We were still living on Folly Mountain.  I was going on 6‑years of age and the year was 1939.  The picture I have of the class showed 13 pupils in Grades 1-10.  The school teacher was from the Tatamagouche area, and she was going to be boarding with us.

Father gave me strict orders to stay at home until the teacher, a lady, arrived because this was Folly Mountain (population 70, one road) and she had no idea where the school was, although I am sure mother could have directed her and she would have found it somehow.  But, in those days if your parents told you to do something, there was no talking back and you did it.

I still remember that day, no rain, sun shining, dirt road, and it took all of 10 minutes to get there.  Finally, we arrived at the school, late, as the teacher was late coming.  The kids were all there waiting patiently, all excited on their first day back to school and a new teacher.  The kids always kidded me about having the teacher living with us and, boy, if you stayed home you had better be sick.  Those were the good old days when I loved school but, not so in later years.

I wish I knew what the teacher made for a salary and how much board she paid my parents.  I have a cousin whose mother was a school teacher in 1929.  He did some research for me.  His mother was paid $400 per year in four installments of $100 every three months.  When the schools were having their problems, I heard the average teacher got a salary of $70 per year. 

There was no March Break in those days and no snow days, or school buses.  You walked to school unless a farmer or someone with a wagon came along.  And if you lived on a farm, you worked after school and any time you were off.  Things have certainly changed from those days.

Back then the schools had no gym but we created our own games.  I believe we were served a hot meal once a week.  I was reading in the paper recently about fast food being banned in the schools and how it is helping the students with weight problems.  They were also mentioning the fact that some students had no choice, but other students with credit cards or a car would go to MacDonald’s or some other fast food restaurant to eat.  Times have certainly changed.

I believe it was 1970 that Donna and I had our first credit card and it could only be used at gas stations.  Today, a credit card will purchase almost anything.  The other day I saw a man purchase a coffee with a credit card.  I never thought the day would come that you could travel without cash.

Yes, these are wonderful memories from my school days!

Leslie Jobb