The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-07-09
PIONEER TEACHER
PROVES A FIGHTER.
MISS AGNES D. CAMERON HAS
UNIQUE RECORD.
First Woman Pedagogue in British
Columbia Experiences All Hardships
Of Western Mining Life--Wins Stir
ring Political Battle Against Victoria
Board Of School Trustees.

Board Of School Trustees.
Miss Agnes Deans Cameron, one of
the best known public workers Of west
ern Canada, is spending a month in
the city Miss Cameron is native-born
Canadian Of Scottish parentage, and
her whole life has been lived in the
stirring scenes that followed the gold
rush to the Fraser river in 1860, and re-
s g, in the opening UP of British
!. The gold mining in the early days
in Cariboo was not all paystreaks and
nuggets. The Camerons were indus
tious.. but poor, and at Is, with only
the limited education that the early
schools afforded, Miss Cameron was
forced to become Q wage-earner in the
role of teacher. For the succeeding
twenty-five years she has done pioneer
possible phase Of teaching in the Cana
dian west. She has taught school in
the wilds Of British Columbia, and on
the site Of the present city Of Van
couver, but the greater part Of her
life has been spent in Victoria, the city
of her birth.
Pioneer Woman Teacher.
She was the first woman to teach
in high school in British Columbia, and
for the last ten years has been princi-
pal of the largest graded grammar
school in Victoria. About ten years
ago Miss Cameron walked up to the dis
elimination as to salaries against wom-
en- teachers. and with Sturdy Scotch
nIin a;4ai 81 y, began campaign Of pub
the women teachers of western Canada
are on a, par with men teachers SO far
as salary is concerned.
y Miss Cameron is also the first woman
member of the board Of trustees. cor
responding almost to our board Of ed
ucation, and her election to member
ship in that august badly walked up
things at Victoria in q wav that made
the trustees sit up and Indignantly de-.
mand who had poked the hornet $ nest.
It is better told in Miss Cameron s
own words: :
Story Of Fight.
"The circumstances were unique
she says. In high-school entrance
examination, the. work of nineteen pu-
pills Of the school of which was prin-
cipal, was thrown out, and the pupils
disqualified for entrance, on the charge
that they, had used rulers in free-hand
| drawing work. Being assured by the
pupils and by the special drawing
| teacher that the charge was an unjust
one, demanded an investigation. /
insisted that the pupils had held FOR
their whole school life an unblemished
record for honest york. and were en-
! titled to be heard in their own defense
and to be given an opportunity Of do
ing the disputed work again without
mechanical aids for the purpose OF
4 comparison. The children made statu.
tory declarations Of their innocence,
which l held in trust, and on the
strength Of which pressed for an off.
cial investigation, saying frankly that
It It were necessary, would bring the
matter up on the floor Of the house Of
assembly. III S. 4, & =
| Gould, Not Back Down. o. e
| ttThis brought out the intimatior
that the deparement Of education coul;
not acknowledge that it had made {
ity of the powers that he must be main
tanned, and If insisted and persisted
in my attitude in the matter 1t shoult
be at the sacrifice Of my position an,
+ even my certificate. T. promptly pub
4 lished this diplomatic interview, for
felt that if allowed such threat t.
influence me, I should be unworthy t,
1 hold either certificate or position. Thel
\ trustee board that deliver up to then
forthwoth the affidavits that the child
4 rem had made in their own defense. Thi
4 refused to do, and the board Of trus
teees dismissed me on the 31st of las
December. ~
con. Jan. Z, 1906, was scheduled tn
To test the, court of public opinion, {
at once announced myself as candi
| date for place on the board that ha,
| discussed me, for interpreted the Law
|; as allowing woman to act as publ
! schools trustee. The election was hel,
simultaneously with that for mayor an,
aldermen, and my candidature, with al
= the attendant circumstances, was the
feature Of Victoria City g most excitini
!, making speeches. I told the truth.
acknowledged being discharged civi
servant. I reminded them Of the figh
4 had made for fair play for the chill
, dren during the previous eight months
and asked them to elect me to plac
on the board that had discharged me
in order that I might let the light o
!, d day az. in n o on l the department of educa
! Children Work for Teacher.
! 81 had the support of the Trade
/ and Labor council as well as that O
E other organizations. On election day
i
7 t2polled, children distributed dodge1
. bearing the words Vote for Miss Can
! eron, the children g Champion an
Q people drove in. forty miles to vot,
r At 8 O'Clock the next morning, til
q bulletins announced the results. / ha
8 run ahead Of everybody, outcountin
' even the successful candidate for ma,
y or. Altho I was down and out frol
s the profession to which ] had give
9 twenty-five years Of my life, that vi
Q tory at the polls I considered my vii
! dication.0
= Miss Cameron is a worker in sever
= lines She is director in the s. P. Z
q c.. directors of the S. P. G. A.. ass
o ciate director Of the Woman's Counc
2 of Canada, the only woman on the 4
rectorate Of the Dominion of Cana,
Educational association, and first vic
president Of the Canadian Women
Press club.
She is also well-known magazil
n writer, to which work she intends no
to devote her full time. Miss Cam
ron has written for the Century, Il
s, Atlantic Monthly, Golfers, Ever
. body's, the. Worlds Work and maj
It English and Canadian publication