Very much to the edification of the school and to the advancement of education in those parts

 Autobiography and reminiscences by John W. Carroll.

During these years we had another professor at the Hughes academy, Mr. Smith, a good man; and one other.  Mr. T. J. Bailey, also a fine man and he prided himself very much upon the correct understanding of Webster's Blue Back Spelling Book.  So we were put through again and again and in-accuracies of other teachers printed out.  We now entered upon the study of arithmetic, Pike's old work being the standard at that time: it treated mostly of shillings and pence — old English money — a thing obsolete as far as our currency is concerned.  So under this professor, studying eight weeks in a year during the summer solstice, in two years I actually got as far as the rule of three, as well as I remember, about the thirtieth page of the book; and here my educational labors ceased.  I am just a little sorry that I can not have a photo of this professor.  Unfortunately he was very lame, one leg being much shorter than the other; and one eye seemed smaller than the other.  Seated upon a high chair, a long black hickory being conveniently near, woe to the child whom the professor caught not spelling or reading aloud, or smiling at the rosy-cheeked girls, or fixing a pin in the seat so that the next boy might sit upon it.  Engaging in any of these to us seemed little harmless pastimes.  On such occasions the professor would rise in his chair and pitch that long black hickory at the violater who must pick it up and carry it to the professor and after a few preliminaries square himself and take a whipping, very much to the edification of the school and to the advancement of education in those parts.