Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1907-02-15
POEM CAUSES TROUBLE.
HIGHEST TRIBUNAL N WISCONSIN
TO PASS ON DISMISSAL AT
ST. CROIX FALLS.
WRITTEN BY A GIRL.
Young Miss Alleges Institution Has Sing
Sing Beat Mile-Can't Sneeze
or Stop to Cough.

ST. GROIN FALLS. Wis. Feb. o
Especial. IA poem Hkening the ST.
CroiX Falls high school to prison, in
50 far as the discipline insisted upon is
concerned. has stirred up 4 controversy
here which will echo in the Wisconsin
supreme court. The poem was written
by Miss Della Jastrom. Il senior in the
school, and as result six students were
suspended and fined 40 cents each. The
father Of two Of the girls objected to the
treatment and has appealed to the courts
TO order their reinstatement without pun
ishment Of any Kind, The poem was
taken to the Polk County Press for pub
ncatlon The students suspended are
Miss JaStrom Rachel Jcllison. Lcora
Dorothy, Hazel Dresser, Mabel Dresser
and Phi Clayton.
The School House Jail.
The poem which has caused the furorc
follows:
sit gazing strictly to the front.
tntlI the teacher SAYS stand
And march to the Brass Band
Step mincingly upon your toes.
And bring your heels down light,
Just mimic your elders
And You II get there alright.
For goodness sake you must keep time.
Lift your feet off from the floor
If you don't choose to 20 down stair
90 III at the northern door.
Look straight ahead, keep single file,
come right back to your seat,
Imagine that you are In JAIL
HlnS-Slng our school can beat.
And as you go down the stairs.
one step Mt the time if Won plrnSp
Cling closely to the baniStCr,
Don't whisper, smile or succzc.
You must shut your mouth ut noontimc.
You must shut it at recess.
You must keep it shut ut morning,
And all other times l guess.
When YOU get up to leave the room.
Don't take a friend along.
You must not once quit working hard,
because you know that's wrong.
Can't even stop to tie your shoe,
or blow your nose or cough
Don't look up from your book ut all,
Nor don't you dare to laugh.
Just calmly wait till four o'clock,
You know that comes round soon.
And then you're free from prison,
Until the next forenoon.
The suspension of the students by the
principal was supported by the school
board, composed Of II. u. Baker. Or
Walker and George Thompson, accord
ing to l.. Il. Dresser, father Of two of
the girls. He then appealed to the cir
cult court, asking their reinstatement
The court decided against him and he
declares the matter Will be taken to the
supreme COurt.
Father Explains Incident
In order to be renstatcd the princi-
pal insists that the girls apologize,
admit wrong doing. pay 10 cents and
promise to be ObCdicnt scholars in the
future" said Mr.. Dresser in explaining
The incident. Il offered for my girls
that they would comply with these con
ditions except that they would not pay
10 cents or admit that they had done
wrong. They do not believe this, for
they looked upon the poem as joke.
The girls said they would tell the teach
ers they were sorry if they thought it
was wrong. The instructors of the
school declined to accept this compro-
mise.
The girls all explained to the princi-
pal that they told the editor who pub
lished the poem not to print it if there
was anything more than Il joke i'll it.
Il asked Judge Finje to reinstate my
girls without any apology whatever. This
lie refused to do. The case now goes to
the supreme court at Madison for final
decision"