The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1914-05-02
DEPUTY sUPT. VISITS SCHOOLS
Indictment Weather and Bad Road
Conditions Prevent Public Of
fetal From Making Rapid
Progress on Trip


reka four weeks ago, returned Tues
day night of this week after an ex-
tended tour of inspection to all the
schools of Lander County. He re-
ports that the roads have been in I'M
usually bad condition this Spring on
account of heavy rain and snow
storms that have prevailed during
the past four weeks, and that many
repairs will be necessary on some of
the roads before they will be in good
condition for travel.
Mr.. Lightfoot is accompanied by
Riley Conner of Ely, an experienced
chauffeur and machinist, and states
that he finds it less expensive to
carry with him a competent man
than to depend upon circumstances
of the road in his travels. On
leaving Ely, owing to the condi-
ton of the road by way of Hamilton,
he was obliged to take the route by
way of Currant Creek and Duck
water, thereby nearly doubling the
distance. From here he went to
the south end of Grass Valley where
he encountered a heavy rain storm
which made the roads nearly impass-
able through that section. His trip
included Eye Canyon, Cortez, Te-
nabo. Maysville and Hill Top to Bat
tie Mountain, where other heavy rain
| storms further increased the difficult
ties of travel. From Battle Noun
tain he went south to Austin, and
from there up Reese River valley and
across Smith valley, where snow
storms greatly impeded his progress.
Upon his return to Austin another
heavy snow storm prevailed, which
continued until his arrival in Eureka,
where there was a fall of about two
feet of snow by Wednesday morning.
Mr.. Lightfoot states that he has
found all of the schools in charge of
excellent teachers, and that the edu-
cational work in his supervision dis
trict is in very satisfactory condition
this Spring. There has been a re-
markable improvement in the work
in spelling and arithmetic this year.
these having been made the special
hobbies of the schools. A list of 700
words commonly mispronounced and
misspelled were sent out to the
schools in January, and a special eff
fort has been made in teaching the
solution of problems of practical ap-
plication in every day life. The spec
ial attention paid to these subjects
has produced results as shown by the
fact that 400 or more children in the
schools a now spell the entire list
of words without an error, and can
solve correctly any ordinary problem
applying to the marketing of farm
products and measurement of lumber
and problems relating to land sur
veys and measurements. The State
course of study has been followed in
all of the schools and very few pupils
will fail of promotion at the close of
the term.
The ranching conditions this Spring
are unusually good. The mild Win
ter made it possible for stock to be
turned on the range earlier than US
ual, and in all sections traversed
there is an abundance of water. Stock
is already in good condition and the
range is a month in advance of what
is generally expected at this season
of the year. There is plenty of snow
on the mountains to insure an ade-
quate supply of water for irrigation
purposes, and the outlook for agri-
cultural purposes has not been better
at any time during the past ten years.
Preparations are being made for
farming on a larger scale than ever
before. and larger crops of grain and
vegetables will be produced this year
than have been common in this part
of the State.
Around Battle Mountain extern
sive efforts are being made to pro-
duce artesian water for irrigation
purposes, and these efforts are meet
ing with greater cce than was
expected by the promoters of the
projects. Two new well rigs of the
best quality and of unlimited capac-
ity have been installed in Reese River
Valley. and it may reasonably be ex-