LIFE IN THE RURAL COMMUNITIES IN THE 20'S & 30'S

Tasco was a community trading center. It had grain elevators where crops were sold. Stockyards for cattle that were being shipped to market. Also the farmers could sell the cream and eggs they produced. It is safe to say that every farm family milked cows and kept chickens. This was usually the children's responsibility. Many people who grew up on a farm or lived in a small town will remember milking cows and feeding hogs and chickens before going to school. It was not really a burden. It was simply a way of life. These same chores were repeated after school in the evening. School started at nine o'clock in the morning and ended at four in the afternoon. The noon hour and two fifteen minute recesses were lunch time and play time. This adds up to five and one half hours of instruction per day. I choose to believe that the pupil went through the eighth grade seven times before actually getting there. It was all conducted in one room. Every one listened to the recitation of the class in session. To be in the first class recitation required some preparation. Woe to the unprepared, because all the pupils soon became aware of it. The routine was quite formal. A typical day would begin promptly at nine o'clock when the teacher would step on to the porch and ring a small hand held bell. Immediately the pupils would hurry inside and seat themselves at their desks. The teacher might have a short time of current events. During this time the pupils might share some news items, both local and national. Routines varied with the moods and abilities of the teacher, however the teacher was under the supervision of the school and county superintendent. A school board could and sometimes did fire a teacher for just cause. There was no review board and nonsense. The matter was done and the decision stood. After the brief opening, if it might be called that, the day of instruction began. We were not allowed to forget the reason that we were in school. There was no mention of preparing us for social adjustment; but of course this was certainly a rather unconcious part of our education. We were there to learn the three R's. The teacher's desk stood at the front of the room, usually on a slightly raised platform. The blackboards covered the wall behind the desk and the teacher sat facing the students. The desk top was supplied with a copy of the text books used by the pupils. Two long recitation benches were arranged in front of the teacher and the class in session sat on that bench facing the front. All the pupils sat in desks arranged in rows from front to back with aisles between the rows of desks. Usually the first graders sat at the front of the room and the second, third and fourth sat behind them in that order with the eighth grade sitting in the back of the room. This arrangement served a useful purpose. School was a family and community affair. The older pupils often responded to the needs of the younger. Of course there was horseplay and even down right meanness on occasion but the experienced teacher could usually handle it. Then too, there were few things that could be kept secret and the certainty of swift and direct action by parents and community was very real. The pupils were aware of this and it certainly was a factor in support of discipline. And now, the day of formal instruction begins. The teacher might say, "first grade arithmetic." All first graders would get the necessary books and papers from their desks. Next the teacher would say "turn." The pupils would turn in their seats and place both feet in the aisle. "Arise", all would arise as one. "Pass", all would pass single file to the rcitation bench. Then the order to be seated was given and the session began. All other pupils then kept one ear tuned to the proceedings in the front of the room and prepared their own lessons.
When the sessin ended the teacher might say "return to your seats", but no one moved until the command "arise." Then after all were on their feet, the order to "pass" and "be seated." All was conducted with almost militray precision. All was not work and lessons in the little school. Sometime during the day the teacher might read to us. I recall only the title of a few of these. "Smokey", a horse story, by Will James was one. "The Jumping Off Place" was another. It portrayed the life of a family that homesteaded on the prairie. The county superintendent made regular visits. This was a time when we were expected to be at our best. Two of these officials that I recall were Mrs. Waite and Vesta Miles, she later married a Mr. Steele who farmed near Allison. On Friday, after the last recess we might have a spelling contest or some math solving problems. These were games in which we used our knowledge of spelling and arithmetic. These games usually started with the teacher choosing two leaders. They in turn would choose pupils to their side. Each chose one in turn until all pupils were lined up along the side walls, each team facing the other. The leader of the team that started the game would spell a word. The leader of the opposing team would then spell a word using the last letter of the word spelled by the opposing team, as the first letter of the word which he or she would spell. Then the next in line on the opposing team would do the same. This would go on until someone was unable to spell a word that would fit the need. When this happened that person would be retired from the game and the next in line on the opposing side must spell a word which was acceptable. The teacher was of course the referee and the game was ended when only one pupil remained standing. Naturally the children in the lower grades went down first and the quick witted, good spellers stayed the longest. Of course the little ones looked forward to the day when they might win. You may talk about motivation!! The math games were a bit different. Sometimes the students were matached by grades and ability. The teacher would ask the contestants, (the number was only limited by available blackboard space) to go to the board. A problem, perhaps simple multiplication or addition, would be given. The first to arrive at the correct answer was declared the winner. This was certainly one of the many ways that the three R's were taught and learning could be fun. No one with any pride liked to be last. The annual school program was a big event. It was similar to our church school program. No pupil escaped this event. Each had a part either in a short play or an individual recitation. Some of these were quite good. One of the older pupils might recite the premble to the constitution or something like it. Of course the beaming parents looked on when all went well or they suffered with the child when a mistake was made. The annual school program was serious business. Oh yes, the raised platform at the front of the room was the stage and a curtain could be drawn across the front of it. All the refinements of the theatre were there. All schools day was usually held in the spring at a centrally located school. The event was similar to modern track meets. Sometimes during the winter a box supper or pie social might be held at the school. They usually served a twofold purppose. They provided a social event and the proceeds of the auction went to finance a special project. The women, down to even some of the smaller girls, would prepare a light lunch for two people. This lunch (a shoe box worked well) was placed in a box and the box was decorated to suit the taste of its owner. These boxes were all displayed at the front of the room. An effort was made to conceal the ownership of the boxes. At the appointed
time, one man acting as auctioneer sold each box in turn to the highest bidder. The bidding seemed to depend on the mood of the crowd and all men and boys were allowed to bid if they could pay for the box. If it should happen that a certain pair were courting or some particular lady was quite attractive the bidding might become very brisk. By some unwritten code these boxes usually were identified, perhaps the lady's young brother or sister was the informant. In any event it was the custom that the suitor was forced to pay a premium for the right to share the lunch with the lady of his choice. The climax of the event was when the buyer and the seller of each box sat together and shared its contents. The children who were too young to take part were also fed. Pie socials were conducted in much the same manner. Perhaps the fitting climax to the school term was the last day of school picnic. If someone had a nice grove of trees, this would be a favored spot for the event. The school children's families brought food for a noon meal and the afternoon was spent playing games and just visiting. Another school year had come to a close. This event usually occured in April because we finished the term in eight months.