Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-01-14

struction and thus teach them to read
ana 10 write. II was too late to carry
out the plan that year. but at the next
meeting Of the county teachers insti-
tute Mrs. Stewart laid the matter be-
fore the teachers and told them very
plainly of the sacrifices and difficult
ties In the way The county has "A
sparse population, as there are only
300 people. Fifty-one school dis
tricts are found for the needs Of the
children and OF this number so are
one-room, one-tcachcr rural schools.
and the remaining one * found at
Noorchead, the county seat, and 10 Is
the only graded school i'm the county.
IL Is mountainous country, without
pixies, the roads are very bad and
most Of them are mere trails thru
the hills. The schools are hard to
reach IN the day time let alone at
night. But ii was thot the people
might come in the light of the moon.
Feuds had existed between families
for more than one hundred Years, and
Sunday school and church services
Were disturbed by shooting bees, and
every teacher must have known the
risks hc was running when he under
took such work. but, while the days
task was hard and the pay small.
everyone volunteered In the most
cheerful manner.
Labor Day, September 1, 1871, be-
ing holiday. was spent by the teach
ers in visiting every home in each of
the fifty districts and explaining the
new movement, urging both educated
and unCducated TO attend and in
pleading the cause for the benefit Of
the children IN many of the homes.
ON September ., 1911. each teacher
WAS In place. the doors were open.
lamps. brought from home, were
lighted; everything was made cheer
ful; the bells We're rung II must
have been an anxious moment, a fate
ful evening. Three or four attending
IN each school. $50 to 200 In tho
county was the extent Of the move
ment hoped for by the most optimis-
tic believer in the plan
II was thot that il a person 80
years Of age should come. the JOY Of
the teachers would be complete. Tho
moon arose. the stars came out, and
down they came from off the noun
tains, along the trails, over the foot
logs or across the stepping stones
an army more than twelve hundred
strong and ranging In age from IS
years of age to SO.
Reading, writing, spelling and
arithmetic were taught as regular
subjects and drills were conducted in
physiology. ciVics, history, language
and geography. \ Bible with the
name of the pupil engraved on it in
gold was offered to each one who
learned TO read short sentences and
10 write a lcgihle letter. So popular
was the work, so much good was
done, SO earnestly were the people
aroused to the greatness OF the move
meut, the cry went up from all sides
to continue the lessons. The moon
light nights in October were used to
hold a second term of the schools.
Mrs. Stewart received many letters of
thanks from old people whose hands
had never before made letter with
a pen. They expressed their graft
tude to her for the wonderful oppor-
tunity she had given them, their sat
isfaction because they were permitted
To read the Bible before they died.
Some of them had yearned for more
than 20 years 10 have this privilege.
They had always thot II too late, now
II was theirs; they were blessed and
they thanked her for their blessings
one thousand six hundred people
were enrolled in the moonlight
schools of Rowan county in 1872,
more schools were established and
one aged man of 81 entered and
learned the ruGiments Of an educa-
ton. IIo was SO grateful, so thoroly
aroused TO the great necessity OF an
education, that he volunteered to be-
come truant officer and compel the
children to attend the day school in
his district. In many districts more
pupils were enrolled in the night
schools than In the day schools
Greater determination marked the
work of the moonlight schools OF
1918. A census of the illitcrates was
taken and a record was made of the
best method OF approaching them in
order to get them to attend school
Two thousand five hundred We're en-
rolled In the schools while a home
department WAS established to teach
nvalids aud those who were too back
ward to attend. At the end of the
year Of the LISP who could not read
and write in 1871, four helpless in /