Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-04-08

out with singular decorations. In
their enthusiasm over their newly &C.
CURED knowledge the people were
carving their names in large irregu-
lar letters on every available wooden
surface. Many who had boarded
small sums of money under the kitch,
en- hearth did some rapid excavating
and opened bank accounts. 1t was so
fascinating to be able to write your
own name on check
Besides the three RS. the moon
light schools taught agriculture, horti-
culture, road building and home eco
nomics. Magazines and newspapers
began to make their appearance in the
various households and in Washing.
ton the department of agriculture was
swamped with requests from Rowan
county for farm bulletins. Special
text books were provided which would
appeal especially to the moonlight
pupils. wig. ..
So the moonlight schools grew and
flourished each succeeding season and
with them grew the ambition of the
Rowan county school teachers. They
were now determined to Danish illit-
eracy from the entire county. There
were still many persons who for vari-
f0 OF
schools, so it was decided to take the
schools to them-figuratfvely, Of
course The teachers canvassed the
whole county, invading the hiding
places of the most stubbornly elusive
illiterates; and made a list of the
names of these persons, together with
all the information obtainable con-
corning their peculiarities and eccen-
tricities. Thereafter, when an illit-
crate proved obdurate and insisted
that he did not want to be educated,
the teachers consulted the details Of
his history as appearing on the list
in an endeavor to find some means of
appealing to him.
A young man, who had been very
successful in winning over the diff
cult il]iterates Of his district, one day
appeared in the county superintend-
ent's Office, his face a picture of
gloomy despair. II might as well give
up" he said bitterly. There's one
old woman in my district who simply
won't be approached. l can't tell her
anything" The superintendent con-
suited the list and found that the old
woman believed herself to be mar
velous doctor, in which belief the
neighbors were pleased to humor her
"Well, that's easy" exclaimed the SUI
perintendent. ''The next time you
have a sore throat go to her for treat
ment." The young man did so and
the old woman was so flattered that
she was studying spelling within a
month.
At last there were only twenty.
three individuals in the county who
did not know how to read and write,
and these were largely detectives and
invalids With this record to their
credit, you might think that the school
teachers of Rowan would have been
satisfied to rest on their laurels; but
not so. If one county can be enlight.
ened by these methods, thought Mrs.
Stewart, why not the whole state OF
Kentucky? With Mrs. Stewart, to
think is to act She came to Frank
fort and sought out Governor Nc.
Creary, who was greatly impressed by
the results accomplished by the moon.
light schools
Said the governor: 1--WE will wipe
illiteracy of the Kentucky map by
1907 Whereupon the seat of war
was moved from Rowan to Frankfort
and the legislature passed bill estab.
fishing a commission ITO wipe out
illiteracy" with Mrs Stewart as its
head. Oven a hundred stump speak.
ers were engaged to carry the cam
paign into all the counties, 1000 teach
ers volunteered and county agents on
salary were employed to take care
of the more difficult mountainous dis.
tricts. Moonlight schools we're estab'
lished in sixty-eight counties. with a
total enrolment Of 100000 adult
pupils.