Tahe  RURAL  NEW-YORKER 
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Engine* 
WHOLE 
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12)  BATTLE  CREEK.  -  MICHIGAN 
Don’t  you  think  it  is  an  astonishing 
;  statement  that  “Our  rural  school  system 
,  in  New  York  State  is  not  in  good  condi¬ 
tion,"  as  11.  H.  L,  ga.vs  on  page  588?  I 
deuy  this  most  emphatically.  Our  schools 
are  doing  better  work  now  than  ever  be¬ 
fore.  This  is  not  much  of  ft  compliment 
to  Dr.  Finley  and  the  Department  of 
Education.  Thirty  years  ago,  when  the 
writer  first  attended  school,  the  district 
school  was  a  far  different,  institution  from 
that  of  the  present  day.  The  smoke- 
grimed  walls  of  the  schoolroom  had  never 
known  paper  or  whitewash  Window 
shades  were  conspicuous  by  their  absence. 
The  seats  were  most  uncomfortable,  and 
of  a  pattern  likely  to  make  the  scholars 
round-shouldered.  The  only  book  snp- 
done  for  the  isolated  farmer.  Ex-Presi¬ 
dent  Roosevelt  claims  the  school  house  is 
the  best  place  to  instruct  the  farmers,  and 
experimental  plots  in  each  district  would 
soon  show  the  best  way  to  handle  the  soil 
of  that  locality. 
No  Western  farmer  has  bought  a  farm 
in  this  county  (and  ft  great  many  of  them 
have  located  here  in  the  last  10  years) 
that  was  more  than  a  mile  from  a  live 
school.  A  neighbor  who'  dealt  in  real 
estate  in  the  .Middle  West  for  20  years 
tells  me  there  is  no  sale  for  farms  located 
more  thau  a  mile  from  a  good  school,  the 
centralized  school  beiug  a  failure.  For¬ 
mer  residents  of  this  place  now  living  in 
Southern  Michigan,  report  the  same  fail¬ 
ure.  Is  it  necessary  to  repeat  it  here  and 
A  Country  Schoolhouse  in  New  Jersey 
plied  by  the  district  was  a  Bible.  No 
dictionary’  was  provided  until  several 
years  later.  We  did  not  have  a  library. 
The  teacher  was  paid  $5  a  week.  To-day 
the  same  school  room  is  a  far  different 
place.  There  are  patent,  seats,  framed 
engravings  of  historical  scenes  hang  on 
the  neatly-papered  walls.  There  is  a 
good  library,  atlas,  maps,  dictionary  and 
other  books  of  reference.  The  teachers 
draw  twice  the  pay  they  did  then.  Chil¬ 
dren  nine  years  old  can  write  business 
letters  for  their  fathers,  can  read  aloud 
so  it  is  not  a  torment  to  listen  to  them, 
and  in  all  ways  make  far  better  progress 
than  was  possible  three  decades  since. 
I  appeal  to  all  good  Grangers  (as  well 
as  all  others  Interested  in  the  progress  of 
agriculture  in  New  York  State)  and 
those  interested  in  the  real  welfare  of  the 
children  to  oppose  the  Tallet  bill  root 
and  branch,  Tf  it  is  thought  best  to 
equalise  the  taxation  in  all  districts  in 
the  township  or  county  a  bill  could  be 
drawn  to  do  that.  Personally  I  am  op¬ 
posed  to  this,  as  conditions  on  the-  farms 
are  very  favorable  at  present,  if  we  are 
only  let  alone.  Let  us  keep  the  district 
schools  as  they  nr\  controlled  l\v  the  far¬ 
mers  and  supervised  by  unpaid  trustees 
who  live  in  the  district  and  understand 
local  conditions.  We  have  heard  much 
of  teaching  agriculture  in  the  schools. 
How  would  this  be  possible  if  all  districts 
(country)  that  adjoin  (village)  union 
free  school  districts  should  be  permanent¬ 
ly  annexed  to  them  as  some  have  pro¬ 
posed?  Let  us  keep  all  schools  in  the 
control  of  farmers. 
A  nearby  district  reopened  school  last 
Fall,  after  running  a  school  wagon  to  a 
nearby  village  for  several  years.  The 
man  who  carried  the  children  on  a  con¬ 
tract  claimed  he  Ooukl  not  dress  his  little 
girl  warm  enough  to  keep  her  comfort¬ 
able  in  severe  weather.  Though  dressed 
in  the  warmest  garments  money  could 
buy  in  the  local  stores  she  would  be  ow¬ 
ing  with  the  cold  before  the  village  was 
reached  after  a  drive  of  only  three  miles. 
Do  you  think  such  exposure  is  wise  for 
children  in  these  grip  and  pneumonia 
days.  If  an  only  child  cannot  be  kept 
comfortable  how  would  a  large  family  or 
a  day  laborer’s  children  fare? 
Too  many  fanners  have  moved  to  town 
to  educate  the  children.  All  sorts  of  rea¬ 
sons  are  urged  to  bring  this  about.  If  a 
district  contracts  every  case  of  sickness 
among  the  children  is  laid  to  the  kid 
wagon.  The  women  and  children  claim 
that  a  family  can  live  and  work  in  the 
town,  sell  the  hay  and  save  more  money 
than  they  can  if  they  stay  on  the  farm 
and  keep  a  dairy.  This  practice  has  ex¬ 
hausted  many  farms  and  almost  depopu¬ 
lated  several  neighborhoods  already.  Any 
centralizing  of  schools  will  greatly  aggra¬ 
vate  this  evil. 
The  average  dairy  farmer  is  unable  to 
attend  the  farmers’  institute  at  the 
county  seat,  but  any  kind  of  an  enter¬ 
tainment  at  the  school  house  always 
draws  a  large  attendance.  Each  city  has 
its  night  schools,  but  nothing  has  been 
spoil  the  sale  of  our  farms?  It  is  very 
difficult  to  keep  hired  boys  and  girls  from 
the  villages  contented  on  the  farm,  even 
in  Summer.  Will  it  make  this  problem 
any  easier  by  taking  away  the  school 
house,  our  only  place  of  assemblage? 
There  is  nothing  said  about  making  the 
most  of  it  as  it  is.  s.  s. 
Tioga  County,  N.  Yr. 
The  letter  by  S.  S.  on  the  rural  school 
question  which  I  have  just  read  appeals  to 
me.  So  far  as  I  can  see  it  holds  prac¬ 
tically  the  same  position  that  I  have 
taken.  S.  S.  admits  in  effect  that  the 
union  to  the  extent  of  taxation  may  be  a 
good  thing.  That  is  my  position,  except 
that  I  do  not  think  this  should  include  the 
village  district,  if  the  village  is  of  much 
size,  unless  the  various  districts  approve 
it.  He  wants  rural  people  to  manage 
rural  schools,  and  this  is  my  belief  also, 
although  I  have  to  admit  that  sometimes 
there  is  too  little  interest  taken  in  that 
management.  lie  objects  to  the  exposure 
of  the  ride  to  town  from  the  district,  and 
says  that  if  there  is  any  sickness  in 
school  it  is  laid  to  the  “kid  wagon.”  That 
may  lie,  but  I  had  not  learned  it  before. 
It  is  quite  possible.  That  Western  far¬ 
mers  do  not  like  to  buy  farms  where  the 
School  is  too  distant  is  quite  often  true, 
and  it  is  also  true  that  the  centralized 
school  is  not  so  popular  in  the  West  as 
some  seem  to  think  it  is.  S.  S.  urges  that 
something  he  done  to  make  the  most  of 
the  present  rural  school.  In  this  he  ac¬ 
cepts  my  statement,  which  he  criticises  in 
another  place,  “that  our  rural  school  sys¬ 
tem  is  not  in  good  condition.”  He  wants 
it  improved  just  as  much  as  I  do.  and  ite 
wants  it  kept  intact  as  a  rural  system, 
the  same  as  I  do.  This  will  be  found  io 
be  the  real  sentiment  in  most  rural  locali¬ 
ties.  I  think,  although  there  are  those 
who  believe  to  send  children  to  the  village 
school  is  far  preferable,  these  are  not  in 
a  majority,  I  am  certain.  Unite  the  rural 
districts  for  taxation,  but  do  not  compel 
the  union  with  the  village  school,  only 
give  the  permission  if  wanted.  That  will 
leave  it  in  the  best  shape  for  the  present. 
ir.  H.  L. 
Keeping  Wood  Asher. — Farmers  who 
use  acetylene  gas,  will  have  1 00-lb  steel 
drums.  Plac“  wood  ashes  in  the  dry  air¬ 
tight  drum  ,ud  cover  them  up  with  the 
cover  furnished.  These  drums  will  keep 
moisture  a  way  from  the  ashes.  I  also  use 
these  empty  drums  for  chicken  manure; 
it  seems  to  preserve  it,  until  I  want  to 
use  it.  C.  c.  B. 
New  York. 
FROM  FEEDER  TO  STACKER  THE 
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Good  friends  of  yours  are  making  money  and 
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SAVE  HALF 
Your  Paint  Bills 
. 
■  ' 
The  District  School  Question 
