Weekly journal-miner., 1916-02-02
THE PROBLEM OF
 THE RURAL SCHOOL
(Erom Sundavs OaIIYl

Many times year the average farm paper, or magazine, comes out with brave headlines to face the problem Of the country school. The articles are written from the standpoint of the farmer, are read and judged by farmers, the sympathies of farmers are played upon, and consequently he country school marm gets black eye.
 Now, Mir Farmer, you and l are going to get down to brass tacks. When the farm paper advocates I new method of planting or cutting corn you are impressed and are will ing to admit that perhaps there arc better ways than you are accustomed to. When the farm paper argues pro or con on prohibition. tariff, or value )f tractors on medium sized farm, you read it with interest, and if the views are not yours you say, Well perhaps the other fellow has right O his view. and l guess maybe there a morsel of truth therein" That because farming Is no longer an ,imless proposition but scientific )usinesslike, efficient matter The far ner who title, plants, and then waits or the Supreme Being to answer to ,; .oII eoo, f;,J- l,;,,,e oif 1,-0rl,;r n or his neighbor. Now we are going , tackle the question of tire education If the farmers sons and daughters.
 The first question that enters your mind is, "Who is this fellow who wants to dictate my views on the country scnool? If I am reading bout farming I want an expert to write the article" That is right and maintain that l know a little about ural schools. 1 am, first, graduate one Of the leading universities of nc middle west. am the holder of
 state license in South Dakota that ermits me to teach for a period oi ve years, any school in the State, ;ther common or high school, ana am, lastly rural teacher. In fact, ny school Is so rural that 1t Is al ines impossible to even reach the 'ountry store once month. 1 am fairly successful rural teacher, as lext year I go to nigh school, which ,ays me a much larger salary.
 Now that I have finished the ques- ion of who l am, am going to treat he subject of why 1 leave the coun- " school. The average reader will ay he is just another that wants the ay city life, and if he knew his own cood he would stay right where nc s Now, that is where; they arc vrong. l went into the teaching pro ession because l liked it. l prepared 1yself to teach by working my way trough four years of college. Those ears are both dear and painful to ne, because of the hardships and pain
 endured to reach my goal. l work
 l hard. Often I went to bed after welve, and for the first three years rose at five and waited table from ix to seven, in order to pay my ex- ,enses That proves l am no quit er.' I took rural teaching to get tart because l could live cheaper, or ,t least thought so.
 Why I Leave the Country School.
 My experience I find. by frequent alks with other teachers, is that of practically every teacher in rural icnool. In the first rlace. after trav- ling well over a thousand miles to ret to my school. I found the clerk 'ould not find a single person in the ntire district to board me. He told ne that he had house near his home nd, if l cared to, I might batch it. Think of putting in hard days worl; T the school room and then go home o cold. cheerless building. and it 'ould be but little else, to stay the balance of the day and that night. After doing days work the teach 1T was supposed to cook his own sup per. straighten up the place prepare or breakfact. get something going that lunch time on the next day would not find him wanting. and then e might take up the average teach IT'S school work which must be fin shed at night. I suppose the clerk bought l would get too much sleep Dr would dissipate ii something De, tides teaching was not added to my laily routine.
 l refused. l told i.im to find some place for me to board or would wire ny father for funds for return trip 70 "Mine Own Country" He did, md stayed. Now this part of the narrative is peculiarly my own. It loes not happen to every teacher.
 This part does happen to the aver lge teacher in rural schools The