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Fairfield Weekly Ledger
Jefferson County, Iowa
Transcribed by:  Joey Stark

Note:  Typographical errors (followed by [sic]) and spelling variations in names in this document are intentional and reflect the actual newspaper articles.   Transcriber’s notes are occasionally included and are indicated with [Ed. note:….].  Surnames shown here are in UPPER CASE for easy location; not rendered as such in the newspapers.

September 10, 1868
 

 EDUCATIONAL.
 TEACHERS ASSOCIATION.

  Union School Room, September 5, 1868.  The association met pursuant to adjournment.  The minutes of the last meeting were read and approved.

Exercises were conducted as follows:  Mr. McCRACKEN read a very interesting essay on Compulsory Education.  He was requested to hand it in for publication, as the teachers present considered it worthy of the notice of many who were absent.

Miss E. RUSSEL conducted an exercise in Object Teaching;  gave a very instructive lesson.

Mr. OGDEN gave a lesson in Geography.  He spoke at some length upon the importance of illustrating to small children the shape, size, &c., of the earth.

General business now being in order, Mrs. HOWE was elected President, Mr. DAVIS, Vice-President, and Miss Kate ROWLAND, Secretary.

Mr. D. HERON and Mr. McCRACKEN were elected Editors of the Teachers’ Column for the ensuing term.

The committee on programme reported the following:  Geography --- Wm. C. DAVIES; Orthography --- Miss Maggie SHRINER; Mental Arithmetic, Kate ROWLAND;  Select Reading --- Delpha STEVER;  Written Arithmetic --- Mr. McCRACKEN;  History --- D. HERON;  Grammar --- Maggie PATTEN;  Object Lesson – Emma RUSSEL;  Reading --- Mr. OGDEN;  Penmanship --- Mr. CROY;  Essay --- Miss Hannah RAMSAY.

We hope all the teachers, whose names are upon this programme, will be present at our next meeting.

Mr. PIERCE addressed the association upon the subject of Geography.  Considerable interest was manifested by the teachers on this important subject.

  Adjourned. D. HERON, President.
  Maggie PATTEN, Secretary.

  Discussion at the Brick School House.

 Des Moines Tp., Aug. 27, 1868.
Messrs. Editors:

   According to appointment a political discussion was held by Mr. Alex. CLARK and Maj. G. F. WALKER on Friday evening last, at the brick school house in this township.  The weather was unfavorable, and there was not a large turn-out.  The debate was opened by Maj. WALKER, in a calm, argumentative speech, in which he reviewed and explained the reconstruction laws of Congress, showing most conclusively that these laws are not only wise and necessary, but that they are strictly constitutional.  On the financial question he made a very clear and able argument, showing very plainly that what they call paying all bonds with greenbacks is just no payment at all, but a mere dodge resorted to by the rebel sympathizers to cover up their real design of repudiation.  Mr. CLARK, in reply, made an argument on the reconstruction laws from a rebel standpoint, laying all the blame of the war, and all the calamities growing out of it, upon the North, without one word of censure for the South.---  In short, this part of his speech was a labored defense of the rebellion, and could not have been otherwise than gratifying to rebels and rebel sympathisers [sic].---  Upon the bond question he got considerably muddled, but disclaimed all designs of repudiation.  He was in favor of taxing bonds the same as other property, forgetting perhaps that the government has issued bonds from time to time during the whole period of its existence, and that the Democrats having been in power more than three-fourths of that time, have never taxed a government bond.---  But his strong point was the suffrage question.  Here he became eloquent, and highly excited, appealed earnestly to the people to prevent the terrible calamity of negro suffrage and negro equality from falling upon the entire nation;  but his most passionate appeals were to his Democratic friends, especially the young Democrats, whom he solemnly warned of the impending danger, assuring them that the moment the negro should be invested with the right of suffrage they could go straightway [sic] and marry all the white girls, leaving nothing but black wenches for them.  This appeal had the desired effect, and caused a marked sensation among the young Democrats, who were visibly alarmed at the prospect of seeing all their sweethearts flying to the arms of their dark skinned rivals.  Maj. WALKER replied in a short, but very effective speech, showing up Mr. CLARK’s rebel sympathising [sic] argument on the reconstruction laws, and extricating the bond question from the muddle into which Mr. CLARK had got it, reminding him that the Supreme Court had long since decided that government bonds could not be taxed for State and County purposes.  Mr. CLARK and other leaders may carry some of their Democratic friends of rebel sympathies and rascally proclivities with them in the support of measures looking to repudiation, but they can carry no Republicans with them, nor do I believe they can get many loyal Democrats to indorse [sic] a financial scheme that is neither more nor less than naked rascality.   N.

Real Estate Transfers --- The following deeds to lands and town lots in Jefferson county, have been placed on record at the Recorder’s office for the week ending Sept. 7, 1868.

John COURTNEY from David COURTNEY and wife, 20 acres in Walnut township.  Deed dated April 17, 1868.  200 00
J. D. EDWARDS from John HANNAWALT, et. al., the two-fifths of two-thirds of 280 acres in Walnut township.--- Deed dated August 13, 1868.  1,000 00
Henry VOTE from Wm. NEVIA, one lot adjoining Fairfield.  Deed dated Sept. 4, 1868.  75 00
Perry SUMMERS form [sic] Perry M. TROXELL and wife, ten acres in Blackhawk township.  Deed dated September 6, 1868. 300 00
G. W. HEWITT from Perry SUMMERS and wife, 5 acres in Blackhawk township.  Deed dated Sept. 5, ’68.  130 00
John GOOD from M. PIKE and wife, 13 1/3 acres in Des Moines township.--- Deed dated May 4, 1868.  100 00
F. J. DEMARSH from W. R. JONES, 40 acres in Penn township.  Deed dated September 2, 1868.  475 00

  Union School.---  The following are the names of the teachers engaged for the Union School in that city.  W. C. DAVIS, Principal; Miss Maggie PATTEN, Miss Hannah RAMSAY, Miss Kate ROWLAND, Miss Clara JOHNSON, Miss Emma RUSSELL, Miss Mattie SHAFFER, Miss Susie JOHNSON, Mrs. L. O. HOWE, assistants.

The Board of Directors have not yet determined when the school will commence.--- They were in hopes of being able to commence next Monday, but the bannisters are not yet on the stairways, and it would be somewhat dangerous to the little folks to have them running up and down the stairs.  The building will be completely finished in ten days, and we believe we will be safe in saying that school will open certainly on the 21st inst.

We congratulate our citizens on the completion of our find school building.  It reflects credit not only upon our citizens generally, but also upon the energetic and efficient men who started and carried the work to completion.  Our citizens may well feel proud of it.  It is an honor to us, and will do more to advance the material interests of our city than any other public enterprize [sic] that has ever been started in our midst.  We can now inform persons who have heretofore shunned Fairfield because it offered poor public school facilities for education, that it is second to none in the State, and boasts an efficient corps of teachers.  If you want to give your children a good common school education, come to Fairfield.

Marriages

---Aug.  5, 1868, at the residence of Mr. Erick SMITH, by Rev. H. OLSON, Mr. John G. JOHNSON and Miss Emma DIDRICKSON, all of this county.