The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-02-26
OLD PETERS.

lived 4 schooimastcr named Thomas
peters. The boss called him old
Greek lie taught for SIX months in
the year and the rest OF the time he
hunted and iished, so he WAS Just as
GOOD a hunter as he was tea cher.
In those days there were no fine
schoolhouses. az there are now. In
deed In some places YOU might travel
for many miles and never see a school
house al all.
The house in which "old Peters
taught WAS. built OF loss. and had nnt
room, one door and two windows The
floor which was made or nine logs
spill, In two. had large cracks in il
Windows were made by saving
',o,,sa the logs In eaeh side Of tic,
in more cold than light
Between the logs OF which the housc
whF built, clay and sticks had bean
placed to keep out the cold winds. but
OUT, the clay TO get fresh air. SO /,
took great roaring fire In winter
te keep the children warm
The fireplace took IN nearly tho
whole OF one end OF tho room. III sold
weather large logs were piled upon
the fire until the flames leaped un
tho chimney and Tho heat went to al
ono could SIT In tho chimney corner.
but when the IRE was low, Ave or siN
children could sit Iii the corner OF thK
Very little furniture was in tho
room. The tennhers table md stool
stood In one corner. Benches. with
out backs. were placed here and there
built along tho wall, which was used
as writing desk cythc children who
We're far enough advanced to begin
"riting. The younger children had
oil the benches and hold their books
and states
Usually things wtnt along smoothly
lessons Veil for ali p Of iI hen re lng,
"Old Peters, But sometimes when he
had eaten something which did not
agree With him, everything seemed to
One day 'old Peters" came into the
The boys and girls began to feel un-
bundle of switches that he had near
his desk. IT was plain that he was i'm
a. bad humor. and that trouble was
ahead.
master. and every pupil began to study
the lesson aloud and sway back and
forth IN his seat keeping time TO the
parts Of the ,, words as they spelled
studied q smelling lesson In those days.
Now 1t happened that one boy knew
his lesson already. ne moved back
fd o @ the the aords Se vas sag
inR. old Peters, Old Pete, Old Peters
Old Pete" The end OF the iesson wal
soon reached and the class stopped
, studying aloud. This boy was not
looking at his book, and before no
could check himself, the words "told
Pete" sounded out loud and clear IN
the quiet room.
All the children laughed and odd
Peters" called the boy to his desk. He
Their reached for a switch and gave tho
! boy some hard blows. After this he
made him sstand in corner on one
foot.
i When the class was called up for the
spelling lesson. this boy had 10 come,
too. All the children stood In a long
row. and when the master spoke the
| words Of the lesson. they had 70 tal1e
turns in spelling them aloud The
child who missed q. word had 10 give
his place to the ono who spelled 1t
Thus a poor spelier would move farther
and farther down the line until at last
he reached the foot of the class.
Tho boy who had been whipped was
so scared that he missed ali the words
Then the master made him stand upon
the Ounce stool. AT this the hoy began
TO cry. but his crying did not soften
the masters heart. He made ono or
the other children hold n booking
before him to catch tho tears.
This was ono OF the ways the mas
ter Of an old-timc school nunished n
pupil for doing wrong or for MISSING
lesson. GORDON CARRIER
Edinburg. Va, Box 1s+, Shenandoah
county.