White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1870-04-28
Correspondence.
(For the Chief.)

MR. EDiroR:-Ahout the mi0uie Vi SiaISn'
had the pleasure of visiting the public schools
of White Cloud, and then intended to give the
citizens of the place the results OF my obstr
vations, in the columns Of the next weeks
issue Of the Chief; but owing to the press Of
other business, and making arrangements for
the meeting Of the Institute, which convened
on the Monday following. failed TO DO So
Having recently had the pleasure of visiting
them second time, I will now ask for sufi
eient space in your columns to carry out my
original intention.
BY referring to the last annual report OF the
Clerk Of your School District, find that there
is reported 27O white children of school ages.
and 80 coiored, making an aggregate Of 309,
which is an increase of so since the report of
1865. At that rate Of increase, the time is
near at hand when the number of children of
school ages in your Distric: will number over
$50. 1t will require large and expensive
building to accommodate that number Of pu-
pills, and such building will soon become an
imperative necessity.
am well aware that it is no part of nv
duty, as sCounty-Superintendent to dictate to
the people Of White Cloud, or any other local.
ity. and only wish to call the attention of the
legal voters and tax payers Of the Distric, to
the necessity II ssne action being taken look
ing toxards tSs-erection of a school edisce
that will meet the educational demands of
the District. At present. the District owns
but one schoolroom, which, b. little crowd
ing, will accommodate about 100 pupils. The
room occupied by the primary department, for
which the District pays an annual tax of sI2O.
is an unp easAnt one, and the teacher and pu
pills are subjected to interruptions and annoy
ances that are highly disadvan,aseous. When
the room above them is occupied, the school
below had as well be discontinued; for no
teacher can proceed with the exercises o! the
tschooi room, with any pleasure or profit, while
here is preaching. singing, o, other public
exercises in progress over head. Every blow
Of the hammer, every footstep, is like a clap
of thunder; and the only wonder is, that Mrs.
Pierzon, who is so anxious to have an orderly,
quiet school, has not, long ere this, become
fit subject for the lunatic asylum.
That children at school should learn to be
orderly and quiet, prompt and systematic. in
all they do, and neat and cieanly in their hab
its, is as necessary as that they should learn
Reading and Arithmetic, or any other branch
usually taught there. The amour. of light
and heat; the interior arrangement of the
school-roon; the convenience or inconyen.
fence OF the seats; a convenient place for de-
posting hats. caps, bonne.s and shawls, are
matters of great Importance, and should be
carefully looked after by those interested is
the welfare and prosperity of the school.
IL the taxpayers Of the District think they
cannot well afford to build such building as
their growing and thriving town demands, this
season. would it not be good policy for them
to levy at least e of per cent. tax towards
creating building fund, and thus, in meas
ure, avoid the cxtravasaut necessity of issuing
bonis7
IL the room now occupied by the primary
school is still TO be occupied for that purpose. !.
1t Is important that it should be seated Every
child should hsye ? seat it can call i,- own,
and convenssntfiace for keeping its bt,oks,
thus avoiding the necessity of disturbing others
in looking for lost books and states, &c. Its
seats, too, should be constructed on phys:olos
ical principles, that will prevent, as much as
possible, assuming uncomfortable and unheal
thy positions.
Leaving the subject Of school room accom-.
modations, ard taking up that of school exer
eises, there is much to commend and little to
condemn. A short stay in Mr.. MilIer's depart
ment Of the school, is enough to convince any
one familiar with the class exercises of the
school room, that the instruction of the pupils
of the White Cloud school has been intrustcd
in the hands of an able and thoroughly compe.
tent teacher. The recitations in Geography
and Grammar. by topics. in point of excellence
cannot be e1cel'ed in Doniphan County, and
in time can be made equal to any in the State.
The vast superiority of professional over
non-professional teachers is plainly to be seen;
1uu IL w uitc Sioud Cf pdc1OuS ScnOOI
building, so that the school could be thorough.
ly graded. and all grades could come directly
under the care and control of the principal,
high state Of efficiency could soon be reached
The subject of primary instruction deserves
. little notice. 1t is a common and great
mistake, that almo st any one can instruct lit
tie children, ard that the primary department
OF school is of less importance than the
higher departments. First impressions are
more lasting and abiding. and in the education
Of youth, it is very i'm portant that first impress
sions should be such as will assist rather than
retard the work Of education.
The position, then. occupied by Mrs Pier
son, is responsible ore, and enc that, am
happy to say, is being filed by ole emineDtly
capacitated to take charge Of the early educa-
tion Of children. In pleasant room, well
seated, Mrs. Persons school, in point of order
and system, would be a model school.
In conclusion, l viii say, that it seems to
me that the commercial and educational pros.
perity Of the town Of White Cloud depends, in
no inconsiderabie degree, rpon the erection of
an elegant ond commodious school building,
'ne that will be . standing advertisement to
he place. D. W. BROWN,
County Supt. Pub. Instruction.
Lo, The PooR IXDIAs.-Hers is q
pleasant paragraph for the Philo Piegan-