Version
2, Chapter 2: “School Days”
In 1865 in the summer I went to school awhile in Williams school
house. Did not learn a thing. The teacher name was Jake Welch.
He had a club foot. The negroes being free, they left home.
I had to quit school to nurse sister Cornelia then 1-1/2 years
old, while mother wove cloth to cloth the family. While I was
nursing mother had me to studdie my blue back speller. In a short
time I was spelling well. This school house big split open logs
home logs 12 inches thick holes bored in the round side pegs driven
in the holes. Them they turned flat side up for seats. They
extended around the room. Had door in west side with stick and
dirt chimney in north end. Got water from spring near by, good
water. This house was burned, then taught in a vacant residence
nearby. My next school was in 1868 in land section 16, township
6, range 11 east. Was a big split log house about 18 x 20 foot.
Door in side. Dirt chimney to one end. Got good water from spring
1/4 mile under a hill. This teacher was Miss Mat Woodham, a deep
brunette. Everyone loved her. This was for 1 year. They had
pay schools then. Then in 1869 had school in the same house.
This teacher name was Jim Lester. He had a delicate little wife.
They were from Jackson Miss. They didnt suit the community.
He quit here, got school in diferent locality. My nex school
was to Mrs Stephen Riser, a neighbor. She taught in her home.
Had students from families McMullan 1 Gibbs 2 Riser 2 and Hollingsworth
2, total seven. My next school was 2 weeks in December 1871 at
the Riser school house, now known as Pine Bluff church. This
school house was the first school house built in the county with
public money, built by the Republican’s scalawags. Dr Howard
had been made sheriff, had this house put up by his son in law
Stephen Riser. So it was called Riser. It was a plank building,
plank set up. They got fine water from the Dave Riser gum spring.
This teacher an old Scotchman. Father went in to Neshoba county
for his wife and their belongings. That was his part for the
school. B F Eubank was to board them for his part in the school.
School opened 2 weeks before Christmas. School recessed for Christmas.
Teacher got drunk during Christmas. They dismissed him. That
ended that school.
Father started me the 1st Monday of January 1872 to school at
Newton. Walking 4-1/2 miles there and 4-1/2 miles home in the
evening. The school building stood where the school building
now stands 1950. We crossed the RR and crossed a readbrake on
plank walk. This was a muck several feet deep, 12 feet in some
places. This teacher was F H Emerson a fine man with curly hair.
Everyone liked his. Miss Laura Fielder was my teacher a fine
looking young lady. This building belong to Dr Fielder. In this
school I began to studdie Smith grammar, geography, dictionary,
and Davies Arithmetic. Had examination in June. The boys of
my age had a dialog. The professor wrote our parts, what we would
be when we were men. My piece was I will be a Klu Klux if I can,
when I am a man, and I can! I will join the crusaders if I can
and I can. I will go to Jackson often to see Judge Hill and bring
back reports that will make your hearts thrill when I am a man.
The school divided in the fall, Miss Fielder in school house,
Mr. Emerson the Baptist church. This was the best school that
had been in Newton. I attended this school till Christmas. I
walked 4-1/2 miles night and morning to this school 1872.
In 1872 the school examination at end of school the professor
had a number of boys 12 to 14 years old in a dialogue one to be
a farmer, one to be a carpenter, one a blacksmith, one a doctor,
one a merchant, one a lawer, one a Ku Klux. Allen Grey a farmer,
Henry Allen Carpenter, Bob Wilson blacksmith, Henry Watkins doctor,
Will Selby a merchant, Horace Evereritte druggist. Each of these
boys to tell what he would do when he was man and active in his
profession, when he was a man. The professor wrote the speech
for each of them to say. William McMullan to be a Ku Klux and
his speech was:
When
I am a man- a man
I
will be a Ku Klux if I can and I can
I
will join the crusaders rest (ed. resist) the destots (ed. despots’)
rule
Vote
for Horace Greeley and buy me a mule
I
will go to Jackson often to see Judge Hill
And
bring back reports that will make your hearts thrill
When
I am a man
Version
1, Chapter 2: “School Days”
In 1865 I went to school awhile in the summer. Did not learn
a thing. The teachers name was Jake Welch. He had a club foot.
The negro woman that had a child Felder that nursed sister Cornelia
then about a year old, left us. So I had to quit school to nurse
the baby while mother wove cloth to clothe the family. While
I was nursing, mother had me study my blue back speller, in a
short time I was spelling well. This school house was a big log
house, logs a foot thick split open. Holes bored in the round
side and wooden pegs driven in the holes for benches. These benches
extended around the room. The house had a door in west side and
a stick & dirt chimney in north end. We got water from a
spring near by. My next school was 1868 Miss Mat Woodham, a fine
lady, a deep brunett, and a splendid teacher. The studants all
loved her. This for one school year as they had pay schools.
Then in 1869 had school in the same kind of house, got water from
a spring a quarter mile away, under a hill. The teachers name
was Jim Lester. He had a nice delicate little wife. They did
not suit the community. He quit, and got a school in a diferent
community. They were from Jackson, Mississippi.
My next school was two weeks in December 1871 at the Riser school
house, now known as Pine Bluff church. This school house was
the first school house in the county built by the Republicans
at state expense. Dr Howard had joined the Republican scalawags,
was made sheriff. Had this building put up by his son-in-law
Stephen Riser. So it was called Riser school house. This house
was a boxed plank set up & got water from the Riser gum spring,
fine water. This teacher was an old man, Scotch. Fathers part
in the school was he went into Neshoba county and moved his wife,
and their belongings to G. F. Eubank who was to board him for
his part in the school. The school opened two week before Christmas.
School turned out for Christmas. During Christmas teacher, he
got drunk and the patrons dismissed him. That ended the school.
His name was Sibley, old Scotchman. In the summer before this
happened I went to school to Mrs Steven Riser. She taught in
her home. Had students from four families namely McMullan Gibbs
Riser and Hollingsworth. Seven students in all. She was a daughter
of Dr Howard who eloped from state while serving as sheriff.
After Sibleys school failed, father started me the first Monday
in January 1872 to Newton school, and I walked to Newton school
4-1/2 miles in the a.m., 4-1/2 miles in the p.m. The school building
stood where the high school building now 1948 stands. We crossed
the RR & crossed a readbrak on a plank walk. This reedbreak,
a muck, 10-12 feet deep. This teacher principle was prof. F H
Emerson, a fine man with curly hair. Everybody liked him. The
assistant Miss Laura Fielder was my teacher. The building belonged
to Dr Fielder. The school divided in the fall. Miss Fielder
taught in the school building, and profesor Emerson taught in
the Baptist church where the church now 1948 stands. Miss Hattie
Birzel was my teacher. This time we had a fine school, the best
that had ever been in the county & walked to & from home,
morning & night. A total to & from school for the ten
months= eighteen hundred miles.
The year 1873 I worked on the farm. Did my first full hand plowing
for the year. Did not have any hands on the farm this year.
Hired an old McMullan slave Steve McMullan 3 months. He was a
splendid hoe hand, had been a cripple since he was a young man,
gave him $13 and board per month for May-June and July. Furnished
him a home for the year.
In the year 1874 the community where Midway now is, the neighbors
build a pine pole one room house about 18 by 18 feet, door in
the south end and a log cut out in north end for a window. These
poles not peeled had the bark all on and the cracks daubed with
mud to keep the wind out. Cracks in floor could stick finger
in. Had a little stove in the room to give heat in the winter.
They named this Midway, so named by J C Blalack. The builders
were J C Blalack, H G Ledlow, Bill Svoksey, A J Keith, Craig and
S C Ashmore, Gibbs. Miss Betty Atkinson was first teacher in
winter of 1874 and 1875 and the years 76-77 and 1878, and I attended
these years part time. In winter of 78 and 79 the school moved
to near Decatur. Rev A J Freeman was its teacher this year.
The McMullans went to Riser school. Rev H B Cooper was teacher.
Not very well liked. In September 1879 I went to Newton to school,
profes. T H Campbell from Hampton Sidney College Virginia, a fine
teacher but awful ugly. To this Newton school I went to and from
school on mule back. Mrs M E Blalack was assistant teacher, a
very nice lady and fine teacher. During this fall father’s brother
T J, a bachelor, died. Had no family. Father had to gather his
crop, and dispose of cotten and corn, and quite a few stock, and
for that reason I had to leave school, stay at home, and gather
our crop and attend our stock. The summer of 1880 prof. T H Campbell
afterwards Judge Campbell, taught school at Midway. I attended
this school, studied Butlar grammar, and Robinson arithmatick.
I went through to arithmatick. The summer of 1881 I attended
summer school. T J Atkinson was teacher, a fine instructor.
Some patrons did not like him. I thought him just fine.
In 1885 I went to school at Conehatta. The teachers were Denson of
Bay Springs, and Rev McBride. J J Denson was my instructor. Only taken
mathematics. I lost 1 week in April went to the worlds fair, the cotton
exposition in New Orleans the finest fair I have seen. Fathers hands
left the farm so I went home in May and taken the crops they had left,
and so this ended my school career. Had I known what I later realised
I would have finished my education at all hazards. Wanted to make some
money so I hired to the Bethel Cooperative Association as general clerk
& followed that for 4 years and by that time was ready to get married.
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