144 



Missouri Agricultural Report. 



(d) Judging from the schools that I know, one-fourth of 

 this number, or 50,000 children, will be men and women in an 

 incredibly short time. They will be founding homes, partici- 

 pating in the public business of the district, county and state. 

 Often they will be exerting the determining influence on public 

 policies conscientiously; but alas! often to the detriment of the 

 cause they would serve and for self-evident reasons. 



(e) In view of these and other related facts, these ten 

 thousand one-room schools should make the closest possible 

 approach to educational efficiency in the shortest possible time. 

 Listen to these words if you will — "the closest possible approach 

 to educational efficiency in the shortest possible time." A 

 chance — a "square deal" for the boy and girl of today! 



Vestibule as it appeared in 1912. Schoolhouse fronts west. 



Doubtless my two years' connection with the model rural 

 school on the campus of the State Normal School at Kirksville re- 

 vived my earlier professional ambition to help country children, and 

 had much to do with my decision to again engage in rural school 

 work. May I say just here that country children have the same 

 native instincts, interests and capacities possessed by city boys 

 and girls, with the additional advantage of the country environ- 



