The Adair County news. [volume] (Columbia, Ky.) 1897-1987, 1907-05-15
THE EARLY HISTORY OF melvin
WHITE.
By u. l. Taylor.
CHAPTER TX.

ston, Melvin went to Taylor county and
procured school in the neighborhood
of Burdck. Every thing was going on
smoothly, so far as we could hear, I'M
til he wrote letter to his friend John
Ed Murrell, giving his experience as
far as he had gone. He said, my dear
friend John; 1 have been thinking for
some time of writing you letter, but
have been putting it off. Now | have
determined to write. | have been con-
templating my life, what it has been,
and what it might have been. l had
many warm and dear friends in the
vicinity of my home, they all seemed
interested for me, all were ready and
willing to give advice, the advice was
not always harmonious, but if | had
taken it all, my life would have been
different from what it is, and has been.
1t is we'll known to you that for sever
al years l have had my heart set on
teaching school, and keeping store.
The former | have realized, but it
has proven to be not all that my fancy
had painted. 1t might be so with the
latter, but my friends in their advice
have gone even further than these two
commendable callings. If l had fol low
ed the advice so freely and honestly
given, might now be preacher of
the gospel, and Methodist preacher at
that. While teaching over here far
away from friends and associates, |
have been studying out some reforms
in the pedagague business. | under
took to carry out one of these reforms,
but it was not complete success, in
fact it might be set down as failure.
In reading the history of schools and
school teaching, came across an ex-
perience of Joseph Cook, the celebrated
teacher, and l determined to try the
experiment which in theory Cook
thought would be a success. The plan
was this; whenever boy needed pun
ishing, for the teacher to offer himself
as sacrifice and let the boy whip him,
instead of him whipping the boy. l
reasoned in this way, that the little
boys could not whip hard enough to
hurt, and the very suggestion would
punish the big boys far more than the
whipping could possibly do. deter
mined to try it whenever an opportuni-
ty afforded itself. On last Monday, |
made the announcement to the school, /
explained as best | could what a vica-
that henceforth / would take all the
whipping myself. 1t seemed to create
a sensation. Shortly after this an
nounement, John Smith, q call him
John Smith because that is not his
pame) broke nearly all the rules at
once. and called him to account for'it.
told him what the penalty was, but
L would take the punishment, and let
him infilct it. was little disappoint-
ed because he did not apologize and
refuse to do the whipping. l told him
to take the switch and lay it on we'll.
He was very strong boy, and he
hooked at the switch and asked me if
he had not better get a better one, l
told him to do as he liked about it. He
got keen long beech limb, and when
prepared for the sacrifice, he spat in
his hands and took the rod in both, and
raised it alOft, and brought it down
with two fold vengeance. He followed
it with another and another, until he
seemed to be satisfied, and l was
thoroughly so. l am doing my teach
ing stading up, and have abundant time
to consider whether the new plan is
success or failure. l am very well
satisfied that it will not work with the
larger class of boys. When l see you
| will talk the matter over more fully.
Yours, Melvin l.. White.
Melvin when at home attended all
the parties and dances in the neighbor-
hood, but he never could dance. He
was perfectly familiar with the step,
but when he undertook the job, he was
certain to get his feet tangled, or tear
his partners dress. And so he soon
quit trying, and contented himself
with watching and criticizing the
others.
In my next will give you Melvin
horse training experiences. The most
interesting, and well as the most dan
gerous of his escapades.
lr- n