A walk form Harlan to Four Mile to teach school every day and back in the afternoon was a small task for Miss Zada Gregory (Mrs. J.T. Rutherford) in the early days of Harlan County schools.

Her students numbered about 85 with grades ranging from the first to the eighth. The children carried their dinner in pails. It was fun to peep in the little boy's dinner pail who sat next to you. Everyone was anxious to see what their playmate had for lunch.

One little girl brought light bread and that was a rare thing. The majority of them had only corn bread and biscuit. One of the outstanding memories of the school was the revival held at noon by the Rev. W.H. Shoemaker.

The children had their choices of coming into the school building or staying out in the yard. Sallie Howard (Lewis) was impressed because most of them came in.

Sketch School Building

She thought too it was such a grand thing when her teacher told the students to go sit out on the hill and draw a picture of the school building. Some of the sketches didn't exactly look like the building but they had fun doing it.

Roscoe Ball, Cody howard, Loyd Howard and Ray Howard "took to the river" and the grapevine swing at recess. They'd "swarp through the water" as they swung out over the river.

Estelle howard Unthank, Anna Cornett, Sallie Howard Lewis and her sisters, Effie and Mae played hop scotch and jumped the rope at recess. The boys carried water from a spring neaarby.

The teacher was offered the water first and then the bucket was passed down the aisles to the students.

Will Bailey was county superintendent and Ben Unthank was supervisor. The officials had high praise for Miss Gregory as a teacher. She was assisted by some of the older girls.

School Marm's Pay Small

Miss Gregory didn't receive too much pay and an assistant teacher would have cost her more than she wanted to pay from her salary.

One day an older girl was looking after the younger grades when one little boy confided that he had swallowed a fly.

"Why how awful," she said.

"That's alright, he said, I'll get out of school now.

May 16, 1954

Volume 53 Number 114

page 1 & 8

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