256 



Missouri Agricultural Report. 



C. H. Funk. 



RURAL SCHOOLS AND IMPROVEMENTS. 



(C. H. Funk, Johnson county, Mo.) 



It certainly affords me a great pleasure to speak a word in 



behalf of the rural schools. We find 

 the little rupal schoolhouses dotted all 

 over this country from Maine to Cali- 

 fornia and from Canada to the Gulf. 

 And it is in these rural schools that we 

 have the material in the boys and girls 

 on whose shoulders the responsibility 

 will fall to carry out the future develop- 

 ment of the greatest of all industries 

 of these United States, agriculture. 



The boys and girls of today will 

 be the farmers and farmers' wives of 

 tomorrow. 



First, let us notice the rural school 

 buildings, the greater per cent of which are built along lines 

 that have been handed down for several generations, usually 

 built on straight lines with window in either side, one end 

 blank with door at the other. They present anything but pleas- 

 ing appearance outside, and much less inviting or cheerful 

 appearance inside. They are very badly lighted and poorly 

 heated, and are without any ventilation whatever. Now 

 this is a fair illustration of what ornamented our school site 

 over in Johnson county, a few miles southwest of Holden, until 

 last year. This is the district in which I was born, reared and 

 am still living. 



The old building had been erected something over forty- 

 two years ago. It was twenty-four by forty-two with four 

 windows on either side. A hall cut off of one end. The build- 

 ing had been formerly plastered and replastered and patched and 

 ceiled and painted until it reminded me of the "old colored man's 

 sock," which he said he had worn for forty years. Being asked 

 how that was, he said "Missus footed the leg and then legged 

 the foot, but they is the same old socks." 



That was the way with our old schoolhouse. It had been 

 "footed" and "legged" until it was anything but a picture of 

 beauty. 



