Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-03-05
Bloomfield Entertains Many Book
sellers.
DECIDES ON UNIFORMITY OF BOOKS
School Board Makes Number Of
Changes and Provides for Gradual;
Introduction on the New Line
Which Was Recently Decided Upon.

Bloomfield, March 1.-(Special.)-
This city has presented busting
scene for the last few days, providing
an abundant field of labor for about
Is or 20 travelling men representing
about as many different book concerns.
all anxious to receive orders for the
new public school text books which
the board of education decided to
adopt at meeting held the first of the
week. Heretofore the schools OF Davis
county have, for the past ten years,
used a uniform line of text books as
voted upon by the people of this coun-
| ty, new books being adopted every
| five years. The term having expired,
the county board of education, consist
| ing of three members of the board of
supervisors, the county auditor and the
county superintendent. met on Mon
| day to decide upon and select a new
line of books which shall be used for
the coming five years. A number of
changes were made in the text books
which will be newer, more up to date
and better bound than heretofore, the
/ old paste board covers being replaced
| by cloth bindings which in most cases
will be furnished at cheaper rate
than heretofore. The board also de-
4 cided to provide for a gradual intro
duction of the books into the schools
in order to lessen the first expense of
the pupils, so that students in the
lower grades will continue using the
old text books, only exchanging them
for new ones as they pass into the ad-
vanced grades. The books will be
purchased by the county and will be
received by the county auditor, j. B
Lester, who will place them in the de
pository in different parts of the
county where they will be distributed
the purchaser paying the full price
or exchanging the old books and pay
ing the difference. 1t was stated by
a member of the board that altho the!
had made provisions for providing
books free of charge to students ur
able to pay for them, that no such ap
plication had ever been made as the
pride of the people was such that be
ing unable to provide books for theil
children they would simply invent al
excuse to keep them at home.
The adoption of the new books OF
the part of the board was attended
with the usual amount of complain
on the part of the people, many prom
inent citizens speaking of the transac
lions as Outrageous" and some influ
entail men have been heard to sa,
that the people will not stand it..
These remarks arising from the belle
that the matter will become burden
some to the people whose taxes will
be levied to meet the first expense o
the county. 1t is also said that, S
far as known, not a single school pa,
ron has requested the exchange.
~ At the teachers meeting held IA
a Floris, February 8, 1901, the repor
. shows that the teachers asked for
2 change on all text books turnout tn
. sixteen branches. In fact every boo
d used heretofore was changed excep
6 Webster's Unabridged Dictionary
J. which at present knows no rival. TIL
e board was waited upon by commit
tee who requested that no change
made at present, but that the matte
be allowed to rest until March, whe
the question should be decided by
vote of the people. The request, how
ever, was not granted.
Bloomfield. March "A. J. McClur
is in Peoria, H., looking after som
real estate business.
, Clyde Adams sold his farm west {
= Drakesville Thursday to Dug Lowe an
on the same day closed a deal for tn
Vest farm, northwest of Belknap.
Miss Helen Wray left Thursday fo
!. Ottumwa to visit at the home of Mis-
Maude McIntire.
Mrs. C. ID. Fortune entertaine