, 1923-03-08
"a . .
DIFFICULTY NOTES


Difficulty. wyo.. March s. 1923.
We have been requested to express
our opinion thru the columns Of The
Republican, concerning the much
s'cussed and discussed subject-Con-
solidation OF schools. This matter
appeals to US as one of vast import
ance and seriousness instead Of n
of ridicule, as SO many seem to con-
slider it.
We have been greatly interested
In the controversy on this subject
which is being carried on in the
Rock River Review and have con-
cluded that the writer's of some OF
these articles are either old maids
and bachelors, or their children have
been grown for 30 long a time that
they have forgotten all about their
school days. 1t seems to be their
principal aim to belittle people who
live in the country.
First, allow ns to inform you that
all men who live on farms and
ranches do not have chin whiskers
and wear bull hide boots, and no
..nore do the women who live there
I1lfck their hair down until they look
like pealed onions, or exclaim well
\ declared" when some smart Alex
tell them that George Washington
has been dead for the last hundred
years. There are men and women
who reside in the country, whose in
teiligence equals that Of the wisest
~a.s rs-idenG
Most people WHO live in either a
little one horse town or a city seem
to run away with inc He 80 ina IL
doesn't require any brains or educa-
ton to run a farm or a ranch, and
right there is where they are sadly
-deludfng themselves. There is
equally Al much good sound sense
required to successfully manage the
affairs Of a farm or ranch, as is
necessary to successfully manage any
other line Of business.
You think II is 80 simple to har-
vest a crop of hay or grain. or watch
the animals grow to a marketable
age and size, or dig a field OF po-
tAtOes. beets. ETC.. OF care for a crop
of vegetables, but some of you CITY
Or town folks just try 1t. You could
not do It any than a bank clerk
could run a flying machine. In the
first place there Is a proper wav IN
prepare the ground. plant the seed.
cultivate. ~irrigate. and care for the
crops. from infancy to maturity. in
q manner to make them pay at the
finish, and there things cannot be
accomplished by amateurs. How
many people who have never had
the actual experience are able to dis
tinguish the different breeds Of cat
tie. horses. sheep, hogs. chickens,
turkeys. ducks and geese? Do you
know which Of these are best suited
for your Immediate vicinity? Do
you know how to Judge them. and
how to feed and care for them? Yet
you city folks must admit that It
is necessary that all these things be
raised. for will there ever come a
time when beef. mutton. pork and
poultry will not constitute a large
part OF our living? Grain of all kinds
AS well as fruit and vegetables are
necessities and 1t Is up to the farm
ers and ranchmen and stockmen to
supply these things, and right here
allow us to again assert that II takes
You saw II doesn't require an educa-
ton. Have you ever had the oppor-
= tuntty to glance over the account
books which are kept to record the
business affairs OF a farm or ranch?
Wherever you find q farm or ranch
which Is successfully managed, you
will also find someone who II CAPABLE
OF keeping books in an intelligent
manner. figuring interest, measure
ments Of land, lumber. fumes. fences
dams. bitches. and hundreds Of other
important matters. They are posted
on the worlds markets. supply, de-
mand. prices. etc. Newspapers and
MAGAZINES Of the higher class are
read. for instead Of shows and parties
every evening. the young a. we'll ~
old gather in a family circle and
read until bed time. Please do not
think - 70 manv seem to do. that
because ~ . rule country children
are not brassy OF forward in their
,mAnners. they are devoid OF sense.
for such Is not the
Now comes this question OF con-
.oolidating the schools. This eventu-
ally means the oblite-ation OF the
country schools. and all our children
must then attend school in city or
town.
Interested Reader" In the RevisV
last week spoke Of the poorer teach.
ers bsi". allowed to teach in the
country school while they we're not
permitted to teach IN the town or
city schools. Like the writer. we
know that thi. IL true and II IL an
SnDastice to the children who attend
euf country schools. Why cannot
e11s be changed to be As II was
twenty-five years agof At that time
anyone In order to receive q certif-
tcate to teach school must pass .
teachers examination. and when
they successfully passed the examin-
alton they were granted . teachers
certificate which permitted them to
teach anywhere. for they were really
capable Of doing 10. Why should
We yet have teachers In our country
schools who are not considered we'll
.eoough advanced to teach In town?