|
The first organization of Public Schools in Canton
was crude and imperfect. The town was divided into three school districts,
North, South and East, and the three buildings first erected were occupied by
various teachers who taught as best they could all the scholars in the vicinity
and bounds of these districts, without any regard to age or grade. As to the
payment of teachers little public money was available for this purpose for years
after the erection of these buildings and the deficiency in salaries had to be
made up by the patrons of the schools. The following
reminiscent letter, and the last one to be given, might more appropriately have
come in among those relating to early schools, but in addition to other
interesting items, some of it bears so directly on the consideration of the
Public Schools and their teachers, that it seemed best to give it place in
connection with their history. It is from W. H. Haskell, now of Atchison,
Kansas, and omitting what has already received attention, is as follows:
“You cannot imagine my surprise
and pleasure in receiving your late letter, and having the days of early life
recalled to mind. It is indeed a pleasure! The lessons of life can make us
realize the changes going on about us, day by day, unnoticed, only when we make
their sudden grasp in a comprehensive forty-eight years’ retrospect. Oh!
how the way has been strewn with wrecks for some and with triumphs for others!
How vaulting ambitions have been dwarfed, and lowly, patient merit met its just
reward! There is no such real school as life and no graduation but at the
portals of the grave! The world, is indeed, but one great school house.
But I must not sermonize ‘mid these reflections and my
obligations to you * * * * After teaching the school in Samuel Brown’s
district, two miles west of Canton, during the winter of 1846-’47, I went to
Canton, and in the fall and winter of 1847-‘8 taught a private school in the
second story of Alvah Piper’s carpenter shop, which was on the lot north and
adjoining that on which A. C. Babcock’s residence now is. The room was reached
by an outside stairway.
About 120 pupils were enrolled during the term of
school, and W. H. Gillespie was assistant for the winter and Miss Caroline
Childs for the spring term. About the same time S. Y. Helms also taught a
private day and evening school beside, in an upper room of Elliott Chase’s house
on the lot north of Mrs. D. F. Freeman’s property, now J. W. Proctor’s. George
S. Hill taught in a building opposite Allen & Murphy’s carpenter shop on East
Chestnut street. Early in the 50’s one of the Slaughter boys taught in the old
Protestant Methodist church in Van Buren Court, and both were private schools.
So far as I remember, the public money amounted to very
little for each pupil, not more than twenty or twenty-five cents in a term of
sixty days. The first school in which public money formed any part of my
pay was in the little old brick in the North district. The schedule is now
before me, and runs from December 20th, 1852, to March 26th,
1853. There were 99 different pupils, with an average attendance of 62˝, and
the public money paid about twenty cents on a bill of $2.00 for the quarter.
Miss Mary Driggs, now Mrs. Oakley, was my assistant.
Daniel J. Negley, who preceded me in the school, had
some trouble with the pupils, but afterward became a successful teacher here in
Atchison, but that was long before I came to the city. About this time nearly
all the private schools became public schools,--that is, were controlled by a
“Board of Directors,” who provided the house, coal, broom, water bucket, hired
the teachers, and scored the schedules for the pittance of public money that
accrued from interest on the State School Fund.
From 1852 to 1856 I was School Commissioner of Fulton
county, and the first ‘Teachers’ Convention,” which organized the ‘Teachers’
Institute’, was held in the old Congregational Church on West Elm street,
opposite Barber’s livery stable.
In 1860-’61 I taught a private school in the old
Baptist Church, assisted by a Mr. Robinson who had previously aided me in the
John M. Wright district. I think one of the Slaughters and George S. Hill
taught schools in the ‘Little White’ on South Main in 1858-’59 and a Mr. Jewett,
assisted by Miss Minnie Jones in 1860-’61. * * * My last school was
in the same ‘Little White’ in the fall and winter of 1861-’62, when the
Seventeenth and One Hundred and Third regiments were raised, and the Augustine
boys, Frank Lermond, George W. Shinn and so many other young men volunteered
that the school was closed in April.”
George S. Hill also taught in the Alvah Piper carpenter
shop, north of A. C. Babcock’s residence, in 1845, but moved to the new brick
building, corner of North Avenue A and Ash street, when that was completed.
Davis Trites, assisted by Miss Julia Cottrell, whom he afterward married, taught
in the East School house immediately after it was built, and Irving Johnson in
the “Little White.” Miss Lydia Trites was also one of the early teachers in
North School.
|