USA > Illinois > Christian County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Christian County, Volume II > Part 11
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Town 14 North, 2 West-James K. Alexander, Edinburg, Ill .; F. B. Kincaid, Taylorville, Ill .; Thomas A. Ostermeier, Edinburg, Ill.
Town 15 North, 2 West-Lewis Tankersly, Mt. Auburn, Ill,; Arthur Barrett, Mt. Auburn, Ill. ; W. A. Sadler, Grove City, Ill.
Town 11 North, 3 West-Homer Arkebauer, Morrisonville, Ill .; A. L. Freeman, Morrison- ville, Ill .; C. B. Lloyd, Morrisonville, Ill.
Town 12 North, 3 West-J. R. Calvert, Palmer, Ill .; F. M. Curvey, Morrisonville, Ill .; H. E. Baney, Clarksdale, Ill.
Town 13 North, 3 West-W. R. Richardson, Taylorville, Ill .; Roy Tackett, Pawnee, Ill .; W. A. Curvey, Taylorville, Ill.
Town 14 North, 3 West-R. H. Wilkinson, Edinburg, Ill .; Lewis Ralph, Edinburg, Ill. ; Alexander Breckenridge, Breckenridge, Ill.
Town 15 North, 3 West-John E. Ross, Me- chanicsburg, Ill .; Hiram Parkes, Custer, Ill .; D. T. Kaylor, Edinburg, Ill.
Town 11 North, 4 West-John Haywood, Mor- risonville, Ill .; E. W. Bockewitz, Harvel, Ill. ; Jasper Fahrenholzt, Harvel, Ill.
Town 12 North, 4 West-Howard Bullard, Morrisonville, Ill. ; Whid Manning, Morrisonville, Ill. ; Elbert Lyles, Morrisonville, Ill.
Town 13 North, 4 West-G. C. Baker, Paw- nee, Ill .; C. H. Jones, Pawnee, Ill .; Henry White, Pawnee, Ill.
Town 14 North, 4 West-Guy Richeson, Roch- ester, Ill .; H. O. Hudgins, Glenarm. Ill .; E. Do- zier, Glenarm, Ill.
SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT.
In 1915 the Illinois General Assembly passed a law making it compulsory for school build- ings to conform to certain minimum require- ments in heating, ventilating, lighting, seating, water supply, toilets and safety against fire. The specifications for these requirements were prepared by State Superintendent F. G. Blair
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with the advice of the State Board of Health, the State Architect and the State Fire Mar- shal. Under this law it is necessary for every school building to be heated by a room heater or a basement furnace of suitable size to heat the room in all parts during coldest weather to a temperature of 70 degrees F., without keeping too hot a fire. If a room heater is used it must be surrounded by a heat proof jacket at least five feet high. In the use of either a furnace or a room heater provisions must be made for taking fresh air from the outside of the room and removing the foul air from the inside, thereby providing always a supply of pure air for the children to breathe. To pre- vent overcrowded classrooms it is also provided that there shall be sixteen square feet of floor space and not less than 200 cubic feet of air space per pupil.
Another important specification in this law is that there shall be no windows in the wall which the pupils face while they are seated at their desks. All new buildings must have the win- dows to the left of the seated pupils. Windows in the rear of the room are permissible if they are at least six feet from the floor. It is fur- ther required that the window space shall be equal in area to one-fifth of the floor space. All old buildings must be remodeled to conform to these requirements. The day of poorly lighted and ventilated classrooms in Illinois has gone, never to return.
Carrying out the idea that every pupil is entitled to a seat that fits him, the law pro- vides that each schoolroom shall be furnished with single desks and seats of the proper size and adjustment for the pupils who are to occupy them. Desks of the same size must be placed in rows from the front to the back of the room. This does away with the old practice of placing the smallest desk in the front of the row and grading them up in size to the largest in the rear.
Recognizing the importance of having pure water for the pupils to drink, it is provided that all wells shall be made absolutely safe from danger of contamination from privies and other sources. Wells cannot be sunk less than 100 feet distance from a privy. They must have good walls, a concrete top and a concrete gut- ter to carry the waste water at least ten feet away.
Such a law as this made it necessary to remodel all the school buildings in Christian
County that were built prior to 1912. The year of 1916 saw more improvement in schools than did any previous period of ten years. Many of the old buildings were torn down and replaced by modern structures while others were changed in such a way that they could hardly be recognized by their old friends. Nat- urally a good many complaints were made against this law, but, as a rule, the directors of Christian County accepted the situation and did their best to carry out its provisions. That it has brought much good to the children by giving them wholesome and sanitary surround- ings cannot be denied. And money spent for the betterment of conditions which affect child life is always money well spent.
Since 1910 new schoolhouses have been built in the following districts: Hazel Ridge, For- est Hill, New Hope, Kirby, Jacobs, Greeley, Pleasant Valley, No. 51, Washington, Willow Dale, Ireland, Pine Grove. Green Academy, Old Stonington, Salem, Union. No. 89, Fairview, No. 113, Bolivia, Grove City, Mason (Tovey), Camp- bellsburg, Evergreen, Cottonwood, Butler, Kin -. caid (graded), Assumption Township high school and a large addition to the Taylorville Township high school. In addition to these several new buildings will be erected in the summer of 1917.
Other buildings erected prior to 1910, but partly or wholly modern are Eugene Field school, Pana. Owaneco (graded). Willeys, Providence, Mt. Zion, Pleasant Valley, No. 81, Eagle, San- ders. Sharps, Oak Street school, Taylorville, Peerine, Central Point, Sharpsburg, Sand Ridge, Davis, Mt. Auburn (graded), Montgomery, Blakeville, Palmer (graded), George and Pana Township high school.
STANDARD SCHOOLS.
The plans of State Superintendent Blair for the standardizing of country schools have done much to make school conditions better through- out the state. These plans were made long be- fore the above-mentioned law became effective. Summed up, they call for an ample playground, good approaches to the schoolhouse, two well- kept, widely-separated outhouses, a convenient fuel house; for a schoolhouse well built in, in good repair and painted, well lighted, possessing good foundation, having attractive interior deco- rations, good blackboards (some suitable for small children), heated with jacketed stove in corner, or basement furnace which brings clean
W. S. Burk
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air through the furnace and removes foul air from the room, with floor and interior clean and tidy ; for equipment that includes desks suitable for children of all ages, properly placed, a good teacher's desk, a good bookcase, a collection of juvenile books suitable as aids to school work as well as general reading (pupils' reading circle organized), a set of good maps, a globe and dic- tionaries, and a sanitary water supply; school well organized, with classification and daily reg- ister well kept, a definite program of study and recitation, regular attendance during at least seven months, and good discipline; and for a teacher with the equivalent of a high school course, receiving at least $360 per annum, ranked by the county superintendent as a good or supe- rior teacher, and who reads Teachers' Reading Circle books and attends institutes and meet- ings. This movement has touched Christian County, as is shown by the fact that in 1914 this county had four standard schools, while in 1916 it had twenty-one, which had the right to place the cherished standard plate above the door on the outside, as follows : District No. 62-Willey school, Mildred Bess, teacher; W. J. Tackett,
Frank Willey and George W. Spates, directors. District No. 74-Mount Zion school, Edith Spates, teacher ; Frank Hedrick, J. W. Lockwood and John O'Brien, directors. District No. 129- Sharpsburg school, Amy Angleton, teacher ; Ira G. Sharp, C. D. Greffe and W. H. Perry, directors. District No. 187-Brush College, Freda McWard, teacher ; Charles Rechtel, Clarence Calloway and John Cearlock, directors. District No. 111- Goodrich school, Gladys Montgomery, teacher ; W. W. Poor, H. E. Peden and Lewis Tolliver, directors. District No. 121-Perrine school, Brewer Ward, teacher; W. C. Salisbury, H. M. Yoder and Thomas Hooper, directors. District No. 155-Grove City school, Arthur Tolliver, teacher ; W. L. Igou, C. L. Huggins and M. S. Sadler, directors. District No. 79-Sand Ridge school, Frank Curtin, teacher; James E. Sal- lenger, George F. Murry and O. W. Davis, di- rectors. District No. 201-Prosperity school, J. W. Toy, teacher ; J. W. Plankington, Alfred Mar- shall and Avery Spencer, directors. District No. 45-Greeley school, Delsie Miles, teacher ; H. W. Best, William Herwig and H. W. Schmidt, di- rectors. District No. 71-Ireland school, Marie Boyle, teacher; Grant Markwell, R. O. Fromm and Henry Reinhardt, directors. District No. 73 -Pine Grove school, George H. Reitz, teacher ; Jacob Stahl, H. J. Grieve and Henry Dechert,
directors. District No. 88-Salem school, Maude Law, teacher ; J. L. Marshall, M. E. Ellis and D. E. Abel, directors. District No. 89-Union school, Anna Livergood, teacher; Frand Heben- streit, A. C. Fleshman and Walter McKaig, di- rectors. District No. 152-Bolivia school, E. E. Wacaser, principal; W. D. Stewart, Jacob Fry and Ed. Rankin, directors. District No. 24- New Hope · school, Luella Dunkel, teacher ; Charles Beard, K. E. Bugg and C. D. Long, di- rectors. District No. 92-Noble school, Mayme Nagle, teacher ; Herman Miller, John W. Brown and Herbert Clower, directors. District No. 95 -Gopher school, Esther Buchholz and Florence Lehman, teachers; Louis Henschen, George Hardy and Benjamin Kettlekamp, directors. District No. 124-Gardner school, Earl Hart, teacher ; Carl Hart, A. T. Alexander and A. S. Hedden, directors. District No. 206-Cottonwood school, Maurine Lawrence, teacher ; Charles Mc- Kinney, George Deal and William Roberts, di- rectors. District No. 207-Butler school, Elvira Dooling, teacher; W. T. Miler, P. J. Butler and W. E. Crowl, directors.
HIGH SCHOOLS.
Christian County is well supplied with good high schools, there being at Assumption, Pana and Taylorville, excellent township high schools, well housed in comfortable and commodious buildings and offering a wide variety of courses. The high schools at Edinburg, Morrisonville and Stonington have programmes of study extending through four years and are fully accredited with the University of Illinois. Mount Auburn is now offering two years of approved high school work according to the plan outlined by the state department. Two years of high school work is being given at Owaneco under the direction of the principal of the Taylorville Township high school. The work of this school is also ap- proved by the state department. This arrange- ment affords to pupils of these communities an opportunity to do two years work at home, for which they may receive credit in a four-year school. Rosemond offers four years and. Palmer and Harvel two years of work. It is the present plan that these schools soon make the small changes in their courses necessary to make them accredited with higher institutions.
ILLINOIS TEACHERS' READING CIRCLE.
How far the requirements demanded of the teacher have advanced from the early days may
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be adjudged by a glance at the new teacher's certificating law, which, among others, contains a requirement for "professional reading" and provides that "professional growth" be a requisite for the renewal of teachers' certificates. The State Examining Board accepts credits made in the Reading Circle for the renewal of certificates. In Christian County the Reading Circles and their managers are as follows: Assumption, C. G. Wysong and J. O. Stanberry; Clarksdale, Miss Myrtle Dorsette; Edinburg, D. F. Neath- ery; Greenwood, Miss Florence Lehman; Grove City, J. A. Tolliver; Harvel, Charles Tulpin ; Morrisonville, P. A. Tate ; Mount Auburn, J. H. Nowlan; Owaneco, W. C. Abrams ; Palmer, R. H. Foster; Pana (a), city teachers, J. L. Hart, (b), rural and high school teachers, W. E. An- drews; Rosemond, E. E. Waeaser; Stonington, G. E. Lowry ; South Fork Township, J. B. Angle- ton; Taylorville (a) city teachers, E. S. Jones, (b) rural and high school teachers, R. G. Beals ; and West Mount Auburn, W. H. Harris, while other circles are being organized in other sec- tions and districts.
TAYLORVILLE TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL.
The Taylorville Township High School was authorized by a vote of the people in April, 1890, in accordance with the provisions of the school law. A modern building costing $32,000, including site, was erected on a beautiful cam- pus near the central part of the city of Taylor- ville, with a thorough equipment for the courses of instruction provided in the school. The pur- pose of the board of education and the commu- nity was to establish an institution that would not be surpassed by any of its class. This pur- pose has been fulfilled in its entirety. Begin- ning in 1891 with an enrollment of ninety-five, the attendance has steadily increased until in 1917 there was an enrollment of 400. The de- velopment of the course of study has been still more noticeable. The fields of knowledge ac- cessible to the student are much greater than they were twenty-five years ago. In the best schools instruction has been provided along in- dustrial lines that were formerly held to be of very slight educational importance. The com- munity demands that an education answer more and more perfectly every year the needs of life. Under this pressure the school has broad- ened its curriculum and has made every sub-
ject pursued both cultural and practical. Courses in business, manual arts, household economy and agriculture have been established. In 1914 an addition costing $50,000 was built. The two buildings are united in all three floors and have all the conveniences as well as the appearance of a single unit.
Since the organization of the school the fol- lowing gentlemen have served as members of the board of education: W. M. Provine, 1890, 1897, 1900 and 1906; G. R. Adams, 1890 to 1897, and 1900 to 1903: E. A. Vandeveer, 1890 to 1908; Dr. H. Jayne, 1890 to 1893; J. C. Mc- Bride, 1890 to 1894 and 1897 to 1913; T. P. Bax- ter, 1894 to 1907; Dr. L. C. Armstrong, 1896 to 1900; J. B. Ricke, 1897 to 1901; C. M. Parker, 1903 to 1916; F. W. Anderson, 1906 to 1912; J. B. Colegrove, 1907 to 1916; L. D. Hewitt. 1908 to 1917; J. L. Drennan, 1912 to the present date; Solomon Marblestone, 1913 to 1916; Dr. S. B. Herdman, 1916 to present date; Dr. G. L. Armstrong, 1916 to present date; Dr. M. H. Sol- liday, 1917 to present date.
The list of principals is as follows: A. C. Butler, 1891-1894; W. E. Andrews, 1894-1907; J. H. Browning, 1907-1908; W. E. Ervin, 190S- 1909; J. E. Wooters, 1909-1912; R. G. Beals, 1912 to present date.
TAYLORVILLE PAROCHIAL SCHOOL.
The Taylorville Parochial School was organl- ized November 2, 1909. It has an enrollment of about 120 pupils, in charge of three teachers. , The course of study extends through the ele- mentary grades. The graduates attend the Taylorville Township High School. In 1911 the property known as the Old Simpson Property on South Washington Street was purchased for $6,250, and on October 6, 1913, the Free Meth- odist Church edifice was bought at a cost of $3,000. These valuable pieces of property are used exclusively for school purposes, and as a residence for the sisters in charge of the school.
AROUSING THE CHILDREN'S INTEREST.
In the Year Book from which we have already quoted, Superintendent Fowkes says: "The doc- tor may point to the lives he has saved, the lawyer to cases he has won, the business man, the farmer or mechanic to his contribution to industrial progress; but the truly successful teacher, not necessarily the one who receives the
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CASTLE HALL FARM, RESIDENCE OF WILLIAM S. BARKER
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HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN COUNTY
largest salary, has an army of witnesses whose minds he has moulded, whose impulses he has guided and whose worthy ambitions he has en- couraged. The members of each new class are a part of his legacy to the world, and their suc- cess is, in part, his success. Also, the greatest legacy that parents can leave to their children, the most valuable, the safest, the most appre- ciated in after years, is a well balanced, moral, physical and intellectual training. Therefore, the legacy of teacher and parent is a unity.
"The modern trend of education is the train- ing of the head, the heart, the hand. The old idea of education was the intellectual or head training only. Very recently the industrial side of education has made such marvelous strides that we feel called upon to meet its demands. To meet this demand requires even greater co- operation of parents and teachers. The work at home, whether it be feeding the chickens, waslı- ing dishes, milking the cows, or whatever re- quires labor, is a part of industrial training.
The Alderman plan of giving school credit for home work has been adopted by the Christian County school system. This is calculated to stim- ulate the pupil's interest, to keep his body clean and his mind alert, to formulate in him a desire to do whatever he does cheerfully, thoroughly and well. For these credits he receives suitable prizes. To continue to quote from this Year Book: "This plan of credits, therefore, is to more closely unite the home and the school in these important phases of education. At this age, the child is forming habits that go with him through life-habits of industry, of neatness, of health, of punctuality, of honesty, of morality, etc., which will be worth to him in future years far more than can be measured in dollars and cents."
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Aside from this plan there are many others for arousing and maintaining the children's interest. Those who have the desire and inherent talent for the various arts and crafts are given an op- portunity of developing their ability. The work of the boys of the Christian County schools in the various trades reflects honor upon the sys- tem, the grandstand built by the boys of the Pana High school upon their athletic field being an excellent example of vocational training brought to a high state of development. And the young ladies take no second place in achieve- ment, their accomplishments in the domestic sciences being ample evidence of the high stand- ards prevailing in the schools of the county.
SECRET OF SUCCESS.
Perhaps, however, the secret of the success of the Christian County educational system may be found in the following, if we may be allowed once more to quote from the Year Book: "Good order is not merely freedom from disorder. It is work systematized. It includes prompt and definite performance of duty not only in the schoolroom, but also in the yard and on the way to and from school. The teacher who con- fines her efforts to securing order in the school- room alone, rarely succeeds in having it even there."
CHAPTER IX.
COURTS, BENCH AND BAR.
POWER OF TIIE BENCH AND BAR-CIRCUIT COURTS- CIRCUIT JUDGES-PROSECUTING ATTORNEYS-PRO- BATE JUDGES-CHRISTIAN COUNTY BAR ASSOCIA- TION-PROMINENT MEN.
POWER OF BENCH AND BAR.
From the time of the framing and adoption of the Roman Cincia law, which held that the legist was the best informed as to the privileges of the individual and the limitations of governmental power-both of them prescribed by law-there has been no man in the history of civilization who has been given such franchise and latitude to guide the affairs of state as has the lawyer, The history of any community, and particularly under our present form of government, is largely concerned with the activities of the lawyer and the findings of the occupant of the bench. As the ultimate arbiters of the disputes that arise within the limits of their jurisdiction, the courts determine the questions of individual rights, property rights and the many other matters which give rise to contentions, and these tribu- nals are valuable to their communities in just such proportion as may be qualified by the legal acumen and personal honor of the members of the bench and bar and those brought before the court to aid in administering justice.
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HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN COUNTY
The history of the bench and bar in Christian County records that this community has not only been the home and professional field of many of Illinois' leading lawyers, but has also brought forth the talents of some of the wisest and most eminent men who have graced the bench of the state.
CIRCUIT COURTS.
The first term of court was held at Taylor- ville, Ill., November 4, 1839, in a small frame house, 12x14 fcet, owned by H. M. Vandeveer, and situated on the north side of the public square. Owing to the fact that houses were very scarce at Taylorville at that time, this little structure had to serve in the triple capacity of hotel, stage office and courtroom, and when the juries had to retire their deliberations were pros- ecuted out of doors under a black-jack tree, being watched over by Deputy W. L. Hammer. Many of the older citizens of Taylorville will remem- ber this little house as later becoming the office of Doctor Chapman, but it has long since been replaced by a brick building. The officers of this first court were : Judge, Samuel H. Treat ; clerk, HI. M. Vandeveer; sheriff, William S. Ricks; states' attorney, David P. Campbell; and coro- ner, Benjamin, Williams. The only attorney who came from abroad to attend this court was James C. Conkling of Springfield, Ill. The panel of grand and petit jurors made at the first term of the County Court was based upon an assumed census of 100 single men and heads of families, and these, with the officials of the county, com- priscd about all the names in the county, with the exception of those who were to be indicted. The first grand jury contained the following names: John Young, foreman ; Louis Jernigan, Berry Rose, Alfred Curry, Thomas P. Bond, Joshua Brents, George D. Pearson, Christopher Ketcham, John Martin, David Cagle, A. B. Pea- body, E. J. Leigh, Jacob Wydick, James Weeden, Thomas Young, John Finley and Robert Rich- ardson.
The following, as interesting matter regarding the business of this and other early courts, is quoted from a contemporary history of Chris- tian County : "This grand jury retired, and after solemnly deliberating. returned into court an indictment against Thomas Farris, indicting him for challenging Thomas W. Davis to fight a duel with deadly weapons, based upon the following letter written by Farris to Davis: 'Dear Sir :-
I take this method of finishing our career. I will give you the chance of a dewel. I would rather fight manley than to do any other way. I will give you a shot at 12 o'clock P. M. (Signed) T. V. E. Farris.' Farris was required to give bond, and at the June term, 1840, of said court, the case was again continued upon the affidavit of the defendant until the October term, 1840, when the case was tried and the defendant found not guilty.
"There was also found at that term of court an indictment against Samuel Mckinsey and Gabriel Mckinsey, charging them with riot. They were tried at the June term, 1840, of the Circuit Court, found guilty, and sentenced to pay a fine of $10.00 each. This was all the work done by the grand jury at that term. There was at the same term another jury empaneled which tried John Gilbert for selling liquor without a license, but the jury was unable to agree and was discharged, and these were all of the jury trials at that term of court."
The late Mr. Goudy, in speaking of some of the matters that came up before this court, said : "Another case was Peter R. Ketcham vs. Gabriel Mckenzie, action for slander; damages laid at $2,000. J. C. Conkling, attorney for plaintiff. In the declaration, it was alleged that the de- fendant had used words to this import: 'Old Pete Ketcham is an old hog thief.'" It would appear that this trial, known to many as the Methodist preacher against the Roman Catholic, involved the whole county, for a great interest was attracted to it. The result was the finding by the jury for the defendant damages of $47.08, which would seem that the jury had formed a very exact opinion as to the worth of a man's character, in that its verdict included a matter of eight cents. Another incident which may give one an idea of the proceedings of some of the early courts is found in the question of the fore- man of a jury, who returned for instructions : "Why, Judge," he answered in reply to a ques- tion regarding his difficulty, "this 'ere is the dif- ficulty : Some of the jury want to know whether that are what you told us, when we first went out, was raley the law, or whether it was only just your notion."
The Christian County Court was frequently the scene of visits from Abraham Lincoln, who at one time was associated with Judge Van- devcer in the trial of an important case with Judge Robbins of Springfield as opponent. The latter, in reply to a point made, said at one time
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