The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-07-13
EARLY SCHOOLS


minister came served during the
week days for school houses.
These were about eighteen feet
square, with fireplace at one
end and writing desk at the
other. The desk extended across
the side of the room and Just
back of it portions of logs about
ten inches wide were taken out
to admit light. The windows IN
these houses had no glass; the
floors were of puncheon slabs and
benches, without backs, were
made of the same material.
The Old Field Schools were
kindergarten. grade and high com
bincd, and were attended by old
and young, all gathered in the one
room. The three RS--rcadlng,
'riting and 'rithmetic-werc the
standard courses. In the first $50
lated ones there were but few
books and spelling was taught by
each pupil chanting or recltlng
aloud in sing-Song manner, the
teacher leading the chorus. This
was called "blab" teaching. Spell
ing matches enlivened the Ses-
sions, and the choosing Of teams
by the captains, as well as the
contests, were spirited affairs.
One necessary requirement OF
the school teacher was that he
should know how to select the
wing feathers Of geese or tur-
keys, and by sharpening these
with Il pen-knife, made pens for
his pupils. Ink was procured from
the juice of poke-berrieS or ink
balls which dropped from some
accommodating oak tree. The tall,
slim bottle containing the writing
fluid was usually suspended from
nail beside the penman.
School day opened when the
teacher got there, not long after
sunrise and continued until late
afternoon-with intervals known
as Morning Recess, and Big Re
cess, an hour beginning at noon
when the contents of dinner baS-
ketS and buckets were disposed
of hastily, so the remaining time
could be devoted to the many cx-
citing games. Little Recess came
along to relieve the monOtOnouS
time which began to pass 50 slow
~ toward letting out hour. SeS-
sionS were announced by the
school master coming to the
door, placing his hands to his
mouth and shouting:
Come to books"
in voice loud enough that no
youngster need feel encouraged
to say he had not heard the call
after it had been repeated two or
three times.
Discipline was 4 matter OF
strong arm rather than use o.
any scientific or psychological
methods, and almost the only
preparation made in this subject
was known ability to gather a big
bundle Of stout hickory witheeS
and stamina which could hold
out until they were worn down to
stub ends.
| The instructors, even whch
paid out of public funds, were
dependent on the sentiment anu
, favor of their patrons, for 1t was
a common practice for "Teacher
/ TO board first at one home and
then another, this contribution OF
subsistence eking ont the small
salary.
The term was usually held dur
ing a time when work on the
farm was slack, but the custom
: gradually grew until most of the
, public school terms were follow
ed by Subscription" schools, tuI-
ton being paid by each pupil, ac-
/ cording to the grade he was IN,
and varying from SOC month 10
| $3.50. :.
The first school ever opened IN
this section Of the Blue Ridge was
at the Swannanoa Settlement and
was taught by Robert Henry
shortly after 1892. About 1877,
/ the PresbyterianS opened schools
at Newton Academy i'll ASheville,
and at the Mills River Academy.
/ At this latter school, beginning
about 1920, Michael Francis,
teacher. was known as the great
. WeSterner." He was a Scotchman,
educated in Edinburg, and OF
huge stature, weighing about
three hundred and thirty pounds;
1t was the. record of his school
that beginning at New Year nc
taught without vacation until
Christmas, then after Il weeks re,
cess, started another session, and
continuing this practice for seven
or eight years. Many of those who
studied his classical courses after,
ward became prominent in fields
afar. The grandparents of the re-
nowned Henry Woodtin Grady
lived adjoining the school, AND
his father was pupil at the
Academy for several terms, un'
der Francis. One of his pupils
Nicholas Woodfn, afterwaro
taught a law class in Asheville
and the old Scotch school master
enrolled as one of his students.
One of the most colorful char,
acters among the early schoo
teachers through here was a man
: fully qualified in classical, mathe
NAUTICAL and other higher branch
es of learning taught in those
days-but he chose to labor in the
"Old Field Schools" drilling his
pupils in the elementary branches
of spelling, writing and "fgur
ing" or "ciphering," as it was
more often called. The picture he
made was impressed on the con
scious memory of his students fan
beyond any knowledge they ac
,;,o1 frnn, his taarhinuS