The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-02-01
THE CRAZY MOUNTAIN SCHOOL

mountain school house in Montana
found what it was they could do best,
and did 1t so we'll that they won first
Prize in statewide competition and
ATTRACTED the attention of the whole
state, is told by C. w. Tenny, state
school inspector of Montana, In
rural school circular just issued by the
U. s. bureau of education. Here is
Mt. Tenny's story of how Crazy
Mountain school did its part in rural
ibetterment,
The Crazy Mountain school house
| is 10 by - shack, with roof which
slants but one way and is covered
with black tar paper. Cracks In the
floor were SO big that pencils easily
Ifeil 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
Iroof to accommodate the stovepipe,
Twas 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
chain hooked over nail The desks
We're borrowed from a neighboring
school which had thrown them away
las useless. The seats were held up
by sticks of wood, unless pupil was
fortunate enough to find a box of the
fright 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 differ
ient families. Although tf,, weather
was damp, for the first three weeks
they had no fire. Most OF the pupils
had no books. But teacher and pu-
pills went to work TO do the best they
could with what they had and to get
better equipment as fast as they
could
Il One day premium list of the Mon
itana 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
tof wild flowers. pressed and mounted,
with description of fye::' every
body shouted: "Of course We cam,
land the race was on.
The Mexican children who lived
far up on the mountain plucked the
flowers belonging to the higher alti
itudes, while the rest brought in those
peculiar to the lowlands and meadows
TT school the flowers were placed in
textbooks and magazines, and in the
Iatsence OF flower press the boys
, land girls would sit on them. All
. home the flowers were put in book s
under the heaviest weights that could
, be found. One boy placed two sacks
. Iof -four on the books, another tool
? chest. while third said the heaviest
thing he could find was the large
l"bucket" in which his father carried
the feed to the pigs. The girls re
sorted to just as ingenious expedients
, utilizing trunks, bureaus. and ever
enc leg of 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 the
specimens were brought together, ant
, after the very best ones had beer
|. selected, each was carefully mounted
j on white cardboard, and the entire
1 collection OF sixty-eight wild flowers
!. was sent to the state department o.
. education to be entered at the fair
. When the judges gave their decision
i ii was found that the Crazy Mountain
school had won the first prize, TIL.
!. blue ribbon and the IS, for the bes
: collection OF wild flowers from an,
. school In the state.
y On the day Of the prize award th'
I rural inspector stood In the it'll
booth and called the attention Of thu
n bankers and business men to TIN
4 splendid exhibit and to the pictures
OF the little school. When one OF thu
g Heading merchants saw IT, he said
Y l"Go and tell the people of Park coun