The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-11-10
wake up SCHOOLS
Miss Jessie Fields of National
Y. w. c. A. to Study Needs.
Work in Rural Districts
Known as the Corn Lady.

Independence, Kan. Nov. 10.-Miss
Jessie Field. who represents the ma
tional board of the Young Women .
Christian association in its work for
the girls in country communities, Will
visit several Kansas schools. MISS
Field will remain in Kansas two weeks,
visiting the county high school in In
dependence; Altamont, Arkansas City.
Wellington and Nickerson, the state
normal and the state university.
Miss Field was given her title OF
Corn Lady" by the boys and girls OF
Page county, Iowa, when she was their
county superintendent. Miss Field Is a
country girl. born and brought up on
a farm in Iowa. Going to college did
not make her long for the city. rather
II increased her love for the country.
the opportunity came to teach coun-
try school she was delighted.
Along Lines of Common Sense.
She taught that country school diff
ferently. She did not model it after a
city school, as she saw too many coun-
try schools modelled, but applied to 1t
common sense ideas for the betterment
Of the community in which her school
was. Her work attracted the attention
Of the school board and later she was
made superintendent of schools in PAGE
county.
There were 12S school districts in the
county and in a short time Miss Field
had awakened 127 of them into new life
one alone remaining untouched. That
one was rather difficult to approach
and rather settled in it's ways. MISS
Field realized that in order to reach
this school she must do something
unusual and she must have the coop
Grafton of local people.
The rural church pastor was some
what settled in his ways, but when
Miss Field asked him if she might have
. "Corn Sunday and Monday" IN ms
Church In late october and requesteo
that he preach a sermon on w natso-
ever a man soweth, that shall ne a,so
reap" the idea interested MN. He
saw possibilities in 1t as d1o MISS ie 10
ana when she agreed to get money ioi
prizes and said that she wouio nav
III. state agricultural specialists come
down to Judge the merits OF the eH
hibits and that they wouio p ropao
he there Sunday for the church service,
sho needed to use no further persuasion
to carry out her object.
Won a Community by . Sermon.
Miss Field taught the pastor OF tnas
church how to test corn and he useo
his tests as he preached the Sermon
drawing lesson after lesson from IL
which he applied to real lie. Inc re-
sult was that that district, winch wao
the hardest district of approach IN ner
new ideas of rural school work. became
har star district in the actual results
accomplished.
, Misc Fields book, which the boys
and girls named the Corn Lady" after
the name they had given her. Is
series of letters written by country
school teacher to her dad rms DOCK
gives the actual experiences that MISS
Field had in her own teaching anu
has been recommended by the Unlteu
States government for use in country
schools.
For two years the national board OF
the Young women's Christian associa-
ton tried to induce Miss Field TO
leave her school work and undertake
rural association work, but Miss Field
was SO attached to her work for coun-
try school children that she would not
leave it. It was only when she came
to realize the bigness of the field as
director Of all work for country girls
throughout the United States, and the
wonderful opportunities for service to
these girls who need so much that she
could give them, that she, consented
Last January she became a part OF the
national board Of the Young Women's
Christian association as its rural
specialist.
Changes Drudgery to Pleasure.
The county work done by the Young
women's Christian association is CIV
ing the women and girls in small towns
and on the farms new interests and
educational advantages which hereto
fore have only been open to women
and girls in larger towns and cities. 1t
Is changing farm work from drudgery
into pleasure. In some places domestic
science courses are enjoyed by men,
bers Of the association. Others have
classes in sewing and study of good