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

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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. .. ..,... '-

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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

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A 1 i l -L,-1,.-r V ,-W, ..... E ,l l Z D 1 lil P' l'. I i il' I l il x K l I y . I . I F .l r in ,,. r l 1 l ? products of orchard and vineyard. Under such circumstances the broadest oppor- tunity was offered to support the assertion that a boy is a power for good or evil. The following session, '80, the teaching force was increased by the appoint- ment of Mr. E. G. Taylor and Mr. YN. O. Wfhitescarver. It will thus be noted that within two years the munber of pupils was greatly increased and additional room provided for their accommodation. No other teachers were appointed till the session of 1882. 'With the beginning of that session Mr. WL H. Seamon as teacher of sciences, and Mr. C. G. Taylor as superintendent of shops began their work at the School. The frequent accessions to the corps of teachers indicate the con- tinuous expansion and development of the work for which the institution was established, and which is clearly defined in the will of the founder. The machine- shops had now been completed Cfor the time beingj and admirably equipped for ,wood and metal work. Up to this time instruction in the sciences had not been introduced. , The session of '82-'83 marks an epoch in the enlargement and steadily grow- ing educational work of the School. In September. '83, Mr. VV. B. Richards entered upon his appointment as teacher of Languages, and Mr. T. U. Taylor as- sumed charge of the Department of Drawing, Surveying and Applied Mathe- matics. The recognition of a Primary Department dates from the opening of the session of '83-,84. Mr. G. A. Beck was placed in charge of this department. Two additions to the corps of instructors are noted with the opening of the session of ,84-,SS-lxdf. A. H. Davis succeeded Mr. Richards as teacher of English and Literature, and Mr. I. VV. Calhoun, jr., as teacher of Languages. The near future had much to reveal. There were pronounced rumors to the effect that girls would be admitted to the School, and almost before we could realize what this would mean to us the edict had gone forth, and in November, 1884, the doors of the great Miller School were opened to girls, with Mrs. Isabella Coleman in charge of this interesting department. How keenly we resented their coming, but marvelous were the changes that followed! Boyish laughter soon turned into a sickly, sentimental grin, the long, long thoughts of youth H with which our brains had teemed now gave place to schemes by which we could cir- cumvent Mrs. Coleman, the ever watchful. Rabbit traps, swimming hole, baseball were as if they had never been. The girls had come and we were all in love! Six years have taken their Hight and the scenes are suddenly and rapidly changing, and it is nearing the time when some of us who helped Captain Vawter to' set things in motion must leave these familiar surroundings and cast our lot with' the untried world. is -1- ' ' 1 x N - I. ' A V, A :sz Mr. Baylor was a master of'French, German and Latin. The latter language 34