The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-08
A RURAL SCHOOL BOARD.
Fault Found with Meth
DDS Used b. Teachers.

Some up-to-date teacher tell strange
stories Of their conversations with school
directors regarding some of the studies
that have been added to the three Rs" in
country schools. In Charles Heber Clark's
new novel, Captain Bluitt,' appears the
following passage, which will remind many
teachers of something similar:
Il should like" said Director Robinson,
ITO ask what is this metric system that l
find some of the children trying to learn"
The principal explained the metric sys
tenn.
Nothing to do with hymns. with long
metre and short metre and hallelujah
metres?" asked Director Robinson, who
sang in the Baptist choir.
The principal said 1t had not.
Did l understand you TO say" inquired
Mr.. Matlack. that the system came from
France?"
Yes" responded the principal.
There's another queer move" said Mr..
Matlack, with strong emphasis. You start
in with an Italian poet, Dant, and then you
fetch along a French system with names
nobody can understand, and after a while
l reckon you'll be flying the British flag in
the front yard and singing God save the
Queen. There's a good deal too much for
eign influence. This country's good enough
for me. I'm an American and this is an
American school. L say fly the American
flag and sing American songs, and have
American systems and shove the foreign
ers out. We can run our own business.
Why don't you get a bust of General
Washington "
O4lCNlOI 60oOll dGhCd IL Nv NC
permitted TO i~nterrogate the principal, and
having obtained permission he asked:
Don't you think were going just a little
too fast?"
I'm what PARTICULAR inquired the prin-
cipal.
''Well, in putting in this metric system,
JUST af at think f6tS m nme e iSr i9 nferposed the pres,.
dent. that the movement is somewhat
premature"
"And Them" continued Director Fergu-
son sT fo,,DJ NV ~ Let r;~I% III
with algebra and nearly crying over it. 1
told him to drop it, and I'd have it
dropped in the school If l run the school.
L never knowed no algebra and I'll be sat
1sneo if my boy makes out as well as 1
did"
The principal attempted briefly to indi-
cate the nature and purposes of algebra.
That's all very Wei. Mr.. Brown" said
Director Ferguson. It's your business, of
course, TO care for such things, but we're
a practical people, with no nonsense about
us. Figgers is for fggerin', and letters is
for letterin'. There's no use of tryin' to
fgger with letters while there's plenty of
fggers to figger with. Now is there?"
You see"-began the principal.
81 don't care to argue about it," said
Mr.. Ferguson, interrupting him, but the
fact is you can't any more subtract "a
from b. like my boy was tryin' to do last
night, than you can subtract the dinner
bell from the poker. 1t amt in the nature
of things"
The principal did not reply.
M boy, also says" continued Mr.. Fer
guson. that. his teacher won't allow him
to say knowed. Why not?'
'KnoWed?" asked the principal.
"K-n-o-w-e-d?"
yes, knowed. He says the teacher tried
to make him say knew"
o course" said the principal. Know,
knew. That's right, there is no such word
as knowed."
al guess there is" answered Director
Ferguson, with a s~cOrnful laugh.
Il guess so, too echoed Mr.. Matlack.
and it's a good deal better to say knowed
than to be putting Dant Oante) up on the
shelf and bringing the children's minds
under European influences"
"Knowed is not good English" said the
principal.
Maybe not" said Mr.. Matlack, "but it's
good American, and that's the best there
is"
"You say moved" asked Mr.. Ferguson.
and rowed, and show. showed. and stow,
slowed, and glow, glowed, don't your
YES"
Every well, then, you say know. knowed.
and grow, growed, and hoe, hOed."
And Director Ferguson tipped back his
chair and looked around him like a man
who has just won a great victory.