Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-01-30
THE CRAZY MOUNTAIN
SCHOOL.

tain school house in Montana found
what IT was they could do best, and did
it so well that they won first prize in a
statewide competition and attracted
the attention OF the whole state. Is told
by c. W. Tenney, state school Inspector
OF Montana, in a rural school circular
just issued by the United States bu-
reau of education. Here is Mr.. Tenny's
story OF how Crazy Mountain school
did its part in rural betterment:
The Crazy Mountain schoolhouse is
10 by u 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 accommodate
the stoyepipe was so large that when II
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 a nail The desks
were borrowed from neighboring
school which had thrown them away
as useless. The seats were held up by
sticks OF wood. unless pupil was for
tunate enough TO find box of the right
size 10 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
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
equipment 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 began to read I
to see what there was they could do. /
Best kindergarten work." they knew j
they could not do that. Best shop I
work." that sounded even more hope |
less. Best collection OF wild flowers, |
pressed and mounted. with a descrip-
ton of fiye;" everybody shouted: "Of
course we cam" and the race was on.
The Mexican children who lived far
up on the mountain plucked the flow
ers belonging TO the higher attitudes.
while the rest brought in those pecul-
ar to the lowlands and meadows. At
school the flowers were placed in text
books and magazines. and in the alb
5ence OF a flower press the boys and
girls would sit on them. At home the
lowers were put in books under the
heaviest weights that could be found.
One boy placed two sacks of -four on
he books. another a tool chest, while
/ third said the heaviest thing he
Gould find was the large bucket" in
which his father carried the feed to
he pigs. The girls resorted TO just
IS ingenious expejients, utilizing
runks, bureaus. and even ore leg of a
led in which adults were sleeping, in
rider that the necessary amount of
ressure might be obtained.
When the days of collecting and
ressing the flowers were over. all OF
he specimens were brought together.
nd after the very best ones had been
elected. each was carefully mounted
n white cardboard. and the entire col
sction OF IS wild flowers was sent to
he state department OF education to
e entered az the fair. When the
ldges gave their decision II was
ound that the Crazy Mountain school
ad won the first prize, the blue rib
on and the So. for tine best collection
Z wild flowers from any school in the
tate.
On the day CT the prize award the
lral inspector stood in the little booth
nd called the attention OF the bankers
nd business men TO the splendid eX- I
ibit and TO the pictures OF the little l
chool. When one OF the leading meI-
hants saw It. he said: Go and teal {
he people of Park county that boys =
nd girls who will do work like that
re entitled to a better schoolhouse
nd better equipment. and tell them
rat as soon as they get the house
ley can come TO my store and get
nything in 10 without money or with
NJ price; for the best business men
8 well as the best school men realize
rat boys and girls who do faithful
-ork with what they have will make
ne men and women who will do good
Ork when the time of larger oppor-
unity comes TO them"