The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-04-27
CONTESTS WHICH HAVE
DEVELOPED FINE SPIRIT
By FRANCES sHAFFER.

Some years ago. so the story il told.
the pupils of a country school in Oregon
took up collection to buy popcorn for
festivity they were arranging.
And while they were thinking and
planning and working for the coming
event the county superintendent of
schools was doing some thinking. too.
1t happened that he was considering
the case of a tow-headed youngster
whose oyerweening fondness for water
melons had made him believe that the
biggest OF all in a certain patch he
knew kept asking and asking to be car
ried away.
The boy had listened so long and so
yieldingly that he could not listen and
hold out any longer, SO boy and water
melon both disappeared In a nearby
field. And, Of course, there was a Sc
quence. for the theft was discovered.
and nobody believed it was the water
melons fault.
And the superintendent did not know
just what to do in the way of punish
ment. While he was trying to think of
just way out of the little difficulty, 1t
occurred to him that IL boys had a
chance to raise their own melons they
would not be tempted to steal from
others.
Started Competition.
Then he thought of the other pupils
taking up a collection to buy popcorn,
and 1t seemed that something was wrong
there, too; because 1t ought not to be
necessary for the children to buy pop
corn; they should have it to sell
And so, with the story Of the water
melon fresh in mind and with boys and
girds running about begging for pen
MES, he started in to offer prizes to the
boy or girl who raised the best water
melon or the best popcorn in the county.
And that was the origin of the idea
which developed into a children's county
fair. several steps in advance of the
boys corn clubs and the girls tomato
CLUBS in the South and Middle West
For all over the county boys and girls
are actively competing for prizes in
agriculture, sewing, cooking. and wood
work. Indeed, the competition has been
made Statewide, and pigs and poultry
have been added to the list
And now there are to be c1iIdren's
fairs in every county in the State. and
the best exhibits will be selected for
the State Fair later on.
And a right good thing it Is.
Interesting Girl.
When. while ago. I saw the picture
VI d StHOOiSAA uONH III tennessee VINO
had won Jersey calf at the State Fair
and 500 besides for her fine exhibit of
canned tomatoes, it seemed a pity that
the movement had not travelled North
and farther East. She was a member
Of one of the many canning clubs among
the schoolgirls in that State and was
on her way to the national corn show in
South Carolina. She was a young girl.
still in short dresses, but she had made
a mighty fine record for herself, and as
guest OF honor on the trip was enjoying
the proceeds of LIZA cans of tomatoes
put up during the season. And there
was the inestimabie training in earnest
work. the very best she could do.
They tell such interesting little
stories, too. of the experiences of the
boys and girls; for the competition de-
velops more than mere spirit of striv-
ing for prizes.
On the train with the girl from Ten
nessee was a girl from another county.
a bright-faced, rosy-cheeked young miss,
who had done something more than can
tomatoes. For in the country school
where she received her canning lessons
and where boys and girls know each
other through and through. there were
two girls who had not a bit of ground
they could call their own. OF course.
they wanted to cultivate tomatoes, for
the girls were already talking about the
wonderful things they were going to do.
and the boys were boasting of the great
hills of corn they would show later on.
But the two girls were silent and bit
subdued.
Banner Record.
And then their little friend came to
the rescue-or her father which was
Just the same. For she coaxed for a
little plot of ground near her own, and
the father, like all good fathers, when
they can, was ready to grant the re-
quest. The prize went to the big-heart-
ed young girl, but the others had a
chance at the canning with the rest.
And they told of another prize winner
on the trip who had made a banner
record for influencing the girls in their
work She would not let them grow
discouraged and would not let them
shirk, and the prize that she won for
her tomatoes had a meaning that did
not show on the surface.
And that is the way it runs with the
clubs for boys and the clubs for girls
And that is why 1t would be well to
widen a Ditto take in all our States.