Well, here's some present history and some not so recent. Here is my confession: I am illiterate, that is, to the world of computers and blogging. I did go to the one room country school and did quite well there, but this modern stuff is for modern people. My son Jim put me up to this. He said, Dad, you are writing all the time, and you have all these stories. Why don't you start a blog?"
I told him plainly that I didn't know what a blog was. It sounded like a bad word to me, and something to be avoided. After several weeks he won out on the deal. I warned my readers, if any, that this would be a mixed variety of my stuff, a sort of smorgasbord. Reminds me of one of our preachers many years ago who said, "I always preach from notes. If I don't have notes, my sermons are without form and without void." Credit him for being pretty right.
Today's story goes back more than 100 years, actually to the generation before mine. However, I knew both the teller of the story and the fellow who was profited by the treatment administered. To those who are late comers to the blog, I confess to being one of the ancient ones, having passed the mile marker 92 last year, and am working my way to the end of the line.
The school involved was named the Lawrence school, and at the time of this story the teacher was Blanche Benson, a muscular lady who meant to teach according to the old rhyme: "Reading, writing and 'rithmatic, taught to the tune of a hickory stick." And in some schools the hickory stick was judged to be of equal importance with the 3 R's.
I have gathered up information about the one-room schools prior to 1900. Some of the terms were short, and some of the contracts were for 4 to 6 months "if the money holds out." The pay per month was usually about $35. When I started teaching, the pay had risen to $50. That was 75 years ago. In the years prior to 1900, there were a good many pupils in grade school who were in their late teens.
Back to the story. A strong young fellow named Robert went afoul of the law somewhere, and teacher Benson called time for a reckoning, "Come up here, Robert!"
"I ain't a goin' to do it, I ain't, I ain't," he replied.
He had thrown down a challenge, and teacher Benson wasted no time in responding. She went after him at once, but he had one disadvantage. She had a felon on one finger. Bone felons they were called, and very painful. In the ensuing tussle, this injured hand suffered further injury. And to add insult to injury, the young man broke her watch chain, and sent her watch flying. In those days, lady teachers had small closed case watches on a small chain around the neck and carried in a pocket in her blouse. Not to be outdone nor turned from her purpose, the teacher enlisted the help of two young men. Now the culprit, knowing that trouble was before him and soon to be behind him, had tied the front of his jacket with strong cord so that it could not be easily removed. No problem. His defense strategy was foiled when strong hands peeled his jacket over his head and had him well encased. The benches in the school at that time were split logs with pegs driven into augured holes to form legs. Mr. Robert was bent over such a bench for such a flogging as his crimes merited. This was what might be termed applied knowledge to the seat of the problem, a part of the educational process of those times. It was the law of the land -"If my boy gets a lickin' at school, I'll give him another when he gets home." I never did think that was fair, providing it was well done the first time.
Some persons now think a whipping at school is too severe, but surely it must be worse in some places. Witness, the following. Nearly sixty years ago I was in Jamaica on business for our mission board. I was asked to contact a fellow who had written to our board about some sort of affiliation with our church work. His Infant school was in Kingston. He said he had about 60 students. I asked him if he was the only teacher. He replied, "Oh no, I has two teachers, but I do all the capital punishment." On the wall behind his desk was a heavy leather belt.
I didn't ask any more questions.
I told him plainly that I didn't know what a blog was. It sounded like a bad word to me, and something to be avoided. After several weeks he won out on the deal. I warned my readers, if any, that this would be a mixed variety of my stuff, a sort of smorgasbord. Reminds me of one of our preachers many years ago who said, "I always preach from notes. If I don't have notes, my sermons are without form and without void." Credit him for being pretty right.
Today's story goes back more than 100 years, actually to the generation before mine. However, I knew both the teller of the story and the fellow who was profited by the treatment administered. To those who are late comers to the blog, I confess to being one of the ancient ones, having passed the mile marker 92 last year, and am working my way to the end of the line.
The school involved was named the Lawrence school, and at the time of this story the teacher was Blanche Benson, a muscular lady who meant to teach according to the old rhyme: "Reading, writing and 'rithmatic, taught to the tune of a hickory stick." And in some schools the hickory stick was judged to be of equal importance with the 3 R's.
I have gathered up information about the one-room schools prior to 1900. Some of the terms were short, and some of the contracts were for 4 to 6 months "if the money holds out." The pay per month was usually about $35. When I started teaching, the pay had risen to $50. That was 75 years ago. In the years prior to 1900, there were a good many pupils in grade school who were in their late teens.
Back to the story. A strong young fellow named Robert went afoul of the law somewhere, and teacher Benson called time for a reckoning, "Come up here, Robert!"
"I ain't a goin' to do it, I ain't, I ain't," he replied.
He had thrown down a challenge, and teacher Benson wasted no time in responding. She went after him at once, but he had one disadvantage. She had a felon on one finger. Bone felons they were called, and very painful. In the ensuing tussle, this injured hand suffered further injury. And to add insult to injury, the young man broke her watch chain, and sent her watch flying. In those days, lady teachers had small closed case watches on a small chain around the neck and carried in a pocket in her blouse. Not to be outdone nor turned from her purpose, the teacher enlisted the help of two young men. Now the culprit, knowing that trouble was before him and soon to be behind him, had tied the front of his jacket with strong cord so that it could not be easily removed. No problem. His defense strategy was foiled when strong hands peeled his jacket over his head and had him well encased. The benches in the school at that time were split logs with pegs driven into augured holes to form legs. Mr. Robert was bent over such a bench for such a flogging as his crimes merited. This was what might be termed applied knowledge to the seat of the problem, a part of the educational process of those times. It was the law of the land -"If my boy gets a lickin' at school, I'll give him another when he gets home." I never did think that was fair, providing it was well done the first time.
Some persons now think a whipping at school is too severe, but surely it must be worse in some places. Witness, the following. Nearly sixty years ago I was in Jamaica on business for our mission board. I was asked to contact a fellow who had written to our board about some sort of affiliation with our church work. His Infant school was in Kingston. He said he had about 60 students. I asked him if he was the only teacher. He replied, "Oh no, I has two teachers, but I do all the capital punishment." On the wall behind his desk was a heavy leather belt.
I didn't ask any more questions.
No comments:
Post a Comment