The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1916-01-06
HAS LITERARY VALUE
Beside Having Collection of Valuable
Historic Facts - Fine Plates Are
Shown Covering a Lengthy
Period.

y
19l3-14 to 1914-15 is just off the press.
1t is peculiarly interesting volume,
historically, and has claims to excel
lence as literary work.
1t shows long, hard study into the
histories of the school system in its
earlier period, careful and painstaking
tabulations and much effort made to
secure old pictures in order that inter
esting reproductions Of the historic
school buildings Of the city might
be made.
The work was done by Mrs. Mary D.
Bradford, superintendent of the city
schools. Beside the evidence of exten-
sive research which her finished work
shows, there are the results of labori-
GUS inquiries made in regard to the
school systems of other cities and into
the details of departments of the
schools Of earlier years
a tribute is paid to Col. Michael
Franz, through whose influence the
establishment of the first free school
in Wisconsin and the first free school
in the United States outside Of New
England was brought about, as Mrs.
Bradford chronicles the facts.
Quotes Old Editorial.
Mrs Bradford quotes from an edi-
torial by Col. Frank in the Southport
Telegraph of 1910, patriotic and full
of vision, which is as true as when it
was written sixty-fye years ago:
Education is the precursor of hap
piness and freedom" it reads. "The
best safeguard Of the people, the sur
est means of public defense. Educa-
ton is a species of public property,
the richest and most valuable a nation
can possess"
The plates in the book are artistic
and are all interesting because of their
subjects which run the gauntlet from
that Of the little north ward school Of
years ago down to scenes in the CON
tinuation schools, the manual training
and the domestic departments which
are tho dernier cri in public education.
Then Mrs, Bradford has dug out such
interesting historic bits as the roster
of the board members since 1849, with
its 221 names. The period was sixty
six years so it makes an average of
three men, plus, per year. The longest
term served by a single man is that Of
William j. Threinen, whose record is
fourteen years
The history of the establishment of
each of the several schools of the city
is interestingly told, from the first,
cheap building up to the modern
$4,000 high school in 1890 and the
Lincoln school now in the building
Individual reports were made by the
supervisors of each Of the different de-
partments, all interesting to those who
care about public school development,
md covering the work accomplished
in each.
The open air report is full of inter
esting detail.
Treats Sanitation.
Such general subjects as school sani-
tation, the relation of health to school
attendance. promotion and nonpromo-
ton and many others are gone into
extensively.
The expense of conducting the
schools is reviewed and in, that connec-
ton the following is of note:
Kenosha Expends Average Amount.
I'm table of expenses, the average
cost per diem of Kenosha school child
rem is twenty cents, which falls below
the cities of Appleton with an aver
age Of twenty-five cents; Superior,
twenty-three cents; Lacrosse, twenty
one cents; and above those of three
cities that average eighteen cents;
two that average seventeen and two
that average sixteen, the lowest per
diem of any of the cities as large as
Kenosha in the state. These figures
arc from federal census report.
Janitors Worth More Than Teachers.
Some space is given to teachers sal
aries in Kenosha which, it is stated
are below those of other cities where
the same scale of board and room
prices prevail. A table shows that the
elementary teachers pay iii Kenosha is
less than that of janitors and firemen
The lowest paid teacher draws 1856
and the lowest paid school ianitor
draws 1920, while the highest paid
draws $1,240. The report says explicitly
that there is no thought Of the janitors
drawing too much pay as the positions
should be filed by dependable men,
but the objection is that teaching posi-
tions must also have competent incum-
bents and regret is expressed that they
cannot have as much pay as the JAM