The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-05-04
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.
Mahaska county's First Schools an
Thala TaarNarn.

~ 1880
was taught by Miss semlra A.
| Hobbs, who had come TO tho settle.
ment in August previous 10 the time
of beginning her school. A number
OF the settlers had been on their
claims over a year and began TO be
| DESTROYS to have their children I'm
school. A rude log house was bullt
two and one.haIf miles east OF Os.
kalooSa In the timber and on Sept
ember 16, 1914, Miss Hobbs began
| her thirteen weeks Of school. A
very business.like agreement var
| signed by both parties. Miss Hobbs
agreed to teach the school for the
sum Of one dollar and twenty-five
cents for each of the eighteen pupils
attending the school. The names on
the original contract and the num-
Der OF pupils from Ca IN family are
as follows:
Aaron Cox, 6; Nathan Coontz, 8;
Brantly Stafford, /; Poultney Lough~
ridge, s; John Cunningham, 3. Miss
Hobbs had taught n term Of school
down in Henry county. The death
Of her widowed mother some months
previous had lest her an orphan and
she had come TO the New Purchase
to make her horne with hep uncle
and aunt, Mr.. ami Mrs. Aaron Cox.
She had a winniag disposition, was
quite accomplished, and being al
ways disposed to make the best OF
things, was heartily welcomed ny the
best people in the settlement.
Miss Hobbs afterwards became
Mrs. r. @. Phillips and has wrftten
81 volt1me Of entertaining reuainls-
csnces OF that period. Her W de-
s~cription of that first school hwuse
with It's inmates cannot fail to In.
terest the reader.
"The settlers set a. day to repair
to the woods on the Borders OF che
sixteenth section, taking with thsm
axes, marhs, wedges, froes, augers,
saws anu broad axoas. They THEN
proceeded to chop down some linn
trees; not Saking time Go hew them,
but b1ilt a. cabin Of round logs, loEy-
ing the bark on. They rived cut
boards Of oak TO cover 1t, putting
weight poles ON to holR the boards
In place.. THE floor, benches anNf
writing desk were made Of pun
cheons. PbIefIeons are made Of logs,
split and made smooth on one size
by hswing with a broad-axe. Some
Of the carly settlers haIS become X
perts IN hgwfng punchHons and nv
ing c1apboards. This temple OF
learning was supplied with a SOD
chimney, a hearth long and wide,
not mare with stone on brick, DTt
with rich black loan. A log was
sawed out OF side Of the house,
leaving q space elgift or ten feet
long, for tire purpose OF admitting
light. One ot these primitive car
penters with "a pocket Knife Whitfield
out sticks the proper length, then
placed them In an upright position
at regular distances apart alongtfIfS
opening. Glass being a luxury not
easily obtained, oileH foolscap PAPER
was pasted over this i~hmprovised win
dow SASH In laying the founGEation
of this edfnce the archnects' were
particular to observe tire points ar
the compass. A door was made W
saving out logs to Inc proper height
and width. No shutter was proVid'
ed, only an opening looking coward
the south. When the u shown
there was no trouble In telling when
1t was oon Every n OF b chill
dren were well behaved and obedIent,
tried hard TO learn and made con-
siderable advancement. THESE boys
and girls had pluck. Tfrsy kept
warm n they could but did not
whine IL they were a lite cold.
They were used 10 cold houses, with
only a fire place, whese the face
would burn while the back would
freeze. When the cold became se.
we're one Of the kind, thoughtful mo.
theirs sent a eoyerlet 10 hang over
the door. Deer and rabbits scam
pered over gralrie and slough. These
pioneers were good marksmsn and
along with their corn bread, had ven
Ison and prairie chicken in abund-
ance. Ose evening on returning
home from school the teacher was
informed that the head of the family
had killed a bear"
Mrs. Phillips still lives In oska-
loosa, now herself a widow, but hon
ored and loved as In the days Of her
glrlhood years. OF the eighteen
boys and girls who sat around the
big fireplace In that frontier school
room three still remain in Mahaska
county: Mary Laughridge Shaver,
Emily Laughridge Cornell, and Jas.
I~aughridge. The latter owns the or
fginal Laughrldge farm In Spring
Creek township and all rye In os-
kaloosa.
Miss Hobbs taught a second school
In that log school house In the
spring OF 1916, and in the fall OF the
same year taught a term in a more
comfortable cabin which was located
on the corner Of North Third street
~~N Mwnn4n