Yellow Springs Historical Society

In which J. Peery Miller describes supplementing his teacher’s income…

It might be well to add that I also tried canvassing as a sideline. I took an agency to sell books one summer, but a few discouraging days at that business convinced me that it would be more profitable for me to stay at home and work in the garden. I did, however, make a fair success of manufacturing and selling a black writing-ink from a recipe used by my father-in-law, Robert S. Stone, Pittsburgh, Pa., who had carried on a successful business in this line for many years. He gave me all the information needed to make, bottle, label and sell this useful article, and, as a side line, I took in many dollars selling it to retailers in Greene and adjoining counties. The public schools bought it by the gallon for desk use.

However, no side-line business deflected my mind from the main course, – that of teaching, of which I was becoming more fond year after year. I studied to give the best service possible. The schools were ungraded, but this fact gave opportunity to manifest skill in classification to suit the requirements of the individual pupils that each might receive his proper share of instruction.

I early found that good discipline could better be attained by creating an interest in the lessons assigned than by attempting to force application. Being a county boy with country district school experience, I could readily understa nd my pupils’ needs, personal interests and mode of thought. If at all possible I would persuade the boys and girls to take advanced work beyond the prescribed elementary branches. I created an interest in the study of higher arithmetic and algebra instead of monotonously going over mathematical books previously studied. To create a desire for advancement among the older boys who came to school a few months in the winter session largely for the purposes of putting in the time when the weather was unfavorable for doing outdoor work at home, was a task not always easy to accomplish. Many preferred to review their elementary work, not so much for the purpose of increasing their proficiency there-in, as to avoid the necessity of hard study required in doing advance work.

To promote an interest in the study of algebra I would select simple problems in arithmetic that were susceptible of being solved by algebraic methods and work them out on the blackboard, calling particular attention to the wizard-like power of the X representing the unknown quantity to assert itself following a course of simple reasoning.

Generally boys are interested in the laws of physics. I tried them out by teaching them the advantage of the use of a handspike over a lift by main strength and awkwardness. This tool was familiar to all farm boys, especially to those living in a wooded country, where there is much lifting and rolling of logs.

An explanation of the mechanism and working of an ordinary water pump in wells of different depths furnished problems intensely interesting to my boys because pumps were common place articles.

These occasional blackboard illustrations of physical laws relating the subjects familiar to my wide-awake pupils soon made them desirous of knowing more, and then they would willingly take up the study as a regular daily task.

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At home on Xenia Avenue...

Our small cottage of rooms was cosy and well kept. My wife was adept in arranging furniture and wall decorations. Under her gifted directions neatness and beauty of design prevailed both indoors and out. Her love of flowers and skill in throwing them an inspiration to all of us. Our front yard in the summer was one of the attractive features of the neighborhood, admired by all lovers of the beautiful. A spacious bay window off the dining room, facing the south, was built with necessary shelves and draining facilities for keeping a large supply of pot plants through the winter, care being taken to select blooming varieties in order that their fragrance might contribute to our pleasure in winter as well as summer. Thus our home was made beautiful and enjoyable by the aesthetic taste and energy of the mother, the highest and best that is sacred in memory.

A well cultivated garden supplied our needs with vegetables. We also had apples, peaches, pears, grapes, plums and berries of all kinds in season. Here was plenty of work for a man trained to apply his mind to a variety of occupations. I planted and cultivated during the mornings and evenings before and after school hours. Saturdays were always reserved for extra long shifts. Sometimes I was aided by a boy if one could be secured that was competent and willing to work. It was my policy, however, not to hire any one to do work that I could possibly do myself.

The school vacations were an opportunity to do much needed carpenter work on the buildings. The old worn out floors were replaced with new hard pine flooring, the windows newly cased, a,chimney mantel of my own design and workmanship ornamented a space that needed to be utilized, etc. Wherever paint or varnish was needed, P wielded the brush.

As our family increased an extra room for a kitchen was necessary. The building of this addition to our home I assigned to myself during the long summer vacation. To facilitate the work I employed a carpenter for a few days to assist in laying the foundation and putting up the frame. I then finished the rest of the carpenter work myself, doing a very satisfactory piece of work – at least so according to my judgment. Of course, I had to let out the job of brick-laying and plastering, – trades that do not well combine with school teaching.

We kept a horse and carriage, both of which must be well housed when not in use. The building of a larger and better building for this purpose occupied my time during another summer vacation . So the time passed during the time of my country school teaching.