The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1913-08-07

1t is all very well for hale old
fellow of eighty to advise us about
keeping young. Maybe We could,
if we had his start physically.
Get off the perch if you cannot
keep your balance.
We have seldom seen a summer,
simmer as this summer, SINNERS.
Since it has become the fashion
to have investigations; why not in
vestigate the investigated investi-
cations.
Latest styles depict gowns with
pistol pockets. Will the colored
ladies have a razor pocket?
Teaching the old idea how to bonn
bard is more difficult than, teach
ing the young idea how to shoot"
Massachusetts, has just woke up
to the fact that there are an unusal
number of aliens within her bord
ers, and is going to investigate.
The war in the Balkans has de-
generated into and episode OF bar
barous horror. Any war is re-
vert back to barbarisms, but the
Balkan War goes beyond barbar-
isms, it is savagery. The victory
over the Turks seems to have given
impetus to the fierce fighting in.
stincts of the Balkans. The fighting
in Macedonia where thousands were
killed and wounded and was mark
ed with the most vicious savagery
Emptying their rifles at thirty
yards, the soldiers used their bayo-
nets as sabres and engaged in saw
age hand to hand fighting. Even
attacking each other with their
teeth; biting like wild beasts. The
European powers are nonplussed
over the situation and can inforce
no reasonable terms of settlement.
The very nature of the people of
the Balkans will not admit of a SEN
sible adjustment of the dispute.
They have not the same racial char
actistics as the people of Western
Europe. Neither can they be
judged by the ideals of modern
civilization. Perhaps the wisest
course would be to let them settle
their own difficulties. Intervention
without armed force would be a
farce, and then it is safe to say that
within a decade the Balkans will be
at war again.
The rural school has been made
the target of undersigned criticism.
Recently a prominent western col
lege professor declared: "Observa-
tions of rural schoolhouses in differ
ent parts of the country, show
many that violate most, or all, of
the principles of sanitation, and
whose existence is a disgrace to any
civilized community" This state
ment was made at the recent ses-
sion of the National Council of Ed
ucation, held at Salt Lake, Utah.
We believe the sanitation of rural
schoolhouses is as good as their is
olated situation permits. and the
opinion is ventured that the pupils
of rural schools are superior ment-
ally, morally and physically to the
children of city schools. A country
schoolhouse cannot be kept, in the
winter time, in a condition of per-
feet cleanliness. The children DUR
ing bad weather, often travel long
distances afoot. over muddy roads,
and the schoolhouse floors are not
at all times very clean. But this is
only temporary condition and un-
avoidable. The statement that
many rural schoolhouses are dis
grace to any civilized community" is
a knock" against the intelligence of
the people who live in the rural dis
tricts. We know that the professor
has exaggerated, for we have trav-
elled extensively through the rural
districts Of the country, and have
seen the inside of thousands of
rural school houses that were not
gems of neatness and comfort. The
professors experience has probably
been limited to a few visits, to
schools that perhaps deserved some
condemnation. Many of the country