Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 August 1893 — Hurrah for Posey County! [ARTICLE]

Hurrah for Posey County!

“Thomas P. Harris and family, oi Posey County, Indiana, moved to Saline County, Illinois, last winter, arriving at their new home Dec. 2,” says John S. Williams, in the Mount Vernon (Ind.) Democrat. “The Monday following, Dec. 0, his children, five in number, started to school. Tne school was over one-half out when they started. They attended school just two and one-half months at the Shady Grove school, Saline County, 111. They had attended school about the same length of time at the Miller school in Black Township before leaving this State. “There were eight prizes given for good scholarship by the teachers of Shady Grove school, and Mr. Harris’ children captured every one of them. Charley Harris, aged 14 years, took two prizes, competing against 20-year-old pupils; Ina, aged 12 years, took two prizes, competing against pupils 18 years old; Maggie, aged 0, carried off two prizes, competing against 15-year-old pupils; Herbert and Herman, twins, aged 7 years, captured one prize each, competing against 12-. year-old pupils. “On the last night of school, they had an old-fashioned spelling match, such as we used to have in Indiana thirty years ago. The teacher told everybody to stand up and spell, and when one missed a word he had to sit down. There were two teachers present who took part in the spelling, and who do you think stood up the longest? One of the Sucker school teachers, of course. Well, hardly. It was little Ina Harris, formerly of Miller’s school, ‘Hooppole Township, Posey County, Ingiany,’ aged 12 years, and don’t you fail to comment upon it! “Read this, ye carping critics of Chicago—ye who have been poking fun at ‘Posey County, Ingiany!’ Go to! Weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you! Verily, it would be better to have one of your pork houses tied about your neck and be cast into the depths of Lake Michigan than to try to spell down a 12-year-old pupil from ‘Posey County, Ingiany,’ schools. “Ahem, gentlemen, take the witness. We will acknowledge the ‘hooppoles and pumpkins’ if you longnosed Suckers will tell us what you have to brag about. Hurrah for Posey County! “Chicago papers please copy.”