Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1912-08-27
LARGE SUM BEING USED IN BET
TERNIENTS AND NEW BUILD
INGS IN POLK
COUNTY.
RICKREALL LEADS DISTRICTS
Is Spending $4,000 on New Building;
Zena to Have Novel Rural School
House; AirIie Second In County in
Expenditure of Money; Schools TO
Open September 80.

New school buildings and improve
ments and additions to old ones, rep
resenting a total expenditure of fully
1900, by the schools of Polk coun-
ty, will be the record made during
the vacation period, 1912. In sew
eral of the districts new buildings
are being erected which will provide
the children with all modern conven-
fences and have a beneficial effect up
on the educational facilities of the
county. In others a spirit of progress
has animated the boards and efforts
are being made to equip the districts
with better facilities. Money is be-
ing spent freely and the result is sure
to be beneficial and in keeping with
Polk county's reputation as the "blue
ribbon school county" of the state of
Oregon.
Practically every school in the
county will start on Setember 80, this
late date being selected on account
of hoppicking. At this time every
district in the county is supplied
with teachers with the exception of
Red Prairie, Montgomery Valley
View and Fir Grove. 1t is declared
that the corps of instructors is of the
highest grade and better than ever
before. But it is the rule that Polk
county always has complete corps
of teachers when the schools open,
which is not always true of other
counties.
New Building at RickreaIl.
Rickreall leads all districts in the
county this year in the expenditure
of money for new buildings, a $4,000
school house now being well on the
way to completion. 1t is a modern
building in every way and will be
used for public and high school pur-
poses. 1t is modelled after the Bethel
and West Salem buildings recognized
as the best pattern for a four room
building in the state.
Airlie district is spending $4,000 on
a new school building or, more prop
erly speaking, is adding two more
rooms to it's former two-room build
ing which will give that district a
modern school house.
Zena May Lead State.
Zena district will certainly lead the
county and possibly the state in that
it will have a rural building with
running water piped into it and with
all the other conveniences enjoyed
by districts in the cities. 1t will prob
ably be the only country school house
in the state so equipped and the i'm
provement is being made at a total
cost of between $500 and $1,000.
The Smithfield district is building
a modern one-room builing at a cost
of approximately $500.
Brush College district is changing
a one-room building into a two-room
affair, and spending $1,000 on the inn
provement and equipment.
District No. II, near Willamina, is
spending about $500 on a modern
new building.
Harmony district is practically re-
modelling its building and will make
the school house a practically mod
ern building. Mill Creek is remodel
ing and relighting its building to con-
form to modern requirements and
Elkins district is spending consider
able money in relighting arrange
ments.
How Popcorn" Got Its Name.
Popcorn district. in the Eola hills,
will spend $500 on a new school
house using the same plans as Zena.
Forty or so years ago a country
sailing under the cogno-
men of Pole" Nelson, was teaching
the young idea how to shoot" in a
district in the Eola hills. The stud
ents of that district, it is said, con-
tanned many who were considerably
beyond the knickerbocker trousers
limit and they often made life bur-
densome for their preceptors. One
day they pulled off a good on Pole"
They gathered at the school house in
advance OF the teacher and refused
10 permit him to enter until he stood /
the treats" In vain did he entreat
them to let him i'm. He even threat |
sned, but all to no avail. Finally he /
gave up in despair and. returning
home. popped a bushel or more OF /
,orn and carried it back to the school /
house as his treat" This had the /
desired effect. the door was opened. |
he teacher warmly invited to enter. I
and the school proceeded to enjoy I
he feed" Since that time the dis /
-rict has been known as Popcorn" /
This occurred in the first school /
.aught in the old building that has
stood all these years. and that has |
been torn down and will be replaced /
1y the modern structure now being .
.rected-