The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1923-11-29

fnents there is in the county. They
had their usual school work which
very much Interested the visitors.
Miss Robinson had her pupils repeat
in unison that best of all poems Flafid-
ers Field. She also put them thru
their physical exercises which were
excellent. The professor made a
speech followed by the chairman of
the school board, Mrs. Eunice
Spaulding Both speeches gave us to
understand what educational week
stood for which we were glad to hear.
the Woman's Club was invited to help
in the cause but no one could make
a speech to the following was writ
ten TO help out bit:
THEN AND NOW
Many moons ago there lived a fam
lily consisting of father and mother
and three children of which / was the
oldest daughter. Our home was IN
Lexington Ridge, so called. The
winters were severe with more snow
than we have had later years. getting
an education vas the ruling passion
of those days as well as at the pres
ent time. Our schoolhouse was one
mile and half distant. We tramped
1t thru rain, snow and hail. Our
schools were eight weeks in summer
and eight weeks in winter, two terms
year. Teachers salary was four
dollars a week. Parents gave the
board, that is, teachers boarded round
one week at place or so many days
TO scholar. New beginners, IL they
learned their letters in one term OF
school were considered as doing well.
We were obliged to buy our own
books. We used the Sanders and
Progressive readers and common
school arithmetic. For clothing we
had one Lindsey Woolsey dress and
| remember of mother making me a
dress out of unbleached sheeting col
ored with white maple bark and cop
peras and shoes made out OF bootlegs
We walked out in the floor Wednes-
day afternoons to speak our pieces
as we'll as they do now, fixed up in
all wool dress goods and Canton
crepe. My father, by strenuous eff
forts, sent me to two terms OF high
school at North New Portland where
I tried TO make good. My teacher
was f. d. Nash, assisted by Mrs. Flora
Parln of North Arson. Mr.. Nash
was an able lawyer In after years.
I then took up grammar and parsing.
now called Analysing I learned to
coniugate the verb Love in great
style and this is the way, love, |
loved, | had loved, | have loved |
shall or will loved, | shall or will
have loved. also got a smattering of
Algebra but not enough to hurt my
self. had a room at Benjamin Pal
mer's where my mother sent my food.
There / read my first book, THE
Lamplighter" out of Rufus Viles lib
rary, but, oh, the changes of those
DAYS and now. Graded schools, a
teacher In every grade, and every
thing to advance the pupils In getting
an education. Our high schools now
are preparatory for college and Nor
NAL school which our young people
are attending. think II some OF
the people of this place had this ad-
vantage Of these times there would be
more ex-school teachers then. there
are now In this little burg which are
twelve. Now all I can say Is think
education Is one OF the greatest helps
to man in all kinds of business, and
to women who are coming to the front
a little more every year, are help
ing to hold up the hands Of our own
United States. l wish to say out OF
those schools of long ago, came one
dear pedagogue whom we all know,
The old school days are gone forever
more.
The schoolhouse is deserted
And grass has choked the door dead.
All the yesterdays are still and dead.
We hear the years go by on tip-toe
tread
And the dear old pedagogue of long
ago,
His form Is bent and his step Is slow,
But let me tell yer in these rymes
He's a jolly fellow. and has kept up
with the times
And he says let's be happy while here
below
And that jolly old pedagoge,
Is Charles f. Ball OF long ago.
SOPHIA X. WILLIAMS, Cor.