146 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



deeply. In this work any plan that I offered to substantially 

 improve country schools was courteously but firmly rejected as 

 "good but impracticable for us." My confident and enthusi- 

 astic advocacy of a theory, supported by a successful demonstra- 

 tion before teachers, often brought from them such a response as, 

 "If I had a model building like this, if the children were trans- 

 ported, and if I received a large salary like you are getting, I 

 know I could be enthusiastic, too, and get better results. But, 

 Mrs. Harvey, you do not know conditions in the country." 

 These and other circumstances that there is not time to discuss 

 combined to point the way to the pioneer work of demonstrating 

 some possibilities of the one-room school with no other resources 

 than those at the command of the district. 



On July 17, 1912, I got my own consent to sign the contract 

 "to teach" the Porter school for eight months at $50 per month. 

 Beyond assuring you that despite difficulties usual and unusual, 

 and unaccustomed physical hardships such as were unnecessary 

 in my little school in Kansas twenty years ago, hardships which 

 worsted the teachers twice during the first term, I have never 

 undertaken a work so interesting, so satisfying or so important 

 as this. Already there are some deductions that could be 

 offered that are applicable to all similar schools. 



East wall, 1913. Note light ceiling, soft tan wall paper, picture molding, lowered black- 

 board, good chalk rack, absence of old flue, telephone, new desk and chair, organ, lamp 

 and rearranged furniture. 



