The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-11-02
MRS. STEVENS ADDRESS ON
ONE ROOM RURAL SCHOOL
Splendid Address This Afternoon at General Session Of Edua
tOrs---Rma School Vital to
Rural Life

to sconf remained to pray. The poo
minister was rich on 40 pounds
year, $200-that lis 81 week. Blu
the schoolmasteri For him 1t wa
full well the boding tTemblers learn
ed to trace the days disasters in hi
morning face. Full well they laugh
ed with counterfeited glee at all hi
jokes, for many joke had he ant
still they gazed and still the wonder
grew that one small head could carry
all he knew. Our own Chabort
cram too. who remembers him. bu
to laugh?
To me 1t is always sad smile. thai
the upbuilding of character in oui
boys and girls should be entrusted
to man who was a coward, who ev-
en- In his country could not play the
man, who was only endured by the
housewives, because he stayed in a
corner like a grandfather, whose day
| is done, and helped with the blessed
| little ones.
Was II any wonder his big pupils
| gagged him? And played jokes on
him? But the world has seen some
one whose schools 1t cannot forget
some, especially where the room was
all outdoors
Socrates walked in the garden with
his pupils and his methods live TO-
day.
Jesus walked through the fields
with his twelve scholars. Was IL not
seventy he had once? And he tolh
them stories which the world is glad
to remember and repeat One OF the
world nations has a reutation for a
very low per cent Of illiteracy-so low
That in many parishes there were nor
In 1851, 1871, 1881 and 1891, anyone
VINO could not read and write: and
her sons pushed out from the hare
hillsides where all the farmers sons
and daughters could not STAY and
live Well, they found their wav to
positions OF trust in many corners OF
the world, because In their little ona-
room schools set beside each parish
church In the sixteenth century by a
man of whom 1t was said, 'sIe did
not fear the face of man" and tha
scholars in these little one-roon1
schools learned to serve God. not eve
servers nor men pleasers have bAen
their motto for many generations
The scholars in these one-roor,
schools were taught so that thew
went straight from this country hieb
school to the university, and MANY q |
record tells Of their presence later
on IN the best universities Of Europe. |
o. Leyue' Upsala and Leipzig. The |
men VINO taught in these one-roon |
schools TOR they we're men only |
Until the late '50's) made 1t their life |
WORK and returned to an eventide Of
lsht 10 Otum cum dignitate." an one
man wrote to me. Their widows
were cared for by fund they them
serves spared together. What man
ner OF men We're they? Well, do
reinemoer hearing some big lads saw
~ the early eos, Boys. BOYS. we
cannot do that, for Mr.. So ana 81
-rusted u.s.. One clear, bright dav
"A February the sod fell "dust ~
lust on his coffin. one OF his nnniIs
member Of the English parlianaan+
sald, He taught us to think for ar
serves" To that schoolmaster'a 6rs-
'lde had come back pupils who he'd
made good In India, In the davs ~
nutiny when Lucknow and Cawr
pore made men hold their hraatb.
rom the Argentine republic WHERE tba
olalns laid mems souls bare and huir+
hem up again; from China. whara
ea captain walked with Chinese co.,
ION In the TAPPING rebellion. IN
~hlnese Gordon who was nartvrA6
'AterWarus In Khartoum-are any OF
.ou ola enough to remember thai
Egyptian story? From Perm ara
oundlns the Horn: from Brazil and
ne story Of coffee; from the saa
vhere the storms and the cold and ,
ne Dig winds" blow and the day~
lght never dies, brave boysi
All! My friends, we are inst a.
ering on a new era In the one-room
ural school in North Dakota u,ha,.
whole souled man or woman no.
inter on worthy life career. wbera
cnool directors will soon build a
ssah schooi house beside the school.
NO q nome may grow where the sons I
1 Az uausnters OF our hosts Of new !
ltizens will continue to come as 10 Z
httle heaven below. In our great [
ew land, and where they will rise nm {
M call her blessed"-the grand {
900 woman who teaches the one /
DOM rural school and sees 1t grow
A factor in the community? Yes '
70 sometimes hear sharp criticism Of G
ne teacher who dares to have an r
pinlon and dares to make II known
: the primaries. But ii Is only a few G
asses that get into the limelipht I
Vhere criticism comes. /
Let me tell you Of a hare in +ba / Il
community life here in Dakota IN the I
ariy SOS when the people still re- '
lember gratefully one winter wben v
lonesome teacher invited her grown 4
p pupils together on Sunday even +
lgs to sing. The mothers entoyed q q
,, they that they contributed a fina t
mp, One young man who wantad
sing tenor and could not quite ret t
wanted to study the notes. and the d
uritan soul OF the schoolna'am re- Il
olted at work on the Sabbath dav o
ne was invited to come on a week n
ght. He came and brought with a
IN young man to sing bass. Out e
this grew choir that lasted TIL b
ring work began in April. Their q
loral work was so good that a b
elgnDoring town worked the choir 8
come and give a Sunday evening
citaI.
The same busy teacher urged her
boys TO organize a debating So d
ETY. which met each Saturday night y
winter at the homes, young and
q took part. They enjoyed the
'acticing Of busy lawyer who has
nee held various high Offices in the
ate. There was a night school
hich met four times week for
veral years. and that helped es-
'cially the boys who had slipped
Lst the eighth grade and the girla
40 could not easily ind the cents
mile Jim Hill asked then to take