The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1907-02-14
THE OLD SCHOOL DAYS
Mrs. Adelaide LunbeCk Curry Recalls
Pleasant Memories of the Old
School Days of Early Leon.

rfduk warner ldSU week lnUeFeSCeu uo,
as have all those letters OF the old
timers which have appeared from time
to time during the last year, in THE
REPORTER and journal. have been
asked to contribute my own remenl-
brances of those early days (being one
of the "oldest inha abitants",) but until
read Franks letter l refrained, but
never have the heart to refuse the re-
quest of an invalid, as am sorry to see
he confesses himself to be, so | have
decided to fall in line.
| think Franks reference to my
brother Henry and the fact that when
l visited the latter, two years before he
Franks photograph standing on the
mantel in his den" and learned from
him that the two had exchanged recent
letters, and, although separated by so
grea5 distance-one living on the
Atlantic Coast and the other in the
Rocky Mountains they still preserved
their boyhood friendship has moved mo
to wish to send this message to the
invalid. They had more than friend
ship for each other, these two; each
recognized and admired the gifts of the
other. Perhaps in some happier cline,
when freed from the exactions of the
not always friendly conditions of earth
ly life, they may be permitted to do the
things to which their hearts inclined
here; then l can imagine Frank writing
a book describing the dear old school
days in Leon, and Henry illustrating
the same. l think most of us will agree
that such book would be we'll worth
reading and enjoying, even in heaven,
for we know that there would not be
one unkind or ungenerous thought in
it, although wit and joyous humor
shone on every page.
Among the names of the old time
teachers there was one that | have not
seen mentioned, that of A. j. Abbott.
l remember him particularly as pos
sessed of the finest self control and
consequently the most perfect govern.
ment | ever witnessed in the school
room. l never saw him lose his
equanimity but once and that was over
some prank of-whom, do you guess?
Bell Burns? Correct. In addition to
his power to rule his school by look
he had the soul of a poet, and often in
his quiet simple way said few words
which made a lasting impression on the
young lives under his direction. 81
recall that on one OCCASION when i
could not ga to school Sent by sister
Cora, a boquet of roses from the beauti-
full garden with which my child hood
home was surrounded, and this poet
teacher sent back a note of thanks. [
had not thought Of it for years, yet
here it is just as the storehouse of
memory yields it up at my bidding:
"Many thanks for the beautiful boquet;
while flowers are the effusions of Gods
goodness they also show his respect to
humility and beauty. Cultivate the
spirit OF which they are an emblem"
This little note, addressed and signed,
was but simple sign of courtesy, such
as this model teacher never failed to
extend to any of us as occasion arose,
be that occasion kindness shown to
him, or piece Of work neatly and cor
rectly wrought with the hope of
pleasing him. But l record the incident
here as tribute to one whose true
place was that of guide and inspirer
to the young. His patience and gentle
ness We're only equaled by his dignity
and frmness and we all instinctively
did our best for him.
For the information Of the old school
mates who are now living elsewhere
l will say that the same old bell calls
the children of today to their studies
although it now surmounts the hand
some new north school house, whose
picture adorns the popular Leon post
card of today. That old bell! Had
Frank Warmers pen | should like to
write it's history. 1t was the first bell
Leon possessed and used to hang in a
tower built for it at the door of the
old court house, the court house that
burned with the county records and
made the abstract business monopoly
in Decatur county. From this old
tower "the bell' used to call us to
church and Sunday school, tho latter a
union one, the former being divided
into "days" for each little body OF
worshipers after the manner of the
dictates of their own conscience; thus
we had Presbyterian day." on which
Franks parents occupied front seats
and christian day" when mine were
entitled to this precedence. Then
there was Methodist day. when the
''amen corner was reserved for
"Uncle Johnny" and "Aunty" Patterson
and their following; "United Brethren
day" when father Ira Ryan preached; and
other occasional services, all held in the
hospitable old court house with its
high central platform which answered
as pulpit or seat of Justice, as occasion
demanded, and it's two side rows OF
elevated seats which served impartially
for the jury" or for Jabez Dawsons
or VIM. Blair's Sunday school classes
The real dignity of 4meetin'" never
prevailed at any Of these gatherings
funtil the last echo Of Athe bell' had
died away, after which visiting ceased
and worship, the training of the young
or the netting out of justice, as the
case might be, was in order.
One event Of the old days stands out
in my childhood memories. This was
the morning when all the citizens Of
the town, old and young. gathered in
the little unfinished, frame, first Leon
church building ION the present site o.
. our Carnegie Library to bid good -byt
to Go. d., 4th Iowa Infantry, Capt.
!, afterward Col. Burton's boys, as they
formed in line and went marching ovel
the hills to the west of town to some
point where they were to join thei