The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1901-03-22

tACubt IOI onOWtb6 ~ INV 49, - WV hau
who Is to have as much to say about the
schools of the county as Mr. Bristol is to
have but they have an added reason this
time from the very evident fact Of the re-
markabIy good service which fMr. Bristol
has given In the conduct of the Rfnce.
Mr.. Bristol is of English descent although
the dates at which both his mothers and
his fathers families came from England and
settled In the state Of New York are 80
remote that the families have been Yankees
for more than century. Both his fsfhers
and his mothers families came from New
York to this county many years ago.
his parents, Mr.. and Mrs. Anderson
Bristol, still live on the farm near Horr
where on the 2sth of June, 1870, Grin
Bristol was born.
When q boy he attended the MOI
school which vas then no better than mt
others of today but which before
graduated from 1t at the age of eighteen ha
been graded and greatly improved. Afte
graduating from the Morrice school ht
taught district school for two years aud
then went to Ypsllanti where he took two
years course. graduating in the year 1899.
The next year he had charge of the school
at Lucus, and the year following he returned
to Morrice where he was principal OF the
village school for three years more. In
September, 1896, he was appointed school
commissioner to fill a vacancy caused by
the resignation of Commissioner Dimend.
The next spring he was nominated for the
same Office by the republicans and was
elected receiving a majority OF more than
thousand over his opponent, Jas. N.
Mcbride, who had held the same once
several years before. Two years later he
was again nominated and was elected by
larger majority than before. winning out
against Prin. r. w. French on the demo-
cratic ticket.
During the years that Mr.. Bristol has
been occupying the position Of commissioner
of schools the condition of the country
schools of the county has been slowly but
steadily and constantly improving. The
methods have been improving, and particu-
larly Is this true since the holding OF the
four weeks institute here when . great
amount of good work was done for the
country teachers in giving them chance to
see the new methods, which were advocated
and recommended to them, actually put int
practice before them. The commissioner
worked hard to secure the institute but has
had the satisfaction of seeing even better
results than many would have dared TO
expect from the same. The schools Of the
districts lave now become fairly well
graded, many Of them having that feature
carried to point approaching all that
could have been expected. The grading
has been on the basis of the state manual
and course of study adopted by the depart
ment of public instruction and sent out from
the Office of the superintendent. In addition
to these matters of organization the districts
have gradually improved their eQuipmentfo
a very great degree while the schools them
selves have been ENCOURAGED In the idea of
improving their own library facilities and
works of reference by the means of socials,
entertainments, ETC., so that many of the
districts now haye much better library
facilities than they formerly had without
having made the school taxes any heavier.
Another plan which has done much for
the country schools In the matter of making
their grading more effective has been the
closer relationship which Commissioner
Bristol has been successful in bringing
about between the country schools and the
high schools of the villages and cities In
the county by means of the county eighth
grade examination. IL they pass this
examination successfully their certificates
admit them without further examination or
question to any of the high schools of the
county. This plan has been largely
brought about through the Superintendent
and Principals Club of which Commissioner
Bristol Is member and which is further
composed of practically all of the super
intendents and principals of the county, and
meets twice year with the commissioner.
An interesting feature in connection with
the eighth grade examinations has been the
Offering of two free scholarships to the two
pupils who pass the county eighth grade
examinations with the highest average
standings each year. The pupil whose
standing Is the highest of all those taking
the examination IN the county is given two
years tuition in the following schools of the
county, while the pupil whose standing is
next highest is given one year tuition In any
OF the following high schools: Corunna,
vernon, Durand. Bancroft Morrice and
Ferry. The result has been good in
stimulating the work of the district pupils
and 1t has already happened that the
students winning the scholarships have
proven themselves the leaders In the city
schools which they have entered. The
advantage to such schools In having the
example OF such students, as any who win
those scholarships must be, is worth more
than their instruction costs the high school
which they select.
One other feature of the commissioners
work deserves passing mention and that Is