The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1905-07-08
WHY SHE WON.


There were four applicants for the position of
assistant to the principal of the high school ir,the
town of Warheld. 1t was an unusually desirable
position. The salary was larger than that general
" paid assistant teachers. The building was en-
trely and the room In which the assistant
would perform her duties was theSpleasantest in
the building Moreover, the assistant was certain
OF promotion al a much larger salary if she gave
satisfaction. All of the applicants were eager for
the place.
Now it happened that Warfeld was one OF the
towns IN which the people are progressive. They
et that they had given proof of their progressive
ness by electlng woman president of the school
board. and in so doing they had made Il wise choice
] ne two male members of the board evidently had
great confidence in the judgment of Mrs Thayer
the president for they deferred to it to the extent
of falling ia with her plans and ideas for the i'm
provement Of the school
he four applicants were Meta Thorpe. Grace
Reid, Laura Burton and Ellen Ross. When they
had met the board and had retired for the board to
decide upon which applicant should be given the
place. Mrs 1hayer said to the other members:
We'll, gentlemen which applicant seems best
fitted for the place."
Il think that | liked that Miss Reid best" said
Mr.. Hardin. What did you think of herr"
81 am free to say that | would not want to give
The place to Miss Reid. | know that she mas the
highest credentials as to ability, and she has had
more experience than the other applicants but a
Young woman who would apply for a position as
teacher wearing badly soled gloves shoes with two
buttons missing. a soiled collar, and an unms-
takably frowzy head, is not a proper person to
have charge Of the young girls of our school. / do
NOT think that such untidy person would could
command the respect Of the neat and orderly girls
OF our school, and she would by her own example
encourage the untidiness of those who are already
mtdy ! object to her for this reason and the
other members Of the board sustained the objection
her said no . 10
Burton on the score of her being very much over
dressed. Ii she would appear before our board
wearing cheaply gorgeous silk and lace gown,
snowy and dangling cheap ornaments, futtering
ribbons brass belt girdle with red and green
glass settings, and with powder on her cheeks she
would no doubt appear before girls thus attired
and it would be very bad example for her to set,
besides being in extremely bad taste. do not wish
." Boo hypercritical, but feel it to be my duty to
express my sincere convictions"
Again the members Of the board agreed with
Mrs Ihayer, and Mr. Hardin said:
What about Miss Thorpe! The objections
nave to Miss Reid and Miss Burton cannot apply to
Miss Thorpe"
No replied Mrs Thayer; 'but [ have this OBJ
lection to Miss Thorpe In the ten minutes that
We talked with her she used no less than five slang
expressions, or two of them being particularly
coarse and offensive She could give more GER
tam proof Of a lack of refinement. Do we want an
ItiNaDi9 CodIs6 anu vulgar person W uedCu INC
girls Of Warfeld?"
81 noticed her slang of the street and [ made
up my mind that / would not vote for her." said
DR. Iiindley. Il have two daughters who would
1c under her instruction, and I do not want them
Encouraged to do so by their teacher"
And now in regard to the only remaining can
hdate, Miss Ellen Ross" said Mrs Thayer "She
impressed me favoraby although she has had less
experience than any of the other candidates. and
She IS not so well educated as some of them. Her
manners are modest and refined. / noticed blush
and shocked look in her face when Miss Thorpe
used one of those vulgar slang expressions. Then
she was neatly and simply dressed and she had
an arr of habitual neatness. There was 40 veneer
about It. She wore no jewelry at all but the tiny
pm at her throat. She gave direct, intelligent re-
Plies to our questions and her choice of words was
excellent. think that would be than will |
ing to have my daughter under her instruction" /
And it came about that Miss Ross won the |
place for reasons not wholly connected with her |
book learning" And i think that those who give |