Page:Historical and Biographical Annals of Columbia and Montour Counties, Pennsylvania, Containing a Concise History of the Two Counties and a Genealogical and Biographical Record of Representative Families.pdf/345

 COLUMBIA AXD MONTOUR COUNTIES

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Thonia$» John Toohcy, William U, Vartinc, by want o f proper records. Let us hope that Sam u el White, Georec ilcox. ihc days o f w ar are over for the land we love Company F is still in the service o f Fenn- j^ d that wc have reached the time when sylvania and stands ready for any call to duty. I h m y - n m c y e a r s o f m ilita r y s e rvice. The r e c o r d is n o t p e r fe c t, th e re m a y be om issio n s. b u t th e y a re n ot in te n tio n a l, a n d cau sed o n ly
 * r h is is th e h is to r )' o f o n e h u n dred a n d

„ „ - d r u m .hrobbcd no l« w c r. and the baitle« e r e inrWl

ihe Parliament oi Man. the Federation of the W orld.”

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SCH O O LS O F M O N TO UR C O U N TY O f the early schools o f Montour county a w riter o f i$86 says, that little could be s^thercd. and (hat most of the details were obtained from old residents, whose memories in some instances w*crc obscurct) by age and infirm­ ities. 5 m e time about 1785, while yet the village ^ o f Danville was unknown as a distinct org.ini2ation, but was included in the township o f Mahoning, a schoolhouse was erected on the grounds of the Grove Church, a few yards east of the old building, and in this unpreten­ tious log building the children of the settlers received (he rudiments o f education. This first school w as but one story in height, tw'cnty feet square, and only o f sufficient height to permit the schoolmaster to stand erect. A single door, fronting the church, a f­ forded means o f ingress and egress. The chimney was at the opposite end and ailmittcd in its fireplace logs o f a length o f ten feet, to mniniain the necessar)' fires during the long cold winters. A window on cither side, of sm all height hut extreme width, admitted some liglit. There w as a rude puncheon floor and seats o f (he same materia . The desks were simple boards fastened along the walls, facing (he window's, and w*ere too high from the floor for any but the more advanced students to use. T h is nide structure and the church hard by had a vigorous and dense grove o f trees sur­ rounding and overshadowing them, which g ave much protection from the summer’s heat and winter’s cold. F o r a few years this rustic schoolhouse was occupied by schoolmasters and their little flocks. The teachers were usually single men, and boarde<l around with (heir cmidoyers in rotation, thus getting part of the tuition fees in food and lo<1ging. at that lim e a most convenient arrangement fo r both parties. Tradition fails to hand down to us the names of the earlier of these te,achcr5, but the last one. M aster Gibson, who unlike his predecessors had a fam ily and home o f his to

ow*n, has left an impress on the pages o f tra­ ditional history that has endured to the pres­ ent time. M any are the anecdotes rclat<^ o f this old schoolmaster, but space will not per­ mit their relation. The books used in his school w'crc the New EngLind I ’ rimer, embel­ lished with a quaint likeness of the "H on or­ able John Hancock, F^q.. FresiderK o f Ihe American Congress,” and numerous woodcuts o f rude appearance; Dilworth's Spelling Hook: Feiining’s Spelling Book and New Guide to the English Tongue; Dillworth’s .rithm eiic; and a useful book entitled “ The Young M an's Companion.” a kind o f sequel to the others, well cakulateil to qualify the older boys fo r a business career. T he more ad­ vanced scholars read from the Bible, Milton's "P arad ise Lost,” and Goldsmith’s "Abridged Histories.” Although this course o f Icammg was brief, it w'os thorough, and many of the graduates of the tinte would compare not un­ favorably wilh those o f our present schooU. During the time Mr. Gibson taught (about eight yesirs) the school was quite successful, and the nuinlier of the pupils was greater than those o f his predecessors. H is pay was hy voluntary subscription: F o r the smaller scholars he received eleven k illin g s, three­ pence, fo r the laigcr ones, fifteen shillings, Pennsylvania currency, k v quarter. These fees were equal then to $ 1.5 0 and $2, respec­ tively, Federal money, as it was then termed. Few of the puptU attcndc<t school fo r more than tw'O. or at the most three, winters, and many of the boys left before the end of the term to assist in maple sugar-making, if the w'cather in the spring ncmtittcd. T he demand fo r lalior at home on en shortened the term considerably, and not infrequently the lack o f fifteen shillings fo r tuition forliadc a boy’s attendance fo r the full term. O f the pupils o f this school during Mr. Gib­ son’s term tradition has preserved the names o f John, Jacob, Samuel and Harman Sechlcr; •Archibald, John, Jam es and Robert W oodside;