The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1911-05-04
LOCAL HISTORY.
Wells Township Schools, Houses, and
Teachers Of Sixty to One Hun
dred Years Ago.
FOR THE NEWS BY NJ. M. HORTON.
Continued from last week.

men possessed OF sound common
sense, and, therefore, could trans
act business IN a business way
without trouble. They were, in
nearly all cases, very fortunate
in their selection of teachers. |
know Of but three instances in
which it was clearly shown, that
their selection Of a teacher was a
mistake. The teacher at No. 1
school elected for term of 1878
proved his lnetficency and neon.
potency very soon after the be.
ginning o. the term. He would
lie down for a comfortable nap
during school hours and let the
school take care of itself; or he
would go asleep during the noon
RECESS and neglect to call his pu.
pills to work at right time. The
school directors met, heard the
evidence IN the case, and told the
teacher that his resignation would
be accepted If he offered 1t to
them. He offered it; it was ac.
cepted, and an order, for his sal
ary, placed IN his hands after a
little more than a month after
the beginning of the term. Dur
ing that same term, the teacher
at No, 3, Blven's, was guilty Of
terrible cruelty and brutality IN
punlshlrg a female pupil. The
directors met, examined the body
of the injured glrl, heard the evi.
dence against the teacher and
decided to summary dismiss
him. During the term of 1866
the teacher at No. Ia fine schol
ar and a first class inst, uctor-
proved to be no dlscipllnarlan.
While a class was recitlng IN one
part of the school room, a game
of domlnoes was being played in
another part, a game of chess IN
another while a game of ball was
IN progress Just outside the WIN
dows. Directors, patrons and
friends did all they could for him
with counsel advice and sugges.
tons which he gladly accepted
and acted accordingly far as he
could so that he got to the end of
the term without the necessity of
Official action by the school board
in his case.
Never during all this period
did those old directors have
trouble at time for electlng teach
ers except once. That was IN
Nov. 1860, on the day that Abra.
ham Lincoln was elected presi-
dent first. On that day the school
board met to elect a teacher for
Camp Spring school. The mem
bers of the board were, George
Whltehill, VIM. Horton, Thomas
Griffith, John Sharrer, John Dix.
on and j. q. Cunningham. The
applicants for the position were
II. S. Wishart and |. On first
ballot, Messrs. Whitehill, Gun.
ningham and Horton voted for
H. 5. Wishart. The others voted
for me. The voting continued
until four ballots had been had
with same result. On 9th ballot,
Mr.. Whltehlll changed his vote
from IL. S, Wishart IN my favor
and broke the dead lock. This
was the only dead lock, old time
Wells township school directors
ever had on their hands.
Would that the scope of this
article would permit me to men.
ton the names of some others
who have been faithful school
directors IN Wells township since
40 years ago, the names of such
men as M. w. Houck, Jno. Sunk.
ard, A o. Griffith and A. S. Ed.
wards, each a son of one OF the
old time directors.
My first personal knowledge of
Wells Valley schools wes obtain.
ed at beginning of term of 1853 A
when l became a pupil in No. 1
school at Gibson's. l attended
that school until end of term of
1858 8, hve years. All these
terms except the last were taught
in the old Gibson house, The
Continued on page tourl