Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1881-11-10
KANSAS LETTER.
SCHOOL SYSTEM OF KANSAS, THE GREAI
STORM &c. &c.

lspech Corfoapondence OF the SortnNoLl
LAWRENCE, Kan, Oct 2s, 1881.
With change Of place, habits and vo'
cation, and with entirely new surround
ings, the character OF the kansas Let.
ters" must, perforce, undergo a change
When the mind ia engaged in study
ing 'science of teaching" and other ab
struse subjeccs it is not to be expected
that it can pay much attention TO the
subject of farming.
Therefore, / am afraid that the far
mer will not find much of interest tc
him THAT is concerning crops, soil &c
of Kansas), in the present series Of let
ters, which will relate more to things
that teachers and all interested in edu-
cational matters, are supposed to be in
terested in; so they will prove at least
as interesting as the preceding series
to all the readers of the NORTHWEST.
In educational affairs, as in most ev-
erything else, Kansas Is bound to take
the lead. Yet, it seems to me, that
the school laws, some of them could be
changed, and the interests Of the cause
not suffer so very much.
For instance, one point that might
be bettered is the deciding by vote
how many months of school shall be
held each year.
The people also vote the amount of
tax to be raised, the amount per month
that the teacher shall receive, sc. All
that the directors have to do is to en-
ploy teachers and see to the business
part of matters. Now, while this is
all very we'll in enlightened districts,
it gives too much power to the lgnor-
rant. For example, in one district In
Woodson county only three months
school were voted last year, THAT dis.
trict give heavy Republican majority,
comment is needless).
The ignorant class, if there happen
to be more of them than of the other,
can keep the schools down to the very
lowest grade, while those who are anx-
ious to have things as they should be
are perfectly powerless.
Teachers labor under the same dis.
advantages that they dom Ohio. Wa
ges are low, ranging from twenty-five
to forty dollars per month, in country
schools. Short terms are the rule, and
frequent change of teachers also.
AS far as l have observed, however
the average country teacher is of a
much higher grade than in the part
of Ohio with which l am acquainted.
This is owing, for the most part, to the
rigid system of examination.
For my own part, l had much rath
er stand examination, in the branch
with which I am familiar, at the State
examinations in either Indiana or Hi
nois, than attend county examination
here.
Another reason for the better class
Of instructors is the system of county
supervision, though in some particu-
lars, even that could be improved.
The average pupil is just the same
as elsewhere-nelther better nor worse.
Upon the whole the country school
here is not much different from that
in other places. But the country
school, while it is such an important
factor In educational affairs, is not all.
There are the Union schools, colleges
and the State University to build up
and develop the rising generation of
Kansas But of this I will speak at
another time.
"They say that this has been a
most remarkable season in Kansas;
this fall | mean; but every season I
have seen since l came here "has been
most remarkable. There was '.most
remarkable storm here few weeks
ago at Emporia it was cyclone, while
here it was simply hurricane. 1t
was wind and rain accompanied by the
largest hail stones l ever saw. The
scene on the streets were beyond de-
scription; horses were rushing madly
around overturning wagons and bug
gies, men, women and children run
ming to the nearest shelter while the
hail stones made such a deafening
noise that nothing else could be heard.
At Emporia several men were killed,
but here nothing was killed but pigs
and poultry. Tie hail stones were,
many OF them, as large as hens eggs,
and one was picked up some three
miles from town which weighed over a
pound, after it was brought in to the
city. There was some thousands of
dollars worth of window glass broken
in Lawrance, and the streets looked as
though old times had returned again,
when Lawrance gained the name of
the "historic CITY," On Massachusetts
street there was scarcely whole pane
of glass left on the east side. The
University building had one hundred
and thirty live panes broken, some of
them very costly. 1t was said to be
the ''most remarkable" storm that ever
visited Lawrence; and it is to be hoped
that such storms will be like "angels
visits" "few and far between" 1t has
been very rainy for the past month,
and all the western rivers have been
overaowing. The Mississippi at Quin.
cy was seven miles wide, and for day
or two travel was entirely suspended.
G. E. L.