I024 Rural School Leaflet 



District 9, Town of Otsego, Otsego County 



Cooperstown, New York, January 28, 1914 

 Dear Mr. Tuttlc : 



I have been looking over one of the Cornell leaflets, and saw that chil- 

 dren from different schools have written to you and told about their 

 schools ; so I am going to write and tell you about the many improvements 

 which have been made in the past two years at our school. 



Two years ago our schoolhouse was situated on the opposite side of the 

 road. It was about three yards from the road. We had no school 

 grounds, so we had to play in the road and by the roadside. Inside of 

 our schoolhouse there were twelve double seats which were full of carvings. 

 The walls were not painted, the plaster was loose, and ink stains were on 

 the desks, floors, and ceiling. We had an old stove and board blackboards, 

 which were battered by boys throwing knives at them and trying to hit 

 a mark which they put there. 



Now our schoolhouse is moved on the other side of the road. It is 

 newly painted a white color, and there are cement steps, and a gravel 

 walk from the steps to the road. There is a half-circle road which leads 

 up to the back door, where teams may drive when children are brought 

 to school in bad weather. The pupils always enter the schoolroom by 

 the back door. We have about half an acre for playground. Next sum- 

 mer we are going to have some shrubbery set out on each side of our walk, 

 and some shade trees. Also we girls are going to have a nice flower bed. 

 Inside of our schoolhouse we have a new stove, slate blackboards, new 

 window shades, desks, recitation bench, and maps. Our school gave a 

 school party from which we raised money enough to get a clock, a teacher's 

 desk, a dictionary standard, and a bookcase. Our floor has been oiled 

 and our schoolhouse looks very neat and nice. 



Some of our schoohnates have some talent for drawing, and we have ever 

 so many pictures on the wall. Some are from the first grade. We also 

 have a few mottoes. One is " No baclcward steps," another is " Look up, 

 not down." We have a picture which we all like very much; it is the 

 " Horse Fair," by Rosa Bonheur. I have told you all about our school. 



If you ever come up our way, I am very sure our school would enjoy 

 having you visit us. Sincerely yours, 



LOTTIE JANNETTE MCRORIE 



Editors' note. — We were glad to hear of the many improvements at the 

 school that Lottie attends, and we feel sure that she and her schoolmates 

 are proud of the building and the grounds and will work hard to keep them 

 clean and neat and unmarked. It is easier to study when one has such 

 ]3leasant surroundings, and these boys and girls must be very happy in 

 their school life. 



