School Days

First School for Me & Hick - Gate City

The first school we went to was Gate City Grade School. I was about ten years old.  This had, at one time, been Shoemaker College.  My dad moved us to Gate City.  He rented a little house up a little branch from where the Life Saving Crew building is now.  We lived there for the school term.  Dad would go and work on the farm and come back every night. 

Biting Boy’s Ears

Here is more that happened at that school in Gate City.  The kids I’m sure soon found out that we were little country hicks, for some of them started doing things to us that was not nice. 

There was one boy that was more determined than the rest.  He was wanting to pick a fight and we had never been around anyone like that so I told my brother we would stay together and if he started anything, I would hold him and for Hick to bite his ears. 

Wasn’t long until he made his move.  I grabbed him and Hick almost bit his ears off.  After that, he stayed away from us.  That is what you call teamwork.

Kicking Girl

Then, there were some girls that followed us one day after school.  They were getting closer all the time.  I turned toward them and told Hick to run.  They came within hitting distance of me. 

I just stood still until one of them got close as she could, saying ugly things and before she could slap me, I kicked her in the shin as hard as I could.  She doubled over holding her leg and that’s when I ran. 

A city gal can’t run like a girl raised on the farm.  They didn’t try following us again.

Riverview

Then, the next school we went to was Riverview.  This school was about three miles up the river from our house.  We would go up the river about half a mile and cross the river in the boat.  Then we would get with Ernest Yoakley and his cousin Mona Yoakley and walk over a big hill and down to what is the Wadlow Gap Road.  After crossing the road near the Henderson Bridge, we would walk up the river to the school. 

The school had two rooms and the principle was Joe McGathey.  There was one teacher.  The bathroom was a two-seater - one for girls and one for boys.  There was a swinging bridge near the school, but we were not allowed to get on it.  We had fun playing at recess and lunch was biscuits full of food from home.