Miller School of Albemarle - Blue Ridge Blast Yearbook (Charlottesville, VA)

Page 38 text:

Recollections of Early Days of the Miller School QI878 TO 18855 T is written in black on white in the record-books of the School that I was entered Qby a long-suffering guardianj on the 19th of Qctober, 1878-H age 8 years, weight 73 pounds, brown hair and eyes. Many years have been added, much avoirdupois gained, the hair-alas! but these eyes have seen the glory of the Miller School! The realization, the culmination of the hopes and ambitions of those early days, for history was just beginning for us in that October, twenty- seven years ago. To Captain Vawter had been entrusted the I-Ierculean task .of organizing,1equipping and directing the institution. I shall never forget the first time I saw him. I-Ie was standing in the main hall in the characteristic attitude of hands thrust deep in his pockets, his head bowed low in thought. No longer than yesterday I saw him standing in the same place, and in the same attitude, and the years have dealt kindly with him. Assisting Captain Vawter in the preparations for the care of the pupils was Mrs. Virginia Preston Means. There is not one of us who is not better for having known her. The good that was in us, her love and gentleness brought out 5 her faith in us kept down at least some o-f the bad. We called her Mammy Jennie, and we loved her, tho-ugh we were tough citizens. Qwing to the small number of pupils Mr. J. Roy Baylor, jr., was the only teacher employed during the session of 378379. The pupils were assigned to classes and regular class work begun with little delay. The question has often been asked by the students of later years: VVhat practical course was offered during the first few years? Manual labor, pure and simple-an exhaustive course in it, too. The machine-shops, physical, biological and chemical laboratories were but possibilities. Qnly enough space upon which to erect the main building had been cleared, and there was much work to be done, brush to be cut and burned, rocks to be piled, fields to be cleared and tilled. Gut of this primeval forest the boys of those days hewed the way for those who came after. Captain Vawter utilized much of the dogwood that was cut. In my mind's eye see him now, in his hand poised in mid-air a dogwood switch that would soon descend upon my graceless back. It was then I realized the gloomy signifi- cance of the number I bore-13. I am inclined to believe, however, that the day 32

Page 37 text:

x 5 - PRIMARY SCHOOL

Page 39 text:

we bathed in the reservoir saw the extermination of dogwood at the Miller School. The Captain used it up-and us too. During the greater part of the session of '78-'79 there were enrolled only twenty-one pupils fthe session closed with thirty-threej, such was the spirit of aversion to the school by the people of the county. The magnificent results achieved by the institution and its marvelous expan- sion have effectually dispelled former prejudice, and to-day there are ten candi- dates for every vacancy. The record of the first twentyfone pupils is of especial interest, as teachers, inventors, expert mechanics, druggists, etc., they have been singularly successful in their undertakings. The first session of the Miller School was essentially one of organization and experimentation, and in view of the absolute lack of a similar work in Southern institutions at that time, it is truly surprising how rapidly the various departments were set in motion. The session of ,79-'80 saw a marked increase in the number of pupils, and to the teaching staff was added Mr. R. B. Shepherd. Wfith the new pupils we cheerfully divided honors in piling rocks and brush, and with genuine concern' endeavored to see 'that they should excel in this branch of manual labor. I The first few years were active, busy years with all of us, but we found ample time to set rabbit traps, to fortify ourselves with potatoes to do battle with the watch in the dead hours of night, to assemble around a chicken fight, and to visit neighboring orchards and water-melon patches. It was after an expedition of this nature that one of the boys, dreaming he was jumping a stream of water to escape the irate owner of the water-melons, leaped from a dormitory window forty-four feet from the ground, but Dr. Smith ,soon made him whole again. The shops were begun soon after the opening of the first session and were pushed to completion. The rapid growth of the School in popular favor made additional room necessary. The main building, as T first remember it, was the shape of the letter T, in '81 the south wing was added, and in '84 the correspond- ing wing, giving the present shape of the letter E. Teachers, officers and pupils occupied the main building-the attic fioor then, as now, was used as pupils' dormitories. Cn the second floor were the various study-halls, chapel, classrooms, drawing- rooms and private rooms of teachers. The first fioor was given up to reception rooms, administrative offices, parlors, dining-halls, etc. In the basement were to be found the printing-room, lavatories, kitchens, laundry, store-rooms and class assembly-rooms. A boy may have sometimes mistaken a store-room for an assembly-room, or lost his way in the dimly-lighted passages, and found himself face to face with choice articles of the preserving and culinary arts, and luscious is ' :s 33 -....--.,-ww. .. ..,... '-