Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-06-14
Gathered in the Byways
by Ora Wiiliams.1

\
(; Des Moines. June 14.-Here and there
appears the leaven that is to leaven
the whole rura, life lump in Iowa.
| A very fine illustration OF the posi-
| hilities of advancement. in social and
| educational lines. even under existing
| conditions. is to be found in Garfield
township. Lyon county. The problem
of how to make life on Iowa farms bet
i ter. more enjoyable, more useful, has
been tackled by young woman with
vision and purpose in life. She is
/ making success Her success could
be duplicated a thousand times in Iowa
/ to advantage
| The other day-last Wednesday,
there was held at the Garfield township
/; high school the fifth annual picnic and
school common cement. A big tent had
been rented. seats were arranged, a
/ temporary stage built booths surround
/ ed and there was ample provision for
| the comfor, of all who came. And the
people went. The nearby town closed
its stores for nobody traded on that
day. The farmers of the whole town
ship came early and stayed late with
all their families. A field for the line
UP Of autos wcs provided. There were
lemonade and peanuts. and the good
women provided chicken dinners and
the sturdy farmers went down into
their pockets for contribution Co pay
for the tent and the fixtures.
The program for the day started OF
with a march of the schools. Each of
the schools of the township appeared
| headed by its teacher. They marched
TO the stage, where songs were sung
/, and pieces spoken and the graduates
OF the high school and the eighth grad
ers got their papers. A class prophesy
was included and all that sort of thing
The county superintendent was presen;
and spoke. P. e McClenahan, state In
spector of high schools, made a talk. A
good farmer who started OF with halt
ing speech but warmed UP to real eio-
ouence by reason Of the simplicity OF
his straight story Of achievement made
all realize the favor of their own en-
vironment. Then there was q dramatic
entertainment in the tent in the even
ing. II was a day OF real pleasure for
all the people OF the township and
many others.
When Miss Glissman organized the
picnic five years ago the schools Of the
township came and fraternized each
one by itself They were strangers.
Now everybody knows everybody and II
is ali like one great family. The chill
dren of the whole township know each
other. They had a basketball game,
| baseball game. races and held meet
The older people talked Of the things
that interested all. There was = great
opportunity for exchange OF ideas They
pay the teacher SIS month. and that
Is too little; for she has not only shown
. the way to make schools worth some
F.! thing. even without consolidation. but
she has shown these prosperous farm
ers and their wives how 20 so live that
! each and every one will be helpful to all
| the others.
State Superintendent Deyoe has been
out the past week responding to calls
for help. Practically all the time Of a
state superintendent could be well TAX
en- up at this season of the year visiting
various parts of the state and making
talks on subjects in which the people
are deeply interested. School CONSOLE
da,ion is the principal theme. 1t re-
solves itself into broader question
| that Of school betterment and the So
! cial and industrial life Of the comnun-
| ity Mr. Deyoe is in Clinton county to-
day today where the school issue is a
live one in several townships.
| Governor Clarke went yesterday to
Penn Center. Madison county. There is
| community that has long been es-
tablished on a high plane. The annual
gathering and home coming OF the Penn
/ Center people was held. They have
| been holding these meetings many
years. The township was settled years
ago by very fine New England and
Quaker immigration and the farmers
are rich and prosperous. Many APP
preciate the Importance Of getting to-
gether each year and Of cooperation IN
many things.
| There is record in its proper place
| in the state house which ought to cause
! delight, II known, to that disappearing
class of individuals who have for
pastime the criticising of our public
/ school system and who cry out for
return Of Horace Mann and his asso-
ciates for leadership in Iowa school
/ affairs But it may not be 80 signif-
| can, when fully analysed The record
shows that certain young man ap-
| peared before the state law examining
board and took examination for admis-
| sion to the bar, that he showed the
proper qualifications as to scholarship,
that he passed the examination all
! right and answered the questions
which showed that he had the prin-
ciples Of law well grounded in him.
| But in his written papers 1t was also
disclosed that he was 6 very poor
| speller. Now this young man had in
fact graduated from high school, had
F, then graduated from the classical de-
partment of college and had gradu-
ated from law school But he couldn't
spell. The examining board directed
special examination in spelling apd
to test his general scholarship. which
the board has a perfect right to do, and
1t was found the applicant simply
could not spell ordinary words. He
was upon this ground alone rejected
and refused the right to practice law.
And he never did get a certificate. at
! least not in Iowa. Yet he might have
made 4 great success st law.
| AS to how to use the English Ian
| guage, or rather how not TO use 1t. a
! certain bill passed ut the last session.
has a good illustration. It relates to