The Washington herald., 1907-11-06
Education in New State
BY FREDERIC j. HASKIN.
BY FREDERIC J.. HASKIN.

oklahoma City, Okla, Nov. 5.-Okla-
homa believes in schools. 1t comes into
the Union offering educational advantages
10 its boys and girls which are surpassed
by but few OF the older States. It's edu-
cational system is already developed 10 a
high degree. and plans have been made
and money provided to further increase
the efficiency OF the free institutions. from
kindergarten 10 university. Taxes do not
alarm the Oklahoman when the revenues
are TO be expended for schools. for he is
liberal spender. The little town of Per
kins. for instance, holds "a school meeting
each July. Every taxpayer and patron OF
the schools. man or woman, may vote.
In the past twelve years that district has
always voted a school tax of twenty mills
on the dollar This is the highest levy
permitted by the Territorial laws. In all
theSe twelve years there never has been
one vote against the proposition To 90 the
unit The new constitution limits the
sehool tax levy 10 seventeen mills. and
many votes were cast against Statehood
on tnat account. As the rate of assess
nlent VIII be raised under Statehood,
suffer
Inc Federal government gave the Terri
tory Of Oklahoma two sections in each
township, or One-eighteenth of all the
land, for school purposes. II has also
gwen a great deal OF land FOR the support
Oh the public educational institutions
which rank above the high school, so that
more than one-sixteenth Of the Old Terri
tory of Oklahoma is held for school pur-
poses This amounts TO over 1900 600
acres an area greater than that OF the
original Oklahoma. II it were sold now
II would produce about S5OO0OOC. In the
indian Territory portion of the new State
tne government could not, in justice 20
the Indians, reserve the lands for school
purposes. Congress, however, appropri-
ated So.0Jo000 cash in lieu of the school
lands. and the State will start out with
that sum IN its school fund. The okla
homa common school lands are leased
lor farming and grazing. and now produce
ABOUT SoV0OCO year. Under statehood
these lands may be sold. the resident les
sor having the preference. The million
acres held for the colleges have not vet
been leased, and they viii add materially
10 the annual income.
The University OF Oklahoma at Nor
man, has more than 500 students this
year. while the three State normal schools
nave 25o0-the university preparatory
school has over 400 and the two agric,iI
tural and mechanical schools Zone for
whites and one for negrops) have an
other thousand Collegiate institutions
NOT under Territorial control have nearly
Zoo students. All Of this number is ex
elusive Of the Indian schools I'm both
sections Of the new State
The city high school at Oklahoma CITY
has 100 pupils. Two years ago ii had less
than $40. The building which II could
NOT III nVe years ago is now so crowded
that TWO school days are allowed 10 each
calendar year. and half the pupils attend
an the forenoon and the Others In the
AFTERNOON A new high school building
TO cost S25oo COO. Will be built next year.
voc unto the teacher Of geography in
tHat nigh school if he knows not his
business For in the classes every State
III tne mon east of the AIississiDDi is
represented, and only ten states in the
mon are absent. The teachers OF the
pupllc schools Of the city come from
twenty-eight different States. not 10 men
uoh TWO European countries Even the
Klndergartners are Travelled. ard they de-
mand cosmopolitan advantages.
The Oldest native born inhabitant Of
Oklahoma City is Miss Bessie Land. She
Is eighteen and pretty. and is planning
for the best effects in white gowns for q
day next June when she will be gradl,-
ated. The oldest inhabitant" Is the labal
We stick under a mental picture Of p
oent old man with long white hoard
Their mental pictures are different here
Miss Land was born in Oklahoma civ
Just a few weeks after the first great
rush. But IL is rather novel 70 hear tho
Oldest inhabitant OF q fIOurishinp civ s,,..
Our town Is the best in the world but
we VIII nave 100000 population bv tbe
ume am twenty-one years old"
The new constitution requires thar The
elements Of agriculture. horticulture
stock feeding, and domestic science sbaIi
De taught In the common schools Fraa
klndergartens are 10 be required in all /
towns OF more than 300 population Tho
high schools already have extensive
courses in commercial education. and an /
Oklahoma high school graduate ltnor-s
how 10 write short hand manin,,late -
typewriter and Keep books. Modern Ian
guages are required In the courses of most
high schools and the tendency evar,,-
where IS to accentuate the practical in |
education.
At Guthrie there is model county high
school which viii be copied by other
counties throughout tho State. or It's 469
students more than e00 are country bows
and girls. Indeed. this school gives as
much attention 10 the country puptIs as
it possibly can. It's head master Snowdar
Parlette. came from Kansas bv way os
Harvard He is a man with ideas and
knows how 10 work. He has obtained
for more than fifty country boys and
girls light work which viii enable tber
TO pay their board while they are I'm
school. From this high school a prnu
may enter any Of the Western and Cen
tral universities on certificate. In eouln
ment and scope this high school will
compare favorably with any Eastern
school in a county Of its size. while IN at
tendance there are a few Eastern counties
which can show so good a record in oro
portion Township high schools. such as
are maintained in States like Indiana are
Of course a long way in the future. but
Oklahoma Will see to it that the boy and
the girl In the country have equal educa-
tional advantages with the town-bred
youths.
These county high schools have all the
trimmings that small colleges can
boast-athletics Of all kinds. school and
class publications. which appear month
ly; ANNALS" just like a real college.
and all the rest, except Greek letter fra
ternities. There was a start toward their
introduction in the county and town
high schools, but democratic OkialAma1 1
irowped on the caste feature Of Kese