Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-12-14
Country Schools Closing.

The erection OF . consolidated school
Al Centreville, ~ ID now under considmar
ton, will close tho old schools in fonr
districts Centreville, Center Grove,
Mount Airy and Clinton--end viii mark
tho passing of some OF the best Of the "old
red schoolhouses down at tho corner OF
the road" In those old institutions many
| OF tho men4who have since become prom
incnt in our affairs were taught their "a-b
abs" addition, and subtraction ''readin'
and ritin' !" style Of instruction that
served well In its tina but which has gone
out Of vogue, to be supplanted by a sys-
tcrn that seems to be shortcut across
the hills of knowledge
The red school house was a mighty fac
tor in the early days Of public education.
But it was neither pretty nor comfort
able, nor did it suggest in any way that
| it was a scat Of learning. The teacher was
usually some one rather better educated
| in ''book larnin' /" than her neighbors and
! needed the revenue derived from guiding
the children through their primary grades
of study Or often it was man who
wielded the rod, especially in districts
where the boys were well grown, and more
fond Of fighting than mathematics. In
such cases he Was frequently called on to
settle disturbances or even attacks and
he invariably won the contention, for his
strong right arm was skilled in landing
the "gad" where it would create the most
acute sensation.
But the boys from the little red school
house even if they got no farther with his
books, had the faculty Of making their
way in life. We might cite Abraham LIN
coin for example, and hundreds OF boys
who became judges and prominent IN
every station of life by way Of the little
school house at the corner OF the road
Really. some Of the best men OF the coun-
trv, the ablest in professional ranks, IN
business and in industry, were OF the req
school alumni. They seemed to be able to
more than hold their own wherever they
found themselves placed snd they per
formed in all the big roles, from Presi-
dencv down, serving in all vocatlons Ike
men Of big vision, as many Of them were
Looking back from long after years,
one can but wonder why some Of the little
country schools Of the earlier day were so
abominably ugly Even in the country
rich in shade and foliage they had not
single charm To commend them. lhey
were for the most part built in the open,
without trees or grass around them, ana
were insufTerablv hot in the feverish days
of spring. and unbearable cold, except Tor
the most rugged and hardened pupils, IN
winter. The teacher's existence was dreary,
the gloomy schoolroom seemed 70 tnge
everything with blue and depression reern-
ed to fiji the atmosphere, and stifie all
aspirations.
But the little red schooIhouses served
their purpose we'll and fully. Perhaps they
had better raw material 10 work upon
but that is another question at any rate
the boys and girls came out after the
seven or eight terms Of six or seven months,
which they attended intermittently, as
the finished product. and they proved thst
the Job was not badly done.
So the little red schoolhouse is passing;
we are done with it. The youth Of today
REQUIRES a better background for his
studies more brightness and cheer and more
svstern in the methods of his education.
Modern wavs are infinitely superior to the
old methods Of teaching