The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1941-03-22
EDWIN BARLOW

Continued from Page One)
ners and wooden straps made with
the aid OF the village blacksmith.
The elderly philosopher con-
siders that he made his first real
acquaintanceship with education
when he attended Belleyille High
school in the late sixties. Here, as
was customary in those days there
was no grading system. You just
went until you wanted to quit
Clark's grammar and Davis arith-
metic were the principal texts.
Earns First Slate
By selling six bushels OF ashes,
the youth made eighteen cents
with which to purchaser a slate
today one OF his choice posses
sions. On the slate is the sigma
ture Of Henry Ford. lovingly pro-
tected by glass. Music was taught
if the teacher had the ability. and
religious services, conducted when
the instructor had time. were tun-
ed to his individual PHILOSOPHERS
and beliefs.
Teachers boarded around The
board and room were furnished
free and the handsome salary OF
four dollars a week was added for
good measure. They had no
special training but we're gradu-
ates OF the eighth grade. Later,
uperintendents in the district
gave examinations TO determine
the qualifications Of applicants.
One Of the earliest instructors re-
called by Mr.. Barlow is Mrs. Hat
tie Kelsey Crittenden. a Quakeress
Entertainment for the young
people Of the community was fur
nished By writing and singing
schools and dancing parties, all OF
which were held in the evenings
The late Professor Frederick H.
Pease was frequent visitor at
the toUnmeetings and conducted
s0ngfests. Mr. Barlow laughingly
recalled the tafty-pulls to which
the guests carried molasses, the
seyenty-fiye-cent kind" This old
fashioned syrup grained as that
today will not he explains.
The Sunday School directed by
William Clark, mill owner, school
superintendent and treasurer. was
an important center Of activity.
Young men didn't attend social
functions until they we're twenty.
one. when supposedly they would
have sufficient money to pay for
refreshments and dancing and
horse and buggy care. About two
hundred people usually gathered
at the larger parties.
Salary 81 Per Day
Work for the young married
men, not land holders, included
pulling beans. husklng corn and
spinning in the wooden mills near
by The two dollars earned 10 a
day were considered ample com.
pensation.
Across the Huron river where
a new steel bridge was erected in
1895 was a wooden stringer plank
structure Before that, crude
| crossing % blanks was made with
out side ratings
my fathers forefathers migra-
ted from Denmark TO England"
Mr.. Barlow recalled. There is now
a Barlow place in Lancaster. The
American branch came 10 Con
necticut and then on to Michigan
In 1887. and later moved TO Kan
sas where they settled on a $50
acre tract OF land for which they
paid 1925 per acre.
Here. after filing claim. they
erected fourteenfootsquare
house and planted hedgerous and
crops, but were beseiged by many
calamities Prairie fires took their
toll and locusts swarmed 10 nullify
the hardy pioneers efforts. The
hoppers we're so plentiful IN one
season that they drifted into
| piles reac ing sometimes 10 tho
window lodges. Again. a bushel Of
wheat at 25 cents was needed In
trade 10 obtain one pound OF cot.
fee. In 1895 the family returned