The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-12-09
rHE COUNTRY SCHOOL HOUSE.


In period of memory that runs
back nearly forty years we have seen
many changes in the things that go
TO make up the life and comfort OF
the rural population. says the Manson
:; Democrat. We have seen the old
fashioned things, reIegated TO the
past. one by one. until today the
/ farmer can afford and enjoy nearly
tal the comforts and conveniences of
/ city life He has had his electric
lights or his gas plant to light his
/ home; he has power to run the farm
machinery and make the burdens of
I himself and his wife and the hired
help SO light that they are really not
burdens at all: he has his automo-
bile for pleasure and profit as well;
he has everything to make his labor
lighter and his profits greater and
his life more and more a comfort as
the years go by; his home is heated
By steam, hot water, or hot air fur
mace: the telephone is in daily use in
his domieile and the postal service de-
liyers his mail at his door every week
day
But there is one institution in the
country that has not kept pace with
the progress of the farms and that in
stftution is the country schoolhouse.
1t is just as neglected, Just as latter
ed, Just as lonely and just as general
ly uninyiting as 1t was nearly forty
years ago when we first took up our
studies within its dingy walls. Of
course. there are country school
houses that are different, but there
are but a few of them It is only To-
cal pride that makes them different.
The average country school house has
not advanced any. 1t has stood still.
The country school house should
be built for warmth and com
fort too and not entirely to save
expense. It should have nice trees
around it and some shrubbery and
plenty of green grass in the summer
time. The birds will come where
there are trees and the study OF bird
life and the companionship of birds
viii never hurt any child. 1t should
be heated with furnace and there
should be every comfort and convent
ence that is possible for the teacher
and pupils. There should be an abb
3soluteiy sanitary well for drinking
water for children are always thirsty |
and the pail of stale water brought.
some times, G distance of mile from
some farm house, is not a.. all inyIt- /
ing or refreshing or healthtIi TO The /
NIUE bodies. There should be a tele- I
phone IN every school lous,. II
II seems impossible to believe that tele- |
phones are not in every rural school.
iof 1hey could often be used 10 adj
. 'an'ase IN many ways and sometimes
'e .nes could save life. The necessity
IN ~ telephone in the rural schoo, ts
20 ~ obvious that there does not seem
ie = ne Te any valid argument against it. /
lc. lne country school house should he |
81 meeting place for the people of the /
.4ee iof all meetings along moral /
81 80 ! should be kept clean and /
49,, ans'ats at all times, so that anv
OF f.Al u a neighborhood meeting co,,ld
i,I ~ ts, neia In II on short notice Eye-v
M. MI o eang should be done to make tba
", ufl s swa, school house inviting !, tlle
l ant school a,rsS, detail The teacher and tho
en. s seuo, board should constitute tse s
on - natb gs special committee to see .I tsa
~, h ho 81 an unclean nature SEE sh mat
~ b by ECO on any Of the school n sruuia
,S = Dy degenerate children ' ahp proper
nee hing, h ela the country school house. nooye al
eat % s, eiean to the smallest Doss, should
Bel sense. "eil as physical
the !. Generalization lent ,r., Of country .o,,
old solution Of the country As sch The ideal
'rge country school must live @'' !, be- The
ting cherished as the bulwar, !, !. must u, be
'erf- and moral cleanliness :, 81 liberty
sing the object Of ,eye and ~ should be
Cir person in the AZ (lct. Sa's Of every