The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1913-06-17

a number OF witnesses to attest to
the truth of It, Seventy-two years ago
this summer there stood in Miller
township an old log schoolhouse tina:
went by the name of The River
Schoolhouse.' It stood In field
quite distance from any road on the
River farm. OF the history of this
schoolhouse, know nothing prior to
this time. had never gone to school
before this. The furniture in the
sct dollhouse consisted Of q large fire.
place in the west end, row Of seats
next to the wall on the north and
south sides and the east end for the
large girls and boys to sit on. In
front Of these we're two long benches
about ten inches wide, one on the
rorth side for the small girls and ore
on the south side for the small boys.
The benches had no backs to them and
there the little girls and boys had to
sit from nine o'clock till twelve ami
then from one till four, without any
support for their backs. The teacher
rad no desk, not even chair to sit
on when he wanted to rest. The only
furniture he had he furnished himself.
and that was a large whip, which he
used quite often, but the remarkable
part Of my story is that there are nine
people living now that went to scnooI
there seventy-two years ago and eight
OF them live in Knox county. one In
Iowa, and I am the youngest Of the
number. Seven Of them are here to-
day. 8Nn tf ~
To show you how differently time
has dealt with people In different
places, will relate an instance or
two. We lived in Milford township
but the River schoolhouse where We
went to school was In Miller township.
There was an old log cabin standins
on farm that Joined ours. I don z
know how 1t was brought about, but
In the spring of 1s43. arrangements
were made to have school there.
There was q family by the name OF
Crippen living In the house at that
time and Mrs. Crippen was hired to
teach the school. As II was one milo
and half to the River school, We
went to school there to Mrs. CrippeT.
There we're only two rooms TO the
house, one upstairs and one below.
In that one room was fireplace, a
table, a few chairs, bed and some
benches for the scholars to sit on. At
noon the children would take their
dinners and go across the road into
the woods and after eating would play
till time to go to school. While We
were in the woods, Mrs. Crippen would
get dinner and the family would eat.
After school closed that summer, the
Crippen family moved away, the house
not being fit to live In any longer In
the winter. The next spring. arrange
ments were made to have school there
again. and Miss Sally Hawkins was
employed to teach There we're abo'r
twenty-five children went to school
there that summer. The teacher and
four of her scholars are all OF that
number that are now living. Three
OF them are here today. went last
Friday and called on our old teacher.
thinking that 1t might be possible
for her to be here with us today. but
she Is In her eighty-eighth year and
the burden Of age Ia resting SO heav'
lily that she Is not able to be here,
When bid her goodbye. she said. u
hope you will all have a happy day
next Thursday as | know you VIII.
Tell them how glad l would be to hc
with them" While there are only
four OF us living that went to that
school, there are nine of us living that
went to the River School" will
relate another instance. In 1S45. the
river sCuOOiuoust was uUuuuouco
rhe district was then divided by a, line
running east and west nearly In TIE
center. We were on the south side Of
the line. We had no school the follow
ing winter During the summer oi
lSt6. the Gates schoolhouse was built
In our district. There was somethins .
very unusual there for q country
school. There were thirteen boys
nearly OF the same age. went to schoo'
there. one OF them few months older
than I. and the others very little
younger. or that thirteen boys, l AIN
tie only one living today, while there
ATE nine OF US living that went %
school together q number OF years Ds
fore that time.
As | have mentioned the Gates
sch oolhuse, I want to relate an anus
ms incident that occurred there. There
ma n yniinu man went Tn school thar.