In due course of time, this great personage
hove in sight, astride a great, ambling, bony, gray horse, with a long striped carpet sack
hanging from the horn of the saddle, well filled with a few books and other appliances and
clothing sufficient for a winter campaign....We then all assembled in the old school
house, crowded in almost as thick as sardines in a box. There were no backs to any of the
seats, and if our legs did not happen to be long enough to reach the floor, circulation
could be kept up by gently swinging them back and forth, the rapidity of the motion always
being gauged by the length of the leg, like the pendulum of a clock.
First in order that morning was the taking of the names and ages of the scholars; next
as to qualifications—who could spell and read, write and cipher. There were three
young men in attendance on that day who were giants in size—Bill A. Roberts, A.A.
Dunston and Bill Day. The first two had ciphered as far as the single rule of three, but
had neglected to learn the multiplication table... The teacher humiliated them to the
extent that they could do no more ciphering until the table was thoroughly learned and
could be repeated from start to finish, which they proceeded to do with protest. Poor Bill
Day, upon examination, was found to be absolutely illiterate; the letters of the alphabet
to him were as unknown and as mysterious as the translation of Virgil would be to a Sioux Indian. When noon came Bill put on his hat
and left the house, and never returned to attend school again in that district.
This was about all that was accomplished that first forenoon, and we were then
dismissed for dinner. All having brought our baskets with us, we proceeded to satisfy
appetites which were whetted up to proportions commensurate with the amount of provender
furnished by mothers who were adepts in this line. Soon after the noon hour had passed the
teacher called school to order by repairing to the rear end of the school house, and with
a long paddle, made from a clap board, and used for various purposes, among others in
removing ashes from the large iron stove, which occupied the center of the room, and in
calling the school from play to study, gave three resounding raps on the weather boarded
gable, and, with roars from his mouth of ‘Books!’ ‘Books!’ which could
be heard a much further distance than the braying of any mule in all the surrounding
country. Two of the school Directors, in the meantime, had made their appearance, and
after the school had all quieted down the teacher announced that the ‘rules’ of
the school would now be read...and commenced in a drawling, monotonous tone of voice to
read something about as follows... "Rule 1—School will take up at 8
o’clock, and continue in session until 12 m., and then be dismissed for dinner. Rule
2—School will take up at 1 p.m., and close for the day at 4 p.m. Rule 3—No
whispering will be allowed during the sessions of school. Rule 4—No loud or
boisterous talk in the school room during dinner. Rule 5—No snow balling at noon or
play time, or on the road to and from the school. Rule 6—No profanity or vulgarity
will be permitted at noon on the school grounds…"