Tag Archives: teachers

Teachers in 1896 (1937)

21 Saturday Sep 2019

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From the Logan Banner of Logan, WV, comes this bit of history about U.S. teachers in 1896. The story is dated April 7, 1937.

Writer in 1896 Declared Teachers Earned No More Than Cobblers, Milliners

School teachers’ pay in 1896 assumed as prominent a place in public problems as it does today. The difference in the problem is in that the teachers of 1896 were said to receive about as much pay as milliners and cobblers while today they probably receive less.

But this is not an editorial.

A clipping from Forum in 1896 showed that teachers’ salaries ranged from $100 to $900 a year. The Forum writer wondered how the teachers could live on such a small amount. He’d be in a deeper quandary today.

The average salary for a school year amounted to approximately $318.36 for men and $262.92 for women. Duties included cleaning the schools and building the fires. The writer said these duties were not always considered hardships by the persons who took the jobs, the women having always been accustomed to such duties and the men didn’t find it hard because they could always induce students to perform the tasks for certain favors.

Nearly three times as many women teachers than men were employed in the country schools in the United States at that time. The percentage was higher in the country than in the city.

The teachers instructed their one roomful of children in all branches of learning up to grammar and algebra, the writer said.

He also said that “for what these teachers do they are quite adequately paid.” That wouldn’t apply today.

“A village schoolmaster will earn as much in the year as the cobbler; the schoolmistress will earn as much as the milliner,” the Forum scribe said.

“They do not belong as a general thing to a class better educated than the cobbler or milliner (remember, this was 1896) and they do not work any harder, the writer declared.

Here’s where he warms up a bit and applies to 1937.

“Those of them who have thought about their calling and who have ever been moved to feel that great responsibilities devolved upon them have realized that the conditions were such that they could not do next to nothing, and usually they have given over any efforts to secure a change in school administration.”

Fact for fact and condition for condition there is only a small change in the country schools left after many of them were consolidated. Consolidation was a boon to the country, but 41 years have passed and many teachers are still underpaid and have to teach under intolerable conditions.

Lincoln County, WV: After Oil and Gas (1922)

23 Sunday Dec 2018

Posted by in Hamlin

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From the Lincoln Republican of Hamlin, WV, comes this submission by three Carroll High School students about what Lincoln County might do when oil and gas is exhausted in the future.

AFTER OIL AND GAS, THEN WHAT?

If oil and gas were to become exhausted in Lincoln county what suggestions have you along the line of agriculture for keeping up and increasing the wealth of the county and maintaining the population of Hamlin?

Three Carroll High School pupils in a recent examination in Agriculture gave the following answers:

If oil and gas were to become exhausted in Lincoln county, and it is supposed that it will, the people could make just as much money at other things if they would only think so. For instance, Lincoln county has been declared by the best educated men in the State to be the best fruit growing county in West Virginia. The people of Lincoln county can make as much money growing fruit as the people of Ohio, and many a farmer in Ohio has grown rich just by growing fruit. I do not mean out close to Columbus, but down near Kenova, in the hilly section. These hills of Lincoln county can be cleared and the men who are now making $2500 a year working in the oil and gas business can make that much and more growing fruit. Of course he has to go about it in the right manner. If they do it as it should be done they would be busy every day in the year.

Dairying is another thing that has been discussed by educated men for Lincoln county. They say now that we are getting the hard road we can take all our milk and butter to Huntington and receive good prices for it. Improved cattle can be turned out on these hills and if cared for in the proper way a man can make as much money working at it as he can working in the oil and gas business.

IDA HAGER.

If oil and gas were to become exhausted in Lincoln county, I think dairying would help increase the wealth of the county and also help maintain the population of Hamlin. Dairying would pay in this county because so many people do not own cows and would buy all their milk and butter from the dairy. The cows could be pastured in the summer, and this would cause the people to improve their farms; and again, we are getting the hard road, and the dairy products could very easily be taken to market, if the dairy man could not sell all his products at home.

Fruit raising would also help Lincoln county. These hill-sides could be converted into profitable and beautiful fruit farms. I don’t think another town in the U.S. of its size uses so much fruit as Hamlin, and all this fruit must be shipped in from other places when it could be raised very easily at home. The people would improve their farms, and the washed and gullied hills would be made of some use, whereas they are of none. The only thing needed to make both dairying and fruit raising profitable is some one to start and boost the business.

EDNA HAGER.

If oil and gas were to become exhausted in Lincoln county, I would suggest agriculture on a scientific basis to keep the population and increase the wealth. If I see right, Lincoln county has some of the best land for orchards in the eastern part of the United States. What cannot be used for orchards can be used for sheep. With the proper care, orchards of great value and producing ability can soon be started in Lincoln county. Most of the soil, or sub soil, is clay and usually is deep and well watered. The change in temperature is usually gradual and not much risk or danger would be run in loosing from frosts or freezing. Again, we can not find a better sheep raising county in the east than Lincoln county. Sheep would surely prosper in Lincoln county. The land is somewhat run down and this would soon build it back again and restore Lincoln county’s virgin soils. This is the only way I can possibly see to keep Lincoln on her feet.

HUGH HAINOR

Perhaps it is well that some people are thinking along this line. It might be dded also that one way of keeping up the population and welfare of the county is to build up at the County seat the best school possible. In doing this everyone can help. We should have a large number of county teachers in the High School for the spring months. Everyone should be interested in livening teachers up to this opportunity of better preparation. We shall be in the new building then and the new building is fine. It might be of interest to note in closing that the Board of Education and the faculty are considering the establishment of a Five Week’s Summer Training School for teachers, and are discussing the matter with State authorities and with the County Superintendent.

HOMER STILES,

Prin. Carroll High School

Source: Lincoln Republican (Hamlin, WV), 02 February 1922.

Aracoma High School in Logan, WV (1927)

11 Sunday Mar 2018

Posted by in African American History, Logan

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From the Logan Banner of Logan, WV, comes this interesting item about Aracoma High School dated September 2, 1927:

ARACOMA HIGH OPENS SEPT. 5th

Principal Hull Announces Some New Features Since Last Term, Adding To the Facilities

Plans are about completed for the opening of the Aracoma high school for the coming year. The principal, Mr. Bruce H. Hull, states that an annex will be fitted up for use this year giving an additional room for high school purposes. This annex will be equipped as a science laboratory. Equipment, including special furniture, has already been ordered for this department and is expected to be in place for the beginning of the year. The additional room and added facilities thus provided should enable the high school to be classified as second class.

Mr. Hull further stated that the board of education will furnish transportation to all students living in the district who wish to attend the high school up to and including the eleventh grade. Parents are urged by him to have their boys and girls enter school on the first day for purpose of classification.

The faculty for the school will be composed of five members holding baccalaureate degrees from standard and approved colleges and two members who are graduates of the standard normal course. It will be recalled that when Mr. Hull came to Logan two years ago there was no accredited senior high school for Negroes, but now plans have been completed for a new building which the board expects to complete before the end of the present term. The completion of this unit in the system of education together with the entrance of the Logan high school into the North Central Association of Secondary Schools will be tangible evidence of the progress of Logan county in the field of education.