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

school. There were about thirty chill
dren who went to the school and we
invited their fathers and mothers, SO
there were about fifty people at the
picnic.
Before dinner we made some ice
cream. We had fine dinner and
then we went flower hunting. The
flowers were out SO we got lots OF
them. We gathered flowers all after
noon and then We were ready to go
back to the school house. But JUST
as we were ready to start one OF the
children fell into the creek. 1t was
not very deep so it was not hard to
get him out. But he vas very scared:
Then we went back to the school
house to water our flowers and then
ate the rest Of the ice cream which
had been left from dinner
About o'clock the fathers and
mothers went home. We children had
little wagon in which we coasted.
That evening the children stayed
until about 6 o'clock coasting. Then
We went home and were very tired.
That was the only school picnic
l went to that summer but l went TO
Fourth of July picnic.
Ralph Harris, Age r..
r. R. l.. Batavia, la.
Dear Juniors:
This is the first letter I have ever
written to you. | live in Batavia.
like it very much.
have many play mates and we
have good times. Sometimes we play
basketball and volley ball I like to
play volley ball the best. A basket
bal game is too rough. In volley ball
we take turns hitting the ball and
keeping it in the air.
We play marbles most of the time.
l myself have very bad luck. l like
to play as long as I win but when the
other fellow starts to win l say have
to go home or do something and quit
playing. Some of the boys here are
making their fortune Off of marbles.
They go to Ottumwa and buy marbles
for penny and bring them here and
sell them for nickel apiece. I have
about 800 marbles. The boys are get
ting so they won't play keeps any
more. They want to play when it's
cold but don't want to play when it's
warm.
We have manual training room in
our school. There are twelve rooms
in our school house. 1t is very large
building. We have eight teachers. l
am in the third room and in the sixth
grade. I like our teacher very much.
Her name IS Miss Irvine. She is very
good to us. There are thirty-four
pupils in our room. I like to go to
school very much.
Wilbur Lyons.
Batavia, la.
Dear Juniors:- This is the first let
ter l ever wrote you.
live in Batavia. l am in the sixth
grade. Our school house is big one.
It has seven rooms. There are eight
teachers. My teachers name is Ethel
Irving.
have got one sister, her name is
Helen. Everybody is playing marbles
now. I have lots of them. To write
you a letter today was our grammar
lesson. We have gymnasium in our
school. We play basket ball in 1t
and volley ball like to play basket
ball, it is very rough game.
Ny two best friends are Harold Nc
Neil and Lowell Storm. We are all in
the same class. I sit in the back seat.
I am in the third room.
There are fourteen pupils in my
class. Their names are Harold Nc
Neil, Lowell Storm, Helen Baldridge,
Wilbur Lyons. Edwin Walker, Alfred
Herman, John Swenson, Edith Beck,
Mildred Durham, Agnes Durham, Ger
trude Alverson, Lloyd Perdue, Nal
colin Bevens and I.
One day last fall my room went out
on weinie roast. We all gave some
We bought weinies and pop.
We got two cases of pop, and about
one dollars worth Of weinies. We went
out on Rock creek. We had lot of
fun playing hide and seek. 1t was
dark when we got home and l was
very tired.
The next morning John Swenson
could hardly talk he was so hoarse.
1t is time for my physiology class so
I will close.
Yours truly,
Bill Baldridge. Age 10.
Batavia, Iowa.
Dear Juniors:-I am going to write