Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1913-06-24
RAIN CUTS ATTENDANCE AND
INTERPRETERS WITH PRO
GRAM AT ARTISAN AND
EIGHTH GRADE AFFAIR.
MORNING PROGRAM OMITTED
]. G. Muerman Addresses Glass;
Carleton Praises Schools of County
and Tells of Spelling Tests; Master
Artisan Hudson Also Delivers Ad-
dress; Few Afternoon Sports Held.

Ram lnterfered with the success OF
the Artisan and Eighth Grade school
picnic at Rickreall on Saturday, the
downpOur of the night before and of
the morning hours of Saturday caus-
ing many to give up the idea of at
tending. AS it was, however, be-
tween 450 and 500 people assembled
at the grove, including the school
children, and eighth grade graduates
to the number of 80, and the after
noon program was held according to
announcement, although the rain of
the morning suspended the forenoon
exercises.
The afternoon program began at l
% 'clocll. j. C. Muerman, of Wash
ington, d. c., government expert, ad-
dressed the graduating class and AS
sistant State Superintendent Carle-
ton presented the diplomas. In max
ing the presentation, Superintendent
Carleton addressed the class and the
assembled audience, praising the eff
ficiency of the Polk county schools
and telling of the reputation which
they enjoy elsewhere. He said, that
during recent tri p about the state,
much complaint had been made re-
garding the spelling tests for the
eighth grade, and the claim had Of
ten been heard, that the words were
too hard for the grade. Neverthe-
less, he declared, the test didn't
seem to be too hard for Polk county
school children, as not a failure had
been reported on the spelling tests in
the county.
Artisan Official Speaks.
Following the school program Sd-'
preme Master Artisan II. S. Hudson
addressed the audience after which
the sports of the day were held, or
as many of them as possible before
the rain began. Following are the
winners in the different events:
Girl's race, for girls Is years of
age and under, Sybil Wilson, of Falls
City, first.
Mems race, 100 yards, Prof Buell.,
of Rickreall.
Mems race, so yards, Eugene
Coates, Oak Grove.
Boys race, II years and under,
Edgar, Oak Grove.
Boys race, so yards, from - to
1S years, Eugene Coates, Oak Grove.
Free for all, backwards, Clifford
Dallas.
Picnic Notes.
The ball game was called off Ow-
ing to the rain. During the first pOr-
tion of the afternoon, the sky clear
ed and the sun shone warmly but,
about 4 o'clock, the rain began fall
ing in copious quantities and further
were omitted The
grounds were damp and muddy and
the dripping trees added greatly to
the discomfort.
There were 80 graduates present
and 81 districts of the county were
which is considered re-
when the weather is taken
into consideration. The entire Falls
City eighth grade graduating class
was present, the only school in the
county to be thus represented.
Harry Mccoy, of district No. 6S,
from one of the remote sections of
Polk county, situated west of Pedee
on the Luckiamute, was the only
graduate from that district and he
attended the picnic. He left home at
1 O'Clock in the morning and by the
lime he reached home on Saturday
night had travelled between 3j and
40 miles to take part in the exercises.
The crowd that went down in the
morning on the s., +. c. & W, found
muddy and damp roads from the
station TO the grove. The tall grass
along the board walk was literally
saturated with water and white
dresses and white shoes lost much of
their freshness by the time their
wearers reached the grove
But everybody took their troubles
good naturedly and there was very
little growing heard.
The Rickreall band furnished some
music during the day
which the crowd appreciated.