The Sidney herald., 1961-08-16
Letter To Editor
SPELL 1T I-m-p-r-O-v-e-m-e-n-t
YOUR WORD FOR CHANGES
SINCE LITTLE RED
SCHOOL, HOUSE

oCHOOL
"Aoomination," the teacher
would pronounce slowly, nodding
at the first pupil in line in the lit
tie red schoolhouse.
The student, circa 1900, would
Lake a deep breath, because he
was expected to recite the follow
ing, ga, there's your a; bonn,
there's your bonn; in. in, there's
your in there's your ina, there's
your bomina, there's your abomi-
ma; t-i-o-n, there's your Lion,
there's your alton, there's your in
aticn, there's your domination,
there's your abomination."
Spelling bees today are fun, and
you can see national contestants
smiling happily on television and
N the newspapers, but in those
days, spelling was serious bust
ness.
The group whose turn it vas to
spell was called up before the
teacher and told to '"toe the crack
= or line UP as evenly as possible
along the wooden floor board
directly in front of the teachers
desk. The teacher pronounced
the words = usually from Web
ster's old, blue = backed spelling
book. Spelling just one word
look quite a while, and no wonder!
Just getting to that n room,
one teacher, school was also a
chore. 1t was either walk or go
via horseback. There were not
school buses in those days, and
almost any jalopy driven today
has a more efficient heater than
the horse drawn wagons that
were used on especially snowy
days.
Many of today's schools are
magllmciently equipped plant:
where studying is done in style
but the little red school house
Cmore often brown than red) wa.
, a box-like wooden structure, witt
a hand water pump, woodsheC
behind the school and clubhouse
placed discreetly in the back
ground. Heat was provided by
l pcit-bellied stove that was sur
rounded by desks and boIches.
There was little heated discus
> sion permitted about anythin,
for the pupils in those day.
, Teachers were expected to be-
and usually were - strict discip
~lyinarians, and drill and NOR
. drill was the rule of The day.
!. The one room school house WA
divided into many grades, and
student was in different grades
different subjects, depending o
his proficiency.
And while THAT spelling be
/ previously described was going OF
l another part of the class woul
:. be learning all about the stat
!, capitals by chanting:
State of Maine, Augusta, on tn
Kennebec River.
: New Hampshire, Concord, o
. the Merrimac River.
Massachusetts, Boston, on til
l, Boston Harbor.
: Today, instead of memorizin
simple facts of local geograph
students concern themselves wit
important world events. Thy
giene" has been substituted fc
; a course called 'Bone, Muscle
Nerve Physiology" and commun
# Ly civicS is considered more i'm
ports,It than learning the Const
= tuition by heart.
1t wa equally difficult for tea
cheers in those days.
If they behaved like martinez
well, they had to live by a prett
IF strict set of rules, too. Here al
some that must have made mar
" a teacher cringe:
l. Amy teacher who smoke
S, uses liquor in any form, frequen
e, pool or public halls, or gets shave
r, in IA barber shop will give gsC
l. reason to suspect his worth, i
at tentionS, integrity and honesty.
2. Men teachers may take Z
is evening each week for courti1
n purposes, or two evenings a wee
if they go to church regularly.
3. Each teacher will bring
ly bucket of water and a scuttle f
re coal of the days session.
TNzz1--- -~~1 I&-r I'LL e