The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1881-12-28
q, tbe HOLIDAY RIVER Press.
RENTON PUBLIC SCHOOL.
By e. r. CLINGAN.

"We must educate, or we must perish"
How full of significance are these few
words spoken by one of the most brilliant
statesmen and orators that our young
Republic has ever produced. These words
were not spoken for the benefit of any small
school district, county, or even a state By this
eminent man but he makes it in his valuable
opinion a National issue, on the decision Of
which depends the prosperity of our
Republic.
The old and time honored governments Of
Europe and Asia, may be able to survive for
centuries yet the vicissitudes Of time, the
danger Ct foreign invasion, or OF domestic
riots, with the mass Of population edu-
Gated only to obey and bow down before
"the powers that be-" For there the rulers
ell come from the educated higher classes.
But in this country where we boast of our
Presidents being rail s%plitters, canal boys
and living in log cabins, and pride ourselves
OF on the wealth and aristocracy Of our
great great grandfather, but the social
position attained by our w personal
AZ t? " II YA1SI ohsU = WV To04o h@C
our rulers we must instruct the entire mass
of our population from the wealthiest to the
poorest.
To do this without a public school system
would be impossible, and acting on this, our
National and State governments have built
up our public school system costing US
millions every year and which has only one
superior in the world, that Of Prussia. Away
off here in Montana, on the frontier, it is hard
for us to realize that we have in Benton a
small branch Of this system which is such
an important factor in the stability Of our
Republic.
Our school like the town has had it's cups
and downs but we are confident that now
doubts as to its being 8 success are a thing
Of the past.
The earliest traditions Of it runs back as
far as 1868, when for the period Of about
three years a very small school Of some
eight or twelve pupils was ably presided over
by the Misses Power, Culbertson, Cleyinger
and Mr.. Lowell. Then came the period Of
stagnation and almost desertion OF the town
NY LIC uIRGi OiIYS - eao 1920
route to the southern one caused by the N. t.
&C. p. r r. 1t was not till the fall of
1873 that through the influence of some Of
our public spirited sold timers among
whom have been mentioned to us the names
Of L. V. Mercure, Asa Samples and john
Hunsberge~, the public school was againsset
in operation under the supervision of j..
Kanouse. The school did not comprise
over twenty-five all told, and was kept in the
old adobe building, since pulled down, on
Main street which served the double purpose
Of Court House Of Choteau county and
temple Of learning where ''the young ideas
were taught to shoot" not in.the western
sense, but in our educational one.
The childrens' hearts were here often
made glad by many and unexpected holidays,
occasioned by any passing shower making
the school room too moist for comfortable
occupancy.
This trouble was not obviated till the
erection of one room Of the brick building
now occupied. The school house we haYe
now is a comfortable building Of brick with
two rooms, erected at 9 total cost Of
about SIS 900.
Misses Nellie Clark, Rose McQuillan, and
Mr.. Wenard respectively controlled the desti-
nv of our school until the winter OF 1879,
when getting TOO large to be manageable BY
one teacher, a Primary Department was
added and put in the charge of Miss M. Il
Finnigan, who still retains that position,
thus showing the place she has secured by
her long and faithful services, in the conf
dence Of the parents and hearts Of her little
pupils. The Grammer Department for the
last three years has been presided over BY
Mr.. Chester Eaton and b.. r. Clingan.
Our school house is now furnished with
the best Of seats and teachers, desks. an
organ, maps, charts, globes, good black
boards and other furniture necessary to con-
stitute a first class school.
Through the kindness of the Trustees and
personal contributions Of books By the pupils
there has been accumulated 9 school library
OF one hundred volumes, and which should
be doubled, as we know of no way 10 winch
SlOO could be spent with as much profit Tor
The pupils of the Benton school as in pur-
chasing that many volumes of good books.
By the efforts of the pupils there has been
started q collection Of geological and mineral