Missouri Country Life Conference. 



147 



Because of time limitations it will be possible to give you 

 only a brief glance at each of the sixty-three slides which will 

 tell you in part the story of the Porter school development to 

 date and its relation to the community life. While the pictures 

 stand for many different things, we will endeavor to attract 

 attention chiefly to the changes in physical conditions as neces- 

 sarily preliminary to better school work, better school spirit, 

 a growing community spirit, and the really remarkable progress 

 made in so short a time under the most difTicult conditions. 



A basement view, 1914. Note pneumatic pressure tank, drinking fountain and kitchen 

 sink; also oil stove. Floor concreted by men in district who donated labor. 



The Porter school district, containing nine square miles, 

 lies contiguous to the city (Kirksville), a fact that makes the 

 development of community spirit more significant. Its assessed 

 valuation today in round numbers is $109,000. Previous to 

 1912 it sustained its school on a twenty-cent levy, had the divided 

 term and the characteristic rotation of teachers, not one of whom 

 can be justly charged with the state of affairs that prevailed for 

 years. Although the enumeration listed fifty-two, the average 



