USA > Nebraska > Antelope County > A history of Antelope County, Nebraska, from its first settlement in 1868 to the close of the year 1883 > Part 14
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CHAPTER XXXII
THE EXPERIENCES OF A SCHOOL TEACHER IN ANTELOPE COUNTY IN THE EARLY DAYS -- CONTINUED
BY C. D. BON OF OAKDALE
K NOWING that some changes would be made in the Oakdale school, I became acquainted with the members of the board, Messrs. W. W. Putney, S. C. Fairchild, and I. N. Taylor, and made an application for a position, to which I was finally elected. I do not say "principalship," as there were but two departments, and so there was in the schools a very mixed and chaotic con- dition, and but little chance for grading. During the year up to the time I began teaching, in April, 1882, there had been four different teachers, I making the fifth. Miss Lettie Cooper taught through the entire year and was efficient in the work and well liked by pupils and patrons.
I found the educational interests of the community divided between the public school and a seminary which had been planned for Oakdale, and which plan had been carried out to the extent of holding a short term in the unfinished hotel building. It was in the plan that the public school should do the lower grade work, and that the seminary would finish the product in this so-called higher institution. This seminary had but one instructor, the principal, who was also the pastor of a local church. Dur- ing the first week of April, 1882, the corner-stone of the seminary was laid with impressive ceremonies. I can vouch for the high quality of the addresses, for I heard them all, having dismissed my school to attend. Great were the expectations of the founders and sponsors, and I felt "blue," for I had seen, in another state, in a com- munity much more thickly settled than this, a long, tedious and wasteful struggle between a small denominational school and the public school - a struggle in which the
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public school was for years dwarfed and the other one finally crushed out.
Gates College had just been started at Neligh and by some of the projectors of the Oakdale Seminary it was thought imperative that Oakdale should have a denomina- tional school of a high grade in order to compete with her rival commercially, politically and educationally. The result was even worse than had been forseen, for the semi- nary lived a puny, weak, forceless life for a number of years and finally ceased to struggle; the building was torn down and the site sold, and nothing now remains but the memory of a fruitless undertaking that should never have been begun. The Oakdale community, in its attitude towards and interest in the public schools, suffered for years and was not entirely united until the last decade.
I remained in the Oakdale schools three terms, resigning at the close of the winter term, 1883. Miss Cooper had been unable to complete her winter term with me on ac- count of severe sickness, so her sister, Mrs. Campbell, finished her school - six weeks - and we were succeeded by Mrs. Olmstead, of Wisconsin, and Miss Compton, from
Holt County. Miss Compton resigned before her term was out and was succeeded by Miss Lettie Cooper. The following teachers had been in the Oakdale schools in two years: Thomas Huntington, Miss Mina York, Professor Wilson, Madge Wilson, Miss Pettigrew, Lettie Cooper, C. D. Bon, Mrs. Campbell, Mrs. Olmstead and Miss Comp- ton, ten in all. Is it any wonder that the grading was in a jumble and slow progress was made?
Another hindrance to good work was met,- the un-uni- formity of text-books. While there was a sad want of uniformity in the country districts, the mixture in the Oakdale schools was grotesque. Some classes, arithmetic for instance, had as many as three different texts, with subject matter differently arranged and somewhat differ- ently treated. The unifying of this dissimilarity was labo- rious for teacher and unsatisfactory to pupils. A legacy from the seminary combination plan of the terms before
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was a college arithmetic and a physiology, and a class recited in each. Of course the work in such texts was too difficult for most pupils, and a change in text and in the grade of work meant some friction, and the chaotic condi- tion of texts and grading necessitated too large a number of recitations. A part of the year I had twenty-four recita- tions per day. Perhaps some teacher at the present time, sitting in a well graded room, may have the time and talent to estimate the quality of the instruction and the benefit to the pupils. My present judgment is that the country schools of that period, 1880-83, as country schools, were superior to the village schools of Oakdale and Neligh, as village schools. The quality of the teaching generally was good, the classes not so crowded, the text-books were more uniform, and the course not so mixed nor the recita- tions so numerous.
I visited the Neligh school during the mid-winter of 1882-83. Mrs. Olmstead, who taught at Oakdale the following spring, occupied the one-room school-house that Neligh then had, with the more advanced classes, and Miss Mary Nichol taught the primary classes in a little room down town. This little woman was a. superior teacher and her primary work would be called good even now. Upon the whole I thought that the Oakdale schools were not any behind those of Neligh, unless it was in the matter of uniformity of books; in some particulars I thought them ahead.
The public schools of Neligh were handicapped by Gates College, which was then, I think, in its initial year. Gates College was doing some work that should have been done by the lower grades of a good public school. Some of its work was far below college preparatory work, and the public schools suffered in consequence. Parents sent their children to Gates, first, to help a struggling school, and next, because it sounded so loud and large to say, "My son is in Gates College," "My daughter has just begun her college course." Schools of the grade of the Oakdale seminary and Gates College, in their primitive years can-
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not successfully compete with good public schools in doing the class of work that the public schools are designed to do. Years ago Gates was reduced from a college to an academy rank, but as long as it pursued a legitimate preparatory and college work it ranked high, measured by the best standard, its product. During this year I became ac- quainted with President Holt and Professor Gregory of Gates, both young, able, and enthusiastic teachers. These remarks upon Gates College are made with no intention to criticise, but merely to show the educational conditions of the time as I saw them.
Perhaps some of the "old timers" still remember a debate upon woman suffrage that was held that winter, 1882-83, in Neligh. The question was stated affirma- tively and was maintained by I. N. Taylor and C. D. Bon, of Oakdale, and denied by President Holt and Judge O'Day, of Neligh. There were at least three earnest, vigorous, cogent arguments from the speakers' respective view points. Three of these speakers still live and I won- der if time, experience, and knowledge have modified their views upon that question which is not settled yet, but is still alive !
The county records make no mention of teachers' institutes prior to 1882, but investigation shows that at least two were held before that year. The first held in the county, probably, was one held in the school-room in Oakdale in September, 1874, and lasted three days. Robert Wilson, now our county judge, was the Oakdale teacher and dismissed school to accommodate the teachers' gathering. J. E. Lowes was the county superintendent, and F. A. Cogswell, county superintendent of Madison County, and Ephraim Squires of the same county were the principal instructors. Lectures were given on two evenings, one by some speaker whose name cannot now be recalled, and on the second evening. by J. M. Mckenzie, state superintendent. He also gave some entertaining readings, some of which Mr. Forest Putney quoted to me the other day, remembering them after a lapse of almost
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thirty-five years. Mr. Suter tells me that this lecture was one of the grandest he ever heard. He also says that the attendance was good and much interest manifested. At that time Mr. Suter was teaching one and one-half miles north of Oakdale. This record is indebted to Mr. Suter, Mrs. Thomas Warner, and Mr. Forest L. Putney for inter- esting data. Former County Superintendent Merritt now of Seattle, Washington, in a recent letter to the Neligh "Register," furnishes the data of an institute held during his term of office, but does not say just when. Mr. Merritt was county superintendent from January, 1880, to Janu- ary, 1882, a term of two years, so that his institute must have been in the summer (presumably) of 1880 or 1881. The place of meeting must have been the school-room that did service for several years and would hold about fifty people. The length of its session is not mentioned, but the conductor was Miss Merritt, of New York, the superinten- dent's sister. From all that I have heard of her, aside from what Mr. Merritt in his brotherly praise says of her, she must have been a lady of fine culture and high ability as a teacher. I regret that the names of the lecturers, as well as other items of interest, are not obtainable.
The third teachers' institute, as far as we can learn, was held in Oakdale, August, 1882, in the Methodist church, and lasted two weeks, It was held in the church, as the school-rooms were too small. S. S. Murphy had succeeded Mr. Merritt as superintendent and was desirous of having a large institute. Times were getting better, schools increasing in numbers, wages of teachers advanc- ing, and interest in schools was keeping pace with pro- gress in other ways. He made, in some respects, large plans, to-wit, to have a large attendance and to furnish an ample program of study, but his funds being very "short" he did not have enough help. The writer, who was teaching in Oakdale, was engaged as conductor early in the year, and an elaborate plan of study and recitation, based upon the Wisconsin institute system, was scheduled and published. If Mr. Merritt's institute was the high- water mark one, this one of Mr. Murphy's was the deep-
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water one, for conductor and teachers were flooded with work. In scope the curriculum covered everything from spelling to geometry, including algebra and botany. Both study and reciting were done under high pressure, and I think that the mental digestive apparatus of the teachers must have worked over time the rest of the year to dispose of all the material that their intellectual maws were crammed with during that nine days' meeting. Bear in mind that all the recitations were conducted by one teacher, except a few in spelling conducted by Mr. Murphy. Mrs. C. L. Austin was employed by the superintendent to teach music, which consisted largely of chorus work, and was a pleasant restful relaxation from the strain of the text-book grind.
The only official record of this institute is the follow- ing, which I saw for the first time the other day: "Paid C. D. Bon for nine days, institute work, twenty-seven dollars; paid Mrs. C. L. Austin for nine days' institute work, twenty-five dollars." On reading this I fell into a train of reflection which is not necessary to record here. During that session Mrs. Doctor Roberds gave some demon- strations in vivisection, which were interesting and in- structive. From time to time the institute was addressed by visitors, among whom was W. W. Putney. Mr. Put- ney was capable of making a strong address upon any subject that he had studied, and upon this occasion he was at his best. State Superintendent W. W. W. Jones lectured the evening the institute closed. He was a real able lecturer and his address was inspiring and uplifting.
In closing I may be pardoned for saying that the forty odd teachers composing that institute, about two-thirds of them young women, could not be overmatched in this or any other county, then or now, for brightness, earnestness, zeal, and hard work. I bestow no fulsome praise when I say they were a fine, a splendid company of young men and women. I appreciated them then, and was honored with their friendship; I still hold them in affection in my heart of hearts.
To the pupils, parents, and teachers whom I knew in those far off years I send sincere and heartfelt greetings.
CHAPTER XXXIII
A MOTHER'S EXPERIENCES IN RAISING A FAMILY IN THE EARLY DAYS
BY MRS. CATHARINE E. BECKWITH OF NELIGH
T HE early settlers in the county had many difficulties to contend with, that those of more recent date can hardly understand or realize. Not alone in raising their families, but in various other ways; but that this could be done, and most successfully too, has been fully demonstrated to the people living here to-day. Parents that settled on raw homesteads with young and growing families have, many of them, lived to see their children grown to manhood and womanhood - men of enterprise and integrity, filling positions of trust and some of them taking the lead in the highest affairs of the county. The daughters are women of modest deportment and refine- ment; esteemed and respected by all who know them.
Glancing back thirty-five years in the history of the county, you will see these same people coming on their homesteads, with their families and household goods in immigrant wagons, with only the naked prairie before them. A hard proposition it looked to many, but there was no time for idle speculations or regrets. The first consideration was some kind of a habitation, which at that time was composed principally of logs cut from the scrubby timber that grew along the banks of Cedar Creek and the Elkhorn, and ravines that ran back from those streams. Many of the dwellings were cabins of one room, and the housewife that had two, with perhaps a loft above, was considered most fortunate. As the country filled up with new settlers they had to go back from the streams and very soon found there was not enough building timber for all, and some other means must be resorted to, which they did by plowing up the sod where the coarsest and rankest
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grass grew, the roots of the grass helping to hold the sod together, and this was laid up like brick and formed the walls for their homes, which were more comfortable than an outsider would suppose possible, being cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter then a frame house would be. But the walls were not all. The brush and sap- lings that could not be used for the body of the house were very useful for roof covering, laying the brush length- wise on the ridgepoles and using the saplings for rafters, spreading coarse grass over the brush, and finishing the whole with a thick covering of earth. Floors were found to be a luxury that many people, for want of means, were obliged to dispense with, and lived for the first year or two on the bare earth. Some of the settlers dug cellars or eaves and covered them over with dirt; these were called dugouts. Some dug into the side of a ravine; the front was walled up with logs or boards with a window and door cut in them. A stranger passing would take notice of the improved fields and look in vain for a dwelling and dis- cover it first from the smoke coming out of a stovepipe sticking up through a little mound of dirt. It would be useless to enter into all the details of opening up a new prairie farm, there being so much to be done and seem- ingly all at the same time. All have heard the old song, "Everybody Works but Father," but this was altogether a different proposition. Father struck the pace usually with a team and breaking plow, and every one else fell in line as their age and strength would permit.
After many months of hard toil and the rush was in a little measure over with, as the family gathered together, evening after evening around the humble board, fond par- ents looked with pride upon the happy, smiling faces of their children, freckled and tanned by the wind and sun, but bright and wide awake withal. They deeply felt the need of doing something more for them than could be obtained from Antelope County soil. Husbands and wives held long serious talks together upon the wisdom of having placed themselves in a position that would debar their
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children from all school privileges. Neighbors, when they met, talked the subject over and consulted each other upon the advisability of trying to build a school-house. There were many difficulties in the way, but they were a brave people, full of courage and push; for them to feel a need was, if possible, in some way to meet it. This agita- tion not long after resulted in the calling of a meeting of the parents interested, the organizing a board and agreeing upon a location. This last was perhaps one of the most difficult things to do, as it was impossible to locate where it would be convenient for all and be near the center of the district. Taxes were voted, that there might be money to pay a teacher, and a day appointed for the men of that district to come with their teams to work on the school building.
Now all great institutions of learning are built out of various kinds of material. It was just so with these people - some built of sod, some of logs, a few mostly of tar paper with boards enough to hold together. It usually took weeks and perhaps months before all this could be accomplished and the building ready for use. But accom- plished it was, and in the course of time an instructor duly installed in the district building, which was not at all hand- some or very comfortable, but like many of the homes that the children came from it was habitable, and here many of the children received their first instruction in book-learning. It was all right during the warm weather, and if some of them did have to go a long way they were well, happy, and carefree and rather enjoyed the change. At recess and noon the hot sun did not hinder them from playing ball and tag with just as much vim and enjoyment as the boys that play these same games on the perfect grounds of Harvard College, and with far less fear of spoiling their clothes or wearing out their shoes. The winters were different, and it took brave hearts that looked forward to their future good to send those thinly clad children two or three miles to school when the snow lay in drifts and piles and not a house upon the way. And when the short winter day was
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drawing to a close, how anxiously did the mother watch along the frozen way for the coming of the little forms that had been absent since the early morning. But these winters were not all days of sleet and storm and cold winds. Far from it. Many of them were bright and beautiful, with soft, balmy air and refreshing breezes when you felt it a delight to live. It was the sudden extremes that made the climate trying and dangerous, not alone to the children but to their fathers, who had to be out at their work, let the weather be what it would.
The grain had to be marketed mostly in winter, hauling to Columbus, the nearest market town, a distance of sixty miles, and more for some of the settlers, making a trip of four days for every load of grain. There they bought their groceries and clothing, or rather the cloth that was intended for clothes for the family. The mother living here to-day can take her choice of half a dozen towns in the county, where she can purchase a complete outfit for herself or family, and can hardly realize what it was for the mothers of former years when there were very few sewing machines, and every garment was fashioned by the mother's unceasing labor. Often till the small hours of the morning could these patient and unselfish creatures be seen toiling over the little half-worn garments, renovating and repairing, putting new thumbs in the mittens, knitting new heels and toes in worn-out stockings, that her family might be more comfortable the succeeding day, for many times there was no change of outside garments and what they had must suffice for week days and Sundays. My readers will begin to say, "What an unhappy people they must have been, living in such straitened circumstances." Not at all. They were a cheerful, joyous people, taking them as a whole. They did not, as now, need the whole world with a fence around it to make them happy or contented. They took whatever good that came in their way with thankfulness of heart and when adversity came, as it many times did, in the form of drought, hail, and grasshoppers, they bore that with patience and fortitude, looking forward to something
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better in the future. It was remarkable, the unselfish feeling of good comradeship and kindly interest that existed among them. If any one met with losses all were sym- pathetic and helpful as far as circumstances would permit. If any one was in distress, every one was anxious for their relief. If any were sick, there were plenty of willing hands to nurse them back to health and strength. This was just as it should have been and surely pleasing in the sight of the Lord. But how sad to contemplate that this un- selfish interest in each other is so much a thing of the past. The very privileges they were deprived of and the difficulties which they overcame have helped to make them the pros- perous and energetic settlers of to-day.
To illustrate how little it took to make the children have a good time I will relate an amusing little incident [that happened under my own observation. It was early in the spring when one of the neighbor boys came to spend the day with a family of friends where they were all boys. He was greeted with enthusiasm; they were so rejoiced to have a companion and playmate that all began at once re- lating the news of the farm. Among other things, that one hen had begun to lay, and that old Cherry had a red calf. Now old Cherry was an all white cow and had at one time been owned by this boy's father, and they felt, of course, that he would be interested. Very soon they all went troop- ing off to the stable to inspect the red calf. Coming back after a little while, they brought with them a few eggs which they asked to have cooked for their dinner The winter had been long and cold, vegetables were scarce, and table delicacies were rare. No wonder they were desiring a change for dinner. The mother told them that there were not eggs enough for five sturdy boys, which was very disappointing. She came to the rescue and suggested that she make a custard pie instead, in which there would be a plenty for all. The vote was unanimous. The pie was made and baked in a long bread or dripping pan, the rest of the dinner prepared, and the boys were seated by them- selves around the table that stood on the bare dirt floor,
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and was drawn up close to the bed, upon which two of the boys sat. The dinner progressed rapidly and very soon there was a call for the pie, which was served out to each in large squares by the mother's willing hands, serving the little guest first and returning to her work. There was a moment's hush, then two or three voices asking all at once, "What's the matter with Miley?" The sight that met the eye on looking around, was enough to bring a smile to any face. There sat the company with his bright, curly head thrown back, his eyes closed, and his mouth open, drawing in long breaths of cold air and shaking his head from side to side, in an effort to cool that mouthful of burning pie so he could swallow it, which he did, saying in a tone of relief, "There, I saved it." The boys said, "Well, why didn't you spit it out?" He replied with a little laugh that he didn't want to waste it. This boy is now a man of enterprise and integrity engaged in the lumber business at Raymond, Washington.
As yet there has been no mention of religious privileges and some may think that the settlers were too busy to look after those things, or that they were a secondary matter. This would be a grave mistake, for from the time there were a half a dozen families settled along Cedar Creek, a Sunday school was organized and held regularly from house to house, and as the country settled up and school- houses were built, there were more and better privileges, there being among the early settlers of the county, living on homesteads, two Congregational ministers and one Methodist, who preached to the people occasionally or regularly, as seemed best. One of them held meetings regularly at his own house for more than a year, preaching the gospel to all that came. This was the Reverend Henry Griffiths of West Cedar valley and one of Antelope County's most worthy pioneers.
Those who have read Samantha Allen's works will re- member how passionately fond she was of "episoding," and I hope that if I do a little of this and relate my own personal experience during the first blizzard we encountered after
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