OUR PLEASURES 67 



more generally attended than now. Indeed, these 

 pioneer people laid almost as much stress upon 

 " schooling " as upon manual dexterity and willing- 

 ness to work. 



I recall an instance which proves this point: 

 three substantial farmers were elected school trus- 

 tees and two of them drove twelve miles to inter- 

 view a teacher of wide reputation. The teacher 

 said that he presumed the salary he asked would 

 be too high, considering the wages they were accus- 

 tomed to paying. One trustee an unlettered 

 Pennsylvania Dutchman said to the other: 

 " Burroughs, the folks won't stand that salary, 

 but can't you and I pay the excess out of our own 

 pockets ? " And they did ! The grandson of that 

 Dutchman was superintendent of the schools of 

 Stockton, California, for many years, and two of 

 his great-grandsons are distinguished graduates 

 of leading Universities. 



OUR PLEASURES 



Was farm life lonely and monotonous in such a 

 country and in those pioneer days? By no means ! 

 In fact it was most enjoyable busy and rollick- 

 ing, just what a country lad enjoys. It is true there 

 was much work, but there was also much fun to 



