Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1915-03-24
SCHOOLS CLOSED BY
REASON OF THE Mud
Average Salaries for Rural
teachers High in Grant.
Superintendent {. Q. Brick a Candi-
date for Election to Position
He Now Holds.

cate Tor EieSIlOn 10 POSITION
He Now Holds.
This is the time of year in which
attending country school is no joke.
This is the season in which walking
is so bad that children would rather
stay at home and endure the lonely
feeling incident to the staying away
from associates in school, than
to pillow through the mud in an effort
to reach the little red school house.
Up to the end of last week, County
Superintendent of Schools +. Z. Brick
had received score of postal cards
from teachers, each bearing the same
ta!e-school closed by reason of the
muddy roads. And these slogans did
not emanate from any particular
quarter; they came from almost as
many townships. Worse than that,
Mr.. Brick did not know how many
more had been closed for the same
reason, but had failed to be reported.
Mr.. Brick had planned to be out visit
ing schools, but the stream of postals
left him in doubt where to go. He
had no stomach for making a long
drive to reach country school, only
to find it locked because of muddy
roads. So he stayed at home.
Since the bill to raise the minimum
of rural teachers wages to $50 a
month has been so much dicussses-
and cussed-the matter of the aver
age wage paid for this service is
pertinent. In Grant county, where
distances are long, one would natural
~ expect that teachers would demand
good salaries. In Grant county, where
the rural population is more than
usually wealthy. one would naturally
expect that good salaries to teachers
would be paid cheerfully. And so it
is.
A glance at the records show that
in several, if not all, of the towns
the very highest wages are reached,
when it is certain that the best of
efficiency will be obtained in return.
In the town of Harrison one teacher
gets $50 a month; in South Lancas-
ter as much is paid as in Harrison;
in Wyalusing $53 seems to be the
top wages, in Beetown it is $50 so,
while in Hazel Green one teacher, at
least. gets $50. But these are not
quite the average of high wages !,
rather is $50 the usual figure. In
this class come PlattevilIe town,
Patch Grove, Hickory Grove, Lima,
Liberty. Mt. Ida, Mt. Hope, Ellen
boro, and others. In some towns no
more than $40 is paid.
Speaking of public schools in Grant
county, suggests that vacancy will
occur in the Office of county superin-
tendent of schools next July, and that
such Office will be voted for at the cleo
tion of April 6. The present incum-
bent, E. g. Brick, is candidate for
election, and to date no opposition
candidate is announced.
Since Mr.. Bricks appointment, on
the resignation of j. g. Brockert, he
has proved a vigilant and capable
officer He has shown that he is in
sympd thy with the rural school
proposition; that he believes in the
rural school, which is half the fight
for success in his position. He has
spent much time in visiting rural
schools, which is very necessary in
order to raise the standards in them.
OF qualifications Mr. Brick has and
TO spare. He attended the Oshkosh
Normal two years, and then laid off
and taught; he took to the normal
course of instruction again, this time
at Milwaukee. He was graduated
from Milwaukee Normal, and again
took to teaching, but kept up his
studies, taking summer school instruc-
tions for four summers at the Wis
consin University. When ne first
came to Grant county he was
principal of the schools of Patch
Grove. Mr.. Brick was appointed to
his present position by State Super
intendent w. F. Cary, after thorough
investigation of his fitness for the
work.
A petition. asking that the