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Note: !NOTES: #102 (Con't from #102 notes.): The 1st thing we did when we got home from school was to change out of our school clothes & into our choring clothes. There was always chores waiting for us. We went barefoot until 1st frost. We had 2 pairs of shoes each year. One for everyday & school & 1 for Sunday. If the sole wore thin, Dad put on a new sole made from a strip of leather or panco, which was tacked on using the old shoe last, then trimming it to fit the shoe. The boys had their hill side on the west, the girls on the East, There were no Johns until later years. We never had hot lunches, each child took his own lunch. If there were 3 or 4 in 1 family, they all used the same pail, which was usually a syrup or lard bucket. Sometimes a spoon would have to be borrowed to pry the lid off. The only problem was, who had to carry the lunch pail home at evening. We all went outside & sat on the ground to eat our lunch, except on rainy days. If we happened to get a good snow, we played Fox & Goose. This was done by making 2 big circles in the snow, 1 inside the other, then cross paths be- tween them. The fox tried to catch the goose without getting out of the circles. We kids at school would gather hackberries, eat the berries & save the seeds. Somehow the seeds accidently got dropped on the floor & in time of "books", someone would have to take a word up to the teacher to get him to pronounce it for them, & accidently & unknowingly step on a seed, making a loud "crack". There were too many students for 1 teacher to watch every one. Each class was called to the front of the room for recitation, all sitting on seats across the front of the room, facing the teacher & backs to the school room. For arithmetic, students were called to the blackboard to do their work. For spelling, they formed a line standing in front of the room facing the back of the room. Each was given a different word, unless he failed to spell it, then it was passed on to the next in line, until it was spelled correctly. The 1 at the head of the line received a head mark, then he had to go to the foot of the row & start working his way back to the head again. If the person above him missed a word & he could spell it, they ex- changed places, which put him 1 place closer to another head mark. At the end of each quarter the 1 with the most headmarks received a prize. On Fri- day afternoon after the last recess, classes were dismissed & we had spelling matches, Geography matches, ciphering matches, these highlighted the week. The teacher usually build the fires of morning, & some did all the janitor work with no extra pay The old school bell could be heard for more than a mile. The teacher rang it several times twice each morning And once after each recess & noon to notify all children it is time for "books". Occasionally a pie supper was held at the school house to raise funds for some needy cause. The girls baked a pie & put in a box the right size, then covered & decorated it. It was auctioned off to the highest bidder. The boy who bought the pie then ate it with the girl who took it. Votes were sold for 5 cents each to elect the prettiest lady present. She was then given a cake for a reward. Other prizes were given. A jar of pickles for the most love sick couple, a pair of socks to the man with the largest feet, or a towel & bar of soap for the dirtiest man.
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