1380 



Rural School Leaflet 



I am also sending a few printed words about our Corn Day. 



Yours sincerely, 



MARION CHASE 



The extract from the local paper, sent by Miss Chase, reads as follows: 



Com Day was observed by the school at Big 

 Bend December 4, with the following program: 

 An essay, " The Past and the Present History 

 of Corn," by Sheldon Raquet, proved ver}^ inter- 

 esting as it not only gave the early history of 

 corn, and what it meant to the Indians and the 

 early white settlers, but some important facts of 

 what it means to otu* country at the present time. 

 " Cultural Directions," as given by Ivan New- 

 ville, gave even the experienced farmers many 

 profitable hints which were highly commented on. 

 Other numbers on the program also deserv^e much 

 •^_4 #j^,v credit, especially the talks and the readings given 

 by those in attendance. The schoolroom was 

 appropriately decorated with corn products. Mr. 



-^ -f T "^^r-^'S?*' Walker acted as com judge. The exercises were 



well attended, which is greatly appreciated by the 

 ""f ^''Tr")^' school, especially the attendance of the farmers, 



-* / T ^s32h-'-^' which tends to show the interest they take in the 



agricultural work of the school. 



-" if—— 



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4 



Union Springs, New York, December 16, 1914 

 My dear Mr. Tuttle : 



As several of my children tell me that thc}^ 

 have written you about our successful Com Day, 

 I presxmie there is little you do not know about it. 

 Yes, it was a success in every way. But I 

 know of nothing which was more gratifying to 

 m.e than to stand aside and watch the men, 

 mostly farmers, coming in. Frequently one was 

 heard to say " I've never been in this building 

 before," or, "I haven't been here since I was a 

 boy in school," and when they were going home, 

 " I had no idea what Com Day was like," "I'm 

 coming again next year," and the like. 



And such a crowd! Of course we started ad- 

 vertising weeks before. Each week the local 

 paper published a notice for us; the drawing 

 classes made posters; the English classes wrote 

 invitations ; postal cards were sent to all the near- 

 by farmers; Mr. Yawger announced it at the grange, and, best of all, the 

 Httle people talked com. One mother told me that her family had had 

 com three times a day. Having the program at night, parents neces- 

 sarily came with the children. The main room was filled, and as many 

 as possible were seated in the north room. 



State prize dent corn. Farm- 

 ers' Week, 191 5. Sent by 

 District 11, Town of 

 Seneca, Ontario County 



