Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1915-02-26
Polk, the Blue Ribbon County of Oregon

ed proportionately throughout that
and intervening years. Each year
from $50 to 250 carloads of eggs, and
a considerable quantity of poultry,
are shipped into Oregon from the
Middle West.
No one need fear embarking in the
poultry industry. The demands for
poultry and eggs in coast cities are
always greater than the supply. The
prices of poultry foods are low. Dal-
las holds poultry show each winter,
aided by the Dallas Commercial club,
at which, according to judges from all
parts, the quality of birds exhibited
is of the highest type.
The Lumber Industry.
Polk county has 152,720 acres of
timber land, of which 2,72O are in for
est reserve, leaving 100000 acres pri-
vately owned. 1t is estimated that,
in board measure, the privately owned
timber will cut 10,0O0,0OO,OOO feet.
This lumber, sold at the rate of $40
per thousand feet, would bring $780,
100000, and pay in wages to labor
approximately $75,00OOOO. It would
require five sawmills, cutting 100000
per day, more than sixty years to
manufacture the county's standing
timber into the merchantable product,
at the expiration of which period re-
forestation and natural growth would
replace it to some extent. Douglas
fir, oak, larch, white pine, hemlock
and cedar compose the principal spec
les of natural growth forest.
This industry is one of considerable
magnitude in Polk county, approx
mately 40,0O0,OO0 feet of lumber be-
ing shipped annually. Three railroads
tap heavily timbered territory, rich in
agricultural prospects after the tim
ber is removed.
From An Educational Standpoint.
If the intelligence of community
is to be judged by its educational fa-
cilities and their standard, Polk coun-
ty need not fear the test. Its city and
rural schools are among the very best
in the Pacific northwest, modern
buildings and the latest approved
equipment being in evidence every
where, no matter how remote the
school may be. This statement may
be corroborated by the further state
ment that all of the seventy-three
school houses in Polk county, with
two exceptions, are either new build
ings Of modern architectural design
or old structures remodeled to CON
form to the latest idea of light and
ventilation for study rooms. The De-
partment of Education of Washington,
d. c., has selected Polk county dis
trict school building as the model one
room school house of the United
States. A perfect model of this mod
ern school house is on exhibition at
the Panama exposition, placed there
by the United States government
Educational facilities being Of vital
Importance to the contemplating set
tier in a comparatively new country,
the writer has gathered some statis-
tics showing in concrete form pres
ent-day conditions in Polk county,
1913-1914 figures being employed:
Number of rural schools, 81; num-
ber of city schools, 6; number of chill
dren of school age, census 1914,
5,OS2; number of children in primary
and intermediate grades, 1889; num-
Der of children in grammar grade, L.
376; number of children in high
school, 531; average number of days
in school year, IA; whole number Of
days attendance in year, 427 7,O16; av-
erage daily attendance for the year,
1871; per cent of attendance for
year, 1853; enrolment in city schools,
l,417; enrolment in rural schools, l.
1863; number of teachers employed,
male, 25; number of teachers employ
ed, female, 1le; teachers salaries for
years, $72,379.57; total expenditures
last year, $136, 6,O8364; value of school
houses and grounds, city, $13l 10000;
value of school houses and grounds,
rural, $118,746.O0; value of school fur
niture and apparatus, city, $11 10000;
value of school furniture and appara-
5us, rural, $18,479.0O; average month
y salary of teachers, male, $79.95;
average monthly salary of teachers,
female, $54.09; number of standard
schools, So.
The Oregon Normal school, the only
educational institution for the train
ng of teachers in the state, is located
n Polk county. The thirty-two coun-
les of Oregon send students to the
Normal and in return the Normal
ends them qualified teachers. The
Investment for site and buildings ap-
roximates $15O,OOO, with $4,000 ad-
itional for equipment. The school
ad an enrolment Of 248 in the latter
avs of 1914, and during the past
our years has graduated 200 stu