Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1879-09-11

with our CITY ScnOOlS, while
In some other respects they cannot
suffer by a comparison.
OF course there are dangers in
work of this kind which can only be
avoided by continued watchful care
and the exercise of much charity on
the part more especially of the par
ents OF the children participating.
Judges are fallible and their awards
may not in some instances harmon
ize with your views, but let me pc
tition, III the interest of the cause Of
education, that you do not allow
feelings Of this character to spring
10th and fatally chill the ambition
and love of honest commendable
display of your child. The prlnci-
pie that must prevail In a work of
this character if success is to be at
tanned, is to strive rather to see how
we'll can be done. how much individ-
ual and general good may be acquir-
ed, than for the awards offered. Per-
NIT me briefly to aIIude to some of
the immediate advantages of an
educational exhibit of this kind.
First. 1t must awaken thought
especially on the part of the patrons
of our schools and a deeper interest
In the work of the school room. In
this connection a collection of this
kind presents an opportunity for II
| person III a measure to visit several
schools at once; ard thus many who
never visit the school Of Their dis
trict, trust will be enticed into per
forming SO plain duty owing them
selves and their children.
Second. 1t must be a healthy
stimulus to the children, thereby
quickenlng the life, improving the
tone and elevating the standard OF
our public schools. 1t must also
awaken thought on the part of our
teachers, furnishing as it will a
means of acquiring some knowledge
by comparison OF each school in the
county.
And further even than these
/ if the resources of the county are to
be shown and compared at these
fairs, let the whole field be covered.
! The intelligent seeker after a place
in which to settle, looks not only to
! the kind of timber, the soil, the wa
ter privileges and the productions,
but he goes further than these, he
looks to see the spirit of the people in
education as manifest III their school
house, its surroundings and the num-
Der Of months school maintained
during the year. In this latter re
spect, feel to congratulate you that
this county is possessed of an intel
ligent and progressive class Of in
habitants. One Of the mightiest of
Wood county's numerous resources
is this Intelligent spirit, dotting our
county with school houses and main
tanning the public schools so libef-
ally each year. Our natural resourc-
es IN soil, timber, water, rocks and
minerals are great, but ii to-day in
place of the sentiment SO manifest
there reigned the spirit Of one OF
Nirginia'S former governors which
expressed itself in these words Il
thank God there are no common
schools IN this state and hope there
will be none for hundred years to
come" all these bounteous resources
embodying SO many grand possible
ties would amount to naught. Wipe
out the 40 school houses in this
county, abolish the schools and
where would Wood County stand
| three, two or one year from now.
True it costs many dollars, upwards
of twenty thousand last year, to
maintain these schools, outside the
city of Grand Rapids, but remove
them from our midst and how cheap
farm could be bought, how little
you my friend could sell your farm
for. Upwards of onefourth Of Wood
county taxes last year were for
school purposes; and this aside from
$2l,473 permanently invested in
school property. The cost Of main
tanning schools in this county, too.
owing to so many districts being but
sparsely settled and tie lands uuim-
proved, is nearly double the average
rate per cent. of the state, being an
average of near y one per cent. in
the county and an average Of less
than one half of one per cent. in the
State. And yet with very few ex-
ceptions none are found to complain
because these things are SO.
1t seems to me to he one Of che
most interesting features Of the pres
outage, not only in this section but
in all the Z. S. that public atten,
ton is SO much directed to popular
education. "Not only is the duty OF
training the young for useful man
hood and womanhood more general
ly recognized than ever before in
the history of the world, but there
is great increase in the number OF
thoughtful men who are considering
the best modes of conducting educa-
tional operations in our public
schools. We have passed the time
when it was doubted whether schools
for universal popular education may
! properly be sustained at the public
expense. 1t is now acknowledged
everywhere that the wise admins
tration Of government, as we'll as its
safety and perpetuity is largely de-
pendent upon the intelligence Of the
uaSSaS 0overnpd This ic +rua in