gave us one day
an account of his courtship. Boys!
When you start to do thing, DO it.
When I courted my wife she refused
me. l told her she should not marry
any one else. If she accepted another,
would KILL him. She married me
and has been the best of wives" He
then moved to Pittsboro and then to
Raleigh. He was one of the best old
time classical teachers, who paid at
tention chiefly. to translating into
EilSlfSnS anu
He did not, however, turn English into
Latin or, Greek. He had no algebra
class. Arithmetic, but not oral arith-
metic he taught thoroughly. He was
strict but just. For missing lessons
and moderately bad conduct he
whipped in the palm of the hand with
a small stick; three to eight or nine
ticks. For very bad conduct he smote
the back of the hand on the knuckles
u II fhrNr.
onghly impartial. He was sometimes
facetiaus about his whippings. Boys
what is whipping :? 1t is nothing but
bringing stick into contact with
your knuekles. Your knuckles hit the
stick as hard as it hits you" He
never attempted to make one inform
on another. Once when he was out
of the room one of the boys moved
the clock hands twenty minutes for
ward. On his. return he quickly recti-
fled it and, saying not a word, kept us
in twenty minutes longer. Another
daring boy during his absence ar
ranged pin SO as possibly to 'inf1ict
pain and placed it in his chair. If it
pierced his skinghe gave no sign.
In 1876, in consequence of the war
like spirit fengendered by the Mexican
war, he adopted the military feature,
with CAPTAIN w. F. Disbrow as in
structor in mathematics, and as drill
master. He soon, however, dropped
the military department and conduct
ed classical school only until 1866.
1t was very fourisling except during
the war period. From 1866 to 1873 he
had charge of Vine Hill Academy in
Halifax county. He then returned to
Raleigh, but did not regain his old
prosperity
( At Chapel Hill my teacher at first
was a singular character, but an able
one, Richardson Wilson, Of Caswell
county graduate of the University of
1912 He was eccentric, utterly re-
gardless OF dress, wearing red cap
that made him resemble q wood
pecker. He wrote verses that came
near being true poetry. Teaching was
by-work with him, his chief labor
being the study of the law. He was
an honorable, heightened man and de-
served a better fate. He settled as a
lawyer In Mcdowell county. went into
the war as private and came out so
shattered in, health and discouraged
in spirit that he slew himself at the
house of his brother in Raleigh.
suppose that he did not have the gift
of success
The last teacher before entered the
University, and the best, was Ashbel
Green Brown, of Granville high
honor graduate of the University in
1913 He alone of all my teachers re-
quired us to translate English into
Latin. He was thorough and interest
ing, firm and strict, impartial and
treating us with respect. He had a
hot temper, which may have in one or
two instances led him into excess of
| punishment A recall one of this ma
ture. He chastised an unruly boy Sc
verely, whipping on the legs The
boy, an only son, ran away and told
his woes to his mother, a widow of
pluck and plainness of speech. In a
/ short while she came holding her son
by the arm, and flaming with wrath.
what do you mean, Mr.. Brown. by
beating my son ~ numerically! Just
look heren' Then she rolled up the
legs of his pantaloons and showed the