Rensselaer Union, Volume 1, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 April 1869 — Speech sf Mr. Joab Whittle In Squawk* boro Tows Meeting, on the Subject of Building a School-house. [ARTICLE]

Speech sf Mr. Joab Whittle In Squawk* boro Tows Meeting, on the Subject of Building a School-house.

Mr. Moderator— l want to say a word about this ’ere new school-’ns. Mom everybody has had their say, and now I’d like to have mine. I can’t set, as I have sot for the past tew hoars, and see the people’s money flung away on a new school-’us without saying a word agin it If I understand the matter right, it is proposed to spend tew thousand dollars. And what fur, Mr. Moderator t To set up a high scbool-’us, and teach the boys and girls of Squawkboro a lot of highfalutin stuff that will only make them imperdent and sassy. When I went to school and got my lamin’, all I studied was the three R’s—read in’, ritin' and ’ rithmetic; and that is plenty enough for anybody to lam, and two much for a gal. It is easy enough for men to get up a town meetur and vote away fete thousand at a lick; bat bow long would it take them to am that money themselves? In my opinion, Mr. Moderator, there is too much money locked in public buildings already. Look at the meetln’ ’uses in Squawkboro’! four , and any one on ’em is big enough to hold ail the people that goes to the hull on ’em. How can a town ever get ahead that has so much capital locked up in mootin' ’uses? And every one on ’em callin' the other Bimeet Suppose this vote passes—whar are ye agoin’toputyournewachool-’ua? There’ll be a puzzler for ye! I ’spose Squire Snukes will try his pootiest to nave it built on his five-sere lot; and somehow the people of this town think they must dew jut as the 'squire tells ’em, because he was sent to Gineral Court one term. But I can tell you, Mr. Moderator, that if the school-’us is put on that lot, it will be playin’ a mean thing on the children that live up ovar by Shinner’t Pond, and them that live up by Silas Doozenberry’a They can’t come to school only when the inn shines. And I don’t want the thing built anywhere near my place. I know what it is to live near the school-’us. I don’t want my apples and peaches hooked, or my fences hacked np by boys, to say nothin’ about the winders broken by base balls and sich. Mr. Moderator, we’ve got along all these years without this schopl-’us”; why can’t we get along fifty years more ? Why agitate this peaceful town of Squawkboro’ from one eend to t’other about sd testin' a parcel of boys and gals that know a sight more than their payrents do already ? Tete thousand dollars l My gracious, Mr. Moderator I Jest think of tew thousand dollars all to wonst! Jest think of the town debt now, and then plcter to yourselves what it will be with tew thousand more piled onto it Look forrard a hundred and years, and see our children’s children a groanin’ under the taxes this ’ere schoolw will bring upon ’em. Why, sir, I got our minister to Agger up what tow thousand dollars would be if divided ekally among the inhabitants of Squawkboro, and it come to three and ninepenee apifOt! Yes, Mr. Moderator, three and ninqpence apiece! Why, sir, it is only s year since the town went to the expense of two hundred mid fifty dollars to build a hearts house, and not a livin' person in Squaw kbore’ needed it But there it is built, and elands there unopened week after week, hardly any use for it. As I said before, I cant set still and see the hard-earned money ot the people flnng away on hearse-houses and school houses without gittin’ up and utterin’ my voice agin it Mr. Moderator, I shall vote agin this appropriation, and I hope every liberalminded, whole-souled man will do the same.— Wm. L. Williams, in OUter Optie's Magatino. -~-A correspondent of the Augusta (Ga.) Chronicle says that the beet way to renovate old apple trees is to commence with a good pruning, then scrape off all the loose bark and moss; give the tree e longitudinal incision through the bark, wash the whole with a strung solution of eoap and water with lime added, and give a good working out with a digging fork around the roots' as for m they extend. Spread lime and ashes broadcast around the tree.