The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-12-26

gin Mt the Central Presbyterian
trail High School.
One of the pleasantest parts of the an
nual gathering of Minnesota educators
began at 9:22, o'clock last evening, when
the doors of the Windsor hotel ordinary
were thrown open to the county superin-
tendents of schools and their ladies, who
filed in for d Christmas banquet.
Supt. Edward E. Parke, Of Pipestone,
acted as toastmaker, and at II o'clock
rose and announced that he deeply re-
GREETED having but portion Of the speak
ing programme to present. Gov. Lind,
County Superintendent c. w. G. Hyde
and w w. Pendergast, Who were to
have been among the respondents, were
unavoidably detained from participating
in the exercises. Mr.. Farke said he would
pass to the second in the list and intro
duced Dr. D. L. Kiehle, of the University
Of Minnesota, who, twenty years ago, had
been himself a county superintendent DR.
FIehle said in part that it was fortunate
for the few speakers present that they
were not sick. He hoped that the audit
ors would not be sick at the close Of the
addresses.
Il feel" he said, ''as if 1 was looking
upon q new generation, for L am an old
timer. Thirty years ago l was visiting a
certain locality in this state that Is now
teeming with, prosperity, good. houses
comfortable barns, ana a prosperous ton
antrY. But in those early days affairs
were much more primitive. Where now
is the double bed in a spacious spare
room was the half of q bed, to which /
was obliged to confine myself for quarters.
And this bed was. i'll the presence OF. the
family. [ presume that before you retire
the most OF you disrobe. Well, at the
time, and In the place of which l speak,
we disrobed after retiring. Naughter)
Eighteen years ago I stopped with a
family. Upon the bed were a sheet and
a quilt. That was all. 1 was afflicted
with a sick headache, and I told my COM
panion [ would be better after a sweat.
So 1 placed my buffalo robe under me,
my buffalo coat over me, and without I'M
dressing, had hot flat irons placed at my
feet. In the morning [ felt better, and
my head was clearer. Now those people
were kind-hearted and hospitable. But
it was the best they could do for me in
those early days.
"Quite recently I met a handsome lady
and was introduced to her: She told me
that thirty years ago I had visited the
school in which she was a pupil and had
taken her on my knee. Perhaps this is
true. I have no doubt Of it."
Concerning the work of the county su-
perintendent as a leader, educational and
social, DR.. k1iehle said that his ideal was
the rural school, a school of comfortable
proportions, amid trees, flowers and
meadows. 1t is a mixed school in which
an intelligent teacher is able to mix
with the scholars. From this ideal rural
school we are now getting the best re-
sults-the best models of scholarship
They give US the physical and intellectual
stimulant desired. He said that, in his
opinion there was no form of pedagogy
superior to that found in the country
schools. The people with whom the
county superintendent came in contact
would trust him. This particular feature
he desired to emphasize. Whenever the
county superintendent is able to devote
his best energies to the welfare of county
rural schools, the parents and taxpayers
were found always willing to trust him to
the utmost.
In politics the county superintendent
cut but small figure. His election did
not always depend on his political belief.
If the people had confidence in him he
was generally safe on election day No
one was In so good a position to make
himself generally known among the
voters as the county superintendent He
is an autocrat and has full power, IN
hampered by school boards and rfvaling
the state superintendent of public Gin
struction. He was a great and important
factor
No mere politician cut so large a figure
as he. True, no political Office ranks
much lower, and from a politicians point
of view it was an Office to trade upon.
He said he was then speaking of the
educator in politics. And when the edu-
Gator came to the legislature he became
better known and better appreciated
The Office of county superintendent was
one of the most potent, one of the most
useful Of any in the gift of the people,
1t was, in fact, largely missionary work
Good wages produced good schools. Peo-
pie easily learned the difference, and
after they had learned it they were will
ing to pay for it. What was true of the
individual school was also true of the su-
perintendency. Our state was now NOV
ing with those that were at the fore
front. 1t was not second to any other
state in the Union.
State Superintendent ]. H. Lewis was
next introduced by Chairman Parke, who
announced that he would speak on 1.-THE
Rural School as a Factor in Education"
Prof Lewis said that while he knew
what speech should be he could not say
that he knew how to make it. His posi-
ton he illustrated by story told by Mark
Twain, on himself. One day Twain was
in Washington, and a senator from Ne
vada wished to introduce him to Presi-
dent Grant Nothing 10th Twain consent
ed, but when he stood in the presence
of the great man he discovered that he
was tongue-tied. The president gave him
the mechanical, pump-handle shake and
a rather frosty smile. Mark said that at
this particular moment he wanted to
resign. Finally he mustered up courage
and said:
Mr.. President, am embarrassed;
amt your
Supt Lewis confessed that he, too, at
this moment, wanted to resign. The ru-
raj school, he said, was an important
factor in our educational system. He had
taught ten years in rural schools. The
best features Of city schools are those in
which manual training enters largely
Natures workshop, the kindergarten.
But the manual training school, under
the most favorable circumstances, could
not compare with the county school COM
bined with the workshop on the farm.
No course of training in the manual
school could better fit a boy for practi-
cal life than the mending Of the compli-
Gated machinery of the present day.
In rural schools the country boy has an
opportunity to learn something. He is in
Natures study. He learns zoology, bot
any and geology. We are not surprised
to find in our cities men and women who
are potent forces in social life, who have
received their education in county
schools
J. Adam Bede spoke of ''The County
superintendent as Politician Mr..
Bede confessed at the outset that he felt