1914. 
TJK1S rtURAL NEW-YORKER 
12 17 
School Conditions on the Great 
Plains. 
£ 4 'T'II ERE is not another place in the 
A district where the teacher could 
have a room and bed by herself.'*’ re¬ 
marked a lady who wished us to board the 
teacher. “In fact I do not know of a 
district that has,” she continued. Teach¬ 
ers in Colorado receive good wages; by 
law of the State they cannot receive less 
than $50 a month ; in the country that is 
good, but when one takes into considera¬ 
tion whore they have to board and often 
long distances to walk or ride., it is none 
too much. I heard a mother tell what 
her young daughter went through last 
Winter, and it made me heartsick for the 
poor girl. She graduated last year from 
the county high school, standing first in 
her class, brought up in town and tender¬ 
ly cared for. The county superintendent 
asked her to take a school some distance 
out in the country, as the school where 
she was teaching had been closed on ac¬ 
count of diphtheria. He told her there 
was a new schoolhouse, and she could 
board at the post office (which was kept 
in private house). She started with the 
Star Route mail carrier. It snowed some, 
but kept getting worse, and finally they 
got lost, wandered around all night and 
just before day came to a dug-out. The 
poor girl fell fainting in the door. The 
people took her in and cared for her as 
best they could in their one room. Before 
night she recovered, so they took her on 
a sled four miles farther to a house where 
she spent the night, and these people 
broke roads next morning and carried her 
to the boarding place. The woman re¬ 
fused to board her at first, but conferred 
with her sick husband, and as the poor 
girl was all worn out and crying, finally 
said she could stay. There were but 
two rooms, a hoard partition only: two 
beds in one small room, one occupied hy 
the sick man. with n curtain between the 
beds, one small window in the room. She 
had to sleep with two of the daughters. 
15 and 17 years of age, three in a bed 
When she reached her new schoolhouse 
she found it made of sod, and the sod had 
settled away from the door and window 
frames so much that "birds roosted on the 
seats, which were covered with their 
droppings. Xo stove, no table or chair, or 
desk for the teacher., no maps, no books. 
The people where she boarded took an 
old stove and some coal when they took 
her to the school house. She was a brave, 
gritty girl, only going home twice in the 
six months’ term. She never let her par¬ 
ents know what she had to go through 
until school closed and she was home. 
“If I had known it. my daughter would 
have come home at once,” said her 
mother. 
We attended a wedding at our little 
country church a short time ago. The 
ladies had decomted the church very pret¬ 
tily with several dishes of flowers and 
plants. First after service at “high 
noon” the wedding party came in. I was 
greatly surprised to see such a line-look¬ 
ing bride, dressed in white satin, lace 
veil and orange blossoms. They were 
a nice-looking couple; came to the church 
in an automobile. The bride lived some 
six miles out. There was a great con¬ 
trast Between the little church with its 
hare floor and the dress of the bride. 
The little teacher whose story I have just 
related was there, a sweet pretty girl, 
and I told her I hoped she would nevet 
hare to pass through another such ex¬ 
perience. 
‘‘Oh. Mrs. Johnson. I don't believe I 
could do it again,” she replied. 
Many a teacher and pupil have only 
chnnk-s of bread and a cup or bottle of 
molasses to eat with it for dinner; all 
drrnlc from the same cup. Nearly all 
schools have a well in the yard, as it 
usually is too far from a house to carry 
water. Our neighbor who lived in a 
dugout. has built a very comfortable four- 
room bouse and they really moved up 
from the old into the new. The poor 
woman remarked that she had so much 
room now she did not know what to do 
with it—and there are 10 in family, 
eight children. The good wheat crop this 
wear, with good prices, will help many 
to build houses and barns. The soddy 
and dugout will soon be things of the 
past, but they served their purpose. 
MT?S. TRTOTFnriC’K C. JOHNSON. 
Seen in New York Shops. 
I T is not only the wearers of basques 
and polonaises who have returned to 
the styles of the early nineties; small 
girls are now seen in little Mother Hub¬ 
bards. instead of the long-waisted French 
frock, and there is also a decree that the 
hair must be brushed so that the fore¬ 
head shows, which has caused a demand 
for the old-fashioned round comb. Flat 
black slippers tied on with narrow 
black ribbons are also noted among 
childish fashions. 
Moravian table linens are noticeable 
for their satin texture, which is said to 
be a secret in weaving. The patterns are 
very beautiful, among those noted being 
cherries, lilies, orange blossoms, little 
formal wreaths, and even a combination 
of stars and stripes. They are not 
cheap of course; tablecloths range from 
$4.75 to $28; napkins to match from $5 
to $43 a dozen. 
Do you remember the “godet pleats” 
of nearly 20 years ago. when the backs 
of bell skirts were stiffened with hair¬ 
cloth so as to form folds like organ 
pipes? These godet folds, but without 
stiffening, are shown in some tunics at¬ 
tached to Russian blouses. These are 
over narrow skirts; where the skirt is 
made without a tunic it falls in ripples 
at the bottom. Among the new suits are 
many made of sharkskin cheviot, which 
is very serviceable; rep serge is another 
hard-wearing fabric. Both cheviot and 
serge suits often show trimmings of car¬ 
acul cloth. 
Little girls’ school dresses are seen 
in very practical models to wear over a 
separate blouse or long-sleeved guimpe; 
the waist is cut low and pointed, and 
there are large armholes. Some are 
made all in one piece, after the old Ga- 
hrielle style, others are long-waisted with 
a skirt having a box pleat in hack and 
front. The neck and armholes are piped 
with silk, and sometimes there is a little 
braid trimming. There is nothing new 
about such dresses except the large arm¬ 
holes. hut they are very practical, es¬ 
pecially when making a new dress out of 
an old one. Blue serge, black and white 
cheeks and colored plaids are favorite 
materials. Among handsomer dresses 
for children are many of velvet, velve¬ 
teen and corduroy; even the cotton cor¬ 
duroy known ns golfine, which has been 
very Inexpensive, Is extremely pretty for 
this use in soft brown and gray shades. 
Little boys’ “party suits” of velvet, in 
black, dark blue and hunters' green, 
show a narrow vest of white pique. 
A muff of black monkey was round, not 
flat, -consisting of a central band of the 
fur about 12 inches wide while at each 
end was a shirred band of black satin 
about ns wide ns the fur. The shining 
was gathered in smaller at the ends, so as 
to make a rather long watermelon¬ 
shaped muff. With it was displayed a 
little toque -of black satin with the 
crown shirred ever to one side, and a 
band of monkey fur around it. A good 
many new muffs displayed are of this 
watermelon shape, shirred in at the ends, 
and many of them show a combination 
of fur with fabric, or of two kinds of fur. 
There are also more muffs or sets of the 
short furs, such as otter, beaver and seal- 
dyed muskrat. American women have 
had a prejudice against crediting their 
.furs to the humble muskrat, and it has 
been known as French seal and several 
other names, just as skunk was called 
Alaska sable, but the beauty of these 
furs has at last given them a place un¬ 
der their real names. In Great Britain 
muskrat fur has long been known by its 
real American name of musquash. 
Sleeping bags of white worsted, knit¬ 
ted and very warm, are offered for those 
who sleep out of doors. They are made 
in Switzerland, and cost $5. A sleeping 
bag of this sort is very desirable for the 
modern baby who takes his daily nap on 
the porch at all seasons. 
The art department in some stores is 
offering large untrained carbon photo¬ 
graphs of the beautiful Rheims Cathe¬ 
dral as it was before bombardment, for 
$3; smaller ones $1. Small engravings 
of this masterpiece of Gothic architect¬ 
ure are sold very cheaply by firms mak¬ 
ing a specialty of such reproductions. 
Very smart new blouses are shown 
with a cape effect at the back. Such 
draperies, however, are not practical for 
wear under a coat, and that is what one. 
buys a blouse for. 
125,000 opportunities to save money, a way of buying 
that practically doubles the purchasing power of your 
money, a simple, sure method of reducing your living 
expenses. You and every other alert reader of this 
great farm paper can have a copy of this book, free. 
It offers you 125.000 oppor¬ 
tunities to save money on 
the things you and your 
family wear and use in 
the home, on the farm and 
in town. 
It offers more than 3,000 bar¬ 
gains in Nenv York Styles 
of wearing apparel for 
women and misses,includ¬ 
ing dresses, waists, shirts, 
coats, suits, furs — also 
gloves, corsets, hosiery, 
underwear, shoes, neck¬ 
wear, petticoats, kimonos, 
knit goods. 
It offers 1,300 money saving 
millinery bargains. 
It offers 3.000 unequalled 
values in men’s and boys’ 
clothing, and furnishings. 
It offers 1,35S articles of jew¬ 
elry, silverware, watches, 
clocks, optical goods—at 
savings of at least a third. 
It offers 2,275 chances to prac¬ 
tically double the purchas¬ 
ing power of your money 
when buying laces, em¬ 
broideries, silks, dress 
goods, notion-s, wash 
goods, bedding, toweling, 
table linens, fancy goods. 
It offers nearly 2,000 dolls, 
toys and games at prices 
that enable you to buy 
much more , for much less 
than you expected to pay. 
It offers carpets, rugs, lino¬ 
leums, furniture—700 
items, hundreds illustrated 
in natural colors —all 
priced to make every day 
a red letter bargain sale. 
It offers 2,408 items of 
musical goods, 3,320 cam¬ 
eras and supplies, 2,411 
guns, rifles, fishing needs, 
andothersportsmen’s sup¬ 
plies and nearly 1 .OOOauto- 
mobile supplies; bicycles. 
It offers 19,000 articles forihe 
farm and home —includ¬ 
ing furniture, paint, wall 
paper, stoves, refrigerators, 
safes, scales, cutlery, house 
furnishings, buiiders’ 
hardware, carpenters’ 
tools and general hard¬ 
ware, blacksmith’s tools 
and supplies, poultry rais¬ 
ers’ and beekeepers’ sup¬ 
plies, fencing, plumbing, 
gasoline engines, crenm 
separators, farm imple¬ 
ments, harness, saddlery, 
blankets, buggies,surreys, 
runabouts, wagons, 
sleighs, cutters, etc., etc. 
—And 
It offers yon free delivery on nearly all this merch¬ 
andise. as explained on pages 2 and3o£ this book. 
It offers you New York styles. New York superi¬ 
ority in merchandise. New York advantages of 
buying at the world’s greatest commercial 
center. 
It offers you the kind of personal attention and 
courtesy you want whenever it is necessary to 
write about anything. 
Write today for this big new catalog—“Your Bar¬ 
gain Book”. It is free. We want you to have 
it in your home and we know you will be glad 
you wrote for it. Simply send us a postal card 
asking for “Your Bargain Book”. Please do 
it now while you are thinking of it. Address 
The Charles William Stores. 208 Stores Bldg., 
115 East 23rd Street, New York. 
TEA By PARCEL POST 
49 . 
ONE POUND Of TEA 
and a Japanese 
Gold end Blue Cup and Saucer.. 
Camellia Tear, following varieties — Oolong, 
Japan, Ceylon, English Breakfast, Gunpowder.; 
Camellia Tea* are high grade, oarly picked teas. 
If you are not pleased will refund your money. These 
delicious teas served in delicate Japanese cups will 
add beauty and fragrance to your tea jable. 
McKINNEY & CO. MAIL ORDER HOUSE 
186 State Street - Binghamton, New York 
COMPLETE WATER $°" LY 
Tower OutfitAQ 
SOO GallonCypress Tank 
and 20 foot SteelTower, as shown 
in cut. Other sixes equally cheap. 
Tank guaranteed for five years. Same outfit on I 
credit atslightly higher price. CompleteWater I 
Works equipment. Better get our catalogue I 
today .and ourNewWaySelling PlanNo.2J free. 
THE BALTIMORE CO., Baltimore, Md. 
y Two PRICES 
Stoves CDCET 
& Ranges* ifi kb 
To try in yonr own homo for 30 days. 
Show your trienda. Freight paid by 
us. Sfcd it buck at our expenne if you 
do not want to k»rep it. You can buy 
the bent at Actual Factory Frioes. Our 
now improvement* absolutely Rurpass 
anything ever produced. F-ave enough 
on a single Btovo to huv vour winter a 
fuel. All UOO&IER 
STOVES (•imranteed 
for Y ear*. Send postal 
today for lnrpe FKEE 
Cutulojcuc, showing largo 
assortment to select from. 
No Obligation*. 
H00S1ER STOVE CO. 
274StateSk, Marion, lnd. 
Save 5 5 to $ 23 
Factory Prices—Freight Paid One Year s Tnai 
Stoves and Ranges 
Buy direct from factory 
i r - .. -7^ - and get a better stove for 
less money. Freight pre- 
V pai d—st ove con les all pol- 
Mr Jshe<l, ready to set up. Use it one year—if 
Mr you aren't satisfied we refund your tnouty. 
MY Write for Catalog and Prices. Btc Free 
M Catalog shows why improved features of Gold Coin 
Stoves make them fuol-bavcrs ami splendid bakers 
—why they have given satisfaction foe 53 years. 
Gold Coin Stove Co., 3 OakSt.,Troy,N.Y. 
•j OO .i_bS»v 
brings greatest 0 f c ity conveniences 
——■ to rthe couritjpi 
{■TiKtTlTl^g77Tri‘ ■ 
Other bigf city eras companies have proportionately as many. These mil¬ 
lions of city people wouldn’t know how to pet along without gas. 
They long ago found it so superior to oil and coal that they hard¬ 
ly know what these things look like. 
City folks used to have this great convenience to themselves. But today Home- 
Made Acktvlene is even a greater boon to country homes than city gas is to city homes. 
Acetylene is ten times richer than city gas — the light is white, moTe brilliant, and faT more beautiful. 
Acetylene is also like city gas, a perfect cooking fuel. With an acetylene range in her kitchen the country 
housewife can enjoy cooking in cool comfort without any of the drudgery of handling kindling, coal or ashes. 
The light fixtures are, too, handsome brass or bronze—selected from a catalogue of many styles. 
The men folks on the place can have big white lights of their own in bams and outbuildings—and have all 
fixed to light with the pull of a chain without matches. 
A quarter of a million farmers now make this light and fuel right at home. Each one fills his acetylene gen¬ 
erator once a month with the acetylene producing stone, Union Carbide. The generator does all the rest. 
The new models are inexpensive and are wonderful improvements over the early types. 
We will be glad to tunrer qnmtiens and mail oar very Interesting 42nd St. Buitdinff, 
advertising literature. Write to NEW YORK, Or 
Peoples Gas Bid ft. 
CHICAGO, ILL. 
Union Carbide Sales Company, Dept, 6 
