River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1921-03-10
EARLY DAYS
"reminiscences BY j. G.. West

or small one-room affal1; ana the
school was presided over by the well
known Abner Morse. Ta.s school
house stood on Fourth street, on the
lot where Mr.. James Reardon now re-
sides.
MI Morse concluded to get up a
school Jubilee, inviting ten or twelve
of the surrounding district schools to
take part and participate in the exer-
cises, which consisted of speeches,
songs, declarations, spelling, etc. AS
| learned by heart one of the songs
produced for and sung at this Jubilee;
the memory of the words of this song
/ still retain, and as / have been ask-
ed by several persons to have it pub
lished, / will farther along do so, hav-
ing received your kind permission,
Mr.. Editor.
| think | have not seen the verses
of said song since those early days,
yet | can produce them verbatim.
will, however, first confne my re-
marks briefly to teachers, few other
citizens, places and incidents connect
ed with this Jubilee and song.
This Jubilee was principally held
in a hall that belonged to Mr.. Charles
Cox, and which stood on North Main
street opposite the Prairie Mill. How
ever, Mr.. Morse, late in the day,
formed US in line, and marched US in
regular military stile, to the old Con-
gregational Church, where the exer-
cises We're concluded in the evening.
AS some of the citizens may be anx-
ious to know who the author of this
song was, l will here state that no
one person was the author, but it was
produced by composite group of
the village school and friends.
| will now announce in full few of
the names of teachers and others
mentioned in the song.
"Aseneth" was Aseneth Rollins, an
aunt of our townsman, Mr.. A. B..
Rollins. Emma" was Emma Mich
| OILS. afterwards Mrs. Knowles, the
mother of our Hon. Judge Warren P.
Knowles. miss Armstrong" was
Joey Armstrong, sister of the late
E. B. Armstrong. Now comes Lutte"
whose sur name was Taylor, the edi-
tor at that time of The River Falls
Journal, and as all old-timers here
know, was an inveretate sufferer;
thus it only required short story
from him to make the children laugh
until they cried.
Hoping that this little bit of our
early history may be of interest to
/ some of our citizens, / will conclude
by saying that all of the teachers
here spoken of and most of the pupils,
are gone to their long home.
THE JUBILEE SONG
Tune, "Old Susanna"
Come friends and neighbors, all unite,
| From cabin, house or towwn;
Pm going to the Jubilee,
To spell those fellows down.
l OiOl
| o! the schooIroom,
O! that's the place for me;
/ Pm going up to Cox's Hail
To join the Jubilee.
End Verse
There's Morse with village scholars
bright,
/ And Loring with a score;
From No. 2 comes Mr.. Wright,
And Flint from No. A.
/ Chorus
l. Ord Verse
And Walrath halls from No. 5,
A place among the hills;
Aseneth with her birds alive,
| Direct from Clifton Mills.
Chorus
4th Verse
From No. 6 comes Emma fair,
With a tear-drop in her eye;
And Lutte will tell story there
To make the children cry.
Chorus
4
There's David Proctor with his band;
Four girls and thirteen boys;
And Ashbough, too, extends hand
To share our hopes and joys.
| Chorus
9th Verse
There's Collins out at Beldenville,
Who stops at No. q;
Miss Armstrong keeps at Forestville,
With scholars just eleven.
Chorus
7th Verse
Come friends and neighbors all unite,
From sabin, house or town;
I've been up to the Jubilee
To spell those fellows down.
One of the Birds Alive.