Radio Script #596

Little Talks on Common Things

January 5, 1964

George Flood’s diaries, extending as they do from 1860 to 1896, cast light on many events and many customs during the latter half of the 19th century. There is scarcely a phase of life in the Kennebec Valley that is not mentioned at one time or another in the diaries.

While a student at Colby, especially in his senior year, Flood followed the practice of most students of teaching school during the long winter vacation. What he says about his experience as a teacher gives us a valuable glimpse at the rural schools of a hundred years ago.

When Flood began the diary on January 1, 1860, he was already in the midst of a term of school in his home town of Clinton. He tells us that he had 58 pupils — a very sizable school. On January 13 he was taking up Africa with the geography class. During that term his only reference to discipline came on January 20 when he wrote: “School very uneasy today.” The college resumed work on February 15, but like most other juniors and seniors who had teaching positions, Flood was granted an extension of leave until his teaching term had closed. The way it closed is recorded in the diary: “Feb. 24 – Had an examination of my school. Many visitors. Passed off very well. Have got my pay of $100 and have closed the school.”

What did Flood mean by “examination of my school”? A hundred years ago it was the uniform practice to end each term in the common schools with a public examination, conducted partly by the teacher and partly by the district supervisor or members of the town school committee. We may assume that Flood was proud to record the event as “passed off very we 11”, for sometimes the pupil s were so scared by the officials or by the horde of visitors that they did not show up to good advantage.

And, of course, when the showing was not good, everybody blamed the teacher.

The next December Flood was at it again, this time teaching the school at Clinton Village. Disciplinary troubles started almost at once: “Dec. 4 – Had difficulty with David Whitten. He would not read or recite. Dec. 5 – David Whitten expelled for not obeying rules.” Now see what a problem Flood had in respect to number of pupils. The 58 he had handled the previous winter seems to us unusually large, but the next winter there crowded into his schoolroom 70 boys and girls.

On December 7th tragedy struck Flood’s school and in fact the whole community. The diary says: “A number of scholars sick with diphtheria.” Then the blows came heavy and fast: “Dec. 10 – Four deaths in town last night. Dec. 12 – Funeral of two girls aged 7 and 9. Dec. 14 – Funeral of Weymouth child.” Now comes what in our day seems impossihle. During that whole epidemic. school was in session every day, certainly no help in stemming the spread of the dread disease.

By New Year’s the epidemic had subsided, but then Flood was having more trouble with discipline: “Jan. 2 – Called a number of the large boys out.” That means called out for a feruling. “Jan. 3 – Scholars very unruly. The citizens fortunately uphold me in keeping order. Jan. 5 – Had a hole broken in the school house floor. Had to lock the door and command silence. I investigated and fixed blame on five boys.”

Now notice the action that Flood took. No teacher or principal or school superintendent would think of taking such action today for the offense of cutting a hole in the floor. But a hundred years ago what George Flood next did was a common way to handl e such cases. Flood went to atrial justice and swore out a warrant on four of the boys, deciding that the fifth was less culpable. Sheriff Barton served the warrant, the four boys or their parents paid the cost. and Flood agreed to “let the warrant stand”. That meant no prosecution if the boys behaved themselves henceforth, but any violation would mean bringing the old case to court. with the boys facing certain fines, or possibly even reform school. The day after the warrant was served Flood wrote: “Do not think I shall have any more difficulty with my scholars.” On Feb. 25 Flood closed what he called a successful term.

Fifteen years later in 1875 George Flood was School Supervisor in Clinton. By that time towns had begun to have what today we call a superintendent of schools one man, acting under the elected school committee, to have charge of all the town’s school districts. Not until later were the separate districts abandoned, but in many a Maine town like Clinton, by 1875 the district supervisors no longer had complete authority, but were subject to the town superintendent. Flood had been elected to the office at the town meeting in the spring of 1874. When the following winter term was well under way, he was busy on that job, although he was then living in the Noyes home in Waterville and was actively engaged in the wool business. Let us see what the diary says about his job as Supt. of Clinton schools.

“Jan. 1 – Drove to Clinton and visited two schools. (Note that New Years was not then a school holiday.) Jan. 7 – Went to Clinton and visited school in District 6. Jan. 11 – Have been teaching in District 6 while the teacher is at home. Hard to keep the schoolroom warm. Jan. 19 – Have been to Districts 7 and 8. Feb. 6 – Hired Rodney Hunter to teach the Free High School in District 3. Feb. 12 – Attended prize speaking at the primary school. Feb. 24 – Have been in my room drawing up the visits I have made to the different schools: 78 in all. Mar. 8 – I was again chosen Superintendent of Schools, M.P. Hatch running against me.”

One job of the superintendent was to select textbooks: “March 11 – Have been going over Swinton’s Grammars and think them fine.” Sometimes there were serious difficulties: “April 15 – Have been to Kendalls Mills to see a lawyer about R.W. Randall’s destroying a school warrant.” On May 15 Flood distributed new geographies at the schools in Clinton Village. The following winter Flood was so busy with his wool business and trying to get a good position on one or another of the New England railroads, that the diary says little about his job as Clinton school superintendent. But there are a few references: “Nov. 6 – Examined F.A. Hubbard to teach in District 3. Dec. 6 – Notified Mell Chamberlain to haul wood for the school in the Village. Dec. 21 – Have been to Clinton Village to see what can be done for more efficient management of the school there.”

The next spring, because he was deeply involved in Waterville business, George Flood was not a candidate for the Clinton superintendency, but he continued to show interest in the town’s schools for several years.

It is interesting to note what George Flood had to say about Colby College during his junior and senior years there and in the years after he graduated. The first diary reference is dated Feb. 15, 1860: “College term commenced today. March 13 – Had a talk with President Champlin.” That was probably about Flood’s chances for graduation in 1860. He learned that he couldn’t possibly make it because he had lost so much time through illness and through teaching that he would have to return for the following school year. That is just what he did, getting his degree at the Commencement in 1861. But let us see what he had to say about college during that earlier year of 1859-60: “April 12 – Have had some difficulty with Prof. Hamlin. April 13 – Recited two lessons but deliberately cut Hamlin. April 14 – Have been writing my piece for public declamation. April 16 – Have rehearsed my declamation piece. April 24 – Did an experiment at Prof. Lyford’s with rays of light. May 2 – Senior Class had a concert tonight, music by the Portland band; very good. May 3 – Senior Exhibition. The class did well; nine spoke. May 7 – We have been examined. I did well in Greek. Warren called on three times in Mechanics, I twice. June 9 – Prof. Foster gave us a cut. July 20 – Absent from Prof. Hamlin’s recitation; went to ride instead. July 24 – The whole sophomore class flunked by Prof. Foster on advanced translation. July 30 – Saw Prof. Smith about my prize declamation. I have decided not to speak because they are not going to have music. Aug. 7 – The Literary Fraternity held their anniversary.”

That item calls for explanation. Although the secret Greek letter fraternities had already come to Colby before 1860, the two older societies had not yet been dissolved. Rivals for more than forty years were the Literary Fraternity and the Erosophian Adelphi. Sometimes they held a joint anniversary with invited orator and poet. At other times the two held separate anniversaries. Three years after that 1860 anniversary, Ralph Waldo Emerson was to be the orator, just as he had been earlier for the Erosophian AGelphi in 1841.

George Flood was a member of what was then Colby’s youngest Greek fraternity, Delta Upsilon. He was so fond of the fraternity that in the spring of 1860 he wrote in his diary: “Paid the rent of the Phoenix Hall from my own pocket.” The DU’s then met in a hall they had hired in the Phoenix Block, a building still standing on Main Street near Temple.

On August 8 Flood put down the following record of the college commencement: “Eight speakers, but only seven received diplomas.” It seems strange that Flood, who had known for many months that he could not graduate until 1861, was allowed to participate in the Commencement of 1860, but that was a fact. He says he was the one who did not get a diploma. He continues: “Attendance small and pieces poor. Music by the Portland Band. Mrs. Long of Boston sang. Fine attendance at concert, took in $168.”

On September 5th Flood was back at college classes: “Sept. 26 – Failed Dr. Champlin’s recitation.” The next spring Flood had entered on his last college term: “March 5 – Pres. Champlin has been in Augusta trying to get an appropriation from the legislature. July 2 – Cut Prof. Smith’s recitation. Recited for the last time to Dr. Champlin. Shall be examined tomorrow. JUly 3 – Was examined on our last term in college. It passed off finely. There were only three of us. July 15 – Have just finished my piece for Commencement. July 30 – Have got my piece back from Prof. Smith. He did not cut it up much. Aug. 5 – Have memorized my piece. Aug. 12 – Some difficulty with Prof. Smith, and I may decide not to speak. Aug. 13 – Have decided to speak. Prof. Smith very pleasant. Aug. 14 – Commencement. Got my diploma. had dinner at Elmwood. and attended concert. Aug. 15 – Settled all my bills in Waterville and headed for home in Clinton.”

Thus ended George Flood’s college days. We’ll hear more about him next week.

Year: 1964