The Dolores star., 1903-11-27
THE COUNTRY SCHOOL TEACHER.

Ever true American * proud Of our
public school system 1t i SO COM
plete that every boy and girl is given
The opportunity To procure IA common
school education. Large sums OF money
are expended each year in the erection
of school buu-,rs, The buying oT furni-
lure and books aud the hiring Of super
intendcnts and teachers.
Every rural district /, dotted here
. and there, wherever il Is convenient
for u group of children to gather with
a little school house; and ii is in these
little country school houses that many
boy and girl has acquired the thirst
for = led e tEat has led ,heI', 10 the
place of hit, ""r I"ing K ana p,le
l. n aud Fusr o. them .at the
world is prou' d.
Tho work Of school teach Is Ell Y,
or AT least seems so 10 the person who
pays taxes and doesn't know all about
the school teaching busa'ess 1t looks
like six hours day ana five days
week, and for this reason the school
teacher receives less pay than any
other class OF professional people. OF
course, there are educators who are re-
ceiving big salaries. The teachers in
most city schools get fairly good wages.
But We are referring to the country
school teacher, who is receiving from
$40 to $50 per month aud doing the
janitor work or paying to have it
done out of this salary.
Just here some "wise guy speaks up
and says that the persons who teach
our country schools for small salaries
are inferior teachers or they would
have positions in the city command
ing big salaries. This is the same old
story that we used to listen to when
we were very small boy, about every
BOY having a chance to be president of
the United States. II is simply absurd.
College professors, high school princi-
pals and high-salaried city teachers,
like presidents of the United States,
are limited to the positions that are to
be filled. There are plenty of men
capable Of filling the presidents chair
hut only one is chosen, And there are
many teachers in the country, working
for small salaries, who are as capable
and doing as much hard work us any
high-salaried city teacher
Some teachers accept position near
their homes so that they may be near
their aged parents who need their care.
Others are striving to make home
for younger brothers and sisters and
assist them in procuring an education.
And Others, and no small number
either, are teaching in country schools
because they love the work and see in
the country boys and girls strong
healthy minds that need training, and
they feel that it is their duty to do all
they can to train and develop these
minds. Like the missionary who
leaves home and friends and the posi-
bilities of some day filling the pulpit OF
large city church at big salary to
go to some heather land to spend his
life at hard work for small pay because
he feels that God has called him for
such work, these teachers feel that
they have been called to give their
life's work for the education of the
country boys and girls who do NOT
have the educational advantages that
the city boys and girls do.
If you think that teacher has an
easy time stop for a moment and think
what teacher has to do. There are
six hours in the school room, hearing
recitations and directing the pupils in
their studies, some time is spent after
school is dismissed putting away books
and other perishable material that
dare not be left to the care of the jani-
tor even if the school is lucky enough
to have one, there are papers and work
of the scholars to be looked over and
corrected, lesson to be gotten out for
the next day; besides this the teacher
must study to keep up with the
progress of education, prepare papers
for teachers meetings, make out re.
ports and do hundred and one other
things.
Have you ever though how many
boys, who are now successful profes-
sional or business men, came from the