The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1905-10-27
BLACKFOOT'S
PUBLIC SCHOOL
The Modern Neds and Helens IN
the Daily Grind.

world Of JOY.
When we visit a school we always like
to take them by surprise; open a side
door softly and be in the room taking
the measure Of things before teacher
and pupils know they have company. II
may not be be quite fair to them but it
Is the essence Of fairness to the con
munity. 1t was Monday afternoon, and
Monday is not the best day at school;
neither is Friday. Sunny days are bet
ter than cloudy or stormy days unless
you are looking for trouble.
We stole a march into Miss Beech's
room, Bird grade, and they were reading
about horses. We sat down to look and
listen, and il we should tell you that
everything went along nicely, that all
the children were bright, that they were
dressed in good taste, that they read
we'll and made no mistakes, you would
know that we had not learned to tell the
plain truth about common things.
Miss Beech had them read and then
explain what it meant, and when one Of
them read that the Indians were famous
riders, a little trouble arose as to the
meaning Of the word famous" The
boys insisted that famous means to BIZ
a good rider. The girls were just as
persistent in saying it means to be d
good singer, because they had read last
week of somebody who was a famous
singer. One boy gave his definition Of
the word, and in all his talk he did not
move his lower jaw nor get his teeth
apart enough to let the words get out
without Gripping them. Miss Beach
probably wanted to give him the Dora
me drill to loosen up his jaws but the
bell rang and they had to join in the
march to the Fairgrounds for a little
Miss Coumerilh has Is pupils in the
Attn grade, half of them in the forenoon
and the others in the afternoon. When
we went in during recess she was busy
with a dozen Of them who wanted help
a geography contest they were get
ing up for Friday afternoon. We don't
snow what a geography contest is: they
iidn't call it by that. name when We
we're a little brat, but they drilled on
Mckenzie, Saskatchewan, Athabasca.
he Yukon and other names. When re-,
was over the different grades came
marching in, four abreast, marking time
trough all the halls and stairways.
When we went into the primary de-
'artment Miss Madge Smith wasdrilling
lot of little tots who had never been
n school until this year. They stood
'efore the blackboard reading equations
S she wrote them. They called the
quations "stories', and the old plus
ign was called land" The "put. togeth
r-stories' read this way: l plus l plus ]
'lus Id. l and l and | and ! are 4. The
ign was called fare" 2 and 2 are 4.
and / are 4. l and 3 are 4. After TAX
ng these in all the different forms they
made and read some stake away-stories,''
Vhich read this way: 4, take away . are
, but it was written "4--2 q" An
Their was written 4-1l3," and was
cad: "a take away ! are B" Ifanybody
eemed not to understand it, or if they
ould not make a take-away-story he or
he was given four disks and was in
uced to do some thinking that resulted
4 making the equation, but the little
'lks didn't know that they were equa
lons. They just looked upon the exer
ise as a good little play, and were get
ng clear ideas of numbers. Before
hey got tired of the play Miss Smith
lade the organ talk, and they marched.
and sat down according to the
DICE of the organ. Then they opened
leir books to begin some otherplay and
g went into several other rooms where
ork was going on in a quiet orderly
ay, but there vas nothing in particular
lat we could tell you about till we got
to a little room where Professor Mel
n had a class of six, studying the
'eech of Edmund Burke on "Concillia-
On with America Burke was telling
six characteristics of the Americans
hich called for moderation in Parli-
ent, and the way Professor Melton and
s class picked that to pieces and alb
rbed it, page after page made US for
t there was news to be gathered, let.
rheads to be printed, things to b.
sted and glued, goods to be bought,
eight to be paid, sight drafts to be met
d a lot Of other things that belong to
hitting and publishing. But chickens
me home, &c" and so do a mans cares
len a pleasant occasion is over. The
CONTINUED ON PAGE FIVE.