Reminiscing at the O’Quinn Old Settlers Reunion

Footprints

The content of Charles P. Luck’s 1941 talk about growing up in O’Quinn in the 1870s and 80s is continued from last week.

“The first religious service held in the settlement was in our home. I was told that the Lucks were the ones who donated the land for church and school. This was a combination church and school. School opened with the Lord’s Prayer and the singing of “America”, (My Country ‘Tis ofThee).This was the first song I learned to sing. The first prayers I learned were, “Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep” and the Lord’s Prayer. I remember the first day I went to school, dressed up with boots on and first reader, slate and pencil. I learned my ABC by candlelight which I helped to make.… “Before giving you the record of the other pupils, I should like to tell you a little more about the school and its methods. This was a kind of missionary and public school at first; the teacher was a preacher and a homeopathic doctor. When a pupil got sick he would treat him with homeopathic medicines. He also taught us all kinds of games and plays. Town ball, something like baseball, but instead of a bat they used a paddle and a rubber ball; rolly holly, pig rolling, hop scott and other games; blind man’s buff [sic.], dropping the handkerchief, red rover and others.

“The method of punishment, for the first offense: The teacher was sitting back of a table in a comfortable chair, facing the children. For this offense he would have the pupil came and stand at one end of the table, facing all the children. The length of time was according to the offense. This punishment was principally given to girls, and it was a fine punishment for them. Sometimes it was very short. But, if the teacher forgot about the wrong-doer, it would last a long time.

“The next degree was to stand at the entrance door for a certain length of time. In addition to that, the pupil was required to stand on one foot, count to one hundred and then on the other foot and count to one hundred. I think the limit in this was to stand on one foot, count to three hundred, and then on the other foot and count to three hundred, as often as was necessary to pay for the wrong done.

“The unpardonable was administered with a 1x1x16-inch black walnut rule. Cousin Willie Luck was a much smarter boy than I as. He wanted to fight another cousin of ours, so he decided the best way to do that was to go up into Swartz’ land Friday, after school. He thought the teacher wouldn’t know anything about it, or he would forget it by Monday. This is what happened: We had a cold norther Monday morning. After school had taken up, the teacher asked who all was up in Swartz’ land Friday after school, to hold up their hands. We all held up our hands, and he held a court of inquiry.

“I think I was the first one called to testify. He asked me what had happened. I said “Willie and one of the Babrok [Vibrok] boys had a fight.” He got the old 16-inch walnut ruler, told me to hold out my hand. Well, I held my left hand out and he gave me three raps that did not feel good I was against the rules to fight in that school, but I did not know the witnesses would be punished, too. All the boys and girls who were witnesses got the same punishment as I did for watching the fight. The two fighters each got, I think 12 raps. Willie always had in mind to lick the teacher, and told me one day that he was going to lick him. I persuaded him not to….

“Later on, Dr. Rordorf opened a doctor’s office. He had a small drug store in his office of medicines. At Christmas time he would brew up some fireworks and get all of us children lined up around the walls in his office and set off a saucer full of fireworks in the center of the room, on a box, for our amusement.

“At Christmas we would have a big Christmas tree at the school. We all had to recite a speech. They flattered me by saying that I said it the best of all. The only mistake I made, I looked too high. Well, it was so cold that night that my knees bumped together all the way home. When we got home our own Christmas tree was lighted. We boys used to play cards at night in our smoke house, roast sausages and eat them. We slept in the second story of the store. When I got there, it was too cold for me to take off my shoes, so I slept with them on. I heard crashes and rattling like someone breaking glass. I dreamed the world was coming to an end.

“It had rained that night and it froze on the trees, and the weight of the ice on the limbs caused them to crash. Next morning, in our pasture, the trees were almost a solid mass of ice. Lots of cattle were killed by limbs with ice falling on them, and wild birds and rabbits came close to our house for food.”

As an adult, Charles Luck worked as a professional photographer, first at Hallettsville and then in Austin. However, it is obvious from his recollections shared so many years later, that he always thought of O’Quinn as home.

Of Fayette

Fayette County is one of the most historic counties in Texas. In this weekly feature from the County Historical Commission, a rotating group of writers looks back at local history.