PA German Dialect

Es Neinuhr Schtick

                                                                        
 
June 03, 2004

Ihr liewe Leit:

   Wie gsaat, der Yoder hot aa aernschthaft sei kenne. Die Kinner kumme nau aus der Schul fer der Summer, un sell meent 's iss die recht Zeit fer en paar Linye aus seim Schtick "Die Schule vun Geschder":

   Zwische de Schule heit un de Schule sechzich Yaahr zerick iss ken Vergleich. Des wisst ihr wull aa. Die yunge Leit wisse's zwaar net, awwer ihr vun meim Alder schtimme ei mit mir.

   Die aerschde Gebeier waare Blockheiser un Blockscheiere. Do howwe bei uns hen die Leit vun 1811 bis 1871 Gott innere Blockkaerrich gedient. En alt Blockschulhaus hot newedraa gschtanne. Eener vun de aerschde Eiwuhner hot Land gewwe fer Kaerrich un Schul. Des waar der Fall in viel Gegende.

   Eb ich uff die Welt kumme bin waar's schunn verbei mit Blockgebeier. Die alt Blockkaerrich hen sie abgerisse un hen sie verkaaft. Mei Vadder hot vun dem Lumber kaaft un hot en lanagi Bortch an unser Haus gebaut. Mit Deel vum Hols hot er en glee Heisli gebaut mit me Sitz dass zwee runde Lecher drin ghatt hot.

   Es Schulhaus iss aa abgerisse warre im Laaf der Zeit. En schee nei zweeschteckich frame Schulhaus iss weider die Schtrooss nuff gebaut warre. Der unnerscht Flohr waar fer die primary Schul, un der zwett Flohr waar fer die primary Schul, un der zwett Flohr waar gezeehlt fer die Hochschul. In de aerschde Yaahre waar yuscht die Schtubb uff em aerschde Flohr in use, weil mer noch net hoch genunk gschtiege waare fer in die Hochschul. Schpeeder sin mer awwer owwenuff kumme. In sellre Schul hen mer viel gelaernt, ya, viel ass mer net schwetze un schreiwe kann.

   Awwer in de meenschde Hiesichde hot uns die Schul net gut aagschtanne. Oft hen mer gewinscht wann doch yuscht des verflucht alt Wese abbrenne deet. 'S Laerne waar uns en groossi Schwierichkeit. Viel sin aus der Schul gange un an die Aerwet uff die Bauereie odder noch de Kohlmeinds.

   Mer hen oft gewinscht der Deiwel deet der Tietscher sammde Schuh, Schtrimp, Hemm un Hosse lewendich hole. Mer hen ihn fer en rechder Heichler ghalde. Mol ee Daag hot er gsaat dass drei vun uns deete in der County Jail ghenkt warre eb mer zwansich Yaahr alt waere. Oft hawwich gedraamt es waer en Schtrick um mei Hals, un wann's Bett gegrext hot, hawwich gemeent es waer mei Halsgnick.

   Vun de Eirichtunge im Schulhaus waar net viel zu saage. Es waare Sitzbletz fer baut sexundreissich. En Kohloffe hot in der Mitt gschtanne. Draus im Gang waar en Bank mit me Wassereemer un en Scheppbool. Wesche waar net viel notwennich - mir hen der los Dreck an die Hosse abbutze kenne, un sell waar genunk.

Macht's gut,
Der Alt Professer
 
Dear people:

   As we were saying, Yoder could also be serious. The children are now coming out of school for the summer, and that means that it is the right time for a few lines from Yoder's piece "The Schools of Yesterday":

   Between the schools of today and the schools of 60 years ago there is no comparison. You no doubt know that too. The young people, of course, don't know that, but you who are my age will agree with me.

  The first buildings were block/log houses and log barns. Up here by us the people served God in a log church from 1811 to 1871. An old log schoolhouse stood next to it. One of the first inhabitants gave land for the church and the school. That was the case in many areas.

   Before I was born (came into the world) things were already all over for the log buildings. They tore down the old log church and sold it. My father bought some of that lumber and built a long porch onto our house. With some of the wood he built a little house with a seat that had two round holes in it.


   The schoolhouse was also torn down in the course of time. A nice new two-story frame schoolhouse was built further us the street. The bottom floor was for the primary school, and the second floor was to be for the high school. In the first years only the room on the first floor was in use because we hadn't climbed high enough to be in the high school. But later we got up there. In that school we learned a lot, yes, much that you can't talk about or write.
 


   But in most respects we did not like school. Often we wished if only that damnable old thing would burn down. Learning was very difficult for us. Many left the school and went to work on the farms or went to the coal mines.
 


   We often wished that the devil would fetch the teacher alive, together with his shoes, socks, shirt and pants. We held him to be a right hypocrite. One day he once told us that three of us would be hanged in the county jail before we were 20 years old. Often I dreamed that there was a rope around my neck, and when the bed creaked, I thought that it was the nape of my neck.

   Of the furnishing in the schoolhouse there was not much to say. There were seats for about 36. A coal stove stood in the middle. Outside in the hallway was a bench with a water bucket and a dipper. Washing was not much necessary - we could clean off the loose dirt on our pants, and that was enough.

Take care,
The Old Professor

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