The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1910-10-01
AN oLD-FAsHIoNED SCHOOL.

The old-time American schools differed as great
y from our modern castles Of education as the
twentieth century aeroplane and automobile differ
from the ancient bullock cart. The Confederate
general, John B. Gordon, describing a backwoods
academy Of his youth-time writes:
The building of the first school that attended
stood in a woodland not far from the main high
way. 1t was built of hewn logs, but was well fin
ished inside and out. At each end of the room
there was an immense chimney and in those broad
treplaces during the winter months great log fires
were kept burning The logs for this purpose were
cut and brought in by details of the larger boys.
"The schoomaster was an Irishman, named
Doster, with ruddy complexion, clean-shaven face
and hair as black as a raven. He was a man of
medium size, but when engaged in his favorite
amusement of fogging he seemed to grow to huge
proportions. His seat was near the center of the
room and he kept eager watch over the whole of it.
The larger students were seated at desks arranged
about the center. The small boys sat on a bench
which extended from one end of the room to the
other.
AT specific hours all the small boys we're re-
ouired to spend certain length of time in writing
with pen and ink. The pen was goose quill con-
verified into proper shape by Doster's sharp pen
knife. During the time given to writing lessons
we little penmen turned our faces to the wall in
order TO use a sloping desk which attached
there Thus our backs were turned towards the
teacher.
Instead of requiring US to write words and
sentences, Doster compelled us to fashion fish
hooks tongs scissors and other objects of utility.
The master moved quietly behind this long ine of
Youngsters and peeped over their shoulders. If he
discovered a boy forming his fish hook upside down
or making some other mistake he would storm
at him from behind: What are you doingH Of
course the culprit's pen and the pens of half
dozen other startled boys shot across the paper,
burring, splotching and spelling the whole page
AT the school which [ attended after leaving
al. a. al-1Ynsr
days in each week. On the former the larger girls
and boys were required to read aloud before the
whole school what supposed to be original
compositions or essays on subjects sometimes Sc
lected by themselves and sometimes by the teacher
And on the speaking days all of the boys, except
the smallest children, required to declalm
from the stage some selection committed to mem
cry.
During these defamation exercises the school
was permitted to applaud successes and laugh at
failures which not only added interest and plquan-
cv to the occasion, but stimulated the boys to per-
feet themselves in juvenile oratory, and was most
helpful in developing self-control. The teacher
himself would occasionally add to the schools
amusement by some goodnatured remark at the
expense of the declaimer A friend of mine named
Peter was then attending a school where the same
custom was In vogue and he had selected for his
speech that extract from Patrick Henry's famous
Grafton which begins with the words: 81 have but
one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that
j. the lamp of experience.
Peter confidently mounted the rostrum, but
although he had quietly memorized his piece IN his
own room he had not, as the habit of more
experienced boys, gone to the woods, Numbered
away at the trees, and so accustomed his ears to
his own voice in defamation. Hence, startled by
his own tones as he shouted from the stage, / have
but one mp-amp-lamp-, he could get no
farther His speech had gone from has memory,
IIc passed his left hand across his forehead IN
vain effort to recall it. while with his right he
pulled at his trousers Just as though 1t might have
slipped down into his pocket, but it came not lie
began again: L have but one lamp-lamp-
lamp and then the teacher, amidst roars OF
laughter from the school, said: Come down,
Peter; your lamp has gone out.
Speaking of orations reminds me OF a singular
experience of my own. During my Junior year at
the University of Georgia [ had the honor of being
selected by the faculty one of the SIX junior
orators for the commencement exercises. Now, as
had imbibed from my father, who was an old
time Wing. an ardent admiration for Henry Clay
prepared for my commencement Grafton an elab,
crate eulogy upon this great Kentucklan considered
by his followers the ideal statesman of ms day l
had expended upon this speech the labor Of many