Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1917-06-01
GRADUATES GET SHEEPSk|NS

GRADUATES GET SHEEPSk|NS
LARGEST CLASS IN HISTORY OF
HIGH COMPLETES W0RK-Ap-
DRESS BY DIR. J. G. BROWN
Fifty -four boys and girls, the largest
class ever graduated from the Little
Falls high school, on Wednesday eve.
ming received their diplomas at the
commencement exercises held at the
auditorium. Rain prevailed throughout
the evening and this no doubt had an
effect on the attendance but neverthe-
less in the neighborhood Of five hun
dfed people were present.
The program opened with selection
by the high school orchestra, followed
by the invocation by Rev. T. J. Herr
mann. The high school boys glee club
then gave two numbers, which were
well received.
DR.. j. G. Brown, president of the st.
Cloud normal, delivered the commence
ment address, which many pronounced
one Of the best ever given here. The
speaker made an interesting compari-
son of the early day schools with the
schools of today and said that the par
ent Of today who says that his child
should have the same education as he,
and who wants his child to get out
and fight his way in the, world in the
same manner, is making most absurd
statement as under the conditions OF
today, if the child would not get a
better start than his parent did he
would not have any start.
Dr.. Brown said that as month fol:
lows month and year follows year, the
unpleasant things of life fade from
memory and the pleasures Of the past
stand out alone and he added that it
was fortunate that this was true. "I
take it that most Of those here this
evening do not live in the eventide of
life but in the bright sunshine of
morning Of the present, and not the
past,'' he said. fThis is the biggest
ana best day Of all the world, it is
the day of the summino ur of knowl-
edge. This nation is treasure house
and we are the heirs to this treasure
DR.. Brown said it was hard to find
periodical or paper today which does
not refer to the immense wealth of
this country and he went on to say
that it seemed especially appropriate
on this occasion to ask the question
"Has. education kept step in the won
derful march Of progresse" He asked
if it is possible, as one sees the ini-
provements in labor saving devices, in
economic questions, ETC., that educa'
ton has Jagged behind, or that it has
forged ahead.
The speaker said that when our fore
fathers set foot in this country they
Immediately made plans for grammar
schools. The Puritans believed schools
should be established in every town;
village and namlet. These people were
Of very deep religious faith and their
children were brought up as such. Mr..
Brown said that if our forefathers
could sec the schools Of today Of which
we are 50 justly proud, they would d-be
Mortified. The schools Of that day were
considered highly efficient if they
trained the pupils for. teachers aad for
the clergy.
The early schoolhouses had but one
room, the walls Of which were bare. On
three sides OF the room were benches
to which seats were adjusted some
what like the school seats Of today are
made, and the pupils faced the wall
when not reciting. Inside this row of
benches was another row which as oc-
cupied by the small children and in the
middle of the room was vacant space
which was used for reciting. They
had no blackboards and even in the
city of Boston as late as 1886, the
speaker said, the president of the Bos-
ton schools asked the school board
that he be permitted to equip the
schools with blackboards at his own
expense. The matter was fought at
length and finally the board rejected
the offer saying that if the schools had
not had blackboards before they did
not need them.
The school masters of those days
were devoted men who gave their life
to teaching. Eight dollars a month was
considered good wages and the few
women who were employed received
thought that it did not make so much
difference who taught in the schools
and often men who had not the means
to pay for their passage to this coun-
try from the old world were required
to teach school until they had earned
their passage.
The pupils entered the schools not at
the age Of 6 years, as nowadays, but
at the age Of and 8. Yhey had to he
able to read in what was equal to our
third and fourth readers before they
could start school, as it was not con-
sidered the duty of the schools to
teach any who did not have at least
that much education. The boys were
given the preference in the schools and
| it was not considered a disgrace in
those days for women to be unable to
! read or write.
DR.. Brown said that human nature
has not changed any since that time
but the courses Of study have changed
vastly. In those days only two sub.
jects, religion and reading, were
taught, whereas today we have a NUM-
Der Of selections, Of courses and may
| choose what we want. Arithmetic
was unknown in those days and this
| subject was not introduced in :. the
I