Ihr liewe Leit:
Wie gsaat, der Yoder hot aa aernschthaft sei kenne. Die Kinner
kumme nau aus der Schul fer der Summer, un sell meent 's iss die recht Zeit
fer en paar Linye aus seim Schtick "Die Schule vun Geschder":
Zwische de Schule heit un de Schule sechzich Yaahr zerick iss ken
Vergleich. Des wisst ihr wull aa. Die yunge Leit wisse's zwaar net, awwer ihr
vun meim Alder schtimme ei mit mir.
Die aerschde Gebeier waare Blockheiser un Blockscheiere. Do howwe
bei uns hen die Leit vun 1811 bis 1871 Gott innere Blockkaerrich gedient. En
alt Blockschulhaus hot newedraa gschtanne. Eener vun de aerschde Eiwuhner hot
Land gewwe fer Kaerrich un Schul. Des waar der Fall in viel Gegende.
Eb ich uff die Welt kumme bin waar's schunn verbei mit Blockgebeier.
Die alt Blockkaerrich hen sie abgerisse un hen sie verkaaft. Mei Vadder hot
vun dem Lumber kaaft un hot en lanagi Bortch an unser Haus gebaut. Mit Deel
vum Hols hot er en glee Heisli gebaut mit me Sitz dass zwee runde Lecher drin
ghatt hot.
Es Schulhaus iss aa abgerisse warre im Laaf der Zeit. En schee nei
zweeschteckich frame Schulhaus iss weider die Schtrooss nuff gebaut warre. Der
unnerscht Flohr waar fer die primary Schul, un der zwett Flohr waar fer die
primary Schul, un der zwett Flohr waar gezeehlt fer die Hochschul. In de
aerschde Yaahre waar yuscht die Schtubb uff em aerschde Flohr in use, weil mer
noch net hoch genunk gschtiege waare fer in die Hochschul. Schpeeder sin mer
awwer owwenuff kumme. In sellre Schul hen mer viel gelaernt, ya, viel ass mer
net schwetze un schreiwe kann.
Awwer in de meenschde Hiesichde hot uns die Schul net gut
aagschtanne. Oft hen mer gewinscht wann doch yuscht des verflucht alt Wese
abbrenne deet. 'S Laerne waar uns en groossi Schwierichkeit. Viel sin aus der
Schul gange un an die Aerwet uff die Bauereie odder noch de Kohlmeinds.
Mer hen oft gewinscht der Deiwel deet der Tietscher sammde Schuh,
Schtrimp, Hemm un Hosse lewendich hole. Mer hen ihn fer en rechder Heichler
ghalde. Mol ee Daag hot er gsaat dass drei vun uns deete in der County Jail
ghenkt warre eb mer zwansich Yaahr alt waere. Oft hawwich gedraamt es waer en
Schtrick um mei Hals, un wann's Bett gegrext hot, hawwich gemeent es waer mei
Halsgnick.
Vun de Eirichtunge im Schulhaus waar net viel zu saage. Es waare
Sitzbletz fer baut sexundreissich. En Kohloffe hot in der Mitt gschtanne.
Draus im Gang waar en Bank mit me Wassereemer un en Scheppbool. Wesche waar
net viel notwennich - mir hen der los Dreck an die Hosse abbutze kenne, un
sell waar genunk.
Macht's gut,
Der Alt Professer
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Dear people:
As we were saying, Yoder could also be serious. The children are
now coming out of school for the summer, and that means that it is the
right time for a few lines from Yoder's piece "The Schools of Yesterday":
Between the schools of today and the schools of 60 years ago there
is no comparison. You no doubt know that too. The young people, of course,
don't know that, but you who are my age will agree with me.
The first buildings were block/log houses and log barns. Up here by us
the people served God in a log church from 1811 to 1871. An old log
schoolhouse stood next to it. One of the first inhabitants gave land for
the church and the school. That was the case in many areas.
Before I was born (came into the world) things were already all
over for the log buildings. They tore down the old log church and sold it.
My father bought some of that lumber and built a long porch onto our
house. With some of the wood he built a little house with a seat that had
two round holes in it.
The schoolhouse was also torn down in the course of time. A nice
new two-story frame schoolhouse was built further us the street. The
bottom floor was for the primary school, and the second floor was to be
for the high school. In the first years only the room on the first floor
was in use because we hadn't climbed high enough to be in the high school.
But later we got up there. In that school we learned a lot, yes, much that
you can't talk about or write.
But in most respects we did not like school. Often we wished if
only that damnable old thing would burn down. Learning was very difficult
for us. Many left the school and went to work on the farms or went to the
coal mines.
We often wished that the devil would fetch the teacher alive,
together with his shoes, socks, shirt and pants. We held him to be a right
hypocrite. One day he once told us that three of us would be hanged in the
county jail before we were 20 years old. Often I dreamed that there was a
rope around my neck, and when the bed creaked, I thought that it was the
nape of my neck.
Of the furnishing in the schoolhouse there was not much to say.
There were seats for about 36. A coal stove stood in the middle. Outside
in the hallway was a bench with a water bucket and a dipper. Washing was
not much necessary - we could clean off the loose dirt on our pants, and
that was enough.
Take care,
The Old Professor
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