History of San Luis Obispo County and environs, California, with biographical sketches, Part 15

Author: Morrison, Annie L. Stringfellow, 1860-; Haydon, John H., 1837-
Publication date: 1917
Publisher: Los Angeles, Calif., Historic Record Company
Number of Pages: 1070

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92 Waters Avenue, West New Brighton, N. Y. Dec. 14, 1916.

Mrs. Annie L. Morrison :

I am sending you enclosed a brief account of my life in San Luis Obispo County. It may perhaps meet the needs of your history. I am also enclos- ing a little poem that is a reminiscence of my young manhood when I rode joyfully on the Californian hills. Many a time did I ride a mustang on the Los Berros ridges. This little poem is from my "Man with the Hoe and Other Poems." You may want to give credit to the volume.

I should like to return to the county again and retrace my old footsteps. In fact, I expect to do this when I make my next visit to the Far West. I have not forgotten my friends of that carly time, and I trust that they have not altogether forgotten me.

Faithfully yours, EDWIN MARKIIAM.

SAAB DIUR WSPO COUNTY AND ENVIRONS

92 Waters Avenue, West New Brighton, N. Y. Dec. 16, 1916.

Webre viral woordrige of my days on Los Berros Creek in San Luis Whores Lowdy Ar it was there that I taught my first school, and had my West nilenur in the fiddle- of responsible manhood.

de bor hyoed from the State Normal School at San Jose, California, wwwni tabwith I received a call to go south to teach the school in the Wwwdel= of Iss Berros. I took train to Gilroy, and there I mounted the as Jouer tagy Tor San Luis Obispo. It seems now that the trip took three det oni nights of ceaseless riding. I shall never forget the rocking stage, and ate wwwich face of my stage companions. All thru the night we Twant the crack, of the driver's whip, except for the hours when we caught & Mid sleeps ar paused for a meal at some wayside tavern.

Reaching Arroyo Grande, I found a half-wrecked carriage waiting to talk me up the winding canyons to Los Berros. It was a joyful ride in the . To fall It was the dry of the year, and the air was full of the scents of mums and saves; the hills were parched and tawny, patched in places by the will cats fallen in yellow heaps in the hollows. Cottontails flickered under theeni fences ; crows gossiped in the boughs.

Arriving at Los Berros, I found a hearty welcome from the sunburnt mountaineers But, alas, no schoolhouse was ready. "Well, this need not disturb you." I said to the crestfallen patrons. "Let me have an axe and 1 will remedy your deficiency."

I went into the wood, selected a fine live-oak, one with broad, friendly brandles, all woven so thick that no rain could penetrate the leafy roof. Now crime down some young saplings, I built a rail fence around my chosen The Most I set up in the enclosure short sections of a tree-trunk, for seats : 0. 1 for my nine pupils. Finally I erected a high platform next the Tee I wore seat tall and commanding ; a seat that had no parallel except Why -vd ( which Satan sat, as tol in "Paradise Lost." This was most dag So you see that I was the pioneer in the Out-door - colas TweeitHere I led the children along the paths of wisdom. An det cie wandered down to survey us with soft wondering eyes. mb tracks of a fox that visited the college in the darkness. www lusine of hate on some neighboring cliff in the deep Veyastat a safe distance, would come from the far cliffs Of birth and the man in the moon.

but Push of manhood, I have ruled over many

boatiful and ornate; but never have I else-

Long the lyric happiness I knew in that green Ceny Five dak College of San Luis Obispo.

EDWIN MARKHAM.

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SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY AND ENVIRONS

The Joy of the Hills

I ride on the mountain tops, I ride ;

I have found my life and am satisfied.

Onward I ride in the blowing oats, Checking the field-lark's rippling notes- Lightly I sweep From steep to steep :

Over my head through the branches high

Come glimpses of a rushing sky;

The tall oats brush my horse's flanks ; Wild poppies crowd on the sunny banks;

A bee booms out of the scented grass ;

A jay laughs with me as I pass.

I ride on the hills, I forgive, I forget Life's hoard of regret- All the terror and pain Of the chafing chain. Grind on, O cities, grind : I leave you a blur behind.

I am lifted elate-the skies expand : Here the world's heaped gold is a pile of sand.

Let them weary and work in their narrow walls :

I ride with the voices of waterfalls!

I swing on as one in a dream-I swing Down the airy hollows, I shout, I sing ! The world is gone like an empty word: My body's a bough in the wind, my heart a bird ! -EDWIN MARKHAM.

SCHOOLS

The first schools of the state were taught by the priests and were con- nected with the missions. The priests were well educated, but little was taught except reading, writing and the doctrines of the church. Few of the Indian neophytes ever learned to read; their education was mostly "vocational," for they were taught, and compelled to do, the labor of the missions. They made the adobe bricks, cut and hauled the timbers needed in constructing tlie mis- sion buildings, tended the flocks and herds, were taught to make spikes, nails. chains, and do all sorts of rude blacksmithing. Also they put in the crops of wheat and harvested them, all with no machinery save the rudest; and after the grain was threshed out by flail or trampling horses, the Indians trans- ported it to the storerooms in great baskets and two-wheeled carts drawn sometimes by oxen, often by the Indians themselves. Some of the Indians who showed special musical talent were taught singing, and to play the violin. Often a woman's voice of thrilling sweetness, a man's clear tenor or deep-toned bass, was found among the Indians, and then it was trained to sing the sacred songs and was added to the mission choir. Among the wealthy Spanish families it was the custom to employ private teachers or send the

-Agame nisto COUNTY AND ENVIRONS

-une in 5cm, Undand Metido to be educated in the colleges there. This Selp I a birine Let To California the newer customs in dress and manners, the sounddadiver -unient was an authority on fashions eagerly sought. Snih wel lie -lauf system, or lack of it, until California became a. state. Hele Arcocar rilven- planned a public school system on a broad and Ionel This That ha- sacalily improved until today no state in the Union Ime ite majon The Writer speaks advisedly, having taught in three states ombox am 3 The best in their school systems, and having kept well informed -1 To Thor In california there is a concerted effort to teach the same sub- TTE it bif The schools and along similar lines. The teacher who has nine or mo bilsma keloled mountain district must be as well trained and as fit for Th 4th s- the Teacher of the city or town, and is held as responsible for the works -ho cas, Two great universities, eight state normal schools and chinese other institutions prepare the teachers. Moral or physical defects are not Tolerated. The state furnishes free and uniform text-books and abun- last -olox 1 supplies ; and nowhere are there more fine, modern school build- , med with the best of furniture and apparatus. Plenty of school wind, Abundance of sunshine and fresh air, well-trained, well-paid teachers it the bel of every schoolroom. Is it any wonder the California school children are a happy, brainy lot of youngsters "making good" along all lines?

Pioneer Schools of California

The first American school in California was a private school opened in San Francisco in 1847 by a Mr. Marston. This school was conducted for about In February, 1848, a meeting of the citizens of San Francisco was called to organize a public school. A board of trustees was chosen, Thomas Douglas, a Yale graduate, was engaged as teacher, and the school opened April 3, 1848. The same month Rev. Albert Williams of the Presbyterian Gianch opened a private school; and in the fall of 1849, J. C. Pelton opened a obred in the Baptist Church.

Provision for Funds of the Public Schools

In the state constitution of 1849, ample provision was made for the Hyperi of the public schools. Each new state organized is allowed 500,000 Srce to the public land, to be sold, and the money realized forms a school omol ox be invested ; and the interest only is used to defray running expenses In dilition to this 500.000 acres, California law sets aside the Towe willEnd forty-sixth sections of every township for public school lands. ATIO: 6. 1862 an act was passed providing for the sale of these school lands The proceeds of the sales were converted into bonds of Est wo of debt of the state bearing seven per cent. interest. April 23, Fog de & floure provided for the selection of the unsold portion of 001: die ed the price to $1.25 an acre, cash. When the sales WIND ooe bonds were purchased and placed to the credit ofThe interest is paid semi-annually. By January 1, 18.1 000 000.000 had been sold. The proceeds amounted to com os est, it seven per cent., was $33,241.60. The od m amounted to 6,000,000 acres. Later, the ve chile land at $2.00 per acre. This, when all is 0 1 7 /00,000 and provide, with interest, a large

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SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY AND ENVIRONS

total fund. Very little school land in the state remains unsold. Later an act provided that the funds realized from each sixteenth and thirty-sixth section should be credited to the school funds of the township in which it was located. Also it was enacted that each county levy a special school tax, not to exceed ten cents on each $100.

In 1858, a law provided that one-fourth of the poll tax money paid into the state treasury should be used as school funds. When suffrage was granted to women, the law was changed and the poll tax was abolished.

Public School System Established

John G. Marvin was the first state superintendent of schools. In his report to the legislature, 1852, he recommended creating the office of county superintendent of schools, provision for school libraries, and that the funds realized from the sale of swamp and overflowed lands should go to swell the public school funds; also that a tax of five cents on each $100 be levied for school purposes. He reported 6,000 children in the state of school age. In 1862, there were twenty public schools in the state, 17,821 children of school age and 3,314 were attending school. He recommended that the county assessor should be county superdintendent of schools ex-officio. This was done in this county ; and we find that in 1857 Charles Varian, by virtue of his office as assessor, was also county superintendent of schools. In 1859, we find F. Wickenden elected to the office of county superintendent of schools, and in 1860, P. Dunn-the redoubtable "Patsey" of Paso Robles, we suppose.

First Public Schools in the County

The first public school in the county was at San Luis Obispo and was held in a room of the old Mission building. Don Guillermo Serles, a native of Chile, was the teacher. Spanish was the language taught, and the distriet com- prised the whole county. Don Miguel Merchant, an "Irishman from Mex- ico," was teacher number two. Spanish continued to be the language and the teaching was by "rote"-the teacher repeated the lesson to the pupils and then they in concert repeated it to him. The records of the court of sessions show that Merchant occasionally received $100 for his services as teacher. August 22, 1853, we find the supervisors passing this order: "Or- dered that the salary paid out of the county fund to the teacher cease until funds be received, and that each scholar shall pay five dollars per month tuition."

D. F. Newsom really organized the public schools of the county. He came in 1853 and was soon appointed county clerk, and by general consent took charge of school matters. Mr. Parker followed Merchant as teacher, but in 1854 Mr. Newsom became teacher and began to teach English, requir- ing the pupils to translate Spanish into English and English into Spanish. At this time there were only forty children in the county who could speak English at all. In 1853 there were in the whole state but fifty-three schools and fifty-six teachers. Owing largely to the crimes in our county, as previ- ously related, settlers did not come. In 1861 only two schools existed in the county. The one at San Luis Obispo was known as Mission district ; and up in the northern end of the county was San Simeon school district, where in 1859 a little schoolhouse had been erected in a canon adjacent to Santa Rosa creek.

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY AND ENVIRONS

Namall arecor grrrme li land had been settled on by a few American fanos, and in 1850 Jerry Phelan is credited with having built the first sciacillesse weald colility north of San Luis Obispo, which may or may not Icos body . - Toolhouse by this time. We learn that after the room in the Alplan was Modoned, school was held in a building across the road ; and later a Two-www building was built on the lot where the Nipomo school now is.

In 18ol the total number of children of school age was seven hundred Sid Marty-five. Of these, sixty-two attended Mission school and thirteen in Simeon school. E. A. Clark taught the former, and Miss S. M. Clark the latter : Mr. Clark's salary was $75 per month and Miss Clark received 530 per month. There are really no records of the schools until 1861. After 1863 there is a lapse until 1866, after which the records are quite complete. A list of the early county superintendents of schools shows F. Wickenden, 1859; P. Dunn, 1860: Alexander Murray, 1861 to 1865, when P. A. Forrester was elected and served until 1868. James H. Gooch served until 1870; Forrester was re-elected and served until 1873, when J. M. Felts got the job for four years. In 1878, F. E. Darke was elected and held the office two years. In 1880 J. F. Beckett was elected and served two years; in 1883 Mr. Felts was again serving. Here we dig up an old record which says that D. F. Newsom was superintendent in 1853, W. C. Dana in 1857. Going back to the records, William Armstrong was elected and served eight years, Mr. Messer followed, serving four years, and then came Mrs. Adelaide Woods for four years. In January, 1903, F. P. Johnson took the office : in January, 1907, F. E. Darke; and in January. 1911, W. S. Wight, who was again elected in 1914 and is serving at the present time.

In 1882 there were fifty-three school districts and 2.795 pupils of school uge, with an average daily attendance of 1.110. There were fifty-nine teachers candied; and of these twenty-three were men and thirty-six, women. The county superintendent received a salary of $600 per year and could also teach ahard to help out his income. The average length of the school year (time @ hopl was taught ) in 1882 was six and nine-tenths months. Total valuation pt FywwwA property. $43,593. In 1881, the average monthly salary of the men Mahers was $73 and of the women, $63.

Pioneer Teachers

nem-feb-tej teachers teaching in the county in 1883, of those who con- funnet buenos wars to teach in the county we find Miss Cynthia Kingery, The -armebeld: Miss Cornelia Richards, now on the retired list ; Miss nowy , "tired : Fred E. Darke, retired ; Miss Clara B. Churchill, Mine in Beck bles : J. M. Felts ; A. F. Parsons. Mr. Parsons is now 1 4. Felts quit teaching and was in the real estate business Immer sumed teaching, being now employed in the Iron Mfre Sim field has taught much of the time, between whiles rt, how. at present she is teaching the Alamo school. In -nie hoff's salary was raised to $1000, and he could Gil T- Tag Office. In May, 1882, Superintendent J. F. Hoe-t ir on which we cull a few interesting items. Twee 0M wig Ascunsion school, and with the help of the

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SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY AND ENVIRONS

boys has killed a big rattler with twelve buttons to his suit, all on the tail. In Oak Grove district Mr. Evans is teaching and has taken his organ to school, where great delight prevails over the possession of so rare an instru- ment as an organ. The schoolhouse is of logs, but the view outside is beautiful; and inside, oh joy! there is an organ, and a teacher to play it! Canyon school, James A. Ford, teacher, closes with an entertainment and picnic where apples and candy are passed and three prizes given out. Miss Sallie Findley is teaching Cienega school, a new district. Corral de Piedra has been whitewashed, a fence built and on the walls is a "neatly framed motto card presented by Mrs. Patchett." Estrella school has twenty- nine pupils enrolled, Cornelia Richards, teacher. During the ten years the school has existed, with from twenty-five to seventy children attending, only one death has occurred among the pupils. (Pretty healthy locality !) Fairview is a new school built by subscription. Franklin school has thirty pupils, order below par. This school will be moved to Cayucos if the citizens of "that thriving city" (Cayucos) will subscribe funds for a new schoolhouse. (They did, but the "order" has always been hard to keep, it is said.) Hes- perian school (now Cambria) has been ravaged by an epidemic of diphtheria ; F. E. Darke is teacher. At times one hundred and fifty children have at- tended the school, and for twelve years no pupil has died; but when this scourge came, climate was not equal to it. Home school has forty pupils. Agnes M. Doud, teacher, ranks as one of the best in the county. The super- intendent tries to visit Huer-Huero school, gets lost, scans the roadside carefully for some trace of a road, goes two miles in the wrong direction, turns back, follows a wagon track, goes up a sandy cañon, finally reaches Moody's place. Moody directs him to cross the ridge to another branch of the Huer-Huero and go down to Donovan's place, where he is told to tie up his steed and walk a half mile. He arrives late in the day and finds Jack L. Dunn, a practical printer, also a graduate of the Warrensburg, Mo., Normal, in charge; log schoolhouse "situated in a sequestered glen." (Quite so!) Los Osos school needs a fence and shade trees.

In the fall of 1876 "Mission School," now known as the Court school, corner of Mill and Santa Rosa streets, was erected. It is described as "an imposing structure of two stories, 50x88 feet on the ground, costing $14,000." J. P. Andrews gave the ground and in the deed it is stipulated that it can only be used for school purposes. If ever the trustees try to sell the ground or use it for other purposes, it reverts to the Andrews heirs. C. H. Woods was then principal of the school. Mountain View and Oak Flat were new schools. Paso Robles school had sixteen pupils, Miss Annie Osborn, teacher.

Thirty-four years have passed since Superintendent Beckett made his vol- uminous report of 1882, which was published in the Tribune. During those years the towns of San Miguel, Paso Robles, Templeton, Santa Margarita, Pismo, Oceano and Nipomo have come into existence. . All the others have increased in population and the county has been well settled with thrifty, enterprising citizens. At present there are ninety-one school districts, em- ploying one hundred sixty-four teachers. Of these, twenty-six are high- school teachers, four are special teachers, and one hundred thirty-four are teaching in the grammar-school grades. Grammar schools employing more than one teacher are: Atascadero, 4: Cambria, 2; Pismo, 2; Cayucos, 2;

SAN TLUS WJUSTO COUNTY AND ENVIRONS

Morros 2 Musimy 2 \reano, 2; San Miguel, 3; Santa Margarita, 4; Shan- Ilon. 29Temperar &, Sur Luis Obispo, 20; Arroyo Grande, 6; Paso Robles, 17.

School Funds

For de guar 1915-1916 the state appropriation for grammar schools in (ff- Pite was :$55,994.68; county funds, $49,373; special taxes, $19,622; All the bonds sold at a good premium. The total enroll- mot w grammar schools was 3,474; average daily attendance, 2,897. The Wo h -clica | Tard 354 enrolled, and an average attendance of 299. High smo o! fuide were: State appropriation, $5,561.01; county fund, $15,480; District taxes, $15,826.70.

A Much Misunderstood Law

The first schools of the state and county were connected with the missions, and of course the doctrines of the church were zealously taught, a perfectly reasonable thing to expect and to do. When the public school system was being considered, a body of wise, far-seeing men looked beyond the present moment. So far all the schools had been really church schools under the control of the Roman Catholic Church, teaching the doctrines of that body. If the public school funds were apportioned to such schools, those teaching the Catholic faith, every other denomination on earth might eventually start up schools in California and demand support out of the public school funds. No one discredited the efforts at education so far made, but to safeguard the school funds and to prevent chaos in future years, the legislature in 1855 passed the law "No sectarian doctrines shall be taught in schools receiving public money, and no money shall be apportioned to any school not taught by a regularly examined and licensed teacher."

This law, wise and good, has been distorted by overzealous, ignorant religionists; we do not say Christians, but religionists. "Back East" they will tell you with bulging eyes how the law forbids the reading of the Bible in the public schools. It forbids fools and zealots trying to expound it for their own or a sect's benefit. Nowhere in the school law of California is the Bible mentioned, and since it is impossible to study literature without a Inowledge of Bible stories and references, any teacher is at liberty, in order to enhance the value of the piece of literature being studied, to read that for'en of the Bible to her pupils and tell them all the history she or he Low: comected with it ; but if the teacher attempted to expound her private Hey non religions views she would be told to seek another job or lose her boyTAxiV. The California school law makes it obligatory upon every teacher 00 1 . ammers and morals" as a part of the daily routine, but she mike Presbyterians, Baptists, Scientists or Catholics out of 1 4 higher, purer-minded, cleaner-living set of teachers any- I . ro nul and educated in California if you can. Some come im bierta and cry about not being able to use the Bible in eller woli first to use in their own lives the Bible principles back that up with the thorough preparation that i

who are reared and educated for the profession 11 respect and obedience to law are considered a

. !

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SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY AND ENVIRONS

HIGH SCHOOLS

San Luis Obispo High School

The San Luis Obispo or Mission district high school employs nine regular and four special teachers. A. H. Mabley is city superintendent and principal of the high school. The high school was first held in that dear, but awful old relic, the "Pavilion"; then in the Court school; and in August, 1906, it was opened in the fine $40,000 stone building it now occupies on Marsh street. This school ranks well and sends many young men and women yearly to the universities and normal schools, while equipping many more for useful positions. It has a commercial course, and manual training and domestic science and arts courses.

Paso Robles High School

Paso Robles high school employs eight teachers, and has a good building and a large tract of land within the city limits for agricultural training. One or two large auto busses bring the students to and from San Miguel and other points. This school has an attendance of over one hundred pupils.

Templeton Union High School

This school began operations last August in the free reading room and a big canvas annex. It opened with three teachers and thirty pupils. A tract of nine acres sufficient for agriculture and all other purposes was bought, and bonds for $5,000 were issued for the building, which is of concrete, and so arranged that necessary additions can easily be made as required. At this writing, January 8, 1917, the new building is ready for occupancy.

Arroyo Grande Union High School

Arroyo Grande had what it called a high school away back in 1898. It was held in Good Samaritan Hall, presided over by James Stringfield. Next it was in the grammar-school building, and A. F. Parsons was in charge. Finally there was a movement to organize a union high school, with six or seven districts included. It was voted, but when it came to collecting the taxes for it the fur flew. There were lawsuits, much wrangling, and not a little bitterness. A modest wooden building went up on "Crown Hill," and three or four teachers were employed, but for some years it was not accredited to the university. At last it rose to that dignity, also let go some of the more disgruntled districts, but held on to enough to be a union high school. Last year it voted $12,000 for a new building, which is brick-faced and near the former wooden building. It now employs six teachers, has manual training and domestic science teachers, and is prospering.

NEW GRAMMAR SCHOOLS

Paso Robles voted bonds for $40,000, built one of the finest concrete grammar-school buildings in the state, furnished it beautifully, and had it ready for occupancy at the beginning of the school year, 1916-17.

Santa Margarita voted bonds for $20,000, built a beautiful concrete school- house with large assembly hall, and on May day, 1916, celebrated its opening

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History of San Luis Obispo County and environs, California, with biographical sketches, Part 15

Author: Morrison, Annie L. Stringfellow, 1860-; Haydon, John H., 1837- Publication date: 1917 Publisher: Los Angeles, Calif., Historic Record Company Number of Pages: 1070

Author: Morrison, Annie L. Stringfellow, 1860-; Haydon, John H., 1837-
Publication date: 1917
Publisher: Los Angeles, Calif., Historic Record Company
Number of Pages: 1070