How many of you did attend a One-Room Country School? I did - in southern Indiana - had 2 years in one - it wasn't quite this bad - but (1946-47-48) we had only one volume of an encyclopedia set (happened to be the right one - to prove my brother correct - against the teacher) I sat on the wall, next a window - the "Warm-Morning" Heater was in the center of the school - I wore my winter coat, at my desk. One big boy in 7th grade (Name - Jim Way) lived adjacent - he started the fire each morning - and swept up each evening. Drinking Water was carried in from the pump out front (mostly by Jim Way) - each of us had our own tin-cup. A dipper hung overhead, for us to fill our cups. I had come in from Missouri - a consolidated school - I was so far ahead of the other boy in the 6th grade, that the teacher advanced me to 7th grade, and put him back into the 5th grade - to save her teaching (no 8th graders) I spent much time, helping with reading and math to the lowest grade students (1st/2nd/3rd) - while the teacher was holding recital for other classes. We played "Antni-Over" - tossed a rubber ball over the school roof - to a team on the other side - the catcher then raced around and threw the ball at someone on the other side of the school - to make them switch sides. I threw too hard, and hit one little girl on the ear - she hurt. (Teacher jumped my case!) We had a "Whirl-Go-Round" - a 2-10 plank (actually one more of the teeter-totters) - with handles and seat at each end, on an car wheel in the center. We ran and spun it, with someone on each end, as they "hung on". Yes, occasionally, someone got hurt. We did play soft-ball - league of schools - we won! - our right out-field was cut by a stream - couldn't hit over it; our left out-field was cut by a US Highway - couldn't hit over it. Our second base girl - used a catchers mitt - and let nothing get past her. The team we beat for the championship had their ball-field on top a hill, and it dropped off behind 2nd base - playing in the outfield we could not see beyond 2nd base - or the hit ball - till the 2nd base girl called out to the field and told us where to look for it to be coming. Our house was at the foot of Sampson Hill - on US150 - the bus could not stop there for us (up or down) - we had to walk down a quarter mile, where it picked up 2-3 families of children - at a natural spring. shall I go on? - that was Over 55 years ago! Merry Christmas Merle C Rummel ---------------------------------------- The Gospel Messenger Mach 23, 1907 page 182 Vol. 46 No. IN SCHOOL FIFTY-FIVE YEARS AGO. By J. F. Neher. It is interesting to note the changes that have come in a half a century or over. Fifty-five years ago I had my first experience in school. The schoolhouse was built of logs. The benches had no backs and were made of slabs by boring holes in each end; into these the legs were inserted. On one side the house one log was cut out and along window put in to give light to a long table, which was made by boring holes into the low below the window; into these long pins were driven, on which a broad board was fastened, which served as a writing table. The reach was the father of a large family living near the schoolhouse. The rod was frequently used, but mostly severely on his own children. He taught German and English, and a variety of text-books was used. One the higher classes recited their lesson from the Old Testament, another from the New Testament. One, a brother's son, had for his text-book Brother Peter Nead's book; and still another recited his lesson from a old German hymn book. Other thins might be mentioned that would seem odd to the student or schoolboy of to-day; but I believe if the use of the Bible had been retained, the masses to-day would have a better knowledge of the Good Book. Guthrie, Okla.