History of the County of Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, with Biographical Sketches of Many of its Pioneers and Prominent Men, Part 93

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" We regard that meeting as the great maker of the teachers of Penn- sylvania ; there a spirit was aroused which will never rest until the

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character of our pablie ceboole is elevated to the highest that can be attained. The Hos. Themes EL, Barrowes, the untiring friend of educe- tion, and who has done more than any other man in the State for public schools, was present and took es active part in the meeting. After Its return home be pablished in the Puuweyissuis Bokse! Journal a glowing secount of what had been done, wirich to aroused the teachers of several cowaties to a sense of duty that before the new year was wehered in a number of Institutes had been held in various sections of the State, and arrangements made for their continuance in fetare. Since that time searly every county bes heid one or more Institutes. The ' Coormengh Institute' convdbed at New Alexandria in October, 1868, and continued in session one week, and again at Salteburg in October, 1864, for one week. At this last meeting the connection between the teachers of In- dians and Westmorelsad, so far as related to the 'Conemengh,' was die- colved by mutual consent, it being thought that the time had arrived for establishing two separate Institutes, one in each county, and that it was the duty of county superintendente to establish schools for the instruc- tion of tesobers. In accordance with this view, our superintendent, Mr. McCormick, is now making arrangements for holding ao Institute of Greeneberg, tu commence on the 8th of October next, and continue one week. He'bes secured the services of Prufessor J. H. Stoddard, & trao friend of education, wod professor in the Normal School at Lancaster. Mr. J. P. Wickersbam, superintendent of Lancaster County, bes prom- lead to be present, if possible. Mr. Barrowes and other distinguished gentlemen are also expected to be with us.

"Very many of the teachers of this county have been engaged in teaching for several years, remaining isolated belags, never meeting with their fellow Into. 's, never exchanging views with other teachers on the duties of their profession. This is all wrong. No tescher is so well qualified that he cannot improve, and he who desires to teach in- telligently and macosed in the sobool-room must associate frequently with his brother teschers. Idees will be advanced, modes of teaching parsued by others will be suggested, and, unless he be resolutely de- termined to learn nothing more, he will return to his school-room with . Highter heart, a better knowledge of his duties, and with a renewed seal for his profession. This is an age of improvement; there is a uni- versal demand for reforma,-in religion, in politics, in education, in every. thing pertaining to our moral and social condition. The truly good teacher is beginning to be appreciated, and teaching is being elevated to its proper place. A majority of those who taught, or, rather, bcps school, my fifteen years ago, are no longer accounted worthy to oo- cupy the position of teacher; they remained isolated, were well enough qualified to teach school, and so they awoke one morning and found themselves 'behind the age.' And the ' drones,' the machine-men, who are now intrusted with forming the character of the rising generation, unless they be up and doing, will soon meet the fate of their predeces- cors. We do not hesitate to my that the teacher who is unwilling to come out and mect his brother teachers face to face, who never expends a part of his salary in qualifying himself for his office, Is unworthy the name of teacher, and had we the power to do so, we would strikke the name of every such person from the roll. Much better would it be for the young minds of the present day if all such teachers, if they must be recipients of public funds, were paid to keep out of school-houses, as in that case our children, if not educated, would not be worse than w- educated. But we believe that a majority of the teachers of this county are interested in this matter, and really do wish to see our schools ob- tain a more elevated character, and although they have stood aloof from the good work which has been going on, we cannot believe they have done so from cholos, but rather have been actuated by feelings of modesty and a dislike.of becoming known. Throw these feelings aside, and let us mest together to talk over our trials and difficulties, and have the dark places made bright. Let us meet and do each other good."

THE SUPERINTENDENCY.

The act establishing the county superintendency was passed in 1854, and has consequently been in operation, at this writing, twenty-eight years. The office was at first very unpopular, but its usefulness is now universally acknowledged, except where men fill it who are incompetent for the place.1 Those ac- quainted with the history of the common school's in Pennsylvania for the last quarter of a century must

accord to it the high honor of being the principal agency in the movement that has revolutionized our system of public instruction, making it one of the most efficient in the Union.

The Legislature of 1866 greatly strengthened the office by passing a law requiring all superintendents to be practical teachers, and to possess certain pre- scribed literary and professional qualifications.

The school bill of 1854, in which was established the office of county superintendent, was received with marked feelings of disapprobation in some parts of the county. Like all advancements in any depart- ment of thought or action, it was opposed by that large portion of people who are constitutionally op- posed to innovation.

But among the supporters of that bill was Mr. Hoopes, the ardent supporter of every movement and every law contemplated or passed in the interest of the common-school system. He published a lengthy article on "The Office of County Superintendent" in the current issues of the Greensburg papers, in which he answers the objections advanced by those opposed to the office. In this article he evinced a thorough knowledge, not only of the State legislation on the subject, but of the whole history of the school move- ment in the State in every phase and in every sec- tion.

Touching upon that function of the county super- intendent, to pass upon the qualifications of teachers in both theory and practice, he uses the following language :

" We have about two hundred and fifty schools; and of the teachers employed in these, I would like to know how many can publicly give their modus operandi of teaching? How many have any method at all! How many are mere machines, schoolmasters who teach altogether from the book, and do not know anything out of some particular text- books they have committed to memory ? How many teachers have we who have ever thought for one moment that something more than a mere knowledge of some school reader, arithmetic, or grammer ie ao- tually necessary in order to constitute a teacher capable of unfolding the infant mind and conducting it step by step up the rugged 'hill of science'? These are grave and important questions, questions to which gloomy answers can only be returned, questions that deserve to be pondered seriously before we assert that our teachers and our schoolą are in need of no further improvement.

"Can the superintendeat in any way improve the condition of our schools ? Most mesuredly he can; and the more certainly to eradicate the great and prevailing evil the Low itself points out his first duty, the examination of teachers."

During 1858 and 1859 the great question which still agitated the peace of mind of the respectably inclined portion of country gentlemen, particularly those of that large class who are always looking about for a subject and an occasion which offers them a chance to be heard, was the question of the county superin- tendency, whether the office should be retained or vacated, whether it was of advantage or of disadvan- tage, whether, in choice terms, it was a good invest- ment or an unprofitable investment. Meetings were held in nearly every school district in the county. The foremost gentlemen in every community at- tended. Their names appear in the reports of these

1 Report of superintendent of public instruction for 1878.

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meetings as they were published in the county papers of the time. The great majority of these meetings indorsed resolutions which substantially pronounced the office of county superintendent a miserable fail- ure, inadequate to meet the ends sought, expensive and burdensome. The Legislature was requested to repeal the law and vacate the office. The men whose names figured most conspicuously would now be ashamed if they were made public. And well might they be, for they belong to that category which have from time immemorial been conspicuous for their opposition to innovations and to all advancement in the arts which have benefited the human race. They belong to that class which opposed the introduction of the prees, of toll-paying turnpikes, of prepaid postage, of locomotives, of telegraphy, of the aboli- tion of the insolvent laws, and of vaccination. As a general remark, they were of narrow minds and of still narrower experience, selfish, ignorant, self- righteous, and covetous. And we know not of any who opposed the common-school system more de- serving reprehension or more the objects of well- merited contempt than those who tried to crush out the system in the infancy of its existence.

That there were some plausible reasons upon which to found an expression of opinion in opposition to the office of county superintendent, and which at that time were apparent, will not be denied. The super- visory duties of that officer were not then thoroughly understood even by that officer himself. To have a public officer perform the functions of his office more things are necessary than the mere creation of the office and the induction of the officer. All jar- ring in the working part of the machinery must be stopped; there must be an harmonious movement of all its parts. Such a condition of affairs did not then exist, nor was it possible for it to exist. But how few even at that day, friends of education and of the common-school system, as they called themselves, who, viewing the whole field carefully and critically, made up their minds unbiased by prejudice or un- controlled by ignorance.

The report of Superintendent McAfee for the year previous contained the following :

"I visited two hundred and two schools during the year, and although I had confidently expected to be able to visit all in the county during the winter, I was compelled, in consequence of the shortness of the school term, to leave over sixty unvisited. I made every effort to redeem my promise to the teach- ers at the public examinations to visit all, but I soon found that no person can visit so many schools in so short a time."

For the latter part of the school year of 1859 (Feb- ruary), Mr. McAfee availed himself of the privilege allowed him by the law, and appointed Mr. R. S: Dinsmore, of Burrell township, and Mr. Austin Tay- lor, of East Huntingdon township, his assistants, to visit schools in the respective districts assigned them.

Among the "Proceedings" of the citizens of Derry township, who met at School-House No. 8 on the evening of 10th February, 1859, is the following :

" Resolved, That we consider our schools in a retrograde, in place of a progressive, condition. . . . We view the present law arbitrary, the power being all placed in the hands of school board and superintendent, the tax-payers having nothing to my.

"That we view with indignation that feature of the law which em- powers the teachers and directors, absolutely combined,'to force on any locality a series of books which they do not prefer, and to debar a series of books which it is the desire of the people to use.

"That we will support no man for the office of school director that will not pledge himself, if called upon, to cut down the salary of the county superintendent, and use all honorable means to abolish the office."

Previous to that meeting a similar meeting had been held at Hickory Spring School-House, Unity township, at which the following resolution, which had been made public, copied and indorsed by many other meetings in the neighborhood, was passed :

"That we view with indignation and abhorrence that feature of the law which empowers the superintendent and directors, combined, to arbitrarily force on any locality a series of books when that locality is already supplied with a series they prefer. We believe that by an easy transition of such laws in their hands many would strike a death-blow at the rights of conscience and triumph in our prostrate liberties "

But this resolution was seriously condemned by other meetings in Unity township, particularly at a meeting held at No. 5 (Boyd's) about the same time of the meeting in Derry, above referred to.

Petitions were in circulation in various portions of the county praying the Legislature to repeal that part of the school law of 1854 which relates to the county superintendency.

But the system survived all this, and we have only to suggest a few observations before we note more minutely the progress and come to consider the present status of the system. There should not be any invidious distinctions drawn between the system of education common in the early period and that which was common in a later period, or which now prevails, to an utter contempt for the former .system, as is sometimes done. In some respects our schools of to-day, in the subject matter taught and in the method of teaching, are not much, if at all, in advance of the schools of the generation preceding ours. For example, the discipline which is necessary for a mas- tery of the mathematics, of which elementary arith- metic is a branch, is said to be now wanting. So, too, has it been averred that object teaching does not in its method lay the solid foundation which the old system did. But leaving these things to right them- selves, it is apparent that the common-school system in its present degree of perfection is not the work of a day. The labor of those hands who worked in the cause of popular and free schooling may be seen in the superstructure of the system itself. The present system of common-school education could only have been produced by a people who were trained up in it, and who towards a common end actively co-operated together. Such a system could not have been built up by any man or by any one set of men out of the

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incongruous elements at hand. A county institute of 1881, with its trained instructors in all the practical and experimental sciences, in practice of teaching and in belles-lettres, in elocution and in vocal music, would have been in its ends and objects utterly in- comprehensible to our people of 1884.

But there is one difference in the method of instruc- tion which will universally be admitted an improve- ment. This is in the manner of correcting the pupil by means of corporeal punishment. The rattan, the ferules, the long hickory switches, the dunce-cape, the high stools, the retaining the bad scholars in after school hours, these things have now about all passed out. There is consequently no further use for the charm that lies in the eyelash curled up in the youngster's hands, which was to shatter the accursed wood of the ferule the instant it came in contact, nor can the wicked truant show that Spartan firm- ness his prototype was wont to show when he took a whipping in his shirt-sleeves, and to the infinite grati- fication of the other wicked boys the master conld not make him cry.

FIRST COUNTRY SCHOOLS IN THE NORTH.

For the following personal recollections and obser- vations we are indebted to H. M. Jones, Esq., lately county superintendent :

" In regard to the schools of the county, my memory only carries me back to 1883. I remember very well, however, the appearance of the building and its sur- roundings: It was a log building, which stood in the woods near to a stream of water. The only windows, if such- they may be called, were one on each side, consisting of a space between two logs with upright sticks some eighteen to twenty inches apart, and covered with greased paper so that the light might more easily penetrate within. The fireplace was of huge dimensions, into which logs of a very large size were rolled and fired, it being in the end of the build- ing. I remember of seeing small paddles on which the letters of the alphabet were pasted, and from which the little learner was expected to learn his A, B, C's. Cobb's Spelling-Book, the Old and the New Tes- tament, and the ' Western Calculator' were the books used. The master, as he was called, was stern, and seemed very much to prefer birch suasion to moral. A better class of buildings took the place of those log structures very soon after the adoption of the com- mon-school system of Pennsylvania. Just here I might say that among those who took an active part in favor of the system in this section of the county were Rev. Samuel McFarren, Samuel Kelley, Thomas W. McConnell, John Jones, William Moore, John S. Adair, William Marshall, John S. Sloan, and John Shields. I remember very well hearing Derry and Salem townships spoken of, when the system was in its infancy, as being fully up to the time, both in regard to houses and teachers.

"INSTITUTES .- The first teachers' institute held in

the county of which I have any knowledge was held in the borough of New Alexander in October, 1853. It was looked upon with suspicion by many of the old fogies of the county. Some thought it a scheme of teachers to have their salaries increased.

"Others thought new studies were about to be in- troduced which would be ruinous to pupils. Phonetic spelling was one of the new things discussed at that meeting. Township or district institutes were recom- mended. I do not remember the exact number of teachers in attendance at the meeting, but think it did not exceed fifty. The following are the names of some of those who were in attendance and took an active part, viz .: Samuel Shryock, D. L. Dickin, Lewis Beanor, H. M. Jamison, Joseph Jamison, George Kingsley, J. R. Beatty, and H. M. Jones. In the fall of 1854, district institutes were organized in a few of the townships, and reasonably well attended by teachers and a few friends of the cause. The next meeting of the teachers of the county convened in Latrobe in March, 1858. This meeting was called by Hon. J. R. McAfee, then superintendent of schools of the county. The number in attendance was not large, but the interest manifested was encouraging, and I am safe in saying that great good to the cause of education resulted from that convention. From this time up to the present county institutes have been held each year."

NAMES OF COUNTY SUPERINTENDENTS AND TERM OF OFFICE .- In 1854, Rev. Matthew McKins- try, of West Newton, was elected. He served one year and then resigned. James I. McCormick, of North Huntingdon township, was appointed to fill the vacancy and served two years. In 1857, J. R. Mc- Afee, of Latrobe, was elected and served three years. S. S. Jack, of Pleasant Unity, was elected in 1860, and re-elected in 1863; served six years. In 1866, Joseph S. Walthour, of Greensburg. was elected and served three years. H. M. Jones, of Salem township, was elected in 1869, and re-elected in 1872; served : six years. In 1875, James Silliman, of East Hunt- ingdon, was elected, and he served three years. J. R. Spiegel, of Greensburg, was elected in 1878, and re- elected 1881.

Matthew Mckinstry, of West Newton, one year. James I. McCormick, North Huntingdon, two years.

J. R. McAfee, Latrobe, three years.

S. S. Jack, Pleasant Unity, six years.

J. S. Walthour, Greensburg, three years.

H. M. Jones, Salem, six years.

James Silliman, East Huntingdon, three years.

J. R. Spiegel, Greensburg, now in office.

Sketches of the persons, their families, and the pub- lic services of these first superintendents will be found under appropriate heads in other portions of this book. Sketches of the later ones shall here be given as in proper place.

JOSEPH S. WALTHOUR was born in North Hunt-

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ingdon township, Westmoreland County, Feb. 5, 1829. His grandfather owned the old Walthour Fort, fa- mous in the local history of that region. During his boyhood he worked on the farm of his father in sum- mer, and in winter attended the school known as Kunkel's. In the fall of 1846, at the age of seventeen, he commenced teaching school at the Barnes school- house, in the same township. His salary was eigh- teen dollars per month. In the fall of 1847 he came to Greensburg, and attended a high school there called the Muhlenburg Collegiate Institute, which was held in an old frame building, still standing, on Bunker Hill. He remained at this school till 1849, at which time the school there under that manage- ment was abandoned, and removed to Zelienople, Butler Co., Pa. In the summer of 1850 he resumed the work of teaching, and taught his home school until the fall of 1852.

After a short venture in the mercantile business he again began teaching, and taught the Byerly School. in the winter of 1854, at a salary of twenty-two dol- lars per month. In the spring of 1855 he was en- gaged as teacher in the boys' department of the Greensburg public schools, in the building still standing, and occupied by the sexton of the St. Clair Cemetery. From 1856 to 1859 he had charge of the New Salem schools. He then conducted various schools in different parts of the county, at the special solicitation of the citizens, and was one of the four teachers who opened the public schools in the present school building of Greensburg, and was engaged in this school when he was elected superintendent of the county in 1866. As superintendent he served three years, at a salary of eight hundred dollars per year. During the fall and winter of 1869, the year in which his term of office expired, he traveled throughout the State as an instructor at the various county institutes, and was regarded as a successful popular instructor. He attended seventeen different institutes in different parts. In the fall of 1870 he took charge of a graded school at Albion, Erie Co., Pa., at a salary of one hundred and twenty-five dol- lars per month. He remained here, however, only eight months, on account of ill health and unfavor- able climate, and then went to Saegertown, Crawford Co., where he acted as principal of a graded school for nearly two years. Preferring Westmoreland above any other part of the State, he returned hither, and taught successively at Latrobe, New Derry, and Saltsburg, where he remained three years. He then again taught at Greensburg and in Hempfield town- ship. In 1880 he visited the schools for County Superintendent Spiegel.

Mr. Walthour began teaching thirty-six years ago, and, with the exception of some two years in which he was engaged in the mercantile business (counting the time of his superintendency), has been engaged in teaching continuously. The profession of teach- ing was the one of his choice, and he has had a nat-

ural aptitude for imparting instruction to the youth, and his greatest ambition has been to use his influence and talents to the elevation of the system of common schools.

The period which Mr. Joseph Walthour presided over the county school as their superintendent is one perhaps deserving of a more lengthy notice than usual, because it began shortly after the close of the civil war. We give these details from memoranda furnished by Mr. Walthour.

When Mr. Walthour took charge of the public schools in 1866 we had two hundred and eighty-six schools in the county. It was his observation that the directors and citizens generally appreciated the system of education, and an honest and straight- forward manner of talk and demonstration in this regard were beginning to develop itself. There were six graded schools, and these, all but one, were in boroughs. Building was much retarded in conse- quence of the high price of labor and building ma- terial incident to the high rate of taxation existing immediately after the close of the war. But with all this quite a number of townships and boroughs en- gaged in building, and erected buildings which were far in advance of the majority of those then in ex- istence. In the erection of these houses grounds and locations were made a special object. In many other of the houses the old furniture was removed and new and more improved furniture put in its place, while the black boards were everywhere enlarged.

From 1867 to 1868 globes were bought out of the public money, and better blackboards were put in the rooms. This year the superintendent had 27 public examinations and 4 private ones. There were 365 applicants for schools, 210 males and 105 females. Of these there were 19 males rejected and 27 females, in all 46. There were this year 32 professional cer- tificates and 9 permanent.

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History of the County of Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, with Biographical Sketches of Many of its Pioneers and Prominent Men, Part 93

Author: George Dallas Albert, editor Publication date: Publisher: Number of Pages:

Author: George Dallas Albert, editor
Publication date:
Publisher:
Number of Pages: