The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1911-05-11
LOCAL HISTORY.
CONTINUED from first page. J

desks each for two pupils, and a
large library room was fitted up
with shelves for books. Light
was admitted, to the rooms,
through II large windows, heat
was supplied by large furnace
IN the cellar, and the ringing OF a
large bell, on top of the building,
called the pupils to school and to
work from play and recreation.
All in all, as a school building,
1t was far in advance of any thing
ever thought of, up to that time,
IN Wells Valley-or, IN Fulton
county.
From the time of my first con-
nection with the old GIBSON
school in 1858 and long before,
there was always literary socl-
ETY. in connection with the school.
This society wos organized at the
beginning of the school term, and
It's good work continued until the
end of same. No. 2 and No. 8
schools each beng much smaller
than No. l, usually combined to
carry on this work. These Or
ganizatlons held their meetings
on one evening IN each week.
The members were divided into
three classes-debating declama
tion and composition classes.
The debates were the teachers
and other men who attended the
meetings and took an interest in
the proceedings; and the school
boys, every one of whom was al.
ways a member, delivered the de.
clamatlons and the compositions.
At close of the school term, the
society, usually, gave an exhlbi-
ton consisting of declamations,
dialogues and composition S.
These exhibitions were great oc-
casions.
do not know why 1t was so,
but the school girls and young
ladies' of the nelghborhood never
had any part IN the work of the
literary societies or in the exhibl.
tions. AT an exhibition gwen IN
new school house at No. l at close
of term of 1859, James NJ. Nc
Clure introduced vocal music as
part of the program and secured
the assistance of a number of
young ladies IN carrying out his
part of the work. Never before
that time did the girls or young
ladies have part IN an exhibition
in Wells Valley.
Mr.. Editor, things have chang.
ed as the years have gone by.
Our old declamatious are now
known as recitations; our old
compositions are essays now, our
dialogues are presentations from
the drama, while the old time ex-
hlbitions would now be known as
entertainments.
On the evening of December
II, 1858, there was organized, IN
the new school house, a literary
society which IN the scope and
character of the work 1t accom-
pllshed was as far IN advance of
all previous efforts along this line,
as the new school house was IN
advance of the old school house
at Gibson's. 1t was known as
the Jeffersonlan Literary Socl-
ETY.. Its predecessors were not
named. It's first work was di.
rected to securing a library and
arranglngfor a course of lectures.
1t was successful IN both under
takings. The library shelves
were soon nearly full of valuable
books and the lectures delivered
before 1t were by men who had
made their mark in the practice
of law and medicine. This soci-
ETY. gave the name of Fulton In.
stitute to the new school build
ing. Young men could be pre-
pared for college IN No. | school
at that time. The first teachers
at the Institute we're Prof. w. A.
Gray and S. z. Wlshart.
In 1859 an effort was made to
make an Independent district of
No. l. The effort failed, the op-
position to it being too strong to
he overcome