The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1923-06-09
BENTLEY FAILED IN PADUCAH

auu mdtLcFS cuuCdtlOudl, i want II
say that you have a man whom
the teachers and educators of the
Kentucky schools regard as ont
OF the greatest educators in the
There was a well timed burst
Of Rotarian applause at those ex
travagant words.
He is man OF great vision,'
continued the brotherly booster, "a
man who has built up a plan
for school system in Paducah,
and the people of Paducah will
suffer II they are not able to
keep such man, Modern times
demand trained teachers and edu-
Gators"
Despite Supt. Risely's dismal
croakings, the Paducah schools have
done we'll the past five years. Above
all, there have been peace and
harmony since the stormy petrol
Of the educational seas banished
himself from Paducah.
Despite Supt. Risely's estimate
Of Bentley, the latter utterly failed
to. get another school in all Ken
lucky, and there is evidence that
he tried plenty of them.
Duluth is only the third superin-
tendency that J. H. Bentley has
held. He taught couple of years
in the st. Joseph, Mo-, high school.
He then went to the boys high
school in Louisville, where he was
an instructor for couple of years.
That was followed by q couple Of
years service as high school prin-
cipal at Henderson, KY, a conserva-
tive town of about $4,000 people.
He was receiving $500 a year,
wanted $4,000, but failed to get
it. To save $500 a year, the Hen
derson school board saw Bentley
get the superintendency at Paducah,
a city of about 10000, at $4,000
year.
After losing out at Paducah,
Bentley finally got into the high
school at Richmond, Ind. The high
school principal going into some
war activity, gave Bentley promo
ton to the superintendency, start
ing at $4,000, attaining salary
of $4,000 and then having 4,200
in sight, which was not enough to
keep him from Duluth, city a. tut
four times the size of Richmond,
with $500 year and great pos
sibilities of different kinds.
At Paducah, Bentley had himself
surrounded with some fairly i'm
posing Notifications, but they proved
to be flimsy and superficial in his
time of need. There, as elsewhere,
he played up close and hard to
the daily papers. He ever put his
best foot forward and, where he
found himself ignorant, used the
big bluff.
"What'll l talk about at the
Rotary club meeting?" he is rep
resented as saying. IN give them
the latest address by Nicholas.
Bntler--none Of them will
know the difference"
Bentley did so and the Rotarians
took in the stolen educational dope
with open mouths, exclaiming be-
tween gasps: - -
What a wonderful man."
Hot air, camouflage, bluff and
CUFF and free use of the complacent
had the unsophisticated
element sitting up and passing
The aspiring and ervy
made the Paducah
people think they never had seen
an educator before.
"If we do not hold tightly to
him, Chicago or St. Louis will get
him." they truly believed.
When Bentley tried to bluff his
way through at session OF the
union men, however, he admitted
to- friend that he never came
nearer to getting caught in all his
life. The union card boys knew
what they were talking about, but
was bluffing. He barely
to get by andsa lesson was
learned by which he is assumed to
have profited.
Down there in Paducah, one OF
bizarre ideas was that the
public schools are no place to teach
morals and that school board mem
bers have no business to visit the
schools unless accompanied by the
superintendent.
Down in Paducah, Bentley did
not visit the teachers and there
were many who complained of his
aloofness and his brusqueness. No
Inspiration, no divine spark passec
from him to his teachers. They
asked for an educational fig and
be gave them thistle, :se TO 'sgeak.
In those days, too, a:.ysge.. scale
and Standardization Of +: wages were
/ sealed book. Only four out Of
l25 teachers truly were strong for
Bentley in the Paducah schools.
Supt. Bentley has learned some
hing of wage scales and standard
zation Of wages, thanks to the
Duluth Teachers association.
Padueah Is not a western boom
.own. II is a calm, old, settled
with fixed customs and
traditions that are akin to the
avs of the Medes and Persians.
Many family in Paducah is an
Institution.
Miss Ada Brazelton was prin-
.ipal Of the high school, when |
Bentley came to Paducah from
fCoDfiuued on mage 2l