USA > Missouri > Jasper County > A history of Jasper County, Missouri, and its people > Part 13
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THE CAMPAIGN OF 1878
In the campaign of 1878 the Greenback party made a most vigor- ous campaign drawing strength from both of the old parties, and, while not successful. made a formidable combatant and more than tripled its strength at the 1876 campaign. The interest centered on the choice of congressman who was elected by the Democrats. The vote in the
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county on congressman was: For Waddell, Democrat, 2,285; Burton, Republican, 2,096; Richey, Greenback, 1,722.
In the county the Democratic ticket was elected, the successful can- didates being : Sheriff, J. S. McBride; judges of the county court, Wil- liam Byers, G. W. Scott, and Isaac Schooler; circuit clerk, W. A. Wil- liams; recorder, J. W. Burch; treasurer, John Onstott; probate judge, W. H. Kilgore; collector, W. E. Hall; prosecuting attorney, J. W. Mc- Antire, and representative, J. A. Pollard.
RAILROAD MATTERS
While the Tebo & Neosho Railroad proposition was still being discussed, a company composed of local capital was formed and pro- posed to build a railroad through Lawrence and Jasper counties, run- ning east and west and traversing the rich valley of Spring river. The company was called the Spring River Valley Railroad Company. The county court, in aid of the proposition and on petition of the people, called special elections in Sarcoxie, Marion and Mineral townships to vote bonds, and $100,000 was subscribed. The road was not built and the bonds which had been issued were burned, as already stated.
L. P. Cunningham now interested some eastern capital in a railroad proposition and organized the Memphis, Carthage and Northwestern Railroad Company, which was composed of a number of enterprising Jasper county citizens and eastern financiers.
The road first extended from Pierce City, the western terminus of the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad (now the 'Frisco) to Oronogo and the several townships through which the road was to pass were again called upon to vote bonds to aid in the construction of the road. Although there was some opposition to voting bonds again, the proposition carried and $120,000 was subscribed. Sarcoxie township voted $40,000, Marion township $50,000 and Mineral township $30,000. The road was com- pleted to Carthage July 4, 1872, and the event was celebrated with a monster demonstration which was attended by 10,000 people who had come to see "the iron horse." The next year the road was completed to Oronogo, and Jasper county now had an eastern market for its farm and mineral products.
While the road was in process of construction the company made a proposition to the city of Carthage and Marion township to locate its shops at Carthage, provided an additional $75,000 in bonds be voted. The project was warmly supported by the Carthage Banner but met with organized opposition from many substantial citizens. A mass meeting was held February 2, 1872, and was largely attended, Jesse Thacker presiding over the meeting and W. H. Woodmansy acting as secretary. R. H. Rose, D. J. Thomas, Dr. J. A. Carter, A. B. Parkell, Peter Myers and E. J. Montague spoke against lending further aid until the road was built and in operation. The proposition failed by a small vote, but the road was completed as per contract and was a great boon to the county. After the Memphis, Carthage and Northwestern Railroad was completed to Carthage, other capital was interested and
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the company was reorganized under the name of Missouri and Western Railway and was extended to Oswego, Kansas, being completed to that point in 1876.
In 1879 the Missouri and Western was sold to the 'Frisco and is now a part of that great system.
The second railroad to be built was the Joplin and Girard, which was financed principally by E. R. Moffet, John B. Sergeant, Pat Mur- phy; W. P. Davis, H. Brown, W. A. Bodkin and Colonel Budlong, and was built for the purpose of giving an outlet for the mineral and smelted products of the Joplin mines. The first officers of this road were Col- cnel Budlong, president; E. R. Moffet, vice president; W. A. Bodkin, secretary; and J. B. Sergeant, treasurer. The road was built from Joplin to Girard on the Gulf Road a distance of thirty-nine miles, work was commenced in February, 1876, and the road was completed in August, 1877. The last spike, which was appropriately made of lead, was driven August 20th amidst the cheers of the assembled multitude of people. This road was sold in 1879 to the 'Frisco Railway.
THE KANSAS CITY, FORT SCOTT & GULF RAILROAD
The above named popular line was built to Joplin in 1879, from Baxter Springs to Joplin, and was at first called the Joplin and Short Creek Railroad. Galena, Kansas, was at first called Short Creek. The first train ran into Joplin in October, 1879. The Kansas City and Gulf later became the Kansas City, Memphis and Gulf Railroad, and before it passed into the hands of the 'Frisco had grown to be a great system and, it might be added, a very popular one.
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CHAPTER XII
EDUCATIONAL MATTERS
. COUNTY SUPERVISION OF SCHOOL-J. W. JACOB (1871-2)-"SPELLING DOWN"-JASPER COUNTY TEACHERS' INSTITUTE (1871)-SCHOOL EXHIBITION-U. B. WEBSTER (1872-3)-JASPER COUNTY TEACHERS' INSTITUTE (1873)-THE SIXTH DISTRICT TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION -- COUNTY SCHOOL COMMISSIONER (1875)-S. A. UNDERWOOD (1877-9) -STATE TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION (1878)-SINGING SCHOOL-UNI- FORM TEXT BOOK LAW-MISCELLANEOUS NOTES.
Keeping pace with the growth of the country in population, the school system grew larger and more important during the 'seventies, as noted in our last chapter. January 1, 1870, found the county with seventy-nine school districts and one hundred and four teachers. De- cember, 1879, found a few over a hundred organized schools and one hundred and sixty teachers.
We will treat the city schools in a description of the several towns, and will, in this article, speak of the county schools and the matters pertaining to education in which the entire county had an interest, grouping together the important happenings which occurred during the administration of each of the county superintendents.
COUNTY SUPERVISION OF SCHOOLS
Jasper county was the first in the state to adopt county supervision and employ the entire time of a county superintendent, and the high standing of her schools attests the wisdom of this step along the line of progress.
J. W. JACOB (1871-2)
At the general election of 1870, J. W. Jacob was elected county superintendent. Spelling was his hobby and during the early 'sev- enties the old-fashioned spelling matches were renewed and came into great popularity. We present here a paper written by one of the Jas- per county teachers and read before a teachers' meeting in February, 1872. It is interesting because it describes the conditions of the 'sev- enties and a period when the public school system was in its infancy.
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"SPELLING DOWN"
AN OLD CUSTOM REVIVED.
"We met a sleigh-load of boys and girls the other night a few miles out of the city, on their way to a 'spelling match' in the schoolhouse of a neighboring district, and the jingling bells and the merry laughter of the young folks made us forget for a season that we had passed the forenoon of life; and we joined the happy throng in imagination, and were back again among the scenes of years ago, when cares were few and the greatest sorrow of our life was to be compelled to stay away from spelling or singing schools and know that Bill Jones would go home with our girl after the exercises of the evening were ended.
"Is there an individual living who does not at times brush the cobwebs away from his pictures of the past and revert fondly to the scenes of his youth? If 80, let him be known, though we do not believe in the unmanly feeling that prompts one to look back for all his pleasures, and see only clouds and stormy weather in the future.
"But we commenced to talk of spelling schools-the old-fashioned kind, held in our own or neighboring schoolhouses. The latter, however, were looked for- ward to with more pleasure, as the usual monotony of the occasion was relieved by the excitement of the meeting of a foreign foe, and the fun of a ride under the buffalo robes to the field of contest.
"How 'big' we used to feel when in solemn manner the school master would step up on the rostrum, and after erasing all traces of the day's arithmetical exercises upon the blackboard that our minds might not wander from the even- ing's work, sing out in a well-remembered voice, a cross between a deacon's and a heavy tragedian's, our name, coupled with some member of the opposition side as the two upon whom fell the honor of choosing sides. ยท
"And what terrible suspense intervened while the two pedagogues drew cuts to see who should have his first choice, preparatory to selecting the chosen two dozen who were to try and spell each other down.
"If the leader of the 'other side' happened to be a rival of ours in the suit for smiles from the rosy-cheeked girl who apparently had no thought for any- thing save the apples she was slyly eating behind the stove, the excitement was doubly great, until it was decided that we (just think of it!) had drawn the longest straw and were entitled to the first choice among all the bevy of young folks that were scattered around the schoolroom.
"How high we lifted our cow-hide boots as we stepped off to the corner of the room where the line of orthographical battle was to be formed! Of course, the first name called was that of our sweetheart, though (must we say it?) she was the poorest speller in the school, and her formation of words would frighten the portrait of old Noah Webster from the title-page of his first-book. She was the handsomest young girl in the whole school; her cheeks were as red as a Baldwin apple, and her curls, which had been elaborately twisted around a hot poker, were natural, and besides that she had agreed to go home from all the singing schools for a month ahead with us, and when we had a stone bruise on our heel in summer, who but she could tie a rag so tenderly around the spot! So, we repeat it, we chose her at once, and while she was tripping to ber place at our side, the other leader, as if to seek revenge and pay court to Mars Instead of Venus, selected for his first choice the very best scholar in school, a girl who, though homely as Barnum's 'What is it,' could go through the spelling book like lightning, and was as much at home among words of seven syllables as those of two. When the work commenced and the quota of spelling was soon filled, though we must confess that our mind became slightly confused while holding 'our girl's' hand and choosing at the same time, our side was weak, mentally, compared with that of Bill Jones.
"After order was obtained among the scholars and those who were not in the lists had brought their angry feelings under subjection, 'Old Jacket Duster,' Vol. IT
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as we termed our teacher, would pull out a dog's-eared copy of 'Webster's Ele- mentary,' whose fiy leaves had long since ascended heavenward in the form of 'spit-balls,' and in a voice about three keys higher than his ordinary tone, pro- ceed to 'put out' the words alternately to the two sides. The contest waxed warmer, and down went all the 'small fry' on the simple words. We were only allowed one trial and the man who hesitated was irrevocably lost, until at last only a half a dozen were left on a side. 'Our girl' had come near going down on the word 'coffee.' (She always commenced it with a K), but we had set her right in a whisper, though Bill Jones saw the 'prompting' and would have in- formed the teacher had he not at that moment received a stunner in the shape of 'phthisic,' which occupied his mind to the exclusion of all else, but which he would have mastered had not a wad of chewed paper struck him at that moment in the mouth, and so affected his utterance as to lead the master to think he had omitted one 'h;' and he sat down swearing, and we had the satisfaction of seeing his ears slapped with a piece of rubber for his profanity. There were now five on the other side and six on ours, when the teacher of the other school took the floor, and we saw that there was blood in his eye the moment he said 'We will now proceed to spell Bible proper names.'
"This exercise soon thinned our ranks. Four at one shot, on Nebuchadnez- zar.' 'Our girl' let go of our hand and wilted on 'Pharoah' before we could in- form her whether it commenced with F or P, and finally we keeled over on the simple word Isaac, and the champion was a small boy of ten years, who was named after the son of Abraham, and the only Bible word which he could spell was that which he had won that day.
"But the sorrows and troubles of our youthful days never lasted long, and we had soon forgotten our defeat in the happiness of having the rosy-cheeked girl to ourself in the back end of the sleigh, and with three buffalo robes that we had stolen to conceal our faces and render unintelligible the whispered words of sympathy and affection that we poured in under the 'kiss-me-quick' hood that covered her curls. Two mittens held our four hands, and the few strong pep- permint drops that we had been hoarding up for this occasion were dull and tasteless compared to the condensed extract of sweetness that we daringly snatched from her lips when crossing the bridge on our way home. She said she had 'forgotten that there were so many bridges on the road,' while we-well, gentle reader, you cannot have forgotten how the old thing worked in those days before the war."
JASPER COUNTY TEACHERS' INSTITUTE (1871)
The third meeting of the Jasper County Teachers Institute was at- tended by one hundred and ten teachers, which, considering that there were but one hundred and four schools, showed an interest both among the regular teachers and the prospective ones. The institute occurred on August 14th and the following officers were elected: U. B. Webster, of Medoc, president; K. Elliott, vice president; Laura Ralston, secre- tary; J. W. Jacobs, treasurer.
The feature of this meeting was the appointment of Miss M. E. Chaddle, a noted linguist, as the critic for the meeting, and at the close of each session she made a report of the inaccuracies of speech, gram- matical errors, mispronounced words, etc. It is needless to say that after the first session everyone was on the qui vive and guarded his speech most carefully. During Mr. Jacobs' administration the school exhibition also came into popularity. The following clipping from the Carthage Banner, March 12, 1872, describes one of many such, and shows, too, how the people of the early day overcame difficulties.
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JASPER SCHOOL EXHIBITION
By urgent request we attended the school exhibition at Jasper school house, eight miles southeast of here, on last Tuesday night. We were well paid for doing so. The Jasperites are natural exhibitionists, as the following report will show.
We arrived on the ground about sundown, and found the large exhibition tent well filled, even at that early hour. Every road centering to the school house was lined with young and old, afoot, ahorse or in wagons. The grove by the school house was packed full of teams. People had come together from a radius of eight miles to see and hear the exhibition. The school house was used as a dressing room. The performers entered the stage through the windows. The stage, with the side curtains, covered the entire side of the schoolhouse, and was about 15x30 feet in size. This gave the actors plenty of elbow room. A large tent was put up, extending out sixty or seventy feet from the school house, capa- ble of seating five hundred persons. The seats were railroad ties, new and hard. There were at least six hundred persons present.
The exercises commenced about 8 o'clock, and continued until nearly 3 o'clock, in the morning. Everything passed off smoothly. We have never seen better acting done in country places, than at Jasper, last Tuesday evening. All did well-a few did extra well. Much credit is due Mr. H. C. Warner, the teacher, for the excellent discipline and control, all evinced, from the least to the greatest. He was well assisted by Mrs. Smith, who seems to be perfectly at home in the bewilderments of an exhibition of that magnitude. The only unpleasant feature about the performance, was the cold weather. There being no fire in the tent many near the canvas were uncomfortably cold; those near the center fared better. We did not stay till the close, but we learn that the pieces grew better and better to the close. Had it been pleasent weather it would have been a real enjoyable occasion.
U. B. WEBSTER (1872-3)
U. B. Webster succeeded to the superintendency in 1872 and intro- duced into the schools the plan of publishing reports giving an account of his works, visitation and his observation in the schools. These re- ports had the effect of causing each teacher to be on the alert and make the best showing possible, so that the printed report of the school would reflect credit on the district. During 1872 Mr. Webster made seventy- four visitations, and, for the purpose of giving the reader an idea of the conditions then, we print here the notes made at the schools, taking one or more from each township.
Charter Oak school house, seven miles northeast of Carthage; John Bryant. teacher; seventy pupils on the register, and an average attendance of thirty four; public examination of the school every three months; three cases of cor poral punishment during the term, all slight. The school had twelve visitors to day. One of them said he "was much pleased with the attention and genera! deportment of the school." Mr. Zinn said ."the school is well regulated;" Mr Brummint, was "well pleased with the order and attendance;" Mr. Walker said "the dismissal was the best and most orderly he ever saw;" Judge Koontz said "the system of teaching is good and the order excellent." Charter Oak has a good school, and all seem pleased. The house is not equal to the requirements of the district, and must soon give place to a better one.
Silver Creek school house, three and a half miles northwest of Medoc, Miss Alice Pickering, teacher. Wages $30. New district. Eighteen pupils on register, sixteen in attendance. House comfortable, but no seats or blackboard. Schoo.
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doing well. Good drill in reading, and first-rate order; no whispering. A small school but a pretty good one.
School house on Blackberry Creek, three miles west of Medoc, Miss Nora Gray- son, teacher. Wages $30. Eighteen pupils on register, fourteen in attendance. Good little school house and everything in order. Good desks and teacher's desk, bell and black board. School doing well. Miss Grayson and Miss Pickering are both new teachers, and in their schools show good system.
Jasper school house; H. C. Warner, teacher; wages $45; sixty pupils on the register, averaging an attendance of forty ; house seated with pine desks and fur- nished with maps, tablets, charts and globe; school doing well. Warner is one of the "Old Rellables," "one of the working ones," and means business all the time. The directors and patrons are interested and harmonious, good feeling pre- valls, and, of course, the school is a success.
Reed's school house, in sub-district No. 7, town 28, range 30; Miss Carrie Ditto, teacher ; wages, $33 1-3; small, new house, and first term of school in this district. The people of this district have long needed a school. Thirty-two pupils on the register; term three and a-half months. Miss Ditto is doing well, I think. I heard in this school the most perfect recitation in Geography that I have heard this winter, it was perfect-even to the exact locating of St. Peters- burg, Russia.
Stony Point (Boyd's) school house, sub-district No. 4, town 27, range 30; W. T. Burkholder, teacher; wages $35; about sixty pupils on register; room clean, pupils quiet and order good; house seated with pine desks along the sides of the room and facing each other; good blackboard and plenty of chalk ; good average school.
Garden Dell school house, six miles northwest of Carthage; Miss Mattie Higgins, teacher ; good little house; well seated; teacher's table, maps and black- board; forty-five pupils on register ; average attendance thirty-eight; class exer- cises good, except third reader, in that recitation a lack of attention ; particular pains in spelling and pronouncing ; some good essays in topical geography by the Misses Frise ; small pupils print spelling lessons ; Miss H. labors earnestly ; two visits from directors.
Alba ; Miss Emma Frise, teacher; wages $33 1-3; seventy pupils on regis- ter; average fifty-eight ; house too small and out of repair. This is Miss Emma's first term; and she has had a hard time, but she is one of the plucky ones that will "dare and do;" she has fought it out on "that line," and her first school is a success; but it has required spirit, and muscle too. The Alba school is crowded; the house is too small, and there is too much work for one teacher to do. The patrons of the school should look to the interest of the children in this matter ; a good set of pupils.
Quaker Church school ; Jeremiah Hubbard, teacher ; wages $40; No. of pupils seventy ; average attendance forty-eight ; good school; Mr. H. keeps good order, has good recitations; and is beloved by his pupils; his district will lose a good teacher when it lets him go; he is faithful and earnest and has the welfare of his pupils at heart. The district has no school house at present, but have $500 towards a new brick house, and have the site and the plan of their house, and are Intending to build the coming season ; If they carry out the design, the house will be a credit to their district.
Stroup school house, small log house. In "The name of God" what do men want to build a log school house for, in this day and age of the world? Like the old maid who prayed for a husband; when the owl said "who, who" she answered "any body good Lord." This house don't fill the bill; teacher A. J. Hubbard; wages $35; No. of pupils twenty; average fourteen. This is a small school ; cannot say much about it; I like what I saw of it pretty well.
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Perry school house, two miles north of Carthage. T. J. Dudman, teacher, wages $40. Forty-six pupils on register, thirty-nine in attendance. Messrs. Conard, Thomas, and Armsby present. House well seated and furnished with black board, maps, globe and tablets. Pupils bright, intelligent and studious. Teacher in carnest, school a success. It is one of the schools of the county that fills the bill. Some of the reasons: 1st. It was started right when first or- ganized. 2d. The patrons are alive to their own interests. 3d. Directors do their duty. 4th. Teacher and pupils understand each other. School consid- erably advanced and A No. 1. Good singing.
Preston school, Whitemore, teacher. Wages, $40. Sixty-five pupils on regis- ter, thirty-five in attendance, average forty-two. This school still retains its old name of being a hard school to manage. It is, and requires a teacher of experience and a thorough disciplinarian. Directors should employ some of the. old "Wheel horses" of the county, who would enforce discipline. Whitemore is a good teacher but this is his first term. He is doing well, considering all things. This house has blackboard enough, for every available space is covered with good wall black board. House well seated with cherry desks. Directors present. A good school, but lacks that great essential, discipline. An $85 bell crowns the building. With good discipline this school would be all right. Good singing.
Cedar Bluffs, two miles west of Preston. Henry Hubbard, teacher. Wages $35. Forty-six pupils on register, average attendance twenty-seven. Small box house, cold and uncomfortable; good seats and maps, but insufficient black board. School just about an average. Cannot be much Improved without a new house, which is much needed.
Linnland school house, four miles north and east of Preston. This is an awkward name, and not appropriate, but the school is all right, and a perfect success, for all are satisfied-parents, pupils and superintendent. T. A. Reming- ton, teacher. Wages $40. Fifty-six on register, average thirty-seven. Directors present. One of the good schools of the county. Please keep it so. Good singing.
Coon Creek, Union Valley school; two miles west of Midway, sub-district number 1; township 30; range 30; John Weed, teacher; wages $40; here I found a good school, good house, good desks, good blackboard, plenty of chalk and directors not afraid to have it used. Appearance of pupils good, clean, sprightly and intelligent; recitations good. Weed is a good teacher, his pupils love him and the district appreciates his labors. The patrons of this school deserve credit for their mutual effort to sustain a good school.
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