News Notes 



CALIFORNIA 



The following letter fully illustrates the power of an idea when accompanied 

 by the service of an enthusiast. If Mr. Goethe keeps on, California will not 

 possess an unread roadside or nature book. Why cannot other states have 

 a Nature-Study League opening up nature's secrets to all the people by means 

 of the newspapers? 



Sacramento, Cal., 1-5-16. 

 To the Members of the California Nature-Study League: 



Someone has said that none of us know how far our influence may extend. 

 We have an example of this in the work of our "Nature-Study League." 

 Some of our members spent the summer vacation in Glacier National Park. 

 One of them was interested in the alpine flora. He had difficulty in obtaining 

 literature, although otherwise practically every arrangement had been made 

 for the convenience of visitors. This League member wrote President Hill 

 of the Great Northern Railway Company, which controls the Glacier Park 

 Hotels. He told President Hill o the work of our League to awaken a wider 

 interest in Nature-Study books. He asked if small nature-study libraries 

 might not be provided at each of their hotels and chalets, also at their tepee 

 camps, offering to make a contribution toward the fund if the Railroad Com- 

 pany would undertake the work. 



The following is quoted from President Hill's reply: "We will adopt your 

 suggestion and see that the camps are supplied with suitable works on the 

 Montana Rockies." This happened because of the work of our League. 

 It shows how our influence may extend into unexpected quarters. Is not the 

 idea of small summer nature-study libraries worth further thought? Possibly 

 we may see the time when every summer resort in California will have its 

 Nature-Study Library at the very spots where such rich material is at hand. 



Another news item: The use of our bulletins in the Sacramento City 

 Schools, at the suggestion of Superintendent of Schools Hughes, has pointed 

 the way to another opportunity. Letters are being sent to each California 

 County Superintendent of Schools offering the League's services gratis to the 

 schools of each county whose Superintendent is willing to make his office the 

 center of distribution to such schools. Already fifteen acceptances have been 

 received. The stories will therefore be henceforth used in hundreds of schools. 



A third news item : Last month Mrs. Goethe and I took our regular quart- 

 erly tramping trip. The way crossed several mountain countries. We found 

 the stories from The Bee printed in the rural papers. This month we are 

 sending an invitation to 51 additional newspapers offering them the League's 

 Nature-Study service free if they will print the stories leading up to calls for 

 Nature-Study books at the County libraries. Trusting that the close of 19 18 

 will show further successes, 



• Very earnestly, 



C. M. Goethe. 

 Y. Z. 9 



RHODE ISLAND 

 Providence — The teachers of the state recently received the following 

 invitation from Professor Vinal of the Normal School: 



TO THE PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS OF RHODE ISLAND 



You are asked to render a distinctly patriotic service by co-operation in 

 the solving of the country's food problem. Doubtless you already have 

 brought into your teaching, incidental to language lessons or as a part of 

 general sciences, the facts of food conservation. You are now asked to pass 



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