USA > Illinois > Williamson County > Williamson County, Illinois, in the World War : containing a brief review of the World War-complete history of Williamson County's activities-photographs and service records of Williamson County's soldiers, sailors and marines > Part 8
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TONOTHING CO
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Flag Raising Day for Liberty Loan Campaign, May 22, 1919. Showing Contingent Shortly to Leave.
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them it was a matter of noisy cheering and a light-hearted farewell. Just before the train pulled in, an itinerant evangelist, who was holding a series of meetings here in a tent, mounted a baggage truck and briefly addressed the vast audience that had come out breakfastless to pay tribute to this new army. "Men never went forth to fight for a nobler cause," he told them. Then a prayer was said and from down the track just as the sun was getting ready to raise its head on that unusual day that will long be remem- bered in Herrin, loomed up the train, letting out a long and mournful whistle as it neared the station. It seemed that the whistle never sounded stranger or pierced so deep the hearts of those who heard it.
As the fourteen boys stepped aboard, there were sobs and weepings and last. fond em- braces and shouts of Godspeed from those of stronger hearts. As the pulsing crowd moved back, cheering and weeping and the band playing its loudest, the train slowly moved away bearing Herrin's first contribu- tion to the great war.
Every man in that little band of fellows save one has come home safely. That one is Tom Abbott, who was among the first of Herrin's soldiers killed in action. Tom today sleeps where he fell in the fields of France. It was a bomb from a Zeppelin that got him. He was attached to the British tank corps.
The men who made up this company of fourteen, all volunteered to fill the first quota called for by this board. Their names are as follows: Eugene William Fultz, Frank Alexander Yuill, John Chiodini, Matteo Pettina, Loren Isaac Robinson, George Owen, Gerald Weaver, Earl W. Cox, James T. Abbott, Willis Myers, Ross Frank Mooney- ham, Charley Ross Ford, all of Herrin; William Francis Kilduff of Johnston City and Clarence Watson of Carterville.
Hervie Dillingham and Robert B. Temple- ton, with grips packed stood in line as alter- nates, as was required, but did not get to go with this first party, as the quota was com- plete without them.
EARLY CONTINGENTS FROM MARION TO TRAINING CAMPS BY W. O. PAISLEY
On September 6, 1917, the first selectmen from District No. 1 of Williamson County Local Board, left Marion for Camp Taylor, Ky. There were nine men in this first con- tingent, and while there was a feeling of sadness among all in the big crowd which assembled to bid them God speed, still all were inspired with the same feeling of deter- mination to win the war which filled the spirits of the men, and the parting was one which strengthened the men for the task before them. Chester H. Simmons, who had served for six years in the U. S. army, was in charge of the squad. The other members were Edgar Craig, Byron Durham, Jack Fly, Iva Hampton, Richard P. McAllister, Joe Onstatt, Wm. T. Scurlock and James Lee Sullivan. Every man called was present at this time as was also every man called for the next contingent.
On September 21, under leaden skies and with the rain falling when the train left the station, seventy-five more soldiers left Marion for the training camp. The Johnston City Drum Corps was present at this meeting and it was also at the train when every other contingent from District No. 1 answered the call to the colors. There was an immense gathering of citizens present as these boys left at 8 A. M.
On October 5, the third group of select men left for Camp Taylor. There were thirty-eight at this time, making a total of one hundred and twenty-two to go from Williamson County District No. 1 during the first month after that training camp was opened. The farewell meeting to these men was one of the most inspiring of the war. Bishop William A. Quayle spoke to the men as they left the court house and then marched with them to the train. "Soldiers, I have a son on his way to battle," said the famous divine, and these opening words touched the hearts of everyone, as few in the county did not have some one in the service or who would soon be called.
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A farewell reception was given at the Bap- tist church on the evening of September 4, before the first selectmen left for the train, and a rousing send-off was given to each group of men as they left for the camps. A large number of volunteers had already entered the service before the first selectmen were called and others joined later, giving the district a showing in every branch of the service.
HOW WE GOT ALONG WHEN THE BOYS WENT AWAY
It was hard sledding in every department of business and even inconvenienced every household when the boys marched forth to put the kibosh on Kaiser William. Those left here at home did the best they could to close up the gaps, but made a poor job of it.
The war seemed to weed out most of the efficients out of the day's work and a great change came over help. Help came mighty near being no help at all. Sometimes, in- deed, it was a positive hindrance. Every business was more or less afflicted with this sort of thing. The mails were full of mis- directed letters. Elevators were run by peo- ple who couldn't stop on a floor level to save their necks. There were clerks in stores who did not even know what business the house was in. Almost nobody got his own bills, which was tremendous insight as to what others owed. Automobiles became an even greater peril to one another than they were to the rest of us. The plumber who came out to fix your furnace so you could burn soft coal in it, fixed it so you couldn't burn anything in it. The watchmaker took the wheels out of your watch and couldn't put them back. The repair shop took your automobile and aggravated its disorders until you joined the army to get where the good mechanics had gone. The painter came around and fell off the roof. The bank records showed at the end of the month that you had $100.00 more than your own records
showed and you had the terrible experience of having to give it up to its owner, who was a hundred short. The waiter blundered around behind you until he poured soup down your back. Mixing drinks (hush!) passed from an art to an avocation. The milkman found your card marked for one quart of milk and a half pint of cream, and left you two quarts of buttermilk. Your new stenographer sent a letter which was to go to Campbell, Mo., to Camp Belly, Mo. The office . boy had a choice among 18 jobs with as many degrees of pay, and left at the end of a week taking with him all the secret formulas of the business. The man who came to put in your wood tried to carry it all in two or three loads, and fell down the cellar stairs, and broke a whole set of ribs. You ordered a food chopper shipped out to your place in the country and got a barrel of salt. The newspaper reporter who came around to talk to you on some important topic, quoted you with an interview he got from somebody else about something you never heard of. The washerwoman no longer had to support her two grown sons, who had been drafted, and quit washing. Your cook who had been with you five years and had just begun to understand, resigned her place to go back to the farm and run a tractor. The paperhanger was without help and finally hung himself. An express package started to you from Chicago, and the next trace you got of it came from San Francisco, where it was seen going towards the ship wharves. You ordered beans, flour, baking powder and soda from the grocer, and some time during the night a boy got you out to let him in with a half dozen brooms and two pounds of clothesline. All the people who smoothed the rough edges of life for you and made this, that and the other things all hunkydory were gone to war. You were arrested if you overchecked your account; the cleaner sent you some one else's green trousers with your gray coat and vest; and the man who came to fix the telephone left it in such shape that when you took down the trumpet you turned in a fire alarm. Help was hell!
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Evolution of Our Public Schools --- Their Part in the World War
BY J. W. MCKINNEY County Superintendent of Schools
With Wouter Van Twiller, the second Director General of New Netherlands, came in 1633, Rev. Everardus Bogardus, for the Church, and Adam Roelanstan, the first schoolmaster; and the paro- chial school over which he presided, and which is still carried on by the Reformed Dutch Church in New York, is now the oldest existing school in America. Moreover, it was our first free school in America, for it was supported in part by a school tax of four pounds.
It is interesting to note the varied and useful duties at this period of the New England school- master. Besides inspiring his pupils to the practice of reading, ciphering, and in some instances, of writing, he trained the children in the catechism and religious doctrines of the church, acted as Court Messenger, served summonses, conducted cer- tain ceremonial services of the church, led the Sun- day school choir, rang the bell for public worship, digged graves, and performed other occasional duties.
Three great ideas were gradually developed, viz .: that some education should be provided for every child; that the State must support the schools, and that the schools must be brought under intelligent and systematic supervision.
The celebrated Ordinance of 1787 was passed by the Continental Congress, under the Articles of Con- federation, and provided for the government of the Northwest Territory, of which the present State of Illinois, was then a part. Article Three of that Ordinance made the following reference to the value of schools and education: "Religion, morality and knowledge being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and means of education shall forever be encouraged." The idea then seemed to be that education was necessary to good government and happiness. This is the true idea today, and a government will be good or bad, and its citizens happy or unhappy, as its citizenship are educated or ignorant. From this little embryo in the Ordinance of 1787, has grown our great school system of today, embracing all the rural and elementary schools of the State.
The first Constitution of Illinois, which was adopted in 1818, provided that Section 16 in every Township, or other lands of equal value, should be granted to the inhabitants of such Township, for the use of schools, but did not specify in what par- ticular way the schools should be organized. The same Constitution further provided, that three per cent of the proceeds of all Public Lands in the State, should be appropriated by the Legislature of the State for the encouragement of learning, and that one-sixth of this three per cent, should be exclusively bestowed upon a State College or Uni-
versity. This reference to the College or University, was in anticipation of a need of higher education in our school system.
At the time Illinois was admitted into the Union, in 1818, the schools of New England were making noticeable improvement, but the conditions west of the Alleghanies were much the same as in the pioneer days of New England Even with the assistance of the government, the schools were in bad condition. The people were too poor to tax themselves to pay the teachers, and the receipts from the school lands, much of which were sold at $1.25 an acre, brought but little relief. A law taxing the people for the support of the schools was passed in 1825, but there was so much opposi- tion, that it was repealed four years later. Mean- while, the cause of public education fell to a very low stage. The school houses were either poorly built of logs, or some abandoned building was used for the purpose. The courses of study were usually limited to instruction in the three R's-"Readin', 'Ritin' and 'Rithmetic." The whole school studied and recited together from such books as could be brought from home. In some instances a spelling book or the New Testament was made to do duty for the entire school, the pupils reciting "out loud," and in concert. The teacher, who was too often an incompetent adventurer, either "boarded around," or traveled from house to house, spending part of the day instructing the children of each family. Sometimes he received his pay in produce, pork, beef, corn or tallow-and in one instance at least, a calf. There was no fixed standard by which teachers' certificates were granted, the principal question asked the applicant being whether he could "keep order."
The second Constitution of Illinois, which con- tinued from 1848 to 1870, made no special change relative to the school system, except to leave the whole matter in the hands of the General Assembly, with some encouraging references to favorable school legislation. The General Assembly in 1855, passed the first law establishing free school districts in each Township, sufficient in number to meet the necessities of the sparse population of that time. Two years later, in 1857, the General Assembly provided for the establishment of the First Normal School near Bloomington. Ten years later, in 1867, the State University was established at Champaign, and two years later, in 1869, the General Assembly provided for the establishment of the Normal School at Carbondale. Thus, we see our school system made a decided advancement under the two Consți- tutions, both in the elementary schools and in schools of higher grade.
The third Constitution of Illinois, adopted in 1870,
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J. W. Mckinney
James W. Mckinney, minister, educator, and county superintendent of schools, was born in Williamson County, March 13, 1873. He was educated in the public schools and prepared for his chosen profession by attend- ing school at the S. I. N. U. at Carbondale and the Valparaiso University in Indiana. His executive ability was regarded and
he taught seven rural schools, then he served as superintendent of city schools at Johnston City, Golconda, Carterville, and Creal Springs.
Mr. Mckinney is the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. James H. Mckinney, and was born
and raised on a farm in Williamson County. He taught school twenty years. He was married to Miss Agnes Neilson in 1895. They have four children: Harvey Lee, Robert, Wendell and Ruth. The first named served fifteen months in the World War.
He and his esteemed wife have always worked for the benefit of others. As a min- ister of the Baptist Church, he has preached the gospel for the entire time of his 25 years as teacher and county superintendent. He is a polished speaker, full of the spirituality that cndears.
An ardent Republican, he was the unani- mous choice of his party to represent the office of superintendent of schools, and his candidacy was received with favor by all classes, his worth and purity of character appealing to all who knew his record as a preacher and teacher. He was returned triumphantly at the polls last year, having no opposition in either party, and his later conduct of the office has more than justified the golden opinions held of him by the people.
Mr. Mckinney is a Mason, an Odd Fel- low, and is affiliated also with the Modern Woodmen and Woodmen of the World. He is a son of a veteran, is patriotic, and his citizenship has always been for the good of his country. He has done much for the betterment of matters and methods of teach- ing, and his interest in the welfare of Wil- liamson County is well known.
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made more emphatic demands on the General Assembly for the expansion of the public school system. Article Eight, consisting of five Sections, is devoted exclusively to the subject of Public Schools. Section one of that Article declares that "the Gen- eral Assembly shall provide a thorough and efficient system of Free Schools, whereby all children of the State may receive a good common school education." By this time, the old districts had become inadequate for the rapidly increasing school population, and in order to make the school system more thorough and efficient, it became necessary to re-district the Townships and make the districts smaller. The new districts that were established were usually about two miles square, making nine in each Town- ship. Many districts formed at that time retain their original boundaries to this day. This establishment of our school system, gave much better school op- portunities than before. The branches provided by law for the rural and elementary schools at that time were called the seven common branches, and included orthography, reading, penmanship, arith- metic, grammar, geography, and United States his- tory. The first school house was built in 1825 and others soon followed. Some of the first school houses were built of gum logs, which sprouted, and had to be cleared about once a year.
Williamson County was organized in 1839, and what has been said of the early days of New Eng- land, and of Illinois, is largely true of the pioneer days of Williamson County. The first teachers taught spelling, reading and writing; but in 1840, a few fine scholars came into the County who under- stood grammar and arithmetic. The free school law met a heavy opposition from some of our old men, and notwithstanding our school system has exerted a powerful influence in the civilization of the County, yet, it is still defective.
A. N. Lodge, the first real superintendent, lifted up the sick form of the system, renovated and infused new life and destiny into it, until it was in a better condition than ever before; but it still needed talent.
A teacher in those days, describing his first exam- ination, says: "The only question asked me at my examination was, what is the product of 25c times 25c?" As this question did not occur in Pike's Arithmetic, I could not answer it. The examiner thought it was 614c, but was not sure. We dis- cussed its merits for an hour or more, when he decided that he was sure I was qualified to teach school, and a first class certificate was issued.
The first Official Record pertaining to the Public Schools of Williamson County, date from the year, A. D. 1840, when Mr. Wm. T. Tanner, School Com- missioner of the new County of Williamson, receipted Scion H. Mitchell, then School Commissioner of Franklin County, for Williamson County's share of the school funds. The records in the County Super- intendent's office at present, show that Mr. Tanner
served as Commissioner for one year. He was suc- ceeded by Henry W. Perry, who also served one year. H. H. Mulkey served from 1842 to 1848; N. B. Calvert, from 1848 to 1856; J. H. Swindell from 1855 to 1859; John N. Calvert from 1859 to 1860; W. H. Scoby, from 1860 to 1862; Wm. R. Scurlock, from 1862 to 1866; David G. Young, from 1866 to 1869. In Mr. Young's report of the schools of Williamson County, he says: "The matter of examination of teachers has been regarded as a matter of little importance, and the effect of such a course has been bad indeed. I cannot be as strict in the examination of teachers as I would like to be, for the number of applicants is not large, and if I should not give certificates to some who do not really deserve them, many districts would be without schools. We have few teachers who make teaching a profession; numbers have been in the habit of teaching, or rather tutoring a school, not because they liked teaching, but to secure the $200.00."
The files in the office of the County Superin- tendent show that the first written report was made by William R. Scurlock in 1863. The contract is so striking with the reports made in the last few years, that it deserves to be given herein. Some statistics of the report are as follows: 'Number of teachers, 39; number of first grade teachers, 14; number of second grade teachers, 10; number of third grade teachers, 10; no expenditures for school furniture and apparatus; amount reported as ex- pense for repairs, $1.67; amount expended for teach- ing, $7,397.94; for all school purposes for the year 1863, $9,194.59. At this time, Marion school dis- trict had five months of school. Other schools of the County ranged in terms from one to five months." David G. Young, above mentioned, and now called "County Superintendent" instead of "County School Commissioner," was succeeded by A. N. Lodge, who served from 1869 to 1877. He held the first County Institute. This Institute con- tinued five days, beginning December 27. The num- ber enrolled was fifty-five. Paid instructors, $4.00. Total expense of Institute, $12.00 Instructors were W H. Andrews, Dr. F. M. Stratten, Dr. J. D. F. Jennings, J. H. Patrick, Theodore James, Clark Broden, Dr. S. H. Bundy and J. H. Clemensten.
At the expiration of A. N. Lodge's last term, 1877, Dr. J. M. Fowler was elected to serve until 1882. It was not until the expiration of Dr. Fowler's term, that the County Superintendent of Schools was al- lowed by law any stated or special salary for service, their emolument being 2 per cent for money dis- tributed and loaned, and such pay as the County Commissioner saw fit to allow them for actual official service rendered.
During Mr. Fowler's term, a special effort was made to awaken a better professional interest among teachers, and this, by Teachers' Institutes. For some several years past, it seems all the efforts that
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DIST.50 MISSION RIDGE
DIST. 107 MANN
DIST. 5 CORRINTH
DIST. 101 OGDEN
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DIST. 4 FAIRVIEW
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DIST. 95 ROBINSON
DIST. 56 CRABTREE
DIST. 18 FOWLER
had been made were mostly as regarded the interest of the Institute. His report to the State Department in 1878, says in part: "Held ten days' institute. A great success. 1 am persuaded it has accom- plished much good. No provisions were made by the County Commissioners to help pay the expense for institute, and we had to charge a tuition fee sufficient to defray expenses. D. G. Ray, Instructor."
It is clearly seen that the County Superintendent and the school interest in general were handicapped for lack of funds to pay instructors for the teach- ers' institute, which led to the passage of a law by our State Legislature, making provision for the adequate maintenance of an annual institute.
John H. Duncan succeeded Mr. Fowler as County Superintendent, and served until 1890. During all this time, since the organization of the County, thie old log school houses had been gradually giving place to frame buildings, with some pretense to comfort and convenience. The close of Mr. Dun- can's term, 1890, left only one log school house, an old Moss Covered Land Mark, of the early school days of Williamson County. This District, in 1893, replaced the log house with a frame building, to- gether with good board furniture, and some ap- paratus. The Teachers' Institute had become an established fact, provision having been made by the Legislature for payment of instructors and other necessary expense by requiring the applicant for certificate, to pay a fee of $1.00. During the term of Mr. Duncan as County Superintendent, the first step looking to the grading of the country, or com- mon schools, was made by suggesting the use of the Manual and Guide, a rudimentary course of study introduced by John Trainer. Under this law, the first Township or Central and Final Examina- tions were held. The writer took the first Central examination held by Mr. Duncan, and had taken the next two, before he passed the required aver- age; also, during the last term of Mr. Duncan, the first volumes of a Teachers' County Library were bought, and the County Superintendent made Librarian.
Dr. Duncan's successor was T. J. Youngblood, who served until 1898. By this time the County contained several good High Schools, which included Marion, Carterville, Creal Springs and Crab Orchard Academy, and Creal Springs College and Conserva- tory of Music. In addition to the support of the Annual Institute by law, the good of the schools demanded more meetings, and regular monthly teachers' meetings were held during the school term at Marion or some other convenient point in the County. At these meetings, questions and problems were discussed which directly touched upon the duties of the hour. A course of professional reading for the teachers, recommended by a State Commit- tee, was also discussed. The State course, "Old Manual and Guide of Study," came in for some discussion at almost every meeting and was op-
posed by not a few good teachers. The result of these meetings and an ambition of some of tlie teachers of the County to see what the other teach- ers of adjoining counties were using, resulted in the organization at Stone Fort, in February, 1893, of a Tri-County Union Teachers' Meeting, composed of the counties of Williamson, Saline and Johnston (since joined by Pope County). (This organization was dispensed with but a few years ago). The writer taught his first six schools under Mr. Young- blood and holds a high regard for his work as superintendent.
M. N. Swan was elected in the fall of 1898 to succeed Mr. Youngblood, and served until Decem- ber, 1902. Mr. Swan left a strong and helpful educational sentiment throughout the County. He emphasized the importance of professional prepara- tion, maintaining that qualification of teachers should and must be kept at par with the expenditures for school properties. The attendance at the annual institute and monthly teachers' meetings, show how well the teachers fell in with this professional im- provement.
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