The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1909-01-14
The Old
Field School
BY FRANK M vANcu..

BY FRANK M, vANcn-
V0-llll.sIttl -. .O1St-H4
Here. mid natures wild and rugged
scenes.
With no inviting prospects to
adorn,
ne latent spark Of genius brighten
ed forth
The greatest lives in history we're
born.
Backward. far backward, in the
1fm vistas Of bygone years, there is
NO dearer or more revered spot In
memory than that of our early school
days. To most Of those of advanced
pears these scenes were enacted amid
the primeval shades Of the "Old Field
School House." This pioneer land
mark was conveniently situated upon
come country thoroughfare within a
grove of natural forest trees. and,
n possible, in proximity to q spring
q water. The district. Of which this
rural temple Of learning WAS the nu-
cleus. included an irregular area OF
twenty or thirty square miles in ex-
tent. and embraced an isolated popu-
lstion of from forty to sixty children
Of school age.
The present system Of free schools
vas unknown in those days. All
terms Of school were organized and
conducted upon the subscription plan.
that is, the patrons subscribed to an
article of agreement with a teacher
for a certain number Of pupils at
stated rate OF tuition per scholar.
and paid therefor out of their own
pockets at the close of the term.
Board for the teacher was generally
included, whereby 1t became neces-
sary for him to board round" visit
Ing each patron with a frequency pro-
portionate to the number Of pupils
sent by him to school. These peram-
bulating sojourns we're often very
onerous to the schoolmaster. as they
frequently took him miles away from
the seat of his labors, where, In ex-
ceedingly cold weather, his early
presence was necessary to have the
room comfortable. They were. also.
not conducive to preparatory study.
nor always rewarded by that quality
Of diet satisfactory to one engaged
in sedentary occupation.
The school building. erected by the
vsfunteer labor Of the citizens of
the district, was made of logs from
the adjacent forest, or handmade
1rick, and seldom exceeded in dimen-
don twenty-five or thirty feet square.
The furnishings of the room we're
wholly the handiwork OF the anna
eur mechanics Of the neigh borhood,
and consisted Of two or three stout
wall-tables some three feet wide and
.sn feet long. used for writing. and
tpon which we're placed the divers
iu1eA buckets and baskets. and a
uotlsy array Of sundry wearing ap-
sagel not convenient to hang upon
she wooden pegs that ornamented all
he vacant spaces between the one
cor and the four little windows of
10 building.
The seats for the pupils we're rough
,nGths, made from slabs. and placed
1rallel to the sides of the room
he lower ones for the smaller pupils
"a the interior-leaving q central
sctangle, at one end of which was
10 wide-open fireplace and at the
s.her, the eink-bespatteredd desk of the
-aaeher. There was not a semblance
- blackboard or wall map; and the
MY decoration, aside from the gau-
network of the geometrical spider
the corners Of the ceiling, were
le hieroglyphics Of keel" and char
,al on the walls, made by spectacu-
.-r urchins.
School was called by the loud rap
''lngs Of the teacher upon the win
Nv sash, and the entrance of the
ixed throng of knowledge seekers
Ito the room was characterized by
u indiscriminate rush for the more
.esirable seats. 1t was strictly a
Use of FIRST come. first serve" and
ssfywhere there might be observed
minated bevies of both sexes In
'omisouous and hilarious enjoy
'ymsnt. Nothing but the most flag
mt violation of decorum was no.
reed by the instructor. and the rod
I'd ferule were the panacea for all
we're offenses. Pupils came into the
:. hool at all hours of the day and
. questions asked; and seldom did a
acher rebuke the social communi-
.tions and sly mischievousness of
young tyro. But wilful misde-
sanors and serious disturbances
sre common, and the severest chas-
,ements were promptly inflicted.
.ere was no schoolboard to which
appeal for assistance In subduing
unruly, and the tutor was truly
monarch of all he surveyed, and
p verned and controlled the infant
public or abdicated the realm. The
hntest for supremacy between the
cher and the combined force of
orderly boys was often spirited
| sometimes tragical.