Evening star., 1948-09-26
School in the Church House
By John CIoeett Proctor


School days. What fond memo
ries they recall to those Of us who
have passed at least the half-cen-
tury mark, and who are prone to
often say to ourselves: Backward,
turn backward, oh. time In your
flight, make me q child again, just
for tonight"
Old Grace Methodist Church, at
the southeast corner Of Ninth and
S streets, now occupied by the con-
gregation of the New Bethel Bap-
tist Church, colored, looks about the
same today as it did when the writer
entered the first grade there about
1874 or 1875. The building was
completed in 1873, though it en-
tirely lacked sanitary facilities. The
top floor was then turned into four
|schoolrooms. to which entrance was
obtained by two long outside stair
ways, one on the north and one on
the south, both Of rough boards. Miss
Marion j. Malone taught the first
grade, being succeeded by Miss
Mary Cecilia Jones, followed by
Miss Harriet J. Drury. Miss Susie
E. Porter taught the second grade,
and from the beginning. Miss Kate
T. Brown taught the third grade,
Miss Virginia r. Gettings taking
her place.
Mrs. Emma r. Quinlan taught the
fourth grade for several years. She
was a widow, and was q nice-look-
ing woman, though her face wore
sad look-a sort Of Madonna
face. She was inclined to be stout,
and did all the whipping for the
building: and she could do 1t to
queens taste. Her experience was
no doubt largely gained in connec-
ton with her own son Frank, who
was one Of her pupils by the time I
entered her grade. Not like some
thoughtless teachers, who would box
the boys over their ears, she never
forgot just where to administer the
punishment and few boys we're ever
able to squirm out of her grip once
they were doing the jack-knife over
her knees.
One character connected with the
school whom the boys all loved-or
"loathed" would be more correct
was John, the colored janitor. He
was about the color of the large,
pot-belIed stove, and when any of
the teachers desired to send note
to the home of one of the boys
telling his parents of his misbe-
havior, John always took the note,
and John was always looked upon
as an enemy of mankind.
Elephant Hair Quiz
On one occasion when the class
was visited by the then superintend-
ent of public schools, j. Ormond
Wilson, ne asked the pupils what
kind of articles were made out of
ELEPHANTS hair. Innocently, many
of the boys told of various articles
from artists brushes to WhiteWash
brushes. When all had been given
a chance, he embarrassed them
with the statement that elephants
had no hair, at least not sufficient
for commercial purposes, and the
laugh, of course, was on the boys.
Those were the days of medals
and diplomas, and each good boy
was expected to get at least copy
OF the latter. Many of the names
recorded among the first-grade
honor roll of 1873 will, no doubt, be
familiar to many. Here they are
The highest honor, silver medal,
went to Albert Rheb and diplomas
to william j. Devan, Charles
Meyers, David E. WILDER, Fred c.
Lotus, Harry French, Charles A.
Devers, Robert Dorsey, Charles
Hurdle, Arthur Lewis, Walter Lock
head, George McDuell. Martin H.
Donaldson, Charles Behrens and
Fritz Burnett.
Since no one should be slighted,
perhaps it would be best to include
the names Of the other boys in the
three other grades of that year who
distinguished themselves in deport-
ment or studies In the second
grade, William Moran was given the
silver medal and Wilmer Bowen.
HORACE btdi Clldi lCo Vi luC1, oCoi &c
Wylie, Jacob Bookbinder, Charles
Merillat. John Sinsel, William Mar
tin, william Perry, Herman Fent-
ner and August Dahler we're those
to receive diplomas.
In the third grade. George M.
Kent carried off the highest honors,
while John L. Lang, Walter H.
Stevens, James w. Tubman, Robert
B. Webb, Joseph M. Prather, Arthur
M. Donaldson, George E. Bayliss,
Stanley Baker, William A. FURNACE.
Charles H. White and Thomas j.
Martin were recognized with second
airy honors.
Baseball Career
Edward Woltz carried of the
medal in the fourth grade, and
those who were second best in
cluded William E. Wise, Ira K.
Moore, William McCristal, Franklin
Henry, Robert w. Talks, Theodore
X. Nelson, George M. Dorsey,
Maurice Heilbrum, Oscar Nauck,
John Preinkert, John c. Weidman.