The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1916-04-14

| ed, He did not try to kiss me any
| more"
The school houses were made of
logs about 20 feet square-no glass
windows, only wooden shutters and
the children sat on rude benches with
no backs. The teacher had his chair.
There were no lady teachers in the
country then. The average school was
from 25 to 40 in number. The teach
er was very strict, and always kept
large handful of good switches near
at hand, and, to use the words of one
gentleman, "They used them, too, for
| know whereof l speak"
The children were taught spelling
and reading from the blue back spell
er and gentleman told me it usually
took about a year TO teach a child to
read. And when they got to baker in
the blue back spelling book, you could
hear one say to another, "Boys, done
got to baker" OF course writing,
arithmetic, geography, grammar and
history were taught the more adj
vanced pupils and they were allowed
to sit out under the trees to study.
Pupils sang geography. I cannot ex-
plain the method but simply state it
as fact. Pupils all studied aloud.
You can imagine 40 pupils studying
different lessons and all studying
aloud.
There were no lead pencils-slates
and slate pencils were used and the
teacher made the pens out of goose
quills to write with ink.
Two scholars were sent to the
spring nearby for water and some
times they would forget to return
promptly, which assured them a good
whipping. They drank from gourds-
no dippers in those days.
Now as to the schools in our town
then called Unionville. | will 90 back
as far as 1858 when Mr.. j. B. Stead
man taught in the male academy. This
was brick building 45 feet long and
25 feet wide. A fireplace at each end
OF the building and two doors and sew
eral windows. The furniture consist
ed of benches awithout hacks 1auds siouq-
tables IN front to put the books on.
The scholars studied from a, b, to
Greek and Latin. At that time the
school was large and Mr.. Steadman
secured Rev. Isaac Seymour who lived
at what is known now as the Perrin
property, to assist him. After Mr..
Steadman married he gave up the
school and was succeeded by Mr.. c.
w. Boyd, the father of Mrs. C. r.
Robertson-then young lawyer here.
There were some rowdy boys in the
school and Mr.. Boyd used leather
strap with skill on some of them. Two
of them were sons of one of the trus-
tees-that caused trouble with the
trustees and Mr.. Boyd resigned and
the school closed till the matter was
settled. In 1861 the male academy
had for its teacher, Mr.. Miller of
North Carolina; he taught for one
session then volunteered for service in
the army and was killed in battle. He
was succeeded by Mr.. James Cofeld-
then Rev. S. A. Weber was the next
teacher and the boys were SO bad he
could not control them and one day
they went out in front of the academy
to have rock battle-when time for
books came Mr.. Weber called the bows
and they would not come. He made
up his mind then to give up the school
so next morning he opened his school
as usual with prayer and he prayed
earnestly that his successor would be
able to rule and govern the school.
Well the next teacher was my father,
Mr.. ID. A. Townsend, then a Young
man of about 20 years of age and Mr..
Weber's prayer was answered for he
certainly governed his school; as the
husbands of some of the ladies present
will testify. He did not believe in
sparing the rod and spelling the child.
lie wrote his rules and tackled them
up in the school room, and he enforced
them to the letter. He made everv
day count, and the pupils never were
allowed to go home until the lessons
for that day were thoroughly mas
tered-often staying till 10 o'clock at
night with some of the scholars; but
when they went home they knew tr,.
lessons well for that day. He never
put off till tomorrow what should be
done today. He opened the male acad-
emy in 1863 and taught till there
came a call for volunteers from 16 to
90 and the scholars elected Mr.. Town
send captain and he carried his school
boys to the army. Then the school
was closed till he returned at the
close of the war.
In June, 1865, Major Townsend re-
opened his school and secured Capt. F.
M. Farr as his assistant-the school
being large. They taught in their uni
forms-clothes being scarce at that
time.
Now we must not think that the
girls were without a school all this
time for the female academy was
taught first, as near as | could learn.
about that time by Mr.. Curtis. assisted