The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1869-09-23
rFor The TELEGRAPH

gratifying to observe the interest taken
in Schools in your County, and the means
used to encourage scholars, stimulate
teachers and raise the School System to
high standard And as am aware that
both Scholars and Teachers are interested
in Schools at home and abroad, I pre-
sumo they will be pleased to hear some
thing about Scholars and Schools in Min
nesota. But must assure you at the out
set, that you must not expect such glow
ing account of them as we read weekly
in the TELEGRAPH. Minnesota-as you
KNOWS new State, and its population
largely foreign, and many are seeking
homes under disadvantages, struggling
with poverty, and ignorant Of the rare adj
vantages of our Free School System, and
slow to avail themselves of its opportun-
tiles, and to great extent quite indiffer
ent whether the young are taught to read
and write or not.
While the State has made ample pro
vision to support its University and Nor
NAL Schools, and the cities their Public
Schools, yet the Common Schools are in a
dilapidated condition A description of
how they are in the most thickly settled
and enlightened part of the State, and l
will leave you to judge of their status in
the new settlements,and among the excess
of foreign population-Thed distance from
st. Paul to Minneapolis by highway is
nine miles, by railroad fourteen, and a
little more by the river, which describes
q right angle between the two cities. In
all Of that territory on the north and east
side of the river, extending from the an
gle north for twelve miles, or more, there
is not a single School House-built for
the purpose. Real estate in the first lis
trict west of st. Paul is valued at three
hundred dollars per acre, contains many
wealthy farmers, gardeners and nursery
men, and only supported school two
months during the year, and that was last
winter They have lot on which to
build, and at one time it contained very
ordinary house, which was burnt three
years ago. Since that time school has
been kept-when they had one-in the
"Half Way House, six miles from St.
Paul The room occupied for School
purposes, is about twelve feet square, and
adjoining beer, and under q dancing
hall The Scholars are composed of Ger
mans, Sweeds, Norwegians and Irish, with
some Americans, each speaking only their
mother tongue fuentlymany of them men
e. and women grown, and just learning to
read. Last winter three different Teach
ers were employed to get through the
term Of two months, and each in case
the Scholars succeeded in breaking up the
School. The fault was too fold, inexperi-
enced Teachers,a and an incompetent Board
of Managers.
The salary as advertised in the papers
for Teachers was fifty dollars per month
and board--1round I suppose Lady
Teachers are generally employed,as others
are difficult to obtain. saA
This summers At gentleman from Chica-
go who is agent for School furnishing
establishment there, while rusticating here
for his health, succeeded in organizing a
Sunday School in tie Schoolroom of the
beer hall, which bids fair to be a success
and result in good But to show the splr-
it of opposition to such good work, while
5 the children and teachers are engaged in
devotional exercise on the Sabbath, tho
violin and dancing and beer drinking
and their comcomitants are in full blast
over head
The same gentleman I spoke Of, has in
duced the officers of the district to levy q
tx, and issue bonds payable in one and
two years, to build School House. The
same gentlemen has also found an Other
to take the bonds and advance the mon
ely on them, and the Intention is to build
and furnish a school house this fall-The
School House in the district north a
the one have spoken of. is a wretched
old farm house, built in the pioneer days,
large, low, cold and dark 1t also serves
for Town House. It's furniture Is few
rough broken benches, greasy black
board, and not desk OF; table for books
or writing matereial These are all tht
places for Schools in the extent of the
country have described, nearly or quite
twelve miles square, and yet theree is
wealth enough to sustain. and children TO