Yellow Springs Historical Society

More about teaching in local schools…

A few of the advanced young ladies might be persuaded to study Latin, but very seldom could a boy be thus persuaded. The latter did not take kindly to the study of the languages, not even English, their native tongue. They were satisfied with their ability to talk, they could understand and express ideas fairly well, and why waste time studying the rules and regulations of grammar?

The state of Ohio dd not provide for high school instruction at public expense; until late in the 70’s of the last century. Hence all work of this grade was gratuitous on the part of the country school teacher. The teacher who was prepared and willing to teach high school branches was at a premium, and if he possessed the numerous other qualifications, he had no trouble in securing a position.

I herein insert a statement relative to my teaching service in Miami Township, Greene county, O., which the committee in charge of the one-hundredth anniversary of the founding of the public schools of the township requested me to submit. By it the reader will notice mention of my transfer to Antioch College at the opening of the school year of 1882.

My work at the College as a member of its faculty for thirty-three year is well known to my children, so a detailed account of it need not be written. The Antioch College catalogues and bulletins covering that period (1882-1915) mention all that is necessary in regard to the work assigned and its classification.

This renewed association with Antioch gave me an opportunity to work and study toward the completion of my college course, which had been so abruptly cut short—first, by my own careless disregard of the importance of continued attendance; secondly, because of business misfortune. The A. B. degree was earned though not formally confirmed because I did not insist. Early a full professorship was granted me by vote of the board of trustees. Later (1902) I received the degree of A.E. From the same source on the basis of scholarship and professional success. This recognition of my services was highly gratifying to me as well as to my friends.

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To the Committee in Charge of the
Miami Tp., Greene County Schools Reunion

Gentlemen:

It is certainly a pleasure to r ecall my experience as teacher during the 70’s and 80’s of the last century—now over fifty years ago. Like many other students of Antioch College, I took advantage of the Hyde school district as the most convenient and otherwise desirable school in which to get my start. Experience must be acquired by all pedagogues aspiring to a professional career, and some body must tolerate the beginner and suffer the consequences. The Hyde district, charitably disposed, willingly lent a hand. The salaries paid were not large—in fact, they were astonishingyl small when compared with modern pay for like service, but the pittance was cheerfully received and many an Antioch student replenish his depleted funds, met his college expenses and graduated because of the aid received by teaching in the Miami township public schools.

The “Boarding around” custom on the part of the teacher as a part of his compensation, prevalent during the first half of the 19th century, was abolished and monthly cash salaries were paid. These ranged from $20 to $40 per month during and for a short time after the Civil war period. In some districts a higher price might be paid to secure a man whose physical development insured ability to govern the unruly scholars. In many places this qualification on the part of the teacher was at a premium.

Occasionally a local school-director would take the stand the all work would be placed on a common basis. A teacher as an employee, like a farm hand, deserved no greater compensation for his labor than that paid for farm labor, especially since he worked fewer hours per day. I was told flatly by one school committee that their district had never paid a teacher more than $1.50 per day (27.80 per week), and, what was worse, it would never pay more.

I taught the Hyde school several terms in the 70’s—a school famous for having among its early teachers Hon. Isaac Sherwood, distinguished as a General in the Civil war and as a member of the National House of Representatives since the War; Dr. William A. Bell, editor of the Indiana State School Journal, Superintendent of the Indianapolis city schools and later—1899-1902–President of Antioch College; Dr. Amos R. Wells, Editor of the Christian Endeavor World, Boston, Mass.; Mrs. Charlotte Pursselll Moor (Lottie Purssell), an enthusiastic Christian missionary to India, losing her life in this service at Tika, Assam, May 3, 1908; Marion Lawrence, the great Sunday school teacher and organizer. As General Secretary of the International Sunday School Association Mr. Lawrence is known all over the world.

In this same decade (the 70’s) I was employed five years in succession as teacher of the Confer district of this township (Miami), following which I served the Beehive district for three years in the same capacity. It is well to remember that the country schools at this period were ungraded and it was a perplexing problem for the teacher to know how to care best for the needs of forty or fifty pupils of all sizes and grades and do effective work A few of the older scholars could be interested in advanced work of high school grads, viz., higher arithmetic, algebra, physics and beginning Latin. This range added interest to the teacher but consumed time which required extra recitations out of school hours. Generally older boys refused flatly to study English grammar. They “ couldn’t see no use in grammar no how” and they didn’t care to bother with it.

After two years’ service in the Union schools of the village of Yellow Springs I was chosen a member of the Faculty of Antioch College. My years of service at the institution lasted from 1882 until the end of the school year 1914-1915, thirty-three years in all. This time added to the eleven years of public school. Work makes forty-four years of continuous teaching in Miami township, Greene county, Ohio.

Respectfully yours,

J. Peery Miller