The Washington times., 1908-09-23
SCHOOL SLATE NOW
THING OF THE PAST
Pupils Seem to Have Less
Fun Than They Did in the
Good Old Days.
LONG, SLIM PENCIL
ONCE ENVY OF ALL
Squeaky Writing Always Excuse TO
Be Sent From ROom-"Wash
Day" Popular With Girls.

Sometimes. when I am IN a retrospect
I've mood, it seems 20 me that school
children do not have half as much fun
In these days as they did a few years
ago. For instance. nowadays the slate
IS as obsolete as the most obsolete
thing you can think of, the Aztecs, for
instance.
When I went II school the slate was
a very precious possession indeed. It
was even more than that-it was an In
deX Of ones prosperity.
When one had just a plain slate with
a wooden frame. that meant either that
finances were low OF that mother
thought anything would do for the
youngsters of the family.
II. however, the slate frame were
bound with red flannel. it indicated
quite a degree Of prosperity, while 70
have a double slate so bound. showed
that ones parents were rich beyond the
dreams OF avarice.
Slate Pencil a Barometer.
The slate pencil was also baxom-
eter OF ones pro sperity. had a seat
mate who invariably had a long. long
pencil always sharpened TO a thin and
fascinating point My pencils were gen
orally the stubs which fell from an
elder brother's desk, and We're so hard
70 hold and so ''scrunched" my hand
that they permanently affected my
chirOgraphy.
Sometimes I borrowed my seatmatc's
long and slender pencil, just TO see how
II felt 70 write with such a marvellous
instrument. and when I did I usually
H~oDTaT &c
three pieces in CONSERVATION greater
than would have felt II the school
house had burned before my eyes.
Then the next penny went 20 buy her
another pencil, which act Of restitution,
I regret 10 say, I performed with Ioath-
irg and hatred for her in my heart
Had a Paper Wrapper
When was permitted TO buy a new
pencil for myself 7 invariably chose one
clad in a sheath gown Of star-spangled
paper, hoping that It would last longer
than the others, Tut It never did. It
always rolled off the desk and broke
under the paper, where It was particu-
larry hard 10 repair the damage. If
there We're one thing more than another
which made the slate popular article
It was the fact that it had frequently 10
be bathed-
I have never known a small girl who
did not love to scrub whatever came
70 hand, and so great preparations were
made TO keep the slate in a state of alb
sOlute impeccability.
Each small girl in a row. therefore.
brought 70 school baking powder can
filed with sOapy water. Also she had
sponge sometimes tied to slate and
sometimes just roaming about loosely
in her desk.
Began 20 Scrub.
It was invariably when teacher was
most anxious for perfect silence that
the slate ADDITIONS began. Then every.
one produced box and sponge and with
terrific energy began 10 scrub.
Anon whispered sentences penetrated
n the ears of the high prlestess:
Mamie, lend me some OF your pink
soap. won't yous" Don't You dare take
my apron TO wipe your slate with "
please lend ne your can. I spilled the
water from mine down Nellie's back"
and so on.
In those days when Pedagogy and
Psychology were not as popular as now
little attention was paid 10 these sibi-
liant requests.
Indeed. # took something really Sc
riOus. like sticking a pen in your seat
mates rosy cheek or putting ink on
punishment
Used as an Excuse
There was never anything like the
slate pencil for getting one permission
10 leave the room If in sharpening II
with a blunt knife one made It squeak
Just a little permission to 20 out was
always hastily rendered one even be
fore il was asked.
But long ago states were pronounced
sQualid. and were removed from up-to-
date schools. and now pads and pencils /
have taken their place, and the baking
powder box has sunk into innocuoIs
desuetude
Also boysland girls no longer attend
the same schools, and punishments do
not consist of making naughty girls sit
in the boys row. to their outward en-
barrassment. but sometimes TO their in
ward delight
Fascination Has Gone
I haven't the slightest doubt that the
schools have been greatly improved
since I attended them. and that the
scholars are learned ITO a degree, but
if I were TO enter the infant class again
1 know I should regret my slate and
v,rvrrT md Tho Cv.vo--rrrr7f+fa- for bor-ea-