The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1913-09-03

Here mlo natures WHO auu TuHBeu
scenes,
With no inviting prospects to
adorn, "'
The latent spark Of genius brighten
ed forth
The greatest lives In history were
born.
Backward, far backward, in the
dim Yistas 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
years these scenes we're enacted amid
the primeval shades Of the "Old Field
School House." This pioneer land
mark was conveniently situated upon
some country thoroughfsre within a
grove OF natural forest trees, and,
II possible, In proximity to a spring
Of 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-
latlon Of from forty to sixty children
Of school age.
The present system Of free schools
was 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 teacher
for a certain number Of pupils at a
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 frequency pro-
portionate to the number OF pupils
sent by him to school. These pcram-
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 " nave ."e
room comlortaDie' lney "1ae' . a'so'
hot conducive 10 prePar"to'' "'" ,,:.'
nor always rewarded by that quality
OF dlet satisfactory 10 one eHsaseu
IN sedentary occupation
The school building, erected BY the
volunteer labor OF the citizens OF
the district, was made OF logs from
the adjacent forest or handmade
brick, and seldom exceeded In dimen-
sion twenty-five or thirty feet square.
The furnishings OF the room were
wholly the handtwork Of the anna
teur mechanics OF the neighborhood,
and consisted OF two or three stout
wall-tables some three feet wide and
ten feet long, used for writing ana
upon which were placed the divers
luneh DucKets anu DasAe''' anu
motley array OIL Su"ur! weu' l"s az
parel NOT convenient u '""s upo"
tne WOODEN pegs 'haS.pEnarlen'e" al
tue vacant sPa'eo net"e0I '''o va.
door ana Ihe lour lltIAe "l"uo"" vi
tue oullu'ns. -,
ne seatS Aor TIE pup',S "U'. 'o"e "
Dencnes vi IarlouS Heih".o CIV
4engtns' maue irotH SiaDS' anu pi"'e"
parallei 10 the SUES Vi Ut. 'oo"
the io"er ones lor ''le suiAiI'' pups
on tne .lo-'e"V'ns ''"'
Iectansie, a. ole e',u VI VIZ" We" ,
Tue "lue-open "repi"ce anu az Wv
oIheI' lie IlA-pesp"''e'eu ue"N VI ''''
Ieacner' mere was NV 9o"'Oia.is.
oI DIachuoaru Ut wan map anu '''e
only decoration, asiue l'o"i ','e 5""
zy network vi Tue seolne'.,." 'i'"''
IN tne corners Vi tne 'eni''s, "e'e
the hleroslvph,cS ol heel All" .Il"'-
coal on the WALLS Lnaue w spe''"'u
Aar uFchinS'
School was called by the loud rap
pings Of the teacher upon the Win
dow sash, and the entrance OF the
mixed throng OF knowledge seekers
into the room was characterized by
an indiscriminate rush for the more
desirable seats. 1t was strictly
case Of first come, first serve and
everywhere there might be observed
animated bevtes OF both sexes IN
promlscuous and hilarious enjoy
joyment. Nothing but the most flag
rant violation OF deCorum was no.