Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1914-09-22
HAULING CHILD
Rem TO SCHOOL
Six Conveyances Necessary to Ac-
commodate Pupils of Els
worth Consolidated
Schools.
IS POPULAR AMONG PATRONS
Enrolment is Increasing and is Ex-
pected to Reach Two
Hundred.
IS POPULAR AMONG PATRONS

week, fepOILeu W d iOCdl oCuOOl VI
ficer that his children were bring
ing their books home and studying
outside of school hours, something
they had never offered to do before
in their short lives.
At an election held in March,
1918, the people of Ellsworth and
vicinity held an election on the
proposition of consolidating twenty
one sections of school districts. The
result proved that the community
was ready for the experiment, as it
was found that about three of every
four farmer voters and practically
every one in the town voted to con-
solidate. A beautiful and imposing
school building was built at cost
of about 10000 and the first year
under the new order of things began
with the present fall term. There
are seven teachers and the enroll
ment is expected to reach the 200
mark later in the year.
The Ellsworth district extends six
miles north and south by three and
a half east. The students from the
country are transported in five regu-
lar conveyances, sixth bringing
the children of two families in rig
furnished by the driver, the father
Of one family. A uniform style of
wagon is provided the five regular
drivers although four of them use
automobiles when the roads permit.
Five miles is the greatest distance
any child is carried and in all cases
the conveyance passes the students
door so that there is no waiting in
rain or cold weather.
Route No. l is seven and one
third miles in length which includes
two retraces of half mile each. Ben
Henderson, a we'll known retired
farmer, is acting as driver. He
brings twenty of the youngsters to
school.
Route No. 2 is three and half
miles in length and extends straight
north and south from the home Of
Farmer John Sather, who is the
driver to the school house in town.
Mr.. Sather's school family contains
twelve members.
Route No. 3 is about six miles in
length and includes two side trips
of one fourth mile each. Bert Foval.
a farmer, drives this route, Mrs. Fov-
al acting as his substitute when her
husband is especially busy. Ten
students ride in this wagon at the
present time.
Route No. is less than five miles
long and includes one half miles re-
trace. Adolph Thoreson, prominent
farmer, is the driver, son, high
school student, acting as substitute
part of the time. This wagon brings
about the same number of young
folks as does No. 3.
No. 5 is five miles long and is
driven by Miss Abel, one of the
teachers of the school, who makes
her home with farmer brother. Mr..
Abel will drive when weather con-
ditions prevent the regular driver
from acting. Sixteen children at
tend from this route.
Hans Nelson, a farmer transports
his two children and two others all
of whom live in homes not easy of
access by the regular drivers.
The combined pay of the six driv-
ers is $195 per month or an average
of $3.50. 1t is said that nobody
thus far has made any complaint
whatever of transportation service
but the service has been so brief
that it can not be told to a certain
ty what may develop later.
One feature not thought of until
the service was figured out is that
of the shifting of routes from year
to year caused by the moving of
families from one farm to another,
the changing age of the children,
etc., so that any given route can
never be permanently established
but will have to be changed yearly
to meet changed conditions.
Fathers, mothers and children
from every part of the district at
tended social affair held in the big
school house one evening last week,
the object of the promoters being a
better mutual acquaintance of town
and country people, teachers and all.
Increased taxation incident to