The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-09-09
Teachers Take Hold Nicely, Chill
dren Have Right Spirit.
New Science Teacher Brings
Order Out of Chaos.
Board Awards Contracts For
Furnishing Wood.
From Thursdays Daily.


The school board held it's regular
monthly meeting last night, all of the
members being present except Mr.. Jones,
who was out of the city.
Captain Keysor reported that the re-
pairs on the different buildings have
been nearly all made, but that it was
hard to get man to do the little things.
He said that the West Mankato school
grounds lack one lot of being full half
block. The Kieffe heirs own this lot,
and want to sell it for 5000.
The members of the board thought
that 5000 is a good deal to much for the
lot
The school committee reported favor
ably upon a requisition for a number Of
things to keep the chemical laboratory
in order, and also on requisition for
larger than had been expected. The lab
oratory looked so inviting that five stu
dents who had not intended to take the
subject decided to 90 into the class. The
acquisitions were granted, Mr.. Fletcher
alone voting no.
Superintendent Mcconnell stated that
the attendance the first day was prac-
tically as stated in the Free Press Tues
day, the total being l,455. Of this, 1877
are in the high school, and 1875 in the
West Mankato building. Mr. Mcconnell
said that he had visited all of the rooms
in all of the buildings and had found
that the teachers are taking hold nice
ly and that the spirit of the children
is good. The first primary at the Frank
lin has 81 pupils, which is too many.
There are two remedies, one being to
refuse admission to those under six
years of age, and the other being to
transfer ten or a dozen to the Union
building, the enrolment in the primary
there being but 81. He favored the lat
ter plan, as the distance would be no
further.
The board voted, on motion of DR..
Davis, to authorize the superintendent to
make such transfers as he thinks adj
visable.
The bills were allowed.
Bids for furnishing the district with
wood We're opened, as follows:
G. Lulsdorf & Son, 80 cords of bass
wood at 1895, 60 cords of elm at $4.S5,
10 cords of oak at Sc, and Is cords of
hard maple at 81.
T. r. Coughlan, 35 to 40 cords of oak
at Sc, and 80 to 50 cords of hard maple
at 81.
The bid of G. Lulsdorf & Son on bass
wood, oak and maple was accepted, and
that of Mr.. Coughlan for % cords of oak
and so cords of maple was accepted.
This makes 135 cords, which is the
amount advertised for. All of this
wood is last years cut.
The board adjourned, but will meet
again Friday night to wind up its af
fairs. The new board meets Saturday
night, to organize.
After the meeting, the members of
the board inspected the chemical and
physics laboratories. The latter has
been moved upstairs to the bookkeeping
room, and the apparatus placed in cases
that were found unused in the base
ment. These cases have been nicely var
nished, and the apparatus arranged in an
orderly manner and made clean and at
tractive. The chemical laboratory in the
basement has undergone decided
change and presents neat and orderly
appearance. All of the old rubbish has
been taken out, much new material
supplied, and the bottles are all clean
and neatly labeled and placed in Cases
where they may be readily found. In
fact, the room much resembles drug
store. The experiment tables and tanks
are neat and clean
Prof. Culver, the new science teacher,
has taken hold of his work better than
any previous teacher in that depart
ment in the school for many years, and
bids fair to create an enthusiastic spirit
among the students upon the subjects in
his department.
Superintendent Mcconnell has had the
high school course of study printed in
a neat leaflet for distribution among the
students and others. 1t also gives some
information regarding admission and
graduation.