The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1913-05-01
HISTORICAL RECORD OF
STATES EARLY SCHOOLS

For there were not ten homes on
the prairies inside the Mouse River
Loop, or on its outside edge, when I
came in 80.
These scattered families used to
look around for teacher who had
finished short term and offer her
board and lodging for the winter,
from November till April, if she
would only teach the children for
two hours daily, and many girl who
found her scanty school warrant
shaved 10 per cent for cash, was glad
to do it. Many a nice girl found a
home for herself among the home
steaders who were frequent visitors,
when it was told around that there
was Schoolma am boarding around.
A Boston lass who was in the
train with me Sept. %, 1889, tremb-
ling little to meet an uncle in Ida
no not seen for years, wrote happily
to me of her school and her tall pupil
who persuaded her to share his home.
What did you ask about shaving
the school warrants?
Well, don't blame the bankers too
much, even if those warrants did car
ry 8 per cent on their face value.
For some of the districts got so deep.
ly into debt before they could find
purchaser for any quarter of 16 or
Sat $1,000 per acre, that their
warrants were very slow invest
ment, slowly realized. But granted
that storekeeper wasn't living too
close to the wind, or was discounting
his own bills the warrants of the
pretty schoolma' am paid him Is per
cent may be by the time she bought
her shoes and satin furbelows.
But some of the fine fairies Of the
prairies kept their own warrants, if
they had had fair education in an
eastern state before father and moth
er came west. Four fine young wo-
men know in McHenry county and
three in Ward, who are now well to
do women in the middle ages, be-
cause they had homes nearby, saved
their warrants and invested them lat
err on, in Dakota dirt.
But the other side of the Shield in
those prairie homes that were far
from school and church shows an
other picture.
Two families / knew where the
boys ran wild in those days, finding
their fun in untwisting bolts, "see-
ing how the wheels go wound" as
Helen's Babies did, on Mowers and
Hay Stackers left in the sloughs
where they had been used, till next
year, and blanketed only by mort
gage, while rust ragged, unchecked.
Next time I noted one of the fam
lilies, father and son ragged from JUS
tice Court to District Court over the
possession of the boys earnings,
while sister, the prey Of m idle
young rancher, dropped out Of sight.
Today I know where she is, but
none Of the rest-They are not living
In respect among any Of the neigh
bors I know, nor are they sending
letters back, or coming, on occasional
visits. Sad story! The other fam
lily, that never had any, education in
school, got q good education in the
School Of Experience, and those boys,
who married nice girls, are living in
the industry, comfort and respect.
and their wives keep the books. The
other boys have troubled themselves.
and all with whom they came in con-.
tact.
Poor fellows! They are no intrin-
sically bad; they have simply drifted
lHLO Inc WIOnx CH0nnelS. VHeu
school was finally set up near the
good enough for me, and it ought to
younger boys and still in time to help
them, their father said NAV, What:
was good enough for my father was
be good enough for them
But in April, 1910, sat at an Old
Settlers Tea, when Pioneer woman
told of an old time knowledge Of
these uneducated men, at a Road
House Crossing over big river in a