Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-06-27

the beginning of the afternoon $685.
don, there was but n pupil present.
The setting Of the second episode
the am rs the drst, but thirty
years have elapsed since that
dreary September morning. and 1t Is
June in the year Of 1917, ana
the last day of school. This little
transptres in the principals
room Of the Wilder school-the pref
schools. The last class of the
year 10 over, the report cards have been
distributed. and the room is full Of
parents, teachers, and scholars, all
anectionAte leave of a little.
grAy-haired woman. We recognize
her at once as the little Grammar
Grade teacher Of 1881. and out from
the indescribable babble of voices we
gather enough coherent sentences to
years Of continuous teach
ing in the city schools. Without a
break she has taught successfully
whole families of children, only to
begin all over again on their chill
dren.
The third episode is now, this very
day, taking place. and from its vari-
Gus scenes we shall view but one.
Nesting near the brow Of n Of
spokane's pine clad hills, there Is a
little brown bungalow. surrounded
ern home IL this one in its simplicity
and quiet. Here again do we see the
little, gray-haired teacher a house
holder now, and at last fulfilling all
the desires Of her long years Of teach
ing. Happy, serene, and content Is
this pioneer teacher of North Dakota,
Aiss Mollie J.. Aldrich. the central
igure OF these selected episodes from
the drama Of North Dakota.
Certainly Of all pioneer teachers
she at least deserves ON mention.
Mollie ]. Aldrich vas born in Hud-
son, Wisconsin, Just after the middle
Of the last century. She was n Of
a family Of nine children, left orphans
by the death Of their father soon
after the birth Of the youngest boy.
Soon the family, moved to Illinois,
and In that state, Mollie received her
early schooling. Many r the tales
Of her tonnboytshnesA, but back OF all
this there was . dogged Termination
When she a. fifteen years Of age,
they again-moved, this time to South
ern Iowa, where. not long before her
sixteenth birthday, she taught her
first school. AL OF the pupils In the
district were older than she, but she
must have been successful. for she
was asked to return the next year.
Instead Of doing this, she returned to
Wisconsin, attending the River Fails
Normal School during the winter
months, and teaching during the sum:
mers. At length, IN 1881, she went
to Grand Forks, North Dakota, took
up q claim on the Minnesota side Of
the Red River and entered the city
schools Al before chronicled.
It would be interesting to follow
merely the routine cycle Of her labori
in the various city schools: to tell how
in February Of that hrst year the old
building-now a part Of the Arlington
Park hotel-was discarded for the
new Central, where the School-BoArt
had arranged for Miss Aldrich and
Miss Bray to stand in the doorway,
OF two adjacent rooms Of the SAINT
time; bit this failing, how Mis-
Aldrtch took an intermediate grade
and moved up with the pupils unit
they entered High School. After this
she became principal Of the new Bel
mont school, then on the. very out
skirts Of town. staying there until !
was necessary to move the eighth
grade to the Central In order to max.
more room. After spending severa
lySATB 1t SC1lS1 al, 61IS Wa xkAOV6O ~
the Wilder school - Principal an<
there she remained until 1917, ant
the expiration OF her thirty-seventl
year Of work ia the Grand Fork
public school system. /.
Many are the incidents which nigh
be recorded as happening during
these years. but there Is 4 more i'm
portant Question to consider, Tina
question IL, What 10 the secret Of he
success. for she vas s~uccessful7 r.
me the whole secret Is based upol
her personality. Perhaps this may b,
i19ustratsd By . remark which Va
prominent IN Oregon affairs. Tht
man, upon learning that the perool
to whom he had just bsen intro
duced wa = Visitor from Grand Forks
remarked, by the way. do you hap
pen to know Miss Aldrich. She va
formerly one OF my grade schoo
tsachers." Upon receiving assent h
continued, "Do you know, outside o
my mother influence, I believe tina
my course Of lifs has been dtrsctea
BY her moro than BY any other hu'
man being. By her inststanee upos
q straight, oaean. diltgent bchool-hSe
she laid 4 foundation for real bust'
ness suecesA ! only. wish that IA,
son could have the training that I 70
North Dakota Observation-Disclosures
eSived from her. It would be Ia
valuable" *
The Impression made upon / nran.
ger BY Miss Aldrtch VA tnvartabl!
Z pleading one. It seemed that q
once one would realise that hsre VA
woman of true Christian character
q psrson who really loved people, Wit
sAw their good qualities as pradofnin
ant and IN their had qualities Z Pee
aihiIity for improvement II they worx
but Rfven 4 chance. In her echoo
work ahe insisted mon absolute %
ourAcy-I speak Of that from expaf4'
once-and for years the pupils VIII
entered the Central High School from
hAr eiehth grade were conce0ded Il
- thofougAly prepaTed and capable
of doing earnest, constructive work
Many IN the pr0minent peopls
now keep In constant touch With her
fnEthe ooprse Of q dngle convorAtloy
with her, abe may -mentton seort
OF pupils who arc now helping tt
| build up America. Among these art
such people - DR.. Cora y. Smith
Be-. Colby Nucker, Oh. Archie No
donald, MIN Susan AfAloney. and .0s
Myrn Sntth-an Of them fntore0lol
An healing the worlds Nils; -iawysf'
such as John selby, an attorney Il
lCalifornia, Attorney rheodors Elton
Miss Nellie Hamilton. and J.
o'conney; prominent educaters suea
az wsssesaoealegss 1TofAsaF o.