The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1903-02-27

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the other purpose. If you do not un-
derstand what mean, go TO the new
court house tomorrow morning. ask
some one to tell you what was left by
the supervisors for school interests,
go down the dark stairway into the
back basement, gaze upon the beauti-
full furnishings, if you can see any,
then go back upstairs, note the con-
venience of access, the elegance of
furniture of all other offices, and by
comparison you may form an opinion
of the relative Importance of the pub
lie schools as compared with any and
every other public. interest of this
county.
But do not mistake this 20 be the
result of an oversight. From the time
before the first stone was laid until
the present the building committee
and the board have been aware that
no provision was made for school in
terests. And will say for the credit
of the board, that | verify believe that
they would have assigned an accessi-
bic Office, and perhaps furnished it, If
there had been anything left after
they had provided for the other county
offices, rented what they could, and
given rent free 70 insurance compan-
les, but when these things were done
nothing remained except the one place
which it is understood may be shared
by the clerk, game warden, pioneer
society, school commissioner, etc, un-
less perchance the grange insurance
company should want it, in which
case it could not be consistently de-
MED them. No criticism in the least
is intended upon those gentlemen
whose public Offices or private inter
ests have been we'll provided for. In
deed, no officer of the county has an
office too convenient or too nicely fur
nished, or too many offices, but These
things ought We 60 have done and not
left the other undone."
One way in which greater public in
terest may be shown is in actual visits to
your own and to neighboring schools.
All! but you say, we haven't the time.
Should the statement be made that nine
out of ten here find time to do one of
the following: To visit their club or
neighboring clubs, grange or oranges,
lodge or lodges, it would not probably be
far wide of the truth Why not then
visit the school? Certainly your best
interests both present and future require
it. If We could get the visits the other
things would come of themselves Wis
its would reveal how barren and un-
slightly your school yard is compared
with the grass and the trees of neigh
boring school yard. Visits would reveal
how uncomfortable the rickety seats and
benches of your school house are as com
pared with those Of the neighboring
school. They would reveal how unsani-
tary the entire lack of ventilation. and of
proper heating makes your school room.
They would also reveal how much lit
tie paint, internally and externally APP
Piled little paper, and a few pictures
would improve the room, tidy it up and
make it home like. Go to the average
grange hall, church, lodge or club room,
observe the furnishings and pictures so
nicely arranged, for what? One evening
per week or even less Then 90 to
the average rural school room, note the
paint, pictures, paper, or the lack OF
them too frequently, and compare the
place where your children are required
to spend 36 hours per week with the
hall where YOU spend two or three, and |
believe you will in part understand why
school is frequently distasteful to chill
dren, especially those having any artistic
procivities. it is true that teachers,
many of them, contrive to use part of
their pittances for pictures and the like.
Others, by socials and the like endeavor
TO obtain them, but too frequently receive
little encouragement from the patrons.
You may say that these are the eXcep-
tons, but | know that they are the rule.
There is a school house not ten miles
from Paw Paw that has not been cleaned
in three years unless 1t has been done
since cold weather came. Mothers, you
cannot make your homes too attractive
for your sons and daughters. Friends,
you cannot make your churches, your
lodges, your society halls too attractive
for your members. Nor can YOU make
your school rooms too attractive for your
children. Relegate to the background
bare walls and the like were good enough
when we were children and we do pot
need them now. These things were ac-
companied by bare floors, bare walls,
and little ornament in the homes, where
now we find carpets and pictures,
touches and easy chairs, and other things
that were luxuries in early days. a boy
or girl born in a hovel bare of comfort
can study we'll in a very poor school
room, scantily furnished, without wishing
to get out and go home. while one used
to comfort cannot help noting the lack
of cheer and be depressed by lack of
comfort. Our boys and girls would be
willing, am sure, to undergo as much
as ever their parents did ifit were neces-
sary, but that it is not is evidenced by
the appearance of all other public meet
ing places. These things A better ex-
perienced corps Of teachers, devoting
their whole time and energy to the work;
the teaching by mammal training of the
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