The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1933-10-26

Eels, crabs and CLAIMS are also
common.
We get fresh eggs and poultry
here, something we could not do in
New York City. Eggs are 40c If
you buy direct from the chicken
farmers and 49c in the stores. We
pay 23c per pound for dressed
chickens. We get them from the
lady who runs our school cafeteria
and raises chickens on the side.
Potatoes are $1.35 per bushel. Meat
is high, good steak costing 35c
per pound. Home grown fruit, ap-
Piles, peaches, concord grapes. Pears
are very cheap, especially grapes as
everyone has a grape arbor in the
back yard. Milk is 15c per quart
for Grade A, the price is fixed by
the State Milk control board. There
are many good grocery and fruit
and vegetable stands here. The A.
& P. company have three stores in
Sayville and a number of other
chains have two or more stores. we
haven't such a store as yours in
town. Clothing Is bought in New
York or Brooklyn. There is one de-
partment store here which handles
everything from furniture to
thread, but it handles only cheap
merchandise. We have two banks
here. The Oysterman's National,
and The Community Trust Co.
The political set-up is peculiar,
the Island is divided into two coun-
ties, Nassau and Suffolk. Our coun-
ty, Suffolk is divided into 10 town
ships, much larger than a town
ship in Minnesota. The town is the
principal administrative unit. We
live in Is.ip town and our school
district is known as Union Free
School Dist. No. 4, of the town of
Islip. Few of the villages are in
corporated, the streets, roads, po-
lice, lighting, etc., are all admins
tered by town officers. For example,
1 have three traffic police for the
principal school crossings assigned
for school duty by the town. With
in the town are sanitary districts,
fire districts, school districts, etc.,
independent of the cities or villages
as they are called back in Mime
sofa. 1t is all quite complicated to
us westerners. Here we live in a
village without single civic officer.
They are all town officers assigned
to this area. Well 1 wont attempt
to explain it all in detail, just
enough to give you some idea of
how different it is from our Min
nesota organization. It will take
me some time to become accustom-
ed to the set-up.
have a fine office equipped with
every device needed. I have a sec
rotary, II months. and a steno-
grapher and accountant 10 months,
and an assistant superintendent in
charge of elementary schools. The
auditorium seats 1000 and is equip
ped with upholstered seats, beauti-
full Grapes and lights, a projection
room and screen and our own pro-
jector. The gymnasium also will
seat 1000 and the floor is large
enough for two basket ball courts.
There are seven pianos in the High
School building. We have two or
chestras of SO members each. The
director, who has conservatory In
New York City spends two days a
week here for which he is paid
$175.O0 per month. He is a music
ian of considerable prominence and
our first orchestra is real little
Symphony. The best on the Island.
In the first or Senior orchestra are
Is violins, a cello and two bass viols,
a piano, melodeon, timpani, and all
sorts of brass and reed instruments.
Bob is playing in the bass section
of the brasses in the Senior orches-
ira, and says he is learning to play
some real music.
We are weak in singing however
and I will have to bolster that up.
Our regular music teacher is get
ting old and lacks the vim and Wig
or to inspire. The general run of
teachers is not equal to the corps
I had at Sank Centre, too much
home product I guess. 1t will take
time to change that. The East is
stepped in tradition and it is hard
to get them to think about doing
anything except in the traditional
manner, that is why all new
thoughts and new methods on any
subject originate in the part of the
United States west of the Alleghan-
les. It would be suicidal to at
tempt any radical changes, no mat
ter how urgent the cause.
I expect to go to Cleveland in
February for the superintendent
meeting, will fly there as it only
takes few hours. Flying is very
common in the East, there are so
many planes on the Island that 1t is
possible to see one at any time. I
know any number Of men who use
planes entirely for travel between
the cities.
The Mackay Co. postal Tele-
graph) has big sending station
for short wave wireless located here
at Sayville, the largest in the Unit
ed States and it bothers our radio
reception very much.
Well it is time to close. With
kindest regards to all Sank Cen