The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-08-23
MANKATO GLOBE-TROTTER
Young Lady Who Travels snd Teaches
and Works for Humanity.


and Works for Humanity.
The following article, concerning
sister of T. W. and j. E. Hart of this
city, was contributed to the Los
Angeles, Cal, Times by Maj. J. A.
Waltrous, U. S. A.
There is little lady in Manila,
a teacher in the public schools, about
whom, her plans and her interesting
work, all will be glad to hear.
She is Zulu Rosamond Hart, a ma
tire of Iowa-born on farm-one of
eight girls in family where there
were also three boys. Besides the
eleven children, the possessions of the
parents were a small farm, hearts we'll
placed and generous share of brains.
Let Miss Hart tell the story of her
early life-tell it as she told it to a
company of deeply-intersted friends a
few evenings ago:
my father was poor, fact | dis
covered when a very little girl, but
which come to every poor child. She
talked frankly to us; told us that
father would not be able to give us
money, but that she would show us
how to get something better-an edu
cation. My mother had been teacher
and gave her cluster of little ones
their first lessons in reading. She
was also charming story-teller, and
q genuine lover of nature. She could
tell the most difficult things in way
to kindle the deepest interest and
sharpen our appetites for more. From
her stories I learned to love the row of
poplar trees growing in front of our
house: the spring that dubbed up
from-I could never find where, the
pebbles that had been made smooth by
being at the bottom of great cake of
ice that had in the long, long ago COW
cred our farm the innumerable family
of wild flowers, and the birds of the
forest.
Sat the age of 6 i entered the dis
trict school, mile from home, and
was present on all pleasant school days
for a term. For three summers, or
until was 8, I was pupil in that
school. Then came my greatest be-
reavement. Our mother, who had
brought eleven children into the
world, given them an undying desire
for higher education and burning am
bition to see the world that she had
taught US to love, left us. What a
blessed, blessed good mother she had
been.
cat 16 found myself with less than
three years of actual school training.
Only Is, without funds, and 1 must
support myself, educate myself /;
for l must carry out the plans my
mother had made.
"How deeply the thought impressed
me How could it. be accomplished
Money, much of it, is demanded for
an education. Money, money, much
of it, is needed for travel. L shall
earn the money! said. 1t was easy
to say it, but how was it to be done2
Just then there was rap at the door.
A school officer was seeking teacher
for small district. Here was ray
of sunshine, but had no certificate.
What was worse, learned that appli
cants for certificates had to be exam
ined in two subjects had not studied
"A way will open for my little girl
Always remember that My mother
had said that 30 many times, and with
so much confidence, that it was fairly
burned into memory's plates. A
way did open. Books were secured
and the two subjects mastered. The
certificate came with my sixteenth
birthday. The next day the farmer
school officer called, and a contract was
entered into to teach for three months
After paying board and all other ex-
penses, was rich; had nearly one
third of my salary third of $25
per month.
Zone part of my life problem had
been solved had learned how to sup
he ~
learning the way had opened was
sure, for the solving of the balance of
life's problems. I had already come
for it has steadily increased ever since.
Never since the end of that first tern
in the little backwoods district have I
doubted for a moment that all my
mothers plans, and many of my own,
would be fully executed, if life and
health were spared.
One year of district school teaching
gave this child of high ambitions so
good a reputation that principalships
of village schools were offered one of
which was accepted the day she was
II, with greatly increased salary,
portion of which-the most of it, in
fact, outside of living expenses-was
laid aside for her education. An offer
of $15 more month for the next year
did not disuade her from plan to
pass year at the Minnesota state nor
NAL, and spend the vacation travelling.
Graduating from the state normal
with high honors in 1893, the little
lady was again forcibly reminded of
her fond mothers prediction that "a
way would open" Offers of high
stations in schools from three states
came to her over the trembling wires
within week of her graduation.
For three years she was prominently
connected with the schools of Mime
apolis. Then she resigned to enter the
University of Chicago, taking second
rank to none of the 900 students, I'M
dergraduates of her class, there.
sit had not been my mothers plan
that I should go around the world, but
for some years it had been my deter