Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1912-06-14
TOO Big TO
BE CAREFUL"

1t is not often that the Times
takes one of its own citizens as the
subject of an editorial, but we are
going to do so today and speak
plainly regardless of consequences,
and we are going to say a word
about Prof. W. H. Kiester, princl-
pal of the Harrisonburg High and
Graded Schools for Is years, and
Superintendent of the schools of
Harrisonburg for the past 2 years.
Here is a man w"o has gone
about his work untirlngly and with
a sincere endeavor to better condl-
tions generally, and he has succeed
ed in his task wonderfully we'll.
While we do not want to convey
the idea that all that Prof. Klester
has succeeded in doing has been due
to Drawn and persistence, yet we
will go on record to the effect that
what he has done has resulted from
no tact or diplomacy on his part.
When it comes to tact and d.
plomacy, big Bill" Kiester would
take the count" before the first
round was fairly started, and yet
Prof. Kiester has made so marked
a success of his work here that the
Harrisonburg High School stands
second to none in the Stateof Vlr-
ginia, and all this, Notwithstanding
that it is the, generally accepted
idea that to succeed as a titular
head of public school system, one
must not only be tactful and diplo-
matte, but he must really be chock
full of tact and diplomacy.
How then has William H. Kiester
succeeded, it will be asked. And
the answer which will come imme-
diateely from those who know will
be this
BY his plain unadulterated hon
esty and sincerity ofpurpose, aided
by the fact that he is mentally
equipped for the work.
But his honesty of purpose has,
to our mind, been the chief asset.
"Too big to be careful" as some
writer once said of his hero, big
Bill" Kiester has at times become
enmeshed in entanglements peculiar
to public school work, which would
have crushed another, by resulting
in the creation of factions and strife
which really destroy many more
teachers usefulness then all other
causes combined, and yet not only
is his influence stronger today than
ever before, but really Supt. kels-
thr's has never been in jeopardy.
When, what appears to others to
be troubles arise, the big hearted
superintendent of schools is not IN
the least faxed. He evidently pro-
cedes on the theory that some per-
sons will not take offence when Of
Tense is not meant, but if they do
they will soon get over it, which is
pretty near the truth.
And not being conscious of any
intended offense, he does not figure
around to secure a vantage point
from which to make an attack on
trouble, but with his rugged honesty
and candor to back him up he
wades into the thickest of it and be-
fore one knows it the supposed trou-
BILE has crumbled as an ,eggshell in
fact, it is almost dissipated before it
forms; and as all such cases are han
died in the sane manner, there is no
cumulative trouble to add fuel to
the flames, growing out Of unex-
planned misunderstanding, for the
deck is always kept clear:
But while VIM. H. Kiester has
made a grand success of his work
here, and has been able to say and
do as he pleases, and etlll grow in
the respect and love of our people,
we really would not advise a young
man wishing to succeed to follow
his example in toto, for there are
very few "BiIly" Kiesters in this