Telegram-herald., 1890-03-14
TRUANT OFFICER FEE
And the Work He Is Doing Prom
Day 10 Day
4 REPORTERS AFTERNOON RIDE
The Unxr4dea school and its tIissien -
BAd Little Boss- Baa tile Girls
and TheiF Dlsci PitRe - isaf Tie
Law ssss AEout Araants.


4nd Their Dlsci piiRe - isst the
La~ ssss AEoSt 4raants.
Truant Ofioer Frank b. Fee accepted
the reporters invitation with much
courtesy and the two entered Mr. Fees
buggy and drove OF. They crossed u
Tie west side Of the river, ana were en-
gagged in an earnest conversation on
the state Of the Union, when suddenly
the horse Vas reigned up 20 the SIDE
walk. and Mr.. Fee saluted j buyOm
looking lass who appeared 10 have
more physical health uan moral am
bition. "Wny are you not IN school
today demands the officer With
some poor excuse, the child attempted
10 dodge the issue. But the mans busi-
ness is 10 look after these cases, and
the glrl is made 10 understand, and She
confessed that she did understand, that
she must De in school tomorrow, and
she promised 10 be there. DRIVING
into the northwestern suburbs,
stop is made Al the door
Of small dwelling, and inquiry IS
made of the boy Oh the stoop why he
was not in school. His mother was
slck and he had TO attend 10 baby, bat
would be on hand tomorrow, Prov
dence permitting. The next stopping
place was at the BrOXmlre residence,
and inquiry WAS made for John. John
had not been seen since Yesterday morn
ing. THAT settles II, then, sad the
officer, "we shall have 10 try the virtue
OF the Reform school for John The
next stop was made at the Pine-street
school, where inquiry was made con
cernlng the conduct of certain young
sters whom Mr.. Fee had long been
CARRYING IN has heart and memory.
Miss Lucy NJ. Bettes is the principal Of
tins school, and the occasion was taken
TO inquire concerning the practical
| effects of officer Fees work on the DIS
| cipllne and character OF her school.
I'VE really feel now, As If we could
not do without him." said she. Ills
work diminishes the burdens Of Us
regular teachers very markedly. lie
| removes from our midst the lncOrrgible
ones, and by his presence IN the city
exerts a wholesome restraint over all
! the children"
On the way to the Turner-street
school wandering glrl ami group OF
| BOYS were overhauled, c;ttechlsed and
/ admonished, and the manner IN when
! the children submitted to these casual
interviews showed that they all under
| stand their statu, with relation 10 this
large, firm and klnd-hearted man. AT
the Turner-street school, whose prlnci-
| pal is Miss Elsie Smith, there was a
repetition of the occurrences at the
Pine-street school, including the testl-
mony of the teacher with reference 70
the value of the truant officer. Re-
D. atlng TO the reporter substantial Y
| what Miss BetteS had SAID, Miss smith
added: 81 particularly wish you 10 know
| and particularly 10 say I'D the paper
that we could not get along without Mr.
Fee; and her earnest eye looked SO
cOmmandlngly into that OF the reporter
that he had TO mumhie 20 himself
"and don't you forget IL" There seems
| to be halfway feeling on the part OF
both teachers and pupils, that Fee j
| the truant system itself instead OF being
the mere accidental administrator of II.
| 50 thoroughly j. he identified with Il
that many have not stopped 10 think
that the ungraded school would con
! tinue, even If Mr.. Fee should drop
away. The entire afternoon was spent
i'm the sort Of work described, serving
papers and notices, admonishing chill
drcn found on the streets and warning
parents of the consequences OF con
tinued failure 10 extend proper DIS
clpline to their little ones.
Swinging around toward the Sixth
st. bridge, the officer and reporter drove
back to town, and went to the office Of
the superintendent of schools, 10 learn
the details of administration of tins
whole truant business. Miss Agnes
Mcintyre. the upeuntcndents clerical
assistant, received the reporter gracious
ly, and was quite willing 70 endure th'
trouble of hls inquisItyencss. From
her these facts We're learned: An un
graded school law, enforcing the al
tendance of children At school, has cx
isted since 1883, but the law IN rs pres
ent shape was passed in 1888. 1t pro
vides that school boards shall establish
ungraded schools for the reception snC
care of, first, children persstently tTu
ant; second, children persistently DISC
bedient and lncoTugD!e q discipline
and third. children roaming o. th
streets and not attending any school
In cities having organized police de
partments, a policeman ls detailed x
attend TO the enforcement OF the law
and in towns and villages a constable q
the proper officer. In tins city Prank
=. Fee j. the truaDt officer.
Naturally. the Official, FIRST to TAX
cognizauce of cases under classes one
and two are the teachers II the variou
schools. and the uuant officer - thI
first 10 proceed against class third
I Whenever a child Is incOrrgbly truan
or sobediont, notice Of 70 IS gwen bl
the teacher 20 the suDerntendcnt q
schools. upon blank prepared for To-
purpose. On the same blank j. spac
for the trnant officer 30 make retur
Of bis rep0-t Of the case. Bacu day th
officer Vie Is TIE superintendent ofic
to receive these complaints. and be- goe
out to investigate them and 10 max
his return On the same blank that bear
the original complaint. u the ca-
seems to warrant stringent measure
notices are served upon rot
1 -.,-,-4 e-F rI II frat tn