Piatt County, Illinois - Chapter 7: The Schools of the County., 1883

Chapter 7: The Schools of the County.

IN regard to its educational prosperity, Piatt county has made advancement equal to any county in the state, considering its age. During its first decade its school-houses were few and far between. They were built by donations of material and labor, and the teachers depended upon the subscriptions of the patrons for a subsistence.

The school-houses were built of logs and the pupils sat upon slab seats. The writing desks consisted of boards laid upon wooden pins driven into the logs, and the pupils when writing faced the wall. The windows in the earlier days consisted of greased paper, as a substitute for glass, and the room was warmed by a fire-place.

The last of these primitive school-houses passed away in 1871, when the old house on " Stringtown Lane" gave way to the present improved and commodious structure. To-day the county is dotted with its school-houses, most of which are comfortably and conveniently arranged, with patent improved furniture ; with folding seats and often with folding desks ; with slated blackboards on which are used beautiful crayons in place of the lumps of chalk ; with school-books finely illustrated, sometimes with maps, charts and pictures adorning the walls ; with sufficient means for rapidly heating the often high ceiled capacious apartments ; and with teachers who are generally, trained by experience and special preparation for the work of educating the young. This change has occurred within the space of forty years, and yet there is much to be done before we reach the ideal in education.

The estimated value of public school property, grounds, buildings, furniture, apparatus, etc., in Piatt county as given June 30, 1882, is $78,927.

JVIonticello, Bernent and Cerro Gordo have well-graded schools, accompanied by high-school departments. The graduates of the highschools of Monticello and Bement are admitted to /the Illinois Industrial University at Champaign without examination. Mans-

* The greater part of facts for and arrangement of this article is due to the kindness and labor of G. A. Burgess, county superintendent of schools. ,

T K Ache Us' I X Stit Ute8

During the winters of 1867-8 and 1808-1) teachers' institutes on the old-fashioned plan were held in Mcnticello, under the management of J. W. Colernan, county superintendent. During the winter of 1869-70 an enthusiastic meeting was held at Bement, managed by County Superintendent 0. A. Tatman. At these meetings Dr. J. M. Gregory, regent of the Illinois Industrial University, and President Richard Edwards and E. C. Ilewett, of the State Normal School at Normal, were the leading instructors. Prominent among those who attended one or more of these three institutes, some of whom conducted exercises, were H. A. Coffeen, T. J. Mitchell, II. E. Huston, Mary I. Reed, T. C. Fuller, J. A. Hawks, C. D. Moore, the Poland brothers, Amos Norris, Aunt Lettie and Aunt Rachel Huston, the Suver sisters, Anna Combes, Pamelia (Combes) Hughes, A. D. Beckhart, R. I. Tatman, A. T. Pipher, J. A. McComas, J. A. Williams, John Garver, Nellie (Piatt) Moffitt, Fannie McFaddin, Olive (Bryden) Piatt, and Charles and Rudolph Welch.

During the seasons of the two institutes from 1867-9, C. A. Tatman was assistant principal of the Monticello schools, and on both occasions exhibited class-work before the institute. At the first he brought forward a class of pupils aged from twelve to fourteen years and showed how well they could solve problems by cancellation. Before beginning he invited members of the institute to volunteer to work with the class. H. A. Coffeen, principal of the Bement schools, and Dr. T. J. Mitchell, of Mackville, stepped forth and expressed a willingness to show how well they could cancel factors. The conductor read the problems from the book and the crayon in the hands of the children kept close pace with his voice. As soon as the inflection of the voice at the close of the reading indicated that the entire problem had been given, almost with the rapidity of thought the children detected the common factors and triumphantly wrote the result, while the older heads were waiting to see if there was something more to be given, and on the first problem Dr. Mitchell had not begun the cancellation when the children gave the proper answer. Shouts of laughter accompanied the discomfiture of the two old teachers, and although they did better with the problems following, they showed that the}7 were no match for the children on problems in cancellation. It transpired afterward that the pupils had been specially drilled in those same problems for the occasion, but the delight of the children and the* amusement of the spectators are remembered by many to this day.

The instructors (those conducting exercises) at the institute of 1868-9 were H. E. Huston, C. A. Tatman, J. W. Lewis, J. A. McComas. John Garver, John A. Williams, W. B. Sweitzer, Miss Kate Suver, Miss Anna Combes, and Frank Tippett. Public lectures were given by J. M. Gregory, E. C. Ilewett, and George L. Spear. The institute began Wednesday. January 0, and continued four days, as reported by Dr. Coleman to the state superintendent. In those days it was the Custom to give to the teachers while attending the institute free entertainment.

The pressure against permitting teachers to take time to attend institutes was so strong that Superintendent Tatman did not attempt to hold another, and as Superintendent Pitkiti held none, the next one held in the county was under the supervision of Superintendent Mary I. Reed in 1878. This one was conducted according to the modern plan. Instructors were employed, a tuition fee was charged, and the teachers attending were arranged into classes and subjected to daily drill in the various branches for a term of two weeks. About one hundred teachers attended this institute. The leading instructor was Jasper X. Wilkinson, a former teacher in the county, assisted by the county superintendent, Miss Olive Coffeen, of La Place, Edwin B. Smith, of Cerro Gerdo, and G. A. Burgess. The next year one hundred and thirty-nine attended the institute, a number of whom were not expecting to teach. The corps of instructors remained the same, excepting that Prof. II. 0. De Motte, of Illinois Wesleyan University, was employed in place of Edwin B. Smith, who had gone to Chicago to study law. The following year about eighty-five teachers attended. John W. Cook and M. L. Seymour, of Normal, were the chief instructors, and the receipts, together with the balance on hand, fell short of the expenditures twenty-five dollars, which loss was wholly sustained by the county superintendent. In 1881 no institute was held, owing to the resignation of Mary I. Reed as county superintendent early in July. In 1882 one hundred and five attended the institute. J. N. Wilkinson served as leading instructor for one w.eek, and owing to sickness was succeeded by Robert L. Barton, of Cerro Gordo, principal of schools at Galena, Illinois. The other instructors were Olive E. Coffeen, of La Place, principal of Shipman, Macoupin county, schools, B. F. Stocks, principal of Cerro Gordo schools, and W. II. Skinner, now principal of Monticello schools. The session was three weeks in length, and was held in the north school-building, Monticello. The tuition has invariably been one dollar per week, and the balance on hand from the last institute is sixteen dollars, which will form part of the institute fund for 1883.

Since August, 1878, there has been in active operation a monthly teachers' association, which has met in various parts of the county, but is now confined to Bement and Monticello, at which places it holds alternate meetings on the second Saturday of each month. The interest in these meetings has been well maintained, about forty percent of the teachers actually at work in the county attending.

G. A. Burgess was presiding officer of the association the first, second and fourth years, Miss Reed the third year, and F. V. Dilatush the present year. The other officers for the year are John J. Wilkinson, of Milmine schools, vice-president ; Miss Cora Pitts, of Cerro Gordo schools, secretary, and Miss Alice Godwin, of Moma school, treasurer.

The association has this year formed a circulating library for use of its members, which opened with twenty volumes, and which will soon increase to forty volumes. Nineteen out of every twenty of outteachers take one or more educational papers or journals. A higher standard is constantly being demanded of our teachers. The certificates of other county superintendents are no longer indorsed, and the time will soon come when no certificates will be renewed, thus requiring teachers constantly to study to endeavor to improve. Experience lias shown that where little or no effort is required to get a certificate the teacher rests content ; he feels that he, knows almost enough; all progress is at an end ; the teacher stagnates ; the school shows the effect of it, and the money expended in that district is worse than thrown away, for the teacher has done incalculable injury by permitting the minds of his pupils to grow uncultivated and untrained. Often such a teacher instills wrong ideas and wrong principles, which can never be eradicated. In this county the grades on a scale of 100, attained by the holder of a teacher's certificate, are placed upon it, so that school boards may know the judgment of the superintendent upon the work.

Our schools lack system in the daily routine of work. Each teacher follows his own idea or the idea of the text-books used, as to the order and method of pursuing, often without any regard to what has been done by the teacher preceding him. System and supervision are the two things that cause the town schools to be superior to the rural schools, and much more may be done in the rural schools in the way of systematizing the work. To this end a course of study was adopted at the last institute, and a detailed outline of study to accompany it has been issued to the schools and school officers. Blank certificates of attendance and reports to parents have been sent to teachers, with a view to introducing them into use in the schools.

It is contemplated holding monthly and annual examinations, under the management and supervision of both teacher and superintendent, for the purpose of unifying and stimulating the efforts of the schools, believing that when the people understand the plan and its objects they will cooperate in the work of introducing it into every school district.

Wall maps, reading charts and an unabridged dictionary should constitute part of the helps of every school-room, and, when possible, a globe and a box of geometrical forms or solids should be supplied. Good blackboards with good crayons and erasers are now admitted by all to be a necessity, and no school-room is ready for use till these are in place.

Our teachers need to think, to study, to get out of straightforward methods of asking questions strictly in the order of the books and requiring the verbatim text-book answers thereto. They too often make themselves slaves to the text-book, instead of making the textbook their servant, Boards of directors make too little difference between teachers. A few dollars on the month causes the removal of a tried and competent teacher to a more lucrative field, and the employment in his stead of an inexperienced stranger. The worth of a good teacher cannot be estimated. The district would be benefited often by giving the poor teacher his wages and never allowing him to begin his school. Our schools are expensive, and it behooves everyone to do everything he can to make them do the greatest possible good, that the community may get the best possible return for their investment.

1. The state school fund, which now consists («) of the tax annually levied by the state for educational purposes, and which in 1881 was twelve cents on each $100 ; (b) of the interest on the surplus revenue distributed by the general government to the states during Jackson's administration, and set apart by Illinois as a school fund, and (c) of the interest on the proceeds of three per cent of the sale of public lands within the state, less one-half of one per cent.

The state holds the school funds named in the last two cases and pays to the schools of the state six per cent interest thereon. The distribution is made on the basis of population under twenty-one as taken from the government census report by the state auditor, who draws his warrant for the amount due the county upon the county treasurer against the state tax in the treasurer's hands and in favor of the county superintendent.

2. The county school fund, consisting of the proceeds of the sale of the swamp lands lying within the county. This fund is loaned by the county superintendent, and the interest thereon, together with the fines and forfeitures paid during the year to the county superintendent, is annually distributed to the several township treasurers of the county on the basis of population under twenty-one years of age. At the same time and upon the same basis is the distribution of the state school fund made by the county superintendent.

o. The township school fund, consisting of the proceeds of the sale of the sixteenth section in each congressional township, donated by the general government for the support of schools. In many of the townships the section of land was sold when the value of it was so low that the fund therefrom is quite small. Town sixteen, range five, sold its section for $13,660, and has much the largest township fund in the county.

-i. By special district taxes, which are levied by the directors each year in nearly all the districts to make up the amount needed to support the schools.

The township fund is loaned by the township treasurer, and the interest on it, together with the amount received from the county superintendent, is distributed by the township trustees to the school districts.

The county school fund of Piatt county is reported this year as about $8,000, but part of it furnishes no revenue, as it is undergoing litigation.

The following statistical table shows items of interest compared for the past fifteen years, beyond which no records appeal- in the county superintendent's office :

Monti-cello Township. - The first school in this township was taught in a log house which stood on the river bank just above the river bridge near Monticello. James Outten and George A. Patterson were teachers in this school. Another school was opened somewhat later about one mile farther up the river, near John Woolington's late residence. The first school in Monticello was taught by George A. Patterson in the first court-house. The first school-house of the place was built by Esq. A. J. Wiley and others on a lot donated by the cs<|uire. This house stood on the site of the present residence of George Lewis. Thomas Milligan, afterward county school commissioner, was one of the early teachers of this school, as were also Major David Longnecker and Andrew McKinney.

The brick school-house was built in 1857-8, and consisted of two rooms below and one above, besides the cloak-rooms. Isaiah Stickle was the first to teach in the new school-house. In 1869 or 1870 the upper room was divided, giving four rooms, as in the present arrangement. The school bell was formerly set on a platform elevated on high posts. It remained there but a few years, when the belfry now in use was erected and the bell placed in it. The bell was formerly used on the old Methodist Episcopal church.

C^Inl877 the north school-building was erected, but during the first year only three of its four rooms were in use. The building was not fenced until 1880. The hedge fence around the brick school-house was set out and has ever since been cared for by William Worsley, who has been janitor of the building almost continuously since a janitor has been employed. In the early days each teacher built his own fires and swept his own room.

. The following persons have served as principals of the Monticello school, but perhaps not in the order named : Isaiah Stickle, Mr. Babcock, Mr. Scovell, W. F. Gilmore, A. T. Pipher, J. A. McComas, Mr. Porter, Mr. Mclntosh, Arthur Edwards, P. T. Nichols, Jesse Hubbard, Amelia E. Sanford, G. A. Burgess, H. F. Baker, and W. H. Skinner. P. T. Nichols began in 1872, and taught for five years, with one year of rest intervening. Mr. Mclntosh died during the school year and was succeeded by Arthur Edwards. Mrs. Mclntosh has for five years been a teacher in the Bement schools.

Mrs. Amelia E. Sanford succeeded Mary I. Reed as first assistant in the high school in December, 1877, upon her resignation to accept the county superintendency, and was elected principal for the next year. Miss Reed had been first assistant for several years.

The high school was formed in 1877, with Mr. Nichols and Miss Reed teachers. The first class, composed of five girls, graduated in 1878. The class of 1879 consisted of four girls and two boys; the class of 1880, of six girls and one boy ; the class of 1881, of eleven girls and one boy, and the class of 1882, of seven girls and two boys. The high school has gradually grown in efficiency till it ranks equal to that of many of the larger towns.

In the winter of 1879-80 the members of the high school were formed into two literary societies, now known as the Nervian and Monticellian societies. Each elects its own officers and conducts its own exercise's. The high school began a reference library in 1870. which has increased to more than fifty volumes. The grammar school began a library in 1882, devoting the proceeds of an entertainment to it.

The teachers at present are W. II. Skinner, principal ; M. Ella Child, Eva Winchester, F. V. Dilatush, An/a Minear, Lulu Parks, Nellie Espy, Jane Conoway, and Anna M. Kirkpatrick. Messrs. Charles Watts, A. J. Dighton and C. P. Davis taught in Monticello township years ago. The Stringtown school-house, the last of the log school-houses of tin county, was situated in the western part of this township.

Benn'nt Township. - The -first school was taught in the village of Bement by Henry 0. Booth, in ls."><5. The term was for three months and the salary $4-0 per month.

Rented buildings were used until 1851), when one wing of the present building was completed. F. E. Bryant was the contractor and J. M. Cam]) the builder. The block of ground now used for school purposes was donated by L. B. Wing and William liea, and forms a beautiful campus containing the buildings near the northwest corner. In 1866 the building was enlarged to its present size, although the entire room was not used for school work until several years later.

The. first board of directors consisted of Joseph Bodman, sen., Aaron Yost and H. Booth, since which time J. O. Sparks, George Dustin, George L. Spear, Thomas Postlethwaite, S. K. Bodman, N. G. Hinkle and Royal Thomas have served as directors two or more terms, and many others have served one term.

The following is a list of principals of the Bement schools : II. ( '. Booth, S. K. Bodman, J. W. Eichards, C. D. Moore, J. B. Lovell, A. S. Norris, .1. A. IMman, ,1. Russell Johnson, J. ]Sf. Patrick, E. M. Cheney. Mrs. Shirk, Frank M. Fowler, Asa W. Mason, II. A. Coffeen, W. J. Cousins, J. A. McComas, G. C. Gantz, A. C. Butler, Thomas Sterling, Miss Hollo Sterling, II. O. Hickman, T. C. Clendenen, J. N. Wade and W. Iv Mann, the present principal.

A. C. Butler taught five ye:irs. The school reached a degree of enthusiasm under the management of IT. A. Coffeen, in 1867-68, which is yet felt in its effects upon the town. The Bement library gained a strong hold upon the people, and was largely increased

The present course of study was planned and put into operation by T. C. Clendeiien. The high-school wrork requires four years for its completion. Last year (1881) the high school was admitted to the accredited list of high schools of the Illinois State University at Champaign, and its graduates can now enter any of the courses of study of that institution without further examination. The high-school reference library was started under the auspices of T. 0. Clendenen. The school manages two literary societies - the Baconian and Edmund Burke. The class of 1881 was the first to graduate, and consisted of five girls ; the class of 1882 consisted of three girls and two boys, and the class for 1883 now has eight members.

In 1878 a school-house was built in the southern part of the district to accommodate those who lived too far from Bement. Miss Joanna Fleming was the first teacher in this school, and Luther Thompson the present teacher.

The present corps of teachers in the Bement school is as follows : W. E. Mann, principal ; Lucy J. Stockwell. assistant principal ; Julia C. Mclntosh in grammar department ; Joanna Fleming and Anna Pettit in the intermediate departments, and Lucy Sprague and Sara J. Haldeman in the primary departments. Miss Haldeman has been a teacher in the Bement schools for fourteen years.

Cerro (Jordo T<nmxldp. - The first school in which this township was interested was taught in a log school-house one-half mile west of the village of Cerro Gordo, just over the line in Macon county. Andrew- Mclvinney was the first teacher of whom we have account. The first school-house in the village and the first in the township was built about 1857, on the site of the present school-building. Andrew McKinney taught in this house for three years.

In 1807 a two-story brick school-building was erected at a cost of $6,000. About 1873 a wing of the same size and material was added, at. a cost of $3,000, and in 1881 a frame addition of one room was built, costing $000.

The school is well graded, and has lately adopted a course of study of eight years in the lower grades and three years in the high school. The first class of the high school will graduate in 1884. At the county fair in 1882 the schools secured more premiums awarded to graded schools, not including high schools, than all the other graded schools of the county taken together. The following persons form tlte present corps of teachers : B. F. Stocks, principal ; Mary A. Kaufman, Ida F. Frydenger, Eva Huff and Cora A. Pitts.

The present two-story brick school-house in Milmine was built in 1S71, at a cost of $4,500. Jasper N. Wilkinson was its first principal, and was followed by A. D. Beckhart, W. H. Chamberlain, Allen S. Stults, John A. Smith, Frank East, - - McKinney, Charles Hughes, M. M. Morrison, Joel Dunn, George E. Stuart, and John J. Wilkinson, the present principal. Among the assistant teachers were Mary (Mitchell) Hawkes, Ella (Newman) Conway and Hortense Klapp. Two teachers are employed during the winter term and one only during the summer.

The La Place school is situated outside the village at some distance, and the school-house is far behind the wealth and intelligence of the community, being too small and too inconvenient for the demands made upon it. A building with two rooms on the lower floor and a hall above, which might in the future be used for a school-room, would add greatly to the village and the school district. Miss Sue Gregory and Mr. Thurber were among its early teachers, Miss Olive Coffeen and E. ( ). Humphrey among the later. Mr. Humphrey is the teacher at present writing. Several of the former pupils of this school are now prominent teachers of the county.

Prominent among the teachers of Cerro Gordo to\vnsliip\in the past were the East brothers, whose home is one mile south of Milmine. Klric taught the Gulliford and Haird schools and then went into graded school work. lie died in California about two years ago, where he had gone to regain his health. Frank taught the Pleasant View, Ridge, La Place and Milmine schools, and died about one year ago. Oscar taught the I'aird, Pleasant View and Gulliford schools, and is at present living in Chicago. Homer taught the Gulliford school one term, and is now managing the home farm. They are a family of natural teachers, but the, confinement of the school-room did not agree with their health.

Goose Creek Town-ship. - The first school was taught by George A. Patterson in a log school-house which stood by the gate at the entrance to W. H. Piatt's residence grounds. Formerly the Piatt and Moral n schools were the principal ones of the township, the average attendance in each running from sixty to eighty scholars. Among the early teachers of the Piatt school were Mr. Winstead, Margaret Patterson, Delos Tew, now a professor in one of the colleges or academies of Iowa; Louis Bonnet, now a wealthy resident of Iowa; Miss Lizzie Shattuch, S. K. -Bod man, who taught the writer of this book her letters, and who is now postmaster and druggist in Bement; George Marquiss, and Misses Louisa Craft, Louisa Gale and Mollie Bondurant. Miss Shattuck was sent here under the auspices of an organization in New England, for the purpose of advancing education in the west. She afterward went as a missionary to the West Indies.

The old log school-house of the Piatt district gave place about 186f» to one of the neatest and most commodious rural school-houses in the county. Mr. A. S. Poland was a most successful teacher in this school for several consecutive years. He now resides in Ohio. Of the later teachers, John and Emma Marquiss were pupils of Mr. Poland. The district 'has of late been divided and a new school-house, the Harmony, has recently been dedicated.

Among the names of the teachers of the Morain school are Samuel Morain, Kate (Piatt) Bryden, Jack Bryden, Charles AVelch, Mr. Johnson, Philip Lewis, and many others. Others teachers of the township are Ilachel Huston and William Smith, now deceased.

The De Land school, the only village school in the township, employs but one teacher. The De Land district maintains also another school one and a half miles from the town. E. E. Carrier teaches the village and L. S. Kidd the rural school. Benjamin F. Stults, now of the Wei don school, taught the De Land school for several terms.

Sa/ngamon '/'<»/- n.^/i! p. - The first school in Sangamon township was taught by George A. Patterson in a log school-house, which 'stood south of where the White school-house now stands. James Outten, who was one of the first teachers also in Champaign county, taught this school at an early day. Soreno K. Bodman, of Bement, William H. Heese, Harry Timmons, Charles Hughes, Pamelia (Combes) Hughes, Sadie Reed, and others, have taught in the schools of Sangamon township. Centerville, Gales ville and Slabtown have school-houses, while White Heath and Lodge depend upon the rural schools about one mile from home. The Sangamon river forms the boundary line between all districts touching it. In this respect it is unlike any other township in the county. John E. Andrew is township treasurer of town 19, which lies wholly in Sangamon township, and D. E. Carberry, of town 20, a part of which lies within the township. Camp Creek and Slabtown districts have lately built new school-houses.

As an incident showing some of the old ways of creating sport in connection with the early schools would be interesting, doubtless, to' some of our readers, we subjoin the following, as related to us by one of the old settlers.

One teacher, having school near what was then known as Souder's Branch, declared to the gentleman he was boarding with that if the scholars locked him out at Christmas time he would treat, provided the boys would come out and attack him. The man went over to seethe fun. Sure enough, the teacher was locked out, and after a time the scholars came out and attempted to get him down. There were two boys about thirteen or fourteen and four or five from ten to twelve years of age, and. several little girls. The teacher was a great strong man and for a time was entirely too much for the scholars. Finally they got the better of him, and with the girls' assistance succeeded in tying him with ropes. The children had taken the precaution to bring over a wheelbarrow to take him to the stream. They tried, but could not keep him on it. Finally one of the boys said, "III fix him," and off he went for a horse and sled. They got him on the sled at last, and finally they reached the side of the branch. A long debate followed about tin-owing him into the cold water. Finally one of the boys said. ''-Well. I'll throw him in," so with an effort he rolled him over and in he went. The man wrho had gone to witness the sport enjoyed himself hugely. When the teacher was in the water, and it began to fiow almost entirely over him, the man told him he had better sign the article for treating the scholars to a bushel of apples. The agreement was made, but the boys would not let him out of the branch till the other man went his security to treat if he failed to do so. The teacher was released and started to the house for change of clothes. By the time he reached the place his clothes were frozen stiff. The apples were given to the scholars forthwith. That teacher is now a preacher in Iowa and his name is John Lyons.

Willow Branch Township. - -The first school in this township was taught by Judge Edward Ater, about 1840, in a log school-house on Willow Branch. There are no village schools, as Cisco is divided by a district line and is one mile distant from a school-house. Robert L. Barton, J. Hull Brown. Caleb and Riley Tat in an, the Suver sisters and Thomas Lamb, jr., are among the early teachers of this township. Mr. Barton once taught the Willow Branch school, and once in the district which now includes the Oak Grove and the East Cisco schools. Concord, Shady Nook, Wildcat and Oak Grove are suggestive names of some of the districts of Willow Branch township.

Unity TowmJup. - The first school was taught about 1842, by John (Mlins, in a little house with paper windows and on land now belonging to the Benjamin Quick estate.

The first school in Mackville was taught by James Lewis, in the present school-house, which was built in 1858. Peter A. Hamilton once taught here before studying law. Later teachers were the present county superintendent, 1867 ; George W. Poole, now of Bement, 1868; J. A. Hawks, present supervisor of Unity township, 1869-70, and was followed by John TL Easton, who taught several terms. The village had by this time increased in population so much that an assistant teacher was employed. Mrs. J. A. Hawks was one of the first assistant teachers. Joseph Trenchard, now of Windsor, John A. Hardenbrook and wife, now of New Mexico, C. H. Righter and Miss Anna Davies have been teachers here. The latter is now again in charge after a lapse of several years. Other teachers in the township were Frank Landers, of Moultrie county, in the Harshbarger school, and Joel Dunn and Samuel McDowell, Shonkwiler school. John H. Easton taught for several years in various schools of the township, and is now in charge of the Baker school. The first school in the Mackville district was in a log house on land now owned by the widow of Adam Shonkwiler.

Hammond has just completed a new school-building of two departments. George S. Morris, of Lovington, is principal and Miss Emily Godwin, of Bement, assistant.

Rlw Ridge Township. - So far as we could learn the first schoolhouse in this towTnship was the "Stringtown" school-house, near where Gardner switch now stands. Isaac Thomas helped to plaster the house and says it was built in 185L It has been moved from its former location. Others say that the Cope school-house was the first and was built in 185-i. This house is reported as having been moved into Mansfield.

Tiik Tkmi'Kkaxck Movkmkxt

The Mansfield schools consist of two departments. George IST. Snapp, of Sullivan, is principal, and Miss Clara Kline, of Le Roy, assistant. The school-building is large, not all the room being in use. Former teachers of this school are Frank Pittman, of Monticello ; W. A. Wetzell, of Ford county; George R. Shawham, now county superintendent of Champaign county, and Allen S. Stults, now principal of schools at Farmer City.

John T. Carle, now principal of Wapella schools, taught one year in the Klinger district. Edwin L. Drake, now treasurer of town No. 21, range 6, taught the West Point school for several years, and Reed Matheny taught the Blue Ridge school for two or three years. One obstacle to education in Blue Ridge township is the large size of many of its school districts, which tends to cause irregular attendance.

In the preparation of this article on the schools of the county we have taken up all the facts we could obtain. If more items occur relative to any school or township than to others it is because the people, or some one of them, have contributed more items to us. We are proud of all the schools of the county and wish them continued prosperity.

Chapter Yiii My Mks. K. 1'. Moki'Itt

IN the pioneer days of Piatt county the use of alcoholic liquors, both as a medicine and as a beverage, was very common. They were kept in every family and brought out on all extra occasions, at harvest time, log-rollings, barn-raisings, etc.

While some drank to excess, nearly every one drank moderately. In those days drinking was not considered an evil only so far as it was taken in excess. This sentiment prevailed not because the people were naturally bad or immoral, but because it was not generally known that alcohol was a poison, and because its effects on the human tissues were not understood or even dreamed of. It was thought as long as a man drank moderately that he was safe; not understanding that it irritated and inflamed the mucous membrane of the stomach ; that it gradual Iv became thickened and corrugated ; that the gastric juice was vitiated, hindering digestion; that the hlood. the supporter of .life, was made morbid and impoverished, and that, therefore, the moderate drinker \vas less able to withstand disease, and was in constant danger of becoming the victim of an increased and depraved appetite. Neither was it understood that the appetite for the; drink, with all its attendant physical and mental conditions, strengthened and intensified, were transmitted to the offspring; that the offspring of moderate drinkers might be the drunkards of the next generation.

However, as the county progressed in other lines of civili/ation, so it began to improve in public sentiment on drinking habits. As the county began to be settled from older counties, as educational and church facilities increased, so in proportion did the people begin to think of the evils of drink. It began to be noticed that the boy not. only followed the example of his father in drinking moderately, but that he did not stop at that point. This set parents to thinking, and for the sake of the boy alcoholic liquors began to be excluded from use in individual families; thus a sentiment .against drink slowly but, surely arose.

About, the year IS.");") a (iood Templars' lodge was organized in tintown of Monticello, which for a time did some active work by drawing within its fold many who had been long addicted to drink, many of whom have ever since been total abstainers. This organization was also instrumental in organizing other lodges throughout the county, thus laying the foundation for a healthy sentiment necessary to root out the traffic. This was accomplished for the first time about five years ago, the last saloon being closed out at Mansfield through the aggressive efforts of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union of that, place.

The county has at different times had a numberof temperance organizations, among which were the I. O. G. T., a County Alliance, some two or three juvenile temperance organizations or "Bands of Hope," a county organization of the W. C. T. IT., and four local societies of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union. Scientific temperance text books, treating of the effects of alcohol on the human tissues have been used in some of the public schools of the county. It is hoped that the good people of Piatt county will look into this matter and see that their boys and girls are taught the evils which drink brings to them mentally, physically and morally. Let the youth of the county be so fortified against strong drink by an intelligent understanding of the evil effects of alcohol that we need have no fears for the manhood of the rising generation. Five years of practical prohibition in the county have done much, as nearly all agree, to advance the real interests of the people. This is true in nearly every respect, as has been ascertained by actual investigation, and by comparison with the official records in other counties where saloons abound. The towns of Piatt county are out of debt and have money in the treasury. The expenses for crime and pauperism are comparatively light.

Only occasional murders have occurred, and very seldom a convict has been sent to the State prison. The towns have good sidewalks, good churches, and the state of intelligence and morality is good. Piatt county would no doubt have a still better record were it not for the fact that it is joined to counties on either side where saloons abound in great numbers.

This state of affairs has been brought about by prohibition under local option, and it is claimed by some that this method is more effectual than prohibition by constitutional amendment. While 'local option is perhaps better than nothing, and may have served a good purpose, it has many objections :

First - Local option in its results is not a legal obligation, only a moral one. It is the sole prerogative of a city council or town board to say whether or not a vote for license or no license shall stand ; cases being on record where towns have voted no licenses, and the board has, notwithstanding, granted license, and vice versa.

Second - The work against the saloons has, as a rule, to be done over every year, causing men and women to spend much time and money, besides the towns being in danger every year of coming under license rule.

Third - Under local option, where the question of license or no license is voted on by towns, the farming portion of a community can have no voice in deciding the matter. And yet he may, against his will, through his family, be forced to submit to the evil effects of the saloons of the town, \vhile prohibition by constitutional amendment gives all an equal chance.

This question of prohibition by constitutional amendment will, sooner or later, come before the people of Illinois for final settlement, and it is earnestly hoped that the citizens of Piatt county will be as progressive in this as in other matters. Let the voters investigate this subject for themselves. It is not well to depend on newspapers for reports on prohibition. Remember many of them are paid by the line for publishing reports unfavorable to prohibition. Let convictions be formed from the 'examination of official records in states where prohibition has been tried (see J. N. Steam's "Is Prohibition a Success?" and the "Prohibitionists' Text Book," National Temperance Publishing House, 58 Reade street, New York), and whatever is done let Piatt county not. fall 'behind in the good work of elevating humanity. Let the citizens be foremost in throwing aside all selfish motives and narrow prejudices and do their part to rid the country of the greatest curse of history.

We quote the following article, prepared by Mrs. Blair, President of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union of the nineteenth congressional district.

Nearly every item has been taken from official records, and where no qualifying statement is made they may be depended upon as accurate. They all cover a space of twelve months, either wholly in the year 1879, or partly in_18^9-and partly in 188JL - The four counties ~ r rehteenth congressional district are reported as follows:

All the towns are out of debt and have money in the treasury. The calaboose built in saloon times at the county seat is now of no use, except as a lodging place tor tramps. The sidewalks of Monticello are said to be the best of any town of its size in the state. Some of us have been hearing for years that we owe our sidewalks to the revenue from the liquor traffic.