Yellow Springs Historical Society

This post continues J. Peery Miller’s recollections of his early school days.

Collins School is a restored brick one-room school house in the area used for demonstrations of schooling similar to that experienced by J. Peery Miller, and in 2004 the Yellow Springs Historical Society program was held there.

I was not put in the first reader class until the regular drill lessons in the speller were discarded, which was after I could rattle off with accuracy words of four or five syllables, pronouncing each syllable after naming its letters, thus: R,e-re; s,p,o,n- spon, respon; s,i- si- responsi; b,i,l- bil- responsibil; i responsibili; t,y,-ty—responsibility. O what a responsibility was off when the finished product was delivered! Note that each syllable was pronounced separately, and each part of the word must be pronounced as the syllables are added, and so on until the entire word was built up. All this seems to be nonsense to the modern teacher, never-the-less, good spellers and good readers were produced by these primitive methods.

I think I had a little paper back primer with pictures and easy reading, but I do not remember of using it in school. I learned it at home and was cocked and primed for the first reader when that spelling class was promoted. It must be remembered that the first reader in use at that time contained as difficult reading as the revised 2nd readers of today. I regret that I have not an old copy of Mcguffey’s 1st for comparison.

By watching the 2^nd hand book stores I fortunately obtained copies of the 2^nd and 3^rd readeres used in the Bethel school while I was a pupil. I still possess my own copies of the 4^th and 5^th of this sweries which are on file for consultation and comparison. In th early 70s the McGuffy sweries of readers was revised to meet the more modern methods of up-to-date teaching.

In 1853 a new brick school-house was built on the north side of the lot which was given for school purposes by my grandfather in the year 1821. Later (1831) my father enlarged the original lot to include one acre and five poles. On this plat ground was reserved for a church and neighborhood burying ground. (See copy of deed for same on file)

This new school building was of the same conventional type of all country school-houses throughout the state. There has been but little change in architectural design from that day to this. A glance at the Kodak views on separate page gives an idea of the outside appearance common to all of them – a one-room building of sufficient size to accommodate single seats with desks for 50 or 60 pupils.

The Bethel school-house had no belfry for the reason that bells for school calls were not used at that date. The scholars were called to book at the opening of school and at the close of recesses by the teacher’s vigorous rapping on the window sash. Later on the school board was prevailed on to furnish a small hand-bell for the teacher’s use and the sash-rattling ceased.

I distinctly remember my first day in school in the new building. It was late in the season- perhaps in the month of November of 1853. The teacher was William Tennant, a tall, muscular man of Irish descent. My father was one of the school directures at this time and had borne a large share of the management of building the new building. As we lived but a short distance from the school-house I frequently went with him on his inspecting visits. I therefore received a fair idea of the inside arrangements, especially the plan for seating. The teacher’s platform was a one-step rise from the level of the main floor, being about five feet wide and extended clear across the room. Around this platform next to the wall the carpenters had permanently fastened a low bench-seat, about eight or ten inches high and twelve inches wide. From some remarks that I overheard I got the impression that this bench was intended for the children, so I picked my place before school commenced.

On the opening day I was placed under the care of Miss Margaret Wise, a sister of brother Harrison’s wife, who was spending the winter with her sister and had elected to take advantage of a new school in a new school-house during her visit. I well remember how I was dressed on this occasion. I wore a new wamme (coat) made of red wool cloth, with brass buttons. When we arrived at the school-house, school had already commenced. After disposing of my hat and dinner bucket I suddenly left my escort and made a bee-line for the low bench on the teacher’s platform. I knew where to go without further instruction. When I got seated I found that I was the only one occupying that place of distinction. The teacher smiled at my attitude of self assurance but said nothing. Some of the scholars tittered which was certainly impolite if not impudent. I realized that I had made a mistake but I held my ground.

Pretty soon the teacher came to me and asked if I did not want to take a seat nearer the stove where it would be more comfortable. I consented and he gave me a seat with the small boys in the main section of the room.

The big Irish teacher was a kind hearted man, though a vigorous disciplinarian. He could wield the rod on the back of a rebellious pupil with a vengeance when occasion demanded it In those days teachers were employed partly for their physical ability to govern. This being a qualification as essential as scholarship. In face, in many sections the former was considered more important.