Plymouth High School - Mayflower Yearbook (Plymouth, IN)

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then) writing desk , in front of which wore high seats for the accommodation of such as might be advanced to the writing grade There were rough benches without backs far the children to sit upon, and how the little fellow »' spinal columns did ache before school was “let out for the day no one who has never gone through such an experience will ever know. Auger holes were bored in the logs in convenient places and wooden pins driven tn on which to hang hats, bonnets and clothing. The grounds about the building were nicely cleared up. the logs and brush burned, and the play-ground for Jumping, foot races, wrestling matches, bull pen and town ball was properly laid out. and a good big pile oI wood cut and piled up a convenient distance from the door to last during the winter term A well was dug and curbed up with red oak boards, a well sweep was added to which waa attached at the lower end of a long hickory pole which was fastened to the top end of the sweep. and old fashioned wooden bucket Mow that well and the sweep and e'en the rude bucket which hung in the well is remembered. and how vividly comes back the memory of that good old song: How dear to my heart are the scenes of my childhood When fond recollection presents to my view The orchard, the meadow, the deep tangled wild-wood And every loved spot which my infancy knew The w »de spreading pond and the mill that stood by it. The bridge and the rock where (be cataract fell; The cot of my father, the dairy house nigh it. And e'en the rude bucket which hung in the well. The old oaken bucket, the iron-bound bucket. The moss-cove red bucket which hung ui the well The buildings and grounds and other necessary conveniences having been provided, the next thing in order was to blaze the way to the schoolhouse from the homes of the parents having children to send to school At that time there were no road» except •trails made by the Indians, of whom there were still quite a number in the county These trails were by-paths through the woods leading from one Indian village to another, and to the various lakes and rivers in the northern part of the state Indians, you must know, always went ••tandem , that is one after the other, and in this way the trail was sometimes worn down several inches. They wound around through the woodi. avoiding swamps, bilk and fallen timber as much as possible. Some of these trails are still in existence—one through a section of unimproved Land near Twin lakes, that we hare seen, and there are doubtless others about Maxinkuckre lake, and in the vicinity of Tippecanoe river, both of which were favorite resorts far the noble red man, from w horn the lands here were stolen, after which he waa driven by the government out west to grow up with the country. The nearest route to thr school house was selected, when the trees at convenient places were blazed, that is. a man with an axe chipped the bark off about aa high aa his head on both sides of the tree so it could be seen both gomg and coming Lots and brush were removed, and by following these blazed trees the young scholar. as he was called, had no difficulty tn finding his way to the seat of learning The schoolhouse and grounds having been duly and truly prepared, the next step was for those having children to send to school to select by common consent, a master to take charge of the children who were to compose the school. There were no professors or superintendents of schools, or instructors or teachers then. Those early educators were always known as schoolmasters ‘ until Edward Eggleston changed the name to Hocaier Schoolmaster in his charming story of that name, written in the early history of the state There were no professional schoolmasters then Those who taught school simply did so to pass away the long winter months when there was very little work on the farm to do He was generally a resident of the neighborhood who was supposed to have attained to a higher grade of educational knowledge than his neighbors, and whose skill in manipulating the birch rod was known to be all that the most enthusiastic advocate of corporal punishment could desire PHS 1876-1976 —17 It was also deemed necessary that he should be provided with a pen knife and that he should be able to make a quill pen. for. be it known, at that time steel and gold pens had not found their way into this part of the country, and it is possible that pern made of metals had not then been invented, at any rate, all the records in the various offices in this cotmty. all the bookkeeping in com- mercial transactions, and all the letters, both of a business and social nature, at that time were written with a quill pen. and it was corendered quite an accomplishment to be able to make, out of a goose quill, a pen that would enable the writer to do his work in a satisfactory manner. Some of the finest penmanship we have ever seen can be found on some of the early records of Marshal) county made with qpuill pens In the Auditor's office some of the records made by the then auditor are equal to any ever made since with gold or steel pens. In the clerk's office William G Pomeroy left some fine quill pen record» Samuel C Sample was one of the three commissioners who organized the county June A. 1M6 He afterwards served as judge of the circuit court until October 19. 1843 He was an ex- cellent penman, and his signature to the last court record on Order Book A. page 673. written with a quill pm, is equal to the famous signature of John Hancock to the Declaration of In- dependence Moat of the ink used in those days was of domestic manufacture A solution of pokeberry Juice boiled down was sometimes used Black walnut hark boiled w water until it became as thick as syrup was the basis for much of the ink used in the country schools A solution of copperas was added, after which it was reduced to the proper thickness by pouring into the whole a quantity of hot water After a cornu)taboo had been held and an agreement reached as to who should be the schoolmaster, and how much salary he ought to have for the quarter's term, a subscription paper was circulated through the neighborhood to ascertain how many chiWkren would be subscribed to attend during the winter The amount it was decided each one would pay was determined by dividing the total amount the master was to receive by the number of scholars' subscribed The amount generally agreed upon was from IIS to 130 per month, and the master was to board around among his scholars, dividing the time as nearly equal as convenient. The first day of school was a day long to be remembered The nearest resident to the schoolhouse was on hand early and had the building well warmed with a great btg crackin' fire long before the appointed hour for school to take up By nine o'clock the scholars were all on hand ready for the opening of the misade against the citadel of ignorance. No record of attendance was kept, and so. of course, there were no tardy marks recorded against any of those composing the school There were very few school books to be had. and those in use had been transmitted through several generations. Webster's Elementary spelling book. Pike's or Smith's arithmetic, the Columbian Orator. Weem s Life of Washington, and the Life of Francis Manon, Undly Murray s or Kirkham s grammar, comprised the books used in the curriciium of those days, and at no time were there enough to go around Each pupil in attendance was permitted to study such branches as he saw fit, or all of them if he thought he could master them The larger number, as a rule, were in what was called the A B C class, and special efforts were put forth that the members of this class mastered this part of the course of study, and advanced and gained some insight into spelling in words of one syllable before the last day of school The reading class was arranged so that all those who were able to read could be accommodated whether they were provided with books or not The class was seated on a long bench, and the lesson was so arranged that half a dozen of the scholars could use the same book Theheadof the class would rise to his or her feet, read the first paragraph and hand the book to the next In line Thus progress was made without unduly disturbing his neighbor, and was continued until alt had read around and until the lesson for the day had been fully mastered

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 L Michael’ Academy SCHOOLS Th» a the name of a Catholic institution il learning established in Plymouth in UN The building u and» on Center trrei near the courthouse «quare, la of hock. substantially built, well arranged (or Ibe purpose lor which ii i» umxI. and coot about fl2.C00 The management of the school is under the immeihaie supervision at the Sister ofThe Hdy Oou from Si Maty s, Si Joseph county, who have spared m effort during the past thirty -«even year» of M existence to make H what II Is. a first da» academy of learning, an honor to the town and the denomination through whoac liberality it was fnundnl N E W CA THOUC SCMOOC EAST SIDE W hen the lir t settlerscame to Manduill county Indiana had r v hi J system and Mich school as were taught were conducted according to I hi will and pleasure uf the school master, who wa employed by those of the neighborhood having children to s«nd t him There were nocounly school superintendents then no «choc oil leers no srhoolhouses. and no public M-hool funds There wa then, as there are now , a Urge proportion of the pioneer who labors and influence have been the mean» of giving us our presen unexcelled puldic school system There were others, a there ar Mime now who IxTieved with iXigherry. that ’ education shoul cum ti nature'’ They are of that class who beheve with one Mvikespear s characters when he said loan educator of the olde time: •Thou ha most traitorously corrupted the youth of the realm I erecting a grammar school and whereas tx-toro. our forefather had no other books but the score and tally, thou hast cause printing to be used, and contrary to the king, his tTown an dignity thou hast built a paper mill It will lie proved to thy fac that thou hast men about thee that usually talk of a noun and verb and such abominable word as no (liratum ear can endur to hear! It w a thought by these men that to learn to read and write an ’’cipher ' wa the chief rnd of man When there were in a neigl tux-hood .1 sufficient number of children large enough to find the way through the woods to the schoolhouse preparation wrr made for the w inter s term The building of a schoolhwne was th first thing in order The neighbor» got tugelher and selected suitable location, as convenient as possible for all concerned plan wa ik.iwn for the tuilding and everybody interested agree to meet on the grounds at the time drsignated for the work to t begun (’bopping axes to fell the trees, broad axes with whirh t hew the logs yoke» of oxen to haul the timber to the place whei the building was to be erected, inch augers to bore hole whet needed to pm together Joists and rafter and uch othrr tools I were necessary and could tir secured were provided It didn't tal long for the horny handed sons of tod of the neighborhood to g out the material and erert a budding twenty by thirty feet, afl complete It tor occupancy The school kidding of which we spea wan of the dimension named, and wa rrrctrd an a high rise ground on the larm then owned by Vincent Hrownlee. half a mi east of w here he and hi family resided a mde or so from Lai Muxmkuckee It was provided with a ’ punrbron floor and clapboord roof A chimney of nigger Tie ads and oak ala daubed with mud. was huilt on the outside of one end. and puncheon door hewn out of poplar timber fastened together wi wooden pin and hung on leather hnges, was placed in the otb end of thr building The latch was made of wood, fostrnrd on tl inude of the door, to which was attached a leather string whu was pasxd through a small hole an inc h or so above, so that wh the String was pulled from the outside thr latch would tie ruised t out ol t he slot on t he cheek of thr door, the door would open «xnd t pupil would walk in These were the door fastening in univer Use at that lime And I his » how onginated the saying comeai see u , you will find the latch string out. Thr latch stni hanging through a hole on thr outside wa» an emblem hospitality such as only the pioneer of those day knew o w« how to dispense Therr were no locks and keys on the door those days The latch string w a ah»ay out All you hud to do w to pul) it. walk right in and make yourself at home The cracks t etween the log wrrr chinked and pinned and fill up with mud to keep the cold out A log on each side of t schoolhouse and at the end opposite the fireplace at the prof bright, wa cut cut a short distance from the corner and aorv as windows to lurnish light for the room There wa little or glass in this part of the country ut that time. and. whether the w a or not. it w as too expensive and money was too scarce to f ha of indulging in such a modern inv cntion a that. and o a sort rctigh wooden trame was put in with slats upright to which wi pasted old newspapers, alter which they were greased so a make them a transparent as possible In front of these wtndov on the inside, were placed long puncheon ' I there wax no luml -16- I Mc. H V, '9

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Thrn came the claw. In arithmetic. the member of which hod been laboring to commit to memory the rule laid down by Pike. Smith, or Talbott, each in his day renowned for the great labor through which he had attained fame by puuhng his brains m making what to the scholars seemed to be impossible mica by which to work more impossible problems Then the class in anting took their places at the long writing desk in front of the windows They attempted to follow the copy set by the master, and with the new beginner the master would find it necessary to stand at his bach and hold his hand while he directed Its motion so as to shape the letters attempted to be made During the lesson the master had to answer many questions aside from miking and mending numeroua goose quill pm that were continually in need of repairs. When the sun's rays cast a shadow straight into the schoolroom through the south door, indicating that It was noon, then came from the master the welcome announcement You are d«sim ed Such scrambling as there was. and such tumbling over benches to get out into the open air. and to the play grounds, was s performance not permitted nowadays The noon hour was spent by the master in eating his dinner, which, like the children, he had brought with him. and In setting copies and blocking out a line of procedure for the following day The dinner baskets were quickly emptied, and then came the play, that best of all things to teach the complicated study of human nature Among the boys was oon heard thecali bull pen, town ball. or base bail, and other games, while the girls chose other amusements Of these the more athletic game» and sports were generally preferred by the vigorous young fellow» of the woods, and a roystrrou . bonrtertous hour it was. from which memory recalls many a happy incident Why can't our schools of the present day get out of their confined limits where space compels that the lives of thr helpless, innocent, prattling children whom we love be risked in tucked up rooms and their noon hour be lout to the first lessons of thr study of nature, human and physical, in healthful outdoor play ? The afternoon was a repetition, generally, of the forenoon exercises, except that spelling down ended the day'» doings The school was divided Into two classes, those that coiid sped in worth of two syllables, and throe who could stand up irtdrr such wards as Con-stan-ti no-ple and val-e-tu-di-na-ri-an ' When the spelling class was called to its place the members stood up in a straight line the long way of the room, while the master gave out the words, beg swung at the bead of the class or number one. who tad one trial at spelling and pronouncing the word, which if missed, was quickly taken by the next, who if successful, went up to the head of the class It sometimes happened that the word was not properly s pH led till at or near the foot of the class, when the nnr who spoiled it right went clear up to the head of the class This was the custom every day until Friday afternoon, when the week’s exercise» were closed with a spelling bee M The master selected two of the best spellers as captains of the forces, one of whom threw up a stick which was caught by the other, and so on until the one who held the top of the stick was awarded first choice, and then they would choose alternately until all were on one side or the other The master gave out the words, and when a scholar missed, under the rule, he was required to take his seat, and so ft went on until all were spelled down but one. and he and the side he was on were declared the victor. There is a very wide difference between the education of the children of the early pioneer and those of the present day The one had only the rudiments embraced in the three H's instilled into his mind, while the student of the present day. even m the common schools is thoroughly drilled in orthography, reading, writing, arithmetic.geography, grammar. United State history, physiology, literature, etc., and a system of graduation has been devised under which it is possible for all who complete the course of study pursued to secure a certificate that they have mastered the various branches named Nowadays to enable one to attain any considerable degree of success in life it is deemed essential that he should be at least fairly well educated in the common branches In the pioneer days the small amount of business transacted was of such a nature that beyond reading, writ» , and arithmetic, education was not required If all had been graduates of Harvard. Cornrll or any oi the great universities of the country they could not have mad any use of their surplus knowledge, and that being the case it wai not deemed necessary to waste time in acquiring it The men oi Marshall county who have left their impression for good on hri institutions and who were identified with its organization. and th building up of society generally, were blessed with but limiter education Some of them could barely write their name», and 1 few that we have in mind who attained to distinction and wealtl could neither read nor write On the other hand, many of thoa who have had the benefits of high schools, seminane am colleges, and hold certificates of graduation, have dropped intc kinds of business requiring little education, and with all thru acquired knowledge have hern impotent to make their mark if the world to any considerable extent It is a serious quest or whether, in this progressive age. we are not cramming the head; of many childrrn who go to school too full of the knowledge o branches that they can t understand, and which will do them nc good in fighting the battle of life before them The theory seem U be that children's heads are hollow, and so they Ram it in, cram ft in. CTiUdren s heads are hollow; Slam it in. jam It in. Still there's mare to follow. Hygiene and history . Astronomic mystery. Algebra, histology. Latin, etymology. Botany, geometry. Greek and trigonometry - Ram it in. cram ft in, Children's he» k are hollow Rap H in. tap ft in - What are teacher» paid for’ Hang it in. slap it in • What were children made for? Ancient archaeology. Aryan philology. Prosody. Zoology. Physics, cltnictology. Calculus and mathematic . Rhetorics and Hydrostatics Hoax it in. coax it in. Children's heads are hollow! There was another kind of education in thr early day» that wai deemed as essential to the well bemg of the community as th branch» usually taught in the schools That was a knowledge o the science of vocal music Education in this branch of learning was taught in what wa called singing schools, usually held in the school houses in th evening They w ere patronized mostly by the young people as i sort of meeting place to visit and have a good time, but there wer a ho a considerable numhrr of married people who had master the mysteries of the old buckwheat notes, who attended am assisted in helping to carry the parts The singing master, as a rule, didn't know much about th science of music beyond what was contained in the rudiments printed in the Introduction to the old Ml—ouri Harmony ; til only vocal music hook then known in this part of the country If h had been asked what w as a musical sound or what was meant b; concert pitch, and how it happened that the letter A on th second space from the first line below had hern sett tied upon a the sound, or pitch, to which all human voices, and alt musica instruments ail over the world must be adjusted, he would tav fallen flat on the floor in a spasm of surprise He could no mor have told how many vibrations prr second were necessary t produce a sound fixed by all the musical congresses of the worl known as concert pitch. or the sound from which every othe musical sound in every musical composition that has ever bee written must be In harmony, than he could have told by mathematical proresss how many ckops of water there were I the ocean He arranged the singers so that all with voices fitted to one pat PHS 1876-197« —18—