, 1901-10-15

The following extracts are taken
from a letter written by Miss Flora
Lee. who is now teaching in the Cney-
enne public schools, to a friend in this
city. and which The Republican is
kindly permitted to use owing to their
interest to the people of Laramie. Prof.
Lee has been granted a months leave
of absence by the school board to visit
some of the best schools of the large
cities of the east:
Last week we received an especially
enthusiastic letter from my father
He is now in Chicago, and when this
letter was written. had just returned
from an all-day's visit to the La Sale
school. which is considered II OF the
best. if not the best of schools. ia the
city. Here he was treated with all
courtesy and heartiness. He took din
ncr with seven or eight of the each
ers at their lunch room in the school
building. Following an excellent
luncheon. was a teachers round table
which las he expresses it, was simply
rich. Mr.. Bevens. principal of the
school. sat at the head of the table and
made things lively for the teachers.
Mr.. Bevens not only spent a large por-
ton of the day with my father. but in
compliment to his presence, had two
hundred of his seventh and eighth
grade pupils gather in the assembly
room. Father especially mentions
their beautiful singing in two part
music and the wonderful way with
which a little one of u years handled
a violin. He was so enthusiastic over
their entertaining him so pleasantly
that he made a read good speech, so
the teachers said, and the pupils ap,
plauded him in real earnest.
Most of the day. father was accom-,
panied by Mr.. Helmer from Butler
Sheldon & Co.
The schools of Chicago are so far
apart that it requires considerable
travel to go from one to the other.
Just where Superintendent Payne
would take him on the following day
father was not certain. but it would
be to II of his best schools.
An extract from his letter says:
This going into good schools and
watching the work is of more worth
to me than all of the lectures in Crea
ton.
Was rather expecting to go tc
Peoria with Mr.. Helmer to attend the
School Masters club. which meets
there Friday evening and Saturday
but after considering the matter with
the gentleman, we decided that the
subjects under discussion were of lit
tie moment to me when my time fol-
visiting is limited.
Il tell you | have learned one thing
good and strong, hat is. the fad
schools here in Chicago-we hear sc
much of them in the west-are not by
any means the best schools. They are
interesting 10 one WHO likes 10 go 10 y
picnic, but for one who is looking fol-
the best and fullest development Of
his child, | unhesitatingly pronounce
them a failure"
At least two days of Mr.. Lees time
will be spent in a suburb of Chicago in
the excellent schools of Principal
Hatch. who is considered a strong
superintendent.
Another letter was written Oct. 10,
just after his return from a trip to
Chicago University. Colonel Parker
is just getting his school into running
order. In the course of time. this will
be a model school for teachers, but as
yet it is scarcely started. The day was
spent in visiting Miss Holbrook's and
the Woodlawn school, both neal Chi
cago University.
My father expects to visit the Crerar
school, where the principal, Mr.. Ray,