The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1908-11-19

pass on to the next question.
What are we going to do in regard to
social gatherings and pastimes? This
difficulty will in time, | think, adjust
itself without the direct aid of the couu.
try school Modern improvements are
making it quite as convenient and far
more pleasant to live ten or fifteen
miles outside of the city as in il. Tele.
phones, which you msy now find in the
most remote places of the country have
eliminated distances as far MS communi-
cation is concerned, and the rural mail
delivery brings the latest news to your
doorstep. Electric railways and auto
mobiles are doing much to bring the
pleasures and pastimes of the cities
within the reach Of nearly every farmer
and with the coming of the airship
which may no: be as distant as it now
appears, we may expect to see the people
leaving the city to live on the farm.
This is probably looking too far ahead
and so we must do something under our
present conditions. Literary and de-
batting societies have been organized in
many communities, which help to break
up the monotony of farm life; school en-.
tertainments are carried on by most
schools, but this is being done not 50
much to interest the people in their
work but to bring the school in closer
touch with them. What we really need
is some organization that will get the
people together to discuss for their own
benefit and for the whole community,
questions that are of immediate impor.
tance and value,- questions that will
cause the average man to think of things
beyond the confines of his farm; politi-
Cal, economical industrial, etc, as for
example. the parcel post, postal savings
banks, new discoveries. inventions, and
the like. In the matter, the country
schools shonld be leaders.
In our county we have started u scheme
from which we expect to get a great
amount of good, probably not at first as
it is new and will therefore have to un-
dergo the usual amount of opposition
and ridicule as all new movements must
The scheme is this; each teacher or a
number together whenever practicable
will organize farmers club as outlined
by the extension division of the Univer-
sity of Wisconsin, and have regular
meetings. Then also each teacher or
any other person interested in the work,
works up some subject that may inter.
est the community. sIhis subject is
worked up SO thoroughly that the per-
son handling it becomes an authority
upon it. Such subjects as these have
been worded up, tuberculosis, Good
Roads The University's Relation to the
Farm, How to Make Use of the School
Library, The Panama Canal Booker T.
Washington, Luther Burbank and his
Work, and any number of Others along
various lines of work. The subject with
its author is then handed in to the coun.
y
acts as a sort of lyceum bureau who
books each teacher to present his sub.
ject at whatever meeting he may think
best In this way we expect to get in
touch thoroughly with the outside world
and at the same time bring it closer
to the needs of the schools. 1t must be
,1.,,,, l,.,t 81
and the people will see the true relation
that should exist between them. Its pri-
mary object tho, is not this, but to point
out the different sources from which the
farmer can get information, and also to
bring the work of the University home
to the people 1t is to he the great con
Meeting link between the University and
the man on the farm.
Now what is the country school going
to do to give its children sufficient train
ing, so that they need not go to the
city? Gradually it is moving towards
this point. As previously stated, the
old buildings are being replaced by bet
ter ones, the course Of study is under
going change to suit the conditions
and demands of the time, and the re-
quirements and the training of teachers
are becoming greater. But we must
have something that will come up to the
city schools. These schools fit their stu.
dents to enter shops Offices, and for in
stitutions of higher learning. What we
need for the country boys and girls is "A
school that will train them just ~ eff
GENTLY for the work on the farm as the
city school trains its boys and girls fer
the work Of the city. This school must
be situated in the country. What kind
of n school will this be? We have high
schools in every city and several in some,
why not have one or more in each coun.
ty? At present, AZ Mr.. Stout stated,
much is being done by the University
that rightfully belongs to the country
schools Why not have the common
country schools confine their work to
the elementary branches? Have them
teach these branches thoroughly, far
more 80 than they are now able to, with
everything crowded into the course of
study Then when the child has mas,
tered thoroughly these branches let him
pass on, similar 10 those in the city
schools, to county high school and