Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1915-05-14
SCHOOL TEACHING IN SOS
CONTINUED from page u

the life of a country school teacher;
although upon an average, the board
ing places proved ideal, there usually
would be n or two in a district,
where an American citizen, in this
lay and generation, would not per-
mit his dog to remain over night. Re-
member this was nearly half a Cen
Jury ago. long before the Health and
-'ure Food laws came into existence.
At one such boarding place, l re-
member, sleeping in an upper room,
in a log house, the room being reach
ed by climbing a ladder, standing
nearly perpendicular. Upon awaken
ing in the morning, I discovered the
bed and floor, had been decorated with
l coating OF, snow, which had drifted
through the roof during the night. 1t
vas n unusual occurrence, for the
teacher to be crowded into a bed
With one and frequently. with two of
ler scholars, it being followed in the
morning, with vigorous manipulation
If the fne-tooth comb, said article,
proving a most necessary adjunct to
the vanity bag.
At another. place where I stayed,
a plate stacked nearly a foot high,
with sour b~uckwheat cakes, stood for
some time upon q ditry hearth, in
front of a fireplace, where in close
proximity. sat the man of the house,
who ever and anon, squirted tobacco
Juice, toward the blazing logs. Plac-
ing the plate of cakes, with the US
ually accompanying dressing of home
~o~IA on-nLV~n ~-11ron .~Ar A.
table, the oma picked from the
plate a dark looking object which
she held aloft, that all might see, she
exclaimed:
81 yum, Isaac, next time try and
sling yer cud a leetle furder, fer 1
don't blieve teacher bankers arter
this yher kind O. fodder"
Spelling schools between neighbor-
~" district, were among the many
enjoyable events in connection with
-nral school teaching, also, the exhi-
billions with which a winter school
often closed. It was then the hearts
of the proud parents swelled with
pride, as, they listened to "Rienzi's
address to the Romans" as portrayed
by their beloved boy, or saw in that
boy. a second Patrick Henry, looming
in the future.
The summer of sixty two, found
me teaching in what was then known
as the "Skeels, or Blue-school' dis
tlict; some of the pleasantest re-
~Nnmberances Of my entire career as
q teacher. are connected with the two
summers I taught in that district; al
though many wears have elapsed
since, I can still recall the faces of
those dear little kiddies, and see
them as they sat before me, in that
"Old Blue School-house." 1t was
while teaching there, that one even
ing a message came from one Of the
directors, informing me that / might
declare a holiday on the morrow, as
a company Of soldiers, were going to
leave Wauseon, and every one twas
going to see them off," also, inviting
me to his home for the night and go
with the family, and as it was neces-
sary, in order to reach town by 11:30
a. M, we would have to get an early
start" Gladly did l avail myself of
the opportunity, therefore. upon the
following morning, we climbed into
a lumber wagon, to which was at
tached a yoke of oxen, and were soon
moving upon our way, cheered on by
the early growing of lei barn
yard fowls. At the head of the OK
team walked Thomas Jefferson, (eld-
est son Of the house). welding an OK
CAD, to the accompanying refrain,
"G'wan Their, G'wan, Haw Buck, Gee
Bright"
At this time, it being the second
year of the war, the country was in
a state of military excitment. almost
every family was represented at, OF
ready to go to the front in her de-