The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1924-01-11
CHAPTER XIX
A School District Held Up.

Mr.. Irwin is here ladies and gen
tlenen," said he, land / move that W,
hear from him as to what we can dt
to meet the offer of our friends in Pot
tswatomle county; but before | YIELD
the floor, I want to say that thi:
meeting has been worth while just
to have been the occasion of our all
becoming better acquainted with our
friend and neighbor. Mr.. Smms. What
ever may have been the lack of under
standing, on our part, of his Qualities,
they were all cleared up by that speech
Of his-the best ! have ever heard in
this neighborhood.
More applause, in the midst Of
which Old Man Simms skunk away
down In his seat TO escape observa-
ton. Then the chairman said that II
there was no objection they would
hear from their well-known. citizen,
whose growing fame was more re
markable for the fact that il had been
gained as country schoolmaster-he
need not add that he referred to Mr..
James e. Irwin. More and louder APP
plause)
'Friends and neighbors," said Jim,
you ask me to say to you what want
you to do. l want you to do what you
want TO do-nothing more or less.
Last year | was glad to be tolerated
here; and the only change in the stu
alton lies In the fact that | have an
other place offered me-unless there
has been a charge in your feelings to-
ward me and my work. I hope there
has been for l know my work is good
now, whereas / only believed II then"
Sure II isl" shouted Con Bonner
from a front seat, thus SIGNALLING
that astute wirepuller's definite choice
Of place in the banowagon. Tell us
what you want, Jim !"
What do / wants" asked jim.
More than anything else, l want such |
meetings as this-often-and a place
TO hold them. If stay liz the Wood
ruff District, / want this meeting to
effect a permanent organl cation to
work with me. / can't teach this dis
trict anything. Nobody can teach any
one anything. All any teacher can do
Is to direct peoples activities in teach
ng themselves. You are gathered here
10 decide what you'll do about the
small matter of keeping me at worI as
your hired man.
IF I'm to be your hired man, wart
! boss in the shape of a civic organiza.
Ion which will take in every man and
woman In the district. Here's the
,lace and now's the time to make that
rganization-an organization the OBJ
ect of which shall be to put the whole
district at school. and to boss me in
ly work for the whole district
dat sounds good" cried Haakon
eterson. wen do DAFT !"
Then / want you to work out
1ilding scheme for the school," Jim
ent on. 1--WE want a place where
rls can learn to cook, keep house,
Ike care of babies, sew. and learn
be wives and mothers. There's
melody right In this neighborhood
lie to teach anything the young peo-
e want 10 learn.
And | want physician here once
a while to examine the children as
their health, and a dentist to look
ter their teeth and teach them how
care for them. Also an oculist to
anime their eyes. And when Bettina
ansen comes home from the hospital n
trained nurse. | want her to have a II
as visiting nurse right here in the :,
oodruff District. 9,
81 want counting-room for the
-. a.
cord of our observation in farming.
want cooperation in letting us have
csc accounts. n
Il want some manual training equip al
mt for woodworking and metal al
'rking, and a blacksmith and wagon W
op, in which the boys may learn to
De horses, repair tools, design build of
IS, and practice the best agricultural he
cheering. ! want to do work in DC
1ltry according to the most modern /
seding discoveries. and | want your Je
operation in that, and a poultry
mt somewhere in the district. q,
I want a laboratory in which we
work on seeds. pests. soils. feeds kr
] the like. For the education OF
ir children must come out of these "a
ngs. to
] want these things because they
necessary If we are to get the cul- TOT
e ont of life we should get-and ev
'ody gets culture out of any sort Of be
get it out Of life, or they tn,
II get il at all.
SO want you to build as freely sci
your school as for your cattle and Wi
ses and hogs.
rhe school will make for youths =
' kind Of rural school-a social life 1T
Ich will be the social center. be- ter
sc il will be the educational center. moi
the Business center of the coun- jus
side. lin
want all these things. and more. big
don't expect them all at once.
now that this district is too small
do all Of them. and therefore.
II bigger district-one that will
} us the financial strength to carry S
the program have sketched This DIES