The Redwood gazette., 1902-10-08
REDWOOD co. SCHOOLS.
From first page.

ate such things = Children are
every where nearly the same. We
make them what they are by envi-
ronment. I thank God that there
are but two districts in this county
/ which have but five months Of
school
| l am pleased to say there are SO
districts in this county which next
year will have eight months OF
school. Twenty of this number will
have nine months of school. There
is no county hereabouts, to my
knowledge, which has higher
number, if the total number of dis
tricts is considered We have now
| l04 organized districts. 1t is fact
worth boasting about when one can
say that very nearly n per cent. OF
the organized districts have eight
months of school and that all these
schools have good libraries. free
text books and other equipments
which conduce to make a good
school,
There are three patent factors
which will induce the good, tactful,
well-trained teacher to enter the
rural school field. First-She must
be able to earn more money than
she can in the city. Second-She
must be assured OF good accommo-
dations. Tnird-She must have
the best of appliances to work with.
There are just ten districts in
this county without public school
library. Why they remain So is
simply Indifference. These districts
are not poor-they are far from it.
The State offers them $50 each to-
wards a library. The State asks
that they, too, give $40. This is
just, although some districts seem
to think the State should do it all.
This much [ do know, that schools
which have good libraries are as a
rule good schools. An addition to
the library should be made yearly.
On each annual subsequent order a
district can receive $40 for purchase
of library books, provided that the
district appropriates $40 also.
The chart fend still finds field
to sell wellnigh worthless aritb-
metical, physiological -politico charts
for $50 which really, in an ordinary
school, are not worth s.; and we're
l to recommend such things, school
trustees would think I had gone
| mad. Several OF our districts have
a surplus of these modern helps to
education (modern humbugs) which
really stand year after year in the
corner, helping no one.
Every school house in this county
should have name. Only two have
No. 20 has been regularly chris
tened ''The Longfellow, and No.
IA 'sThe Merriam Some build
ings are not worth christening, but
fully 100 are. Every public school
building should be named for some
heroic man or woman.
The same old hateful, barbarous
linhuman conditions prevail in many
of our districts. Such conditions
remind me of the man who thanked
God for the food set before him at
the table and then proceeded to
find fault with his wife's cooking
| when her old cracked stove and
green wood wouldn't give better
results.
Two good, well built outhouses,
not less than 6xl0feet at the ground
and six feet to plates, with two
windows, one in each end, should
stand on every rural school yard.
| They should be made storm proof.
This can be done by running a par
tition length wise on the inside, thus
protecting the users from cold winds
and SHOWS, ] am pleased to say
that occasionally district does rise
| up to it's manhood and builds good
commodious closets. Last year FIVE
districts put in a system OF heating
and ventilation This plan. if put
in right, insures an even tempera
ture throughout the room and adds
80 per cent. to the working power
Iof teacher and pupils, This plar
| won twork in an old rook OF, a build
ing, nor should children be sent t,