SMARTS: The Smokey Valley Genealogical Society and Library in Salina, Kansas, has a copy of the eighth grade final exam from 1895.

After reading the five parts of the exam, we think an 8th grade education back then was something to be celebrated. Students needed to score a 90% to be promoted to ninth grade.

Students were given one hour for the grammar section; 1 hour, 15 minutes for arithmetic; 45 minutes for U.S. history; one hour for orthography; and one hour for geography.

Here are some of the questions:

Grammar — Give nine rules for the use of capital letters. Write a composition of about 150 words and show therein that you understand the practical use of the rules of grammar.

Arithmetic — Name and define the Fundamental Rules of Arithmetic. A wagon box is 2 feet deep, 10 feet long, and 3 feet wide. How many bushels of wheat will it hold? Write a Bank Check, a Promissory Note, and a Receipt.

History — Who were the following: Morse, Whitney, Fulton, Bell, Lincoln, Penn, and Howe? Name events connected with the following dates: 1607, 1620, 1800, 1849, and 1865?

Orthography — What is meant by the following: Alphabet, phonetic orthography, etymology, syllabication? What are the following, and give examples of each: Trigraph, subvocals, diphthong, cognate letters, linguals?

Geography —What is climate? Upon what does climate depend? Name and describe the following: Monrovia, Odessa, Denver, Manitoba, Hecla, Yukon, St. Helena, Juan Fernandez, Aspinwall and Orinoco. Name all the republics of Europe and give capital of each. 

The questions we included above are merely an example. There are many, many more.

How many of us would make the ninth grade?