Momence High School - Monesse Yearbook (Momence, IL)

Page 29 text:

JUNIOR YEAR BOOK. AN OLD MAN’S STORY . BY HAZEL BROAD. “Beg pardon, Mister, did you ask ' was that our school house?’ You see I am rather deaf lately and can’t always tell what folks say. Yes? Indeed it is, and say, did you ever see a nicer looking school and grounds for a town the size of ours? And it does beat all the things the little ones learn nowadays, don’t it? When I was a little tad and went to school here before the war we had reading, writing, arithmetic and grammar, but now they have all that and much more and its written in such an easy way that they under¬ stand it like A, B, C, too. In a hurry? Would you like to hear a little about our school? Well, then, just sit down here on the step beside me and I will tell you a few things; for you see I have lived here since I was three, and know all worth knowing about Momence. ” “And so you are one of those reporters that write up things for the papers, are you? Well, in 1837, I guess it was, that school was first taught here. Miss Loraine Beebe was the teacher and because we didn’t have any school house she taught a few of us at Asher Sergeant’s house, which was, let me see, I guess about on Walnut street, between Third and Fourth Streets (You know that since Momence has become a little larger they have named the streets, some after trees and so on.) Then the next year she taught us again at what is now the Metcalf place, east of the city a ways. And that year, I remember, Miss Beebe rowed some of us who lived on the South Side of river, to school every morning, and back at night. You see there were no bridges then. Then in 1840 a log building built by A. S. Vail, which stood where now is the corner of Range and Front streets, was rented and we went to school there. For seats we had slabs of wpod fit¬ ted with legs, but without backs. Not much like the varnished hard wood and iron affairs they have now, were they? We had reading, writing, arithmetic, grammar and spelling as I told you before, and although our books were not alike, there being hardly two of a kind, we got a pretty good education for those times af¬ ter all. In 1851 the township of Momence built the old brick school house on Locust street. They used that for fourteen years but finally it was declared unsafe, because the walls were spread¬ ing, and school was held in the Durham building, right where the school house is now, until 1870, when the Momence Union School district was incorporated and the building you see there now was built, at a cost of $20,000.00. The bricks they say were hand¬ made out of clay from the hill up there. The building has done good service for years, but a number of years ago the lower grades became so crowded that it was decided to build a second building with four rooms, on the South Side. It was built on land donated by W. W. Parish Jr., at a cost of $6,000 and named Loraine, after the first school mistress in Momence, Miss Loraine Beebe. The schools are full of children now and everything is humming. A High School did you say? Yes indeed and a line one too. It was organized by Prof. G. H. White in 1875, and a three-year course was given until 1897, when a four-year course was decided upon. It now is accredited at the State University and at North¬ western and other good schools, so that a pupil may enter directly from here and his credits earned here will be accepted. But say, stranger, you ought to stay over a day and visit our schools. You would get a better idea of them than from my talk. And if you do, you will agree with me, I am sure, that for their size the schools of Momence can’t be beat.”

Page 28 text:

A STORY. JUNIOR YEAR BOOK. 1ST PRIZE, BY STANTON VAN INWAGEN. It was my first year at the University. One Fall day I decided to cut my recitations and take a long walk. I put on some old clothes and an old slouch hat, and my appearance was not very charming. Starting out at one o ' clock, I took the road leading west. I soon passed the limits of the city, and as I walked along the dusty road, dogs came from the farmyards and barked loudly, children ran to the houses thinking that I was a tramp, and it was no wonder that they did so. I was a good walker, and after going on for about nine miles, I came to a small railroad station. Here I stopped and went in, and, being very tired after my walk, I sat down in one of the chairs. No one was present, but soon a man came from a nearby house. He was the telegraph operator, and after looking at me a minute, he sent a short telegraph message. I asked him how far if was to my city, and when the first train would come. He fold me if was eighf miles to the city, and that the next train came at seven thirty in the evening. As it was only half past four then, I decided to walk home. I started, and as I left, the man eyed me suspiciously. As I was tired, I took my homeward walk in a leisurely man¬ ner, and after I had walked a short distance, I saw a freight train slow up at the little station. The engineer took a yellow paper from the hand of the operator, and the freight came towards me. I, of course, jumped on, and was glad to get the ride. However, the train was delayed, as there was something wrong with the engine, and we did not reach the city until seven-thirty. As I alighted, I was seized by a big policeman, who declared me to be under arrest. I protested, but he said I was the fellow he wanted. It was now clear to me. The man at the station had telegraphed that there was a suspicious character headed towards the city, and well might I have been judged as such, if appearance had anything to do. A large store in a neighboring city had been robbed, and I was held as the robber. I told the policeman to take me to a certain man to be identi¬ fied. He did so, and I was cleared of that business. It had taken quite a little of my time, and I now hurried to my room, forget¬ ting that I had had no supper. I got out of the business section of the city and came near to my room. Just then I saw before me on the other side of the walk two lines of Sophomores. I knew what they were after, so I put on a bold front and whistled ‘ ' Yankee Doodle. As I neared them I asked: “Say, fellows, have you seen any Freshies around here that haven ' t had a dose of boneyard mud? They answered that they had not, but hoped to find some s oon. I passed on and resumed my whistling. When I reached my room I entered and bolted the door securely, resolving that they would not give this Freshie a dose of boneyard mud—and they never did. He used to send her roses; He sent them every hour, But now they ' re married, and he sends Her home a cauliflower. Freshman, (looking in Cyclopaedia)— “Well, I guess it isn ' t here. Junior—“What isn ' t there? Freshman—“The Rhone river. Junior—“Where are you looking? Freshman — ‘ Tor R-o-n-e. ' ' Junior—“Dunce! Look for R-h-o-n-e.

Page 30 text:

JUNIOR YEAR BOOK, IN MEMORY OF MRS . LORAINE LYNDS. Very closely connected with the early history of Momence is the name of Miss Loraine Beebe, who kept the first school in the county in 1837. A story is told of an experience in her early life which will bear repeating. At a time when there was no town of Momence, the nearest Post Office being that of Loraine, which was named in honor of this pioneer school-mistress. The Pottawatomie Indians camped along the Kankakee. White Pigeon, their chief, could not resist the temptation to get intoxicated sev¬ eral times a year on whiskey which was plentiful and cheap at that time. When this occurred, ! »■ Barbee, who lived several miles away, was sent for to hold White Pigeon in restraint until he became sober. One day Mr. Barbee met Miss Beebe and she told him to tell White Pigeon, for her, that he was not to drink anymore whisky. White Pigeon’s answer to this was, “White man make ’em, Indian drink ’em; White man no make ’em, Indian no drink ’em.” None but the brave and strong could have endured the hardships of those early days and such was the life of Mrs. Lynds thruout its span of ninety-two years. She was born in Vermont in 1812, came to Illinois in 1836, and was married in 1842 to Dr. David Lynds, who died in 1877. On Nov. 30, 1904, occurred the death of Mrs. Lynds at the home of her daughter, Mrs. John Freeman. The memory of this noble woman will no doubt last much longer than her namesake, the Loraine School.