The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1914-04-24
SCHOOL IN MOUNTAIN
Montana Inspector Tells of Tu-
toring in a Shack.
Methods Employed to Teach Boys and
Girls In Section What They Could
Do Best - Win Competi-
tive Prize.

Washlngton.-How boys and girls
in little mountain schoolhouse in
Montana found what 1t was they
could do best, and did II SO well that
they won first prize in statewide
competition and attracted the atten-
ton OF the whole state, Is told by
c. W. Tenny, state school inspector
OF Montana, in a rural school circular
just Issued by the L. S. bureau OF ed
ucation Here is Mr.. Tenny's story
of how Crazy Mountain school did its
part In rural betterment.
The Crazy Mountain schoolhouse is
a 10 by IL 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
fell through them. The only light
that came in was from three tiny win.
.dows. two In the rear and one on the
left. The hole cut through the roof
TO accommodate the stoyepipe was so
ran into the stove and put tho fire
out. Rain also beat In at the door
which was held shut by a chain
hooked over n nail The desks were
borrowed from neighboring school,
which had thrown them away as use
less The seats were held up by
sticks OF wood, unless "A pupil was for
tunate enough to find 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 Angelina Barker, as teacher,
and nine pupils. representing four diff
ferent families Although the wealth
or was damp. for the first three weeks
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 Hell
cna 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 sound.
ed even more hopeless. Best colIec-
ton of wild flowers. pressed and
mounted, with description Of five;
everybody shouted; "Of course We
can" and the race was on.
The Mexican children who lived far
up on the mountain plucked the flow.
crs belonging to the higher attitudes.
| while the rest brought in those pc.
| culiar to the lowlauds and meadows.
| At school the flowers were placed in
| textbooks and magazines. and in the
absence of 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
-four on the books; another Il tool
chest. while a third said the heavi-
est thing he could find was the large
bucket" in which his father carried
the feed to the pigs. The girls re-
sorted to Just as ingenious expedi'
| ents, utilizing trunks, bureaus, and
even one leg OF bed In which adults
were sleeping, In order that the nee.
| essary amount OF pressure might be
obtained
When the days OF collecting and
pressing the flowers were over, all
OF the specimens were brought to-
gether, and after the very best ones
had been selected. each was carefully
mounted on white cardboard and the
entire collection OF 6S wild flowers
was sent to the state department Of
education to be entered at the fair.
When the judges gave their decision
II was found that the Crazy Mountain
school had won the first prize, the
blue ribbon and the FIVE dollars. for
the best collection OF wild flowers
from any school In the state.
On the day of the prize award the
rural inspector stood In the little
booth and called the attention of the
bankers and business men to the
splendid exhibit and to the pictures
OF the little school. When one of the
leading merchants saw II, he said:
Go and tell the people OF Park coun-
ty that boys and girls who will do
work like that are entitled to better
schoolhouse and better equipment.
and tell them that as soon as they get
the house they can come to my store
and get anything In It without money
or without price; for the best bust
ness men as well as the best school
men realize that boys and girls who
do faithful work with what they have
will make men and women who will
do good work when the time of larger
opportunity comes to them"