s slight, and in 1818 a most competent observer
declared that he believed that in Missouri "at least one-third of the
schools were really a public nuisance, and did the people more harm than
good; another third about balanced the account, by doing about as much
harm as good; and perhaps one-third were advantageous to the community in
various degrees. Not a few drunken, profane, worthless Irishmen were
perambulating the country, and getting up schools; and yet they could
neither speak, read, pronounce, spell, or write the English
language."(476) These schools closely resembled those of Illinois.
Schoolbooks were rare and children carried to school whatever book they
chanced to have, the Old Testament with its long proper names sometimes
serving in lieu of a chart or primer.(477) In some schools pupils studied
aloud. Reading, writing, spelling and arithmetic were the only branches
commonly taught, although as early as 1806 surveying was taught in a
"seminary" near the present Belleville.(478) In 1827 Rock Spring Seminary,
now Shortleff College, was opened by Baptists, and the following year
instruction was begun in what was to become McKendree College
(Methodist).(479) The teacher of the first school in McLean county (1825)
received $2.50 per pupil for the term of four months.(480) The next year a
teacher in Jacksonville was to be paid in cash or produce, or in pork,
cattle, or hogs at cash prices, and to pay board in similar commodities at
the rate of one dollar per week. This included washing, fuel and lights.
School was open ten, and often twelve, hours per day.(481)

Religious societies were early organized, but the building of churches was
not then common. In 1796 a Baptist society was organized, and previous to
this time both Baptists and Methodists, without organized societies, had
united in holding prayer-meetings in which the Bible and published sermons
were read, prayers offered, and hymns sung.(482) Before the close of the
century the Methodists organized. The Presbyterians were prominent in the
early years of statehood, but in 1818 they were just beginning their work
in Illinois.(483) Meetings were usually held in private houses until such
time as the congregation felt that a church building should be erected, or
at least until some one felt the need, for the first church was sometimes
built by a few individuals.(484) Ministers were of two types--those who
devoted all of their time to religious work and traveled