Mexico weekly ledger., 1917-09-20
RURAL SCHOOL o 7
By W. Clyde johnson

tionate parents send their children
there to sit and sweat a whole sum-
mer day to acquire habits of neatness
and order and a love of knowledge.
| wish to say that u school boards
are awake to the matter. Just as
fast as their means will permit, they
are making things pleasant, comfort
able. home-like for the children. And
I wish to invite all who are interest
ed in knowing how rapidly this is be-
ing done in the county and to what ex-
tent it has already been accomplished
to attend our school board convention,
Saturday, September 30 in the Cir
cult Court room of the Court House.
We shall have on display a report
of the physical condition Of each
school in the county. The morning
will be devoted to the discussion OF
the best conditions for the best
school and the best interests OF the
children; also of the reasons why
they are best; and of the possibilities
of getting them. The afternoon will
he given over to the discussion OF Ag-
riculture in the rural school. / hope
to have with us a number of the De-
partment of Education of jefferson
City, VIM. Hirth, Editor of the Mis-
souri, Farmer; s. D. Gromer, a pro-
| lessor in the College of Agriculture at
| Columbia, and a representative of the
anti-hog cholera campaign. All
| school board members and teachers
should come and as many patrons as
possible.
This week, in company with Mrs.
T. N. Pennington, our Home DEM
onstrator, / visited number OF
schools for the purpose Of interesting
them in an agricultural fair. The pur-
pose is to have three or more schools
ioin in and exhibit corn, vegetables,
cooking, sewing, canned fruit, ETC.,
work to be done by the boys, the girls,
and the ladies of the different commit
I VIZ
mites. The morning will be devoted
to getting the exhibit ready. In the
afternoon, Mrs. Pennington will DEM
onstrate canning, drying, and other
means of conservation. All the girls
and ladies Of the community are urged
to come to this. AT night, talks will
be made Of interest to men, women and
children by Mrs. Pennington, and
some representatives of the Agricul-
tural College at Columbia. 1t will be
a day of pleasure and profit to ALL
We have arranged for a meeting,
Tuesday, September the 18th, at Fox
Wednesday at Harrison; and Thurs
day at Benton City. The following
schools were visited and expect to
take part.
Fox, Miss Sudie VIM teacher has
81 pupils. Board has been too busy,
but will soon have everything in first
class condition.
Gatewood, Miss Mildred Coon
third term, has a fine new outbuildine
for girls, with a good screen. A new
concrete top has been made for the
well, and a flag pole has been erected
and crowned with the Stars and
Stripes. She has % pupils.
Naylor has a new teacher, Miss
= Julia M. Hanly. There were only 10
pupils; but they were comfortable in
their new seats, which had been prop
erly arranged. A portion of the
house was cut off for cloak rooms, the
woodwork had been painted, making
At a very pleasant school room. They
,s are saving their paper, and will save
is some money for a worthy cause.
,e Skull Lick also has a beginner, Mis-
Beulah Patrick. She has 10 pupils
10 The house and furniture have beer
~ thoroughly cleaned, the floor oiled
NJ first class toilets built, a decided inl'
re provement indeed.
ne At Harrison we found 16 pupils. TIL
floor had been oiled, the house clean
ed, the stove BACKED, and the black
boards painted. Miss 0rah Palmer
/, a beginner, is the teacher
Miss Blanche White is again teach
ing at Liberty. She is using oil am
Sweep-O on the floor. This is al
n excellent idea, as it prevents p~ractic
cally all the dust. Prof. Bray, o
Kirksville, says that dust is 30 pc
. cent manure Then isn't it wort
while to keep it out Of the air an
the lungs of your children? The frs
six grades have been supplied wit
free text books, as they have ais
been at Fox. They have a new stow
pipe, a new well top made Of concrete
and a door sill, toe strips, and lock.
Miss Anna Lee Reid, a new teache
in the county, has % pupils at Chap
Grove. The house has been cleane
and the weeds cut, just as they ha
been at every place visited.
Mrs. Neiman again has a goo
school at Stauffer. Her enrollmer
continues to increase. She has |
this year. The house is clean, II
floor, the stove BACKED, and the we
cleaned.
Prairie Chapel's school is GROWN
smaller each year. Miss Maui
Hearn, a beginner, has Z pupils.
Miss Alma Brown is teaching HI
fifth term at Eureka. She has !
pupils, a new floor, and is doing son
interesting work in Geography. tt
pupils keep a record of the wealth
from day to day.
Mrs. Florence Begeman has IL p
pills at Erisman. When Mrs. Pc
nington approached, she exclaime
90, what a beautiful school HON
This is ideal" The board and patrol
realize what it takes to make a re
school home. They also know Il
value of having things beautiful a
pleasant. Everything was in fir
class shape. They too are furnishii
the first six grades free text books
noticed that at Fox and Nayl