Willmar tribune., 1897-03-16
From District No. 48.

EDITOR TR1BUNE-Dear Sir: Owing
to the many gross misrepresentation,
which certain parties in District No.
48, signing themselves "Several Par
ents," are making in regard to an
occurrence which took place in our
school, we, the undersigned, deem it
our duty, as school board of said dis
trict, to set forth the facts as they
actually occurred.
The trouble originated last fall.
One morning a boy, or, rather, a
young man, a son of Ole Thorson,
came to school. He at once started
in to make himself obnoxious. When
requested by the teacher to take a
seat he roughly refused to obey, and
after much persuasion and entreaty to
no avail the teacher was forced to
eject him from the schoolroom. That
evening the father of the boy and one
John Rasmussen came to the board
ing place of the teacher to demand
an explanation. It was given them in
a polite and civil way, but not appar-
emily to their satisfaction. The next
day the teacher called a meeting of
the board. Rasmussen and Thorson
also came. Testimony was taken from
all uninterested children. All were
unanimous in approving the teachers
version of the happening. The board
then decided that the Thorson boy
could come to school ON one condition
only, that being for him to apologize
before the school and board for his
action. Did he do it? No. His
father thought it unnecessary for his
son to do such thing and they left
the schoolhouse harboring an intense
hatred of both the teacher and board.
From that time on these two parties
have been spreading the most scan
dalous falsehoods concerning every
thing pertaining to the school. So
matters stood until about three weeks
ago. At that time a boy, son Of
one Anton Olson, drew an immoral
picture. The boy drew it alone, and
not several boys, as has been repre-
sented. The teacher had the boy re-
main after school and talked to him
seriously for a long time. The boy
only sneered at the teachers words,
whereupon the teacher, seeing that
words had no effect, took a small
pointer and chastised him. The boy
never relented and was even sneering
when he left the schoolroom. The
father of the boy, learning that the
teacher had dared to upbraid his son,
came to the stopping place of the
teacher and used such insulting Ian
guage thatthe people at the place
were forced to bid him leave the
house. -.''..-
Now, Rasmussen and Thorson, who
had long been wanting an ally, found
one in the poor weak man, whom they
soon talked over to institute proceed
ings against the teacher. Ever since
then this man Rasmussen (who has
no personal interest in the matter, as
his children have not been in school
since Christmas, because, being very
backward in their studies, they were
not promoted as fast as he thought
they ought, has been very active cir
culating all kinds of ISLANDERS con-
cerning the affair, and has deluded
many as to the real state of aft fairs.
This is the sum and substance OF
the occurrence as actually taking
place. We, then, as board of this
district, entirely vindicate the teach
er's action, and believe we voice the
sentiment of the people of the district
when we say it has been one of the
most successful terms of school ever
taught in our district.
Signed
T. CHRISTIANSON, Clerk.
G.. HANSON, Director.
A. JOHNSON, Treasurer.