The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1913-01-17
PRAISE OUR TEACHERS.
Report Of Prof. Coates Published IN
Southern School Journal.

In a recent number of the South.
ern School Journal state School In
bpector T. j. Coates. under the cap
ton Looking About" has this TO
say concerning some prominent Law
renee county teachers:
On Friday and Saturday, October
18th and 18th, it was my privilege
to attend the meeting of the Big
Sandy improvement League at Pres
tonsburg. This League was organ
ICED only year ago at Paintsville
with an attendance of about 20,
This year there were present the
County Superintendents OF Boyd.
Lawrence. Johnson. Pike. Knott. Ma
coffin and Floyd counties and about
400 teachers and visitors. l was
told OF some teachers from Pike
county who started from home at
b o'clock in the morning and cross
ed the mountains afoot by the light
of lantern. walking fifteen miles,
to the nearest railroad station. There
was present my dear old friend. that
splendid teacher, Mr.. Asa Varney.
who had travelled through West Viz
ginia to get to the meeting. Who
bald the mountains were asleep?The
discussions at this meeting wer,
high class, and dealt with the speci-
tic problems of that rapidly develop
ing valley. The League went on
record as indorsing the movement
for supervisors of rural schools, pc
titioned the Normal Schools at Rich
mond and Bowling Green to pre-
pare and offer course for the
training of such supervisors in time
to enable them to take advantage
of such a course. Supt. Campbell
of Pike county was elected the next
president OF the League and Pike
vile was selected as the place o,
meeting in 1918. The meeting at
Prestonsburg was a success, It was
ably presided over by Supt. Hall, Of
Floyd county. who, by the way. IL
doing great work for his county.
On Monday the 21st. had the
pleasure Of visiting number OF
schools in Johnson county with Supt
Fred Meade. found some excel
lent work going on In his schools.
Especially / was interested In the
plans a. Little Mud Lick School
taught by Prof. w. c. Hall. one OF
the County Examiners. Mr.. Hall and
the Superintendent are planning to
do some school gardening In the
spring on rather an extensive scale.
The Superintendent is to furnish the
land from his own farm. 1t has oc-
CURED to me that 1t might be
good idea IL some of the rural
schools would experiment In grow
ing especially fine seed corn. This
seems to be Supt. Meade's idea.
Miss Auxier's school in the same
county at Clifton, ! found a very
fine exhibit of school work OF the
regular kind. and also, OF sewing
and agriculture. This brave little
woman and her students had clear
ed on the side of the mountain
turnip patch and had the pleasure
of eating part Of one OF their tur-
uips. This school has an idea 1t
can do something for itself.
On the next day I visited schools
in Lawrence county. The point Of
most interest to me on that visit
was the school at Gallup. This
school is being taught by Prof. Nc
Clure. than whom / have not seen
IN ADLER teacher in the rural schools
In this school there are 81 in the
census. 101 In enrolment and IS In
average attendance for first three
Prof. Mcclure is assisted
by two of his older stu
tents, Miss Blanche Preston, aged
Ia. and Mr.. Arnold Childers. aged
10. Miss Preston tutors the First
Grade with 40 students enrolled and
Mr.. Childers tutors the second grade
With IL students. Miss Preston ID
to teach next year. and
The Is assisting Prof. Mcclure In
order to learn to teach. In fact