The Topeka state journal., 1914-02-02
THE GRAVY MouNTA1N SCHOOL.

State Superintendent Davee and the
Montana Bankers association In their
plans for the betterment OF the Mon
tana rural schools, are emphasizing the
point that the best way to get better
buildings and better equipment IL to
do the best you can with what you
have, writes C. W. Tenney. rural school
inspector in Montana, in a most in
teresting bulletin that has been issued
by the federal bureau Of education.
This Is a point that might well be em-
phasized in every state. Kansas in
cluded. where the conditions in the
irural schools are far from being what
they should be. And in this connec-
tion, Mr. TeLney cites the example OF
the Crazy Mountain School, which has
the poorest building and poorest equip
ment in Prak county, Montana. Per-
haps there are no schools quite n
badly on in Kansas and other states,
but the activities Of this almost to-
tally inadequate seat Of elementary
education convey a lesson that should
be Of value to every rural school that
And there is many city school that
COuiQ <1lSO PIOAL Ny IAC CAdAHPACe
The Crazy Mountain school house is
10 by 12 shack. with a roof which
slants but one way and is covered with
black tar paper. Cracks in the floor
were so big that pencils easily fell
through them. The only light that
came in was from three tiny windows.
two in the rear and one on the left.
The hole cut through the roof to ac-
commodate the stovepipe was so large
that when it rained the water ran into
the stove and put the fire out. Rain
also beat in at the door, which was
held shut by a chain hooked over
nail. The desks were borrowed from
a neighboring school which had
thrown them away as useless. The
seats were held up by sticks Of wood,
unless a pupil was fortunate enough to
find a box of the right size to use as
an individual chair. and the teachers
desk was a plank nailed to two sticks
and set against the wall.
Into this school last spring came
Miss Angeline Barker. as teacher. and
nine pupils. representing four different
families. Although the weather was
damp, for the first three weeks they
had no fire. Most of the pupils had no
books. But teacher and pupils went
| to work to do the best they could with
| what they had and to get better equip
ment as fast as they could.
One day a premium list of the Mon
tana State fair, which Is held at
Helena each year, came to this little
school. Both teacher and pupils be-
gan to read to see what there was they
could do. BEST kindergarten work"
they knew they could not do that. best
shop work." that sounded even more
| hopeless; best collection Of wild flow
ers, pressed and mounted, with a de-
| scription of Ave." everybody shouted:
| "Of course We cant" and the race was
on.
| The Mexican children who, lived far
up on,the mountain plucked the flowers
belonging to the higher attitudes, while
the rest brought in those peculiar to
the lowlands and meadows. At school
the flowers were placed in textbooks
and magazines, and in the absence of
a flower press the boys and girls would
sit on them. At home the flowers were
put in books under the heaviest
weights that could be found. One boy
placed two sacks Of flour on the
books. another a tool chest, while q
third said the heaviest thing he could
find was the large bucket" in which
his father carried the feed to the pigs.
The girls resorted to just as ingenious
expendients, utilizing trunks, bureaus
and even one leg Of a bed in which
adults were sleeping. in order that the
necessary amount of pressure might be
obtained.
When the days of collecting and
pressing the flowers were over, all OF
the specimens were brought together
and after the very best ones had been
selected, each was carefully mounted
on white cardboard, and the entire col
lection Of 6S wild flowers was sent tc
the state department of education tc
be entered at the fair. When the
judges gave their decision 1t was found
that the Crazy Mountain school had
won the first prize, the blue ribbon an6
the IS. for the best collection of wilt
flowers from any school in the state.
, On the day of the prize award thu
rural inspector stood in the little bootl
and called the attention of the banker
. and business men to the splendid ex
, hibit and to the pictures of the littl'
school. When one of the leading mer
chants saw it. he said: go and tel
the people of Park county that boy
and girls who will do work like tina
are entitled to better school house an,
better equipment, and tell them tina
as soon as they get the house the.
can come to my store and get any
thing in 1t without money or withou
price; for the best business men as wei
as the best school men realize tina
, boys and girls who do faithful worl
! with what they have will make tn