WAY BACK WHEN
(The Spirit is pleased to share with our readers vignettes of life in the 19th century as originally reported in past issues of the newspapers. These reproduced stories include their original headlines.)
March 25, 1896 Professor United States
Another star has been added to the New York Sun’s galaxy of great names. Yesterday’s Sun contained the following from a learned correspondent: “You have entirely disregarded the claims of the Hon. Samuel States, of Punxsutawney, Jefferson county, Pa. He is the only Democrat member of the Board of County Commissioners, and owes no small part of his popularity to the fact that he gave to his first born son the named of United. United is now a grown man and teaches school in his native town. With all due respect to Col. Abe Slupsky, I hereby ask, what is the matter with Prof. United States, of Punxsutawney?”
April 1, 1896 The Last of the Toll-Gates
The turnpike between Brookville and Clarion is now free, that ancient highwayman known as the toll-gate, which long menaced the weary traveller between Brookville and Corsica, having been relegated to the past. The Commissioners, we understand, paid the owners of the old turnpike $1,600 for that much of it. The toll-gate has long been regarded as an abomination in civilized communities, and the Commissioners deserve credit for retiring this one from business.
April 1, 1896 Let Us Have a High School
What this town needs, as we have heretofore remarked on diverse and sundry occasions, is a good high school, where our boys and girls can fit themselves to enter college. It is important beyond anything else. The boy who graduates from our public schools at sixteen and loafs about the streets until he is nineteen or twenty, learning to be tough, instead of taking a three-years’ course in a high school, is not being properly cared for. It is a serious matter. It is our duty as fathers and citizens to see that the youth of our town are well educated. To graduate at a good high school would leave them pretty well equipped for the battle of life, even if they did not go to college, and those who could have this advantage would not need to go away to a preparatory school.