aaural Mt turtle? (Greene m^ Clermont Cotttittes DIRECTED BY The Department of Church and Country Life BOARD OF HOME MISSIONS OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN THE U. S. A. Warren H. Wilson, DiTcdor Ralph A. Fellon, FieU Dtredor 156 Fifth Avenue, New York City ■;::•'. "\^. '•->". i'gi''-''--^?'A'^yiv?'t m BR 555 .03 P73 1914 Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Board of Home Ohio rural life survey. 7 ~' o"^ CKurc-^n and Count-T^ _ i , -_ , RURAL LIFE SURVEY OF GREENE COUNTY OHIO MAP OF OHIO. THE COUNTIES SURVEYED ARE INDICATED BY A STAR Shaded counties included in this studj' INTRODUCTION The series of studies in the following pages is the result of a surve}' of various aspects of rural life made during the summer of 19 1 3 under the auspices of the Ohio Rural Life Survey. The field work in Greene County was done and assistance rendered in the preparation of the report by Mr. Fred L. Black, of Miami University. Financial assistance was rendered by the National Board of the Young Women's Christian Association and by rep- resentative farmers of Greene County. Special mention should be made of the valuable assistance and suggestions made by Mr. William Cook, County Agricultural Agent, by Mr. Harvey Elam, and by the Secretaries of the Christian Associations. In the study entitled "Rural Life in Greene County," as well as in the discussion of conditions in Clermont County, only economic, ethical, recreational, social, educational, and religious conditions are discussed. Phases of the problem related to village life and to moral conditions are included in special studies, and will be published separately. Special mention should be made of assistance rendered in Clermont County by Mr. W. E. Steiner and Misses Helen Brad- ley and Marjorie Hulick, who assisted in field work. Mr. Steiner also assisted in the preparation of the report on conditions in Clermont County. Special mention is due also to Reverend B. B. Lavender, Batavia, O., to Reverend Harris, Milford, O., to the Social Service Commission of the Episcopal Church, and to the Board of Home Missions of the Presbyterian Church for financial assistance. Paui. L. Vogt. Miami University, March, /, /p//. [3] CONTENTS Introduction 3 Greene County " ' ' 5 Physical Environment 5 Economic Conditions 6 Farm Ownership 7 Crops 7 Live Stock 8 Population 8 Recreational and Social Conditions . 9 Educational Conditions 13 Material Equipment 14 Librar}' Facilities i4 Teachers 16 Township High Schools 20 Township Supervision 24 Summary of Educational Conditions 28 Religious Life 30 Growth 33 Attendance 34 Finances 36 Pastors 37 Sunday Schools 38 Summary of Religious Life 40 Summary of Survey of Greene County 41 Clermont County 43 Physical Environment 45 Economic Conditions 46 Farms 48 Roads and Markets 48 Products 49 Agricultural Advantages 50 Population 51 Recreational and Social Conditions 52 Religious Life 60 Church Growth 63 Attendance 67 Finances 69 Sunda}' Schools 70 Pastors 73 Summar\' of Religious Life 75 Educational Conditions 76 Equipment .... 77 Teachers 77 Libraries 80 Summary of Clermont County. 81 A DESCRIPTION OF GREENE COUNTY Greene County is a member of that very fertile group of counties in southwestern Ohio drained by the two Miami Rivers and their tributaries. It is bounded on the north by Clark, on the east by Madison and Fayette, on the south by Clinton and Warren, and on the west by Montgomery County. Its area is 415 square miles. The county lies within the area covered by the glacial drift. This is a deposit of clay, sand, gravel and boulders, which was carried southward from the region of the lakes and deposited in its present position by glaciers. The weathering of the drift pro- duced the county's fertile soils. These soils include: first, the black upland soil, excellent for corn and blue grass, formed by the weathering of the drift, where it lay in fiat tracts — a soil found especially in the eastern townships; second, the common upland clay soil; third, the rather dark-colored and very pro- ductive soil known as "sugar land" or the bottom lands of the valley. The deposits of the drift have been spread all over the county, reducing the roughness of the surface and hiding many ancient channels. The lowest land is found on the southern boundary of the Little Miami, and ranges between 700 and 725 feet above the sea. The highest land is found in the northern part of the county, ranging around 11 00 feet above sea level. Greene County has an excellent water supply. A greater propor- tion of the water is derived from springs and the streams flowing from them than is usual in this section of the state. The county has an average annual temperature between 51° and 52° Fahrenheit. The average dates for the last killing frosts in the spring for most of the count}^ vary between April 30 and [5] 6 MIAMI UNIVERSITY May 5, and for the first frosts in autumn between September 30 and October 5. The average number of days in the crop growing season varies from 150 to 160. This climate renders the section well suited to diversified agriculture. The roads are generally well improv^ed. In 191 2, of 754.5 miles of public road, 594 miles or 78.7 per cent, were gravel. But 86 miles of mud road remained. This count}^ as is the case with many other counties in southwestern Ohio, has roads lead- ing diagonally to the principal shipping points; and thus time is economized and traffic facilities are increased. The county has good railway and electric transportation facilities to Dayton, Springfield, and Columbus; and thus the larger consuming centers in this part of the State are brought within easy reach. The farmers in the county are investing rapidly in automobiles as a necessary equipment of the farm plant. ECONOMIC CONDITIONS Greene Count}^ is and always has been primarily an agricul- tural county. 97.4 per cent, of the land area is in farms. The soil is especially adapted to the raising of corn, wheat, potatoes, and forage crops. Sand, building stone, and limestone are the only mineral resources of the county. These are of little com- mercial importance. The following tables show the comparative number, area and value of farms in 1900 and 19 10. TABLE I No. and area of Farms. 1900 1910 Per Cent. De- crease or Increase No. of all farms 2,637 265,600 256,172 214,388 2,575 265,600 258,698 220,693 2.3 decrease 0.0 0.9 increase 2.9 increase Approximate land area, acres Land in farms, acres Improved land in farms, acres 85.3 per cent, of the land in farms in 19 10 was improved. A RURAI. LIFE SURVEY OF GREENE COUNTY TABLE II Value of Per Cent. Per Cent. Farm 1900 1910 Increase Total Property Value Land $10,929,480 $17,213,360 57-5 70.0 Buildings . 2,753,040 4,276,207 54.8 17.4 Imple- ments and machinery 395,310 518,864 31.3 2.1 Domestic animals, poultry and bees. 1,627,545 2,595,419 59-4 10.5 Total . . . $15,715,375 $24,603,850 56.6 1 00.0 Over 86 per cent, of the farms are under 175 acres in size and 60 per cent, are between 50 and 175 acres. The average acreage per farm is 100.5. ^^^ average value per acre of farm land in 1900 was $42.66; in 1910, $66.54, an increase of $23.88 per acre or 56 per cent. 59.5 per cent, of the total number of farms were operated by owners in 19 10. The following table shows the number of farms and the acreage classified according to the manner of operation. TABLE III Operation of Farms, 1910 Number Acres Av. No. acres Per Farm Owners Renters . • 1,531 1,004 40 137.966 113,416 7,316 90.1 112. 9 TVTanao'prs 182.9 Total 2,575 258,698 100.5 Rented farms and those operated by managers are larger than those operated by owners. The following table shows the principal crops of the county listed in the order of the acreage. The yield per acre is compared MIAMI UNIVERSITY with that of the state. In three instances, — corn, hay and forage crops, and barle}' — the county average is above that of the state. TABLE IV Principal Crop Corn Wheat Hay and forage. . . Oats Acres County yield per acre State yield per acre 75,268 30,213 24,701 12,138 47.8 bu. II .7 bu. 1 4T. 28.2 bu. 40 . 2 bu. 16.7 bu. 1.3 T. 32.2 bu. Practicall}^ all grain is sold at the local elevators; cattle and hogs are sold to local bu3'ers and the stock yards in Dayton; milk, poultry, eggs, and butter are sold to Xenia. Dayton and Springfield dealers. The Springfield, Dayton and Columbus markets are all easily reached from any place in the count3^ PEDIGREED LIVE STOCK Greene County has not only a national but an international reputation for pure-blooded registered live stock. Prizes have been won repeatedly at state fairs and at the international live stock shows held annually at Chicago. The county boasts of several stables of fine horses; of herds of Shorthorn, Aberdeen- Angus, Hereford, Red Poll, Polled Durham, Jersey, Polled Jersey, and Guernsey cattle; of flocks of Merino, Oxford Down, South- down, Shropshire Down, Cotswold, Hampshire Down, Lincoln and Cheviot sheep; of showy herds of Poland-China, Chester- White, Duroc-Jersey and Berkshire swine; and many fancy flocks of poultry of various kinds. POPULATION Of the total population of Greene County, numbering 29,733, 25.760 are white and 3,973 or 13.4 per cent, are colored. Both white and colored population decreased during the past decade. The white population decreased more rapidly than the colored; and thus the per cent, of colored increased from 12.8 to 13.4. Greene County has the largest percentage of colored popu- lation of all the counties in the state. This may be due in part A RURAL LIFE SURVEY OF GREENE COUNTY 9 to the location of Wilberforce University within its Hmits. The total number of colored people, including three Orientals in the county, was 3973 in 19 10. Of this number, 2053 or 51.7 per cent, lived in the city of Xenia. There were 107 colored farmers, —number in families not stated,— and the remainder were located in villages. Aside from the negro situation, the tendency is toward greater homogeneity in the population. But 2.8 per cent, of the total population were foreign born white in 1900, and this proportion was reduced to 2 per cent, in 19 10. 61 out of a total of 2575 farmers were foreign born. This tendency toward homogeneity in population will become the basis for a stable rural culture when the county is once organized along lines adapted to present needs. RECREATION Greene County is above the average in the amount and quality of recreational life in the rural districts. This may be in part due to the educational and religious standards of the com- munity. Both these influences are working toward further advancement in bringing about harmony in the community, as well as cooperation and friendly social relationship. The general meeting places for informal conversation for both men and boys are the streets and stores of the towns. The young people do most of their courting in buggies and at their homes. The Grange— In addition to the county agricultural society which provides a county agricultural adviser, Greene County has four granges, which have a total membership af 3S4 and hold two meetings a month each. At each meeting the average attendance is 26. One grange conducts a five-number lecture course each year. Two of the four active organizations, both located in the same township, during the past year gave together ten socials and four open meetings. The other two had literary programs each meeting and also gave a number of socials. Each summer a county grange picnic is given, for wdiich several authoritative speakers on farm topics are secured. These picnics are open to the general public and last all day. lo MIAMI UNIVERSITY The}^ are very well attended by people from both the towns and the country. After the speeches, a baseball game is pla3'ed between a picked team from the granges and some other amateur team from the county. Reimions — The family and community reunions have been impor- tant factors in the rural life of Greene County. One number of the Xenia Gazette contained news of sixteen famih^ reunions. Kil Kare Park, three miles west of Xenia, in August, 19 13, was the sciene of eighteen reunions and picnics. One of the townships in the fall of each year holds a home-coming with an average attendance of from 400 to 500. Frateryial ayid Other Organizations — There are 46 fraternal and other organizations. These have a total membership of 2450 and an average membership of 54. The total number of meetings a month is 133 with a total attendance of 816, or an average attendance of 18. These organizations have manj^and varied social activities consisting of socials, banquets, festivals, literary and musical meetings, hikes, camps, picnics and anniversaries. Dajices — Dances are the exception. Few are given in public halls, and practically none in the homes. A number are held in the two parks, Kil Kare and Neff , but these are usually made up of parties from Springfield and Dayton. The members of the churches and with but one exception the pastors in the county oppose dancing because it is against church traditions and is believed to be immoral. The County /^<2z>— The county fair given in August of each year is to many of the country people a week of recreation. The races, the display building, and the shows are well attended. The total attendance in 1913 was over 16,000. Chautanquas — Two eight-day Chautauquas are held each year. The Antioch Chautauqua is held in NefF Park at Yellow Srings, and the Jamestown Chautauqua at Jamestown. Both, although they do not make money for their promoters, are able to pay expenses each 3^ear. The following from the folder of the Antioch Chautauqua gives an excellent idea of the recreational value of Neff Park. A RURAIv LIFE SURVEY OF GREENE COUNTY ii "The Chautauqua grounds are ideal for tenting purposes; there is no more beautiful spot in Ohio for such recreation. The famous yellow spring that flows over one hundred gallons per minute furnishes an exhaustless supply for drinking pur- poses. The beautiful lake supplies boating and bathing privi- leges. The devil cascades, and two flowing streams that thread their way amidst fantastic rocks through picturesque glens, join the Little Miami below, and the massive oaks and walnuts which cover the hundred acres of parks carpeted with a fine growth of grass and wild flowers all unite to make these grounds one of the finest camping sites in Ohio." Pool Rooms — There are twelve pool rooms outside of Xenia. The great percentage of their patronage comes from the young men eighteen to thirt}' j^ears old. The average closing hour is eleven p. m. Shows — There are five moving picture shows. Four of these are open three times a week, a fifth but once, vSaturday night. These have an average attendance of from 200 to 400 a week. Theatrical performances and travelling circuses are rare. None are found outside of Xenia. The people from the north- ern and western part of the county go either to Dayton or Springfield for the opera, the theatre and the circus. Ball Teams — There are eight organized ball teams. In but two places is Sunday baseball played, aud this is strongly opposed by "the church people of both communities. TABLE V Recreation in Connection with Church Organizations Organization No. Reporting Picnics Christmas Festivals Socials and Others Sunday School Young People's Societies Ladies' Aid Woman's Missionary. . . Others 59 30 31 20 2 38 39 40 100 109 57 16 Total 142 38 29 322 12 MIAMI UNIVERSITY The social meetings for the Sunday School named in order of popularity were Children's Day, Mother's Day, Easter Socials, Rally Day, Thanksgiving Socials, and class socials. No organi- zations except Sunday Schools gave socials, festivals or picnics. RECREATION IN THE vSUB-DLSTRICT PUBLIC SCHOOLS 43 schools reported in answer to the question as to the kind of games played bj^ children during recesses. All gave running games such as blackman. drop-the-handkerchief, baseball, basket ball, etc. 86 schools reported 207 literary and musical entertain- ments for the year 191 2- 13. These were open to the pubic and were given on Friday afternoons. Some of the townships have a mass day exercise at the close of the school 3'ear. This is under the direction of the superintendent. Parents and others present, or former residents of the township, bring well-filled baskets and A Valuable Socializing Agency Mass day, Beaver Creek Township High School A RURAL LIFE SURVEY OF GREENE COUNTY 13 remain all day. The average attendance ranges from 600 to 800. Eight of the townships had mass da}- exercises at the close of the year 19 12- 13. These community gatherings around the school as a center become powerful agencies for unifying the interests of people and have large possibilities for the formation of public opinion. The above outline of social life indicates that the church and the school are the great recreational and social centers of com- munity life. Greene County should look forward to the develop- ment of adequate recreational centers at the high schools. The beginning of the work of relating the schools to the recreational life of adults as well as children has already been made by the mass day exercises, and the lecture courses. The grange has a very es- sential part to perform in the work of neighborhood renewal. More healthful outdoor social life is needed and should not be displaced by the stifling atmosphere and environment of the com- mercialized moving picture show and questionable resorts of neighboring cities. The school, the church, and the farmers' organization must cooperate in developing the highest social and recreational life possible in the rural communit3\ EDUCATIONAL CONDITIONS • I — General Features. The most accurate register of the cultural characteristics of a people is to be found in their educational condition, especially in the efficiency of the public school system. The public schools as social institutions are indices of either an intelligent and progressive people or an ignorant and non-progressive people. The public schools in Greene County are among the best in the state. An extended discussion of the educational conditions in Greene County is rendered unneces- sary by recent state legislation dealing with rural schools. The advanced state of education in this county, however, justifies an outline of its more important features for the sake of a wider public interested in knowing of methods of work and results. The township is the unit of school management in the county. Eleven of the twelve townships have the township supervision system. 14 MIAMI UNIVERSITY In 1905, an attempt was made to unify the administration of the public schools of the county by organizing the Greene County School Boards Association. This included every school board in the county. Its purpose was to foster the interests of the public schools of the county by systematizing and harmoniz- ing their work, by promoting a better gradation, by urging a uniform selection of text books, by raising the standard of the teaching force and by promoting needed school legislation. The organization lasted but a year; yet it accomplished one very definite result: it started the different school boards to investi- gating conditions in their own townships, and seven oat of eleven townships having supervision have instituted the system since then. The association died because some of the main promoters were not re-elected to office and many of the others lost interest. But much of recent educational progress in the county may be traced to this attempt at county organization of the school system. 2 — Material Fqiiipment. There are 103 country school houses in the count}^ 95 of these being one-room-one- teacher schools with six or eight grades. The other eight elementary schools have two or more rooms with from two to three teachers. There are no regular consolidated schools in the county. In two in- stances, the pupils are transported from one sub-district to another. All the school buildings are in a fair state of repair. The majority of them are brick, ranging in size from 26 x 40 to 36 X 40. But 5 per cent, of the school grounds are less than one-half acre in size. The State School Survey reports 32 per cent, or over in this category in the state at large. 79. 7 per cent, range between one-half and one acre. The proportion for the state is less than 46 5 per cent. The remaining 15.3 per cent, are one acre or over. There are but two separate sub-districts in the county maintained for colored children. J — Libraiy Facilities. Greene County has an unusual foundation for the development of an adequate library system for the county. In June, 1913, the Xenia City Library with its 14,000 A RURAL IvIFE SURVEY OF GREENE COUNTY 15 volumes was turned over to the county, and is now available to the county teachers and pupils. The appropriation for the first year was limited to $2,300, but the library has with the facili- ties available given to every teacher in Greene County the opportunity to draw ten books, either bearing on his work or general reading. Fifteen or twenty teachers have so far availed themselves of this opportunity. The library is available for the use of every citizen of Greene Count}. Talks have been given at the teachers' associations and at the farmers' institutes explaining the work of the library. Special lists of books dealing with rural life have been published and distri- buted. Fifty-eight of the rural schools investigated reported as to the number and value of books in their libraries. Eight had no libraries whatever, and five of the eight did not cooperate with any other library. Thirty-one libraries had from 10 to 40 volumes with values ranging from $5 to $35; fifteen had libraries of from 50 to 100 volumes, valued at $15 to $75; four had over 100 volumes. Nineteen of the fifty report Hbraries having no cooperation with others. The high school libraries are de.scribed elsewhere. ^—Attendance. Greene County, by the 19 10 census, ranked sec- ond in the state in the percentage of school enrollment on the school enumeration. This enrollment was 75.4 per cent. The percentagefor the entire state was but 66.1. 93.2 per cent, of the children in the county six to fourteen years old were at- tending school. Four of the township supervisors are attempting to better the average daily attendance by sending monthly reports to the parents. These reports show the enrollment, average daily at- tendance, etc. , for all the schools in the township. Each school is given a ranking, and every effort is made to better the attend- ance and work of the pupils by keeping in touch with the par- ents. Following is a sample report, one of which was sent to each parent having children in school in the township. i6 MIAMI UNIVERSITY Report of the Spring Valley Tp. Schools for the month ending Nov. 22, Districts 123456789 Total Enrollment 13 i7 21 17 U 21 20 7 3i I74 Av. da. att 12 16 16 16 11 19 19 6 30 158 0/0 Av. da. att. on enrollment 93 94 76 94 82 93 95 86 97 97 No. daN s taught 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 No. school hrs. lost.. 300000000 3 No. visitors o i 9 2 o 3 6 o 4 25 No. cases of tardiness 10 4 2 3 2 i i o 17 42 No pupils present everyday 6 11 12 10 6 15 12 4 21 109 No. cases of corp. punishment 001040000 5 No. cases of cont. diseases o o 4 o o o o o o 4 No. of truants o o o o o o o o o o Rank in ^y att 4 3 7 6 4 2 5 i i — Whose per cent, of attendance is above the average, 91? Who has the fewest number tardy? Who has the greatest number present every day? The contagious disease in No, 2 is chicken pox. One hundred and nine pupils didn't miss a day— this is fine. Our Schools will close for the Holidays Tuesday evening, December 24, and re-open Thursday morning, January 2, 1913. We wish all a "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year." Again let us be reminded that we should cover one-third of work of the second term by the holidays— Arithmetic and English need careful guarding. How manv schools dismiss before 3.30 Standard? Dec. 10, 191 2. Supt. -— The Sub-district School Teachers. Data as to education, exper- ience and permanency were obtained from 98 of the 1 1 3 rural school teachers in the county. Of these 74 were females, and 24 males. TABLE VI EducationaIv Preparation of Rurai, Teachers Training Number Per Cent. High School and College High School and Normal High School II 15 39 12 12 12 3 16 g 43 -S Grade School and Normal Grade School 13-5 13 5 Total reporting 89 100. A RURAL LIFE SURVEY OF GREENE COUNTY n The total number reporting high scliool training and better was 65 or 73 per cent. The total reporting normal training was 27 or 30.5 per cent. The teaching experience of the rural teachers is shown by the following table. TABLE VII Teaching Experience Number 3^ears No. Teachers Per Cent. One year or less Two years or less Three years or less Four years or less Five vears or less. 26 10 1 1 7 10 7 18 29-31 1 1 . 2 1 12.4 [> 70 9; State 60,0 7.8 1 1J.2J ^7 ^JJ2S,i;State40 Six years or less Seven 3'ears and over.... Total 89 100. Forty-seven or over one-half of the teachers reporting have not had more than three years' experience. As compared with the state school survey report the length of experience of teachers in Greene Countv is less than that for the state. TABLE VIII Grade of Certificates Held Bv Teachers. Grade of Certificate Number Teachers Per Cent. County Per Cent. State One year Two vears 45 28 10 9 - 2 47-9 29.8 10.6 9.6 2. 1 0.0 58.4 26.3 7-4 4 4 2 .0 1-5 Three years Five years Eight vears . Life...' Total 94 100 . 100. As is shown by the above table, 47.9 per cent, or nearly one- half of the teachers have but one 3'ear certificates. The grade R S [2] i8 MIAMI UNIVERvSITY of certificates compares favorably with the state as shown by the Rural School Survey. The tendency for teachers to remain but a short time in one position is shown by the following table, which gives the number of years taught in previous and present positions. TABLE IX Permanency of Position No. years One or less . . . Two Three Four Five Six More than six In Present In Pre District Dist No. Pet. No. ! 46 50.5 II ^7 18.7 12 13 14 3 13 4 4 4 2 1 6 6 6 3 ! I I . I ^ i 4 4 4 5 1 Pet, 23 26 28 4 6 o 10 The percentage of years in the present district, according to the State School Survey, is 70.6 percent, one year or less; 9.8 per cent, two years; 5. 6 per cent, three to six years; 13.6 percent, more than six. Forty-six, more than one-half, were teaching for the first time. Fift}^ per cent, had been two years or less in the pre- vious district. The more rapid change of teachers in this county should be noted. The teachers are selected b\- the township school boards. In seven of the townships having supervision, the judgment and ad- vice of the superintendent are asked and usually followed. TEACHERS' MEETlNGvS Teachers' meetings are held in each township having super- vi.sion at least once a month, usually in one of the schoolhouses. The program consists of a general discussion and inspection of the past work of the pupils. One superintendent conducts some of the teachers' meetings on the normal plan. If a teacher has shown marked abilit}' in A RURAI. LIFE SURVEY OF GREENE COUNTY 19 teaching some subject, the other teachers of the township are brought in to observe her methods. More than half the teachers in this county Uve within two miles of the school where they teach. Fifty-seven teachers reported as to the number of recitation periods a day. The results are as follows: TABLE X No, Recitations Per Day No. Teachers Reporting Under 20. 20 to 24 . . 25 to 29 . . 30 to 34 . 35 and over Total 6 7 19 16 6 57 Per Cent. County 144 12.3 .33-3 28.1 15-9 1 00.0 Per Cent. State 24.2 23.2 21.5 19.2 II. 8 100. o The average length of a recitation was twelve minutes. Comparison with the State percentage is again unfavorable. An attempt is being made by some of the supervisors to lessen the number of recitations by having the teachers combine two or three classes in the study of a special subject like agriculture. WAGE SCHEDULES In some of the townships of the county, teachers are paid a flat rate, but in one or two instances wages are paid according to experience. The following is the schedule of wages now being paid in one of the townships: One year certificate, with or without experience, $45. Two year certificate, wath one or more 3-ears' experience, $50. Three year certificate, with three or more years' experience, $55. Three 3 ear certificate, with four or more year's in the town- ship, $60. One township school board passed a regulation last year to increase the salaries $2.50 a month of those teachers who attend summer normal colleges. 20 MIAMI UNIVERSITY The average tnonthl}' wages of a rural teacher range from ^45 to $50, in the different townships, and the number of weeks taught range from 32 to 36. HIGH vSCHOOLS Five of the twelve townships have high schools. Two of these are located in the open countr}^ the other three in small Beaver Creek Township High School. villages. There are five other village high schools in the county and one city high school, making a total of eleven in the county. Of these schools eight are first-class, and two are second-class. One of the sub-district schools offers two 3^ears of high school work which are accepted by the other high schools of the count}'. Sixty-two out of sixty-six of the sub-district shools reported having sent 337 pupils to the high schools during the past five years. Four of the sixty-six reported having sent none. A RURAL LIFE SURVEY OF GREENE COUNTY 21 During the year 1912-13, the five township high schools had an enrollment of 198. Of these, 102 were boys and 96 girls. The open country high schools require special mention. The Beaver Creek Township High School, which offers a four- year course and is ranked as a first-class high-school, is a three- room brick structure. It has good accommodations — a commo- dious hallway and a hot air furnace heating system. $1 1 ,000 has been appropriated for the purpose of building an extension that will be us'^d for laboratories and an auditorium that will seat seven hundred. The school has been using the K. of P. Hall across the road for an auditorium. The 3'ard, covered with 120 large trees and a heavy growth of grass, and sloping gradually toward the road, is truly an ideal spot for the school. At the back of the plot is the school barn, an L-shaped building, large enough to accom- modate thirty rigs and horses. The stalls are assigned for the year on the opening day of school. It is never necessary to un- hitch outside — a convenience which eliminates w^et feet and clothes. A farmer living near by furnishes good straw bedding and keeps the barn in good condition for the manure. Since its establishment in 1888, one hundred and seventy- eight pupils have graduated from this school. Ninety were boys; eighty-eight w^ere girls. The following table gives some idea of the benefit to the community of this country high school. TABLE XI Year Number Graduating Number Class Entering College Per cent. 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 IQI I . . 13 6 4 7 II 6 5 14 5 9 6 2 7 6 4 2 9 5 70 100 50 100 54 67 40 64 I9I2 100 Thirteen of the fifty who entered college have been graduated 22 MIAMI UNIVERSITY In 1905, 1907 and 1912, the entire graduating classes continued their school work. The pupils have their athletic association, to which all be- long. Tlie}^ have regular baseball, basketball, and football teams that play teams representing the other high schools of the count3^ The walls of this school are adorned wath copies of the world's famous pictures, very artistically framed and placed where they will receive the best light. The high school library contains 1256 volumes, not includ- ing the many classics and government reports. The selection is composed largelj- of literar}" and reference works. In it are, the New Enc3xlopaedia Britannica and Chamber's Encyclopaedia; the Webster's New International and Standard Dictionaries; Stoddard's and Burton Holmes' Travel Lectures, Warner's Library of the World's Best Literature, and many other standard w^orks well worth mentioning. The high school also makes use of the State Circulating Library. At one time during the spring of 191 3, seven hundred volumes were received from this source. In Bot- any and Physiology, microscopes are furnished, one for the use of two pupils. During the holiday week of 191 3 five instructors from Ohio State Universit}^ conducted an extension school in the high school building. Domestic Science and Agriculture were the subjects taught. Caesar Creek Towmship maintains a second grade high school. In the school 3^ear 191 2- 13, twenty-nine pupils w^ere en- rolled. Three boys and two girls graduated in that year. The building was erected in 1909 at a cost of $6,000. The school barn conveniently accommodates sixteen horses and rigs. An annual lecture course of five numbers is given in the high school under the direction of the superintendent. The tw^o rooms can be converted into one for these occasions, and wall seat 200. During the four years these courses have been running, full houses have been the rule and they have always paid finan- cially. Monthly literary and musical programs are given by the pupils to which the public is invited. The average attendance at these entertainments ranges from 100 to 150. A RURAL LIFE SURVEY OF GREENE COUNTY AGRICULTURE 23 In the sub-district schools of two townships the regular course in agriculture is supplemented by questionnaires sent to each pupil by the supervisor. In these townships the pupils have also taken up the ''Home Garden" work. Last year there were forty gardens. From four to six children in each school receive flower and vegetable seeds early in the spring. These seeds are Caesar Creek Township High SchooL sent to the supervisor by the United States Department of Agri- culture. The supervisor plots the garden and later inspects the crops. The pupil who does not keep his or her garden in good condition is not supplied with seed when it is distributed the following year. SCHOOL EXHIBITS The school exhibit at the county fair was started in 1905 by one of the township superintendents showing some of the draw- ings and clay work made by the pupils of his township. He displayed these in a tent on the fair grounds. This was the beginning of the Educational Hall, which was built the very next 24 MIAMI UNIVERSITY 3-ear. In 190S the annual exhibit had so outgrown its headquarters that it was necessary to add a much larger wing to the original building. Seven of the twelve townships took part in this exhibit in 1913. At the Ohio State Fair in 191 2 Greene County won the first prize of $125 in the school exhibitfor southwestern Ohio. Bath, Cedarville, Miami, New Jasper, Ross and Spring Valley were the townships that took part in this exhibit. $100 of the amount was distributed among the six townships, and $25 was given as a special prize to New Jasper and Spring Valley townships. The prize money was spent for literary and supplemental books for the schools. vSPECIAL DISTRICT There is but one special school district in the county. This is in Beaver Creek Township, and ha.s been in existence but two years. This school is not supervised by the township super- intendent. TOWNSHIP SUPERVISION The educational buildings at the fair grounds, the school exhibits, uniform examinations, better attendance, less truancy, teachers' meetings, home gardens, better kept school buildings, and increased public sentiment in tavor of better schools are some of the benefits that have resulted from township supervision. It made it posssble in 191 2 for Greene County to win the south- western Ohio School exhibit prize of $125 at the Ohio State Fair. Township supervision is not a new thing in this county. Beaver Creek Township was the first in the state to try it. At present eleven of the twelve townships have the supervision system. 96 of the 104 sub-district schools in the county are supervised. This system is bringing about unity and gradual raising of standards in the work of the sub-district schools. In no case is the superintendent attempting to take away the individ- uality of the teachers. The definite direction which supervision gives to the work furnishes a background upon which the teacher can base orginality and meet the particular requirements of the pupils. A RURAL LIFE SURVEY OF GREENE COUNTY 25 In one township the superintendent quite frequently take as teacher's place for an afternoon and sends the teacher to some other school to observe the methods of a teacher who has shown special ability in handling some subject. THE EDUCATIONAL PREPARATION OF THE NINE TOWNSHIP SUPERVISORS 1911-12 Three of the nine superintendents are college graduates. Five have had normal training. All but two have had high school training and better. Eight hold high school teaching certificates, ranging from one to eight 3 ears. The average salary received is $qoi, but three of the nine superintendents receive more than this average. The superin- tendents who receive more than this average serve the entire 3'ear, but all of them do other work during the summer vacations. 19.5 years are the average teaching experience of these superintendents. The lowest is 7 3^ears; the highest, 50 years. In two of the townships, the supervision is merely nominal, the superintendents devoting nearly all their time to teaching. TIME DEVOTED TO SUPERVISION One township receives full time supervision. Six townships receive half time supervision. Two townships, one-tenth time. Two townships, one twentieth. One township, no supervision. The one woman supervisor teaches a sub-district school and supervises four others. Two years ago her school published a complete history of the school since its founding in 18 16. For the past two years the following questionnaire has been sent to each of the pupils of the township. This must be answered in letter form, which makes it serve two purposes, — the first to interest the pupils in agriculture, the second to stimulate practice in letter writing. A SCHOOL AGRICULTURAL REPORT Questions to be answered in the form of a letter I. Do 3^ou have pets? Write an interesting paragraph about them. 26 MIAMI UNIVERSITY 2. Do you own chickens or other poultry ? What profit are they to you ? 3. Do you own any domestic animals? Were they given to you or did you earn or buy them ? 4. Do you have a bank account or other investment? Where? How much ? Do you "save" regularly ? Do you buy your own clothes ? Do you appreciate the value of $1.00? A Progressive Country School. 5. What chores do you do? Every day? 6. Can you milk, churn and make butter? 7. Can you harness a horse, hitch a horse, drive a horse ? 8. Can you wash and iron? Sweep and dust and "tidy" a room Make a bed ? How ? When ? 9. Can you cook a meal ? Bake bread, cake or pies? 10. Can you put up fruit, make jams, jellies? 11. Can you sew, darn, mend, sew on buttons, make button-holes or do needle-work of any kind ? 12. Can 3'ou tie three or more kinds of useful knots? Splice a rope? 13. Do you read other books apart from your school work ? Write a paragraph about "The Best Book That I Have Read This Year." 14. How many books in your library? Name them. 15. Do you receive any magazine or paper in your own name? What is it? Name some good magazines. 16. Have you committed any poems, songs, or other good selections of literature this year? What? A RURAL LIFE SURVEY OF GREENE COUNTY 27 17. Does it pay to do right and to act right at all times ? 18. What do you think of tale-bearing? Is it your duty to tell truth about wrong-doing? Why? 19. How should a school-room look? Sound? 20. Do you attend any church or Sunday school ? Where ?" Following are part of the tabulated results of the above questions: Total enrollment of the township, 120; boj^s 56, girls 64. Average, 11 to 12 years. BANK ACCOUNTS Many of the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grade boys and girls had bank accounts, postal savings, or building and loan invest- ments. The highest amount was $100 by a boy; another had over $90; one other, $50. Five girls had $25 each; tA^o, $20; sixteen (boys and girls), from $10 to $12. All the above twenty-six save regularly and buy or help to buy their own clothes. CHORES The boy milkers outnumbered the girls, 30 to 20. The girls did the most of the churning. HOUSE WORK Thirty girls and four boys said they could cook a meal; 42 girls bake bread, biscuit, cake or pies. Fifty-six girls do sewing or needle-w^ork of some kind. Thirty- four boys and sixteen girls could harness and care for horses; ten more, or sixty, could drive. One boy learned to tie 26 different kinds of knots from an article in a magazine; seven boys learned to splice ropes. BOOKS READ All reported some book read apart from school work. Eighty have started libraries of their own. Two special points of improvement over 19 12 were notice- able in the year 191 3 returns. The letters were better written, and many of the pupils who had no pets or did not take nuich in- terest in the things suggested in the questions in 1 9 1 2 had profited by the 19 12 questionnaire and prepared for that of 191 3. 28 MIAMI UNIVERSITY SUMMARY OF EDUCATIONAL CONDITIONS Educational conditions in Greene Count}^ are considerably above the average in many respects. The marked features of the educational work of the county are: 1 . A county library with possibilities of bringing through correspondence with township vSUperintendents, reading facilities to every home in the county. 2. Unusual popular interest in public schools as shown by a high per cent, of school enrollment on school enumeration, the proportion of 3^oung people attending secondary schools and col- leges, the interest in exhibits at county fairs and in contests, and the community attendance at mass day exercises at the close of the year. 3. A higher per cent. (70.9) of teachers with five years or less of teaching experience than is shown by the report of the state school survey (60). 4. A higher proportion of 2, 3, and 5 year certificates than for the state, and a lower proportion of one year certificates. 5. 25.6 per cent, of the teachers in present positions three to five years inclusive as compared with 5.6 per cent, for the state, and a correspondingly lower proportion of teachers having 6 or more years experience. 50.5 have one year or less experience as against 70.6 for the state. 6. An unfavorable showing as to number of recitations a day, 61.4 per cent, have 25 to 35 recitations as compared with 40.7 for the state. Township supervision, while enriching the course of study and grading schools is apt to result in over- crowding of courses and overgrading. The work must be so organ- ized that non-essentials will be omitted and adequate time given to the recitation period. 7. The existence of five township high schools, two of which are in the open country and are representative of the best in the state. 8. The existence of a well-developed system of township supervision which has resulted where adequate time is given to supervision in "educational buildings at the fair grounds, school A RURx\L LIFE SURVKY OF GREENE COUNTY 29 exhibits, uniform examinations, efficient teachers meetings, "home gardens, better equipped school buildings, greater efficiency in teaching and increased public sentiment in favor of better schools. 9. A live, consecrated teaching force working in an environ- ment offering most favorable opportunities for service. 10. Two small colleges in the county, *each sending its quota of efficient workers into the responsible positions in the county and elsewhere, and a due proportion of these graduates returning to enrich the life of the rural community. No constructive suggestions need be given since state leg- islation already made will provide for such readjustment as may be necessary. Emphasis upon agriculture in rural schools, development of secondary education to meet the needs of each community, and correlation of the work of the school with the educational resources and needs of the community should be continued, and rural education in Greene County will continue to be, as it is now, representative of the best in the state. ♦Wilberforee University for colored students is also located in the county. RELIGIOUS LIFE Greene County is typical of those parts of the state which are rich in agricultural resources, and which are far enough from any of the great centers of city life to be but indirectly influenced by them except along the borders. The religious life of Greene County does not present the phenomenon of churches influenced by the presence of persons whose business is in neighboring cities. Xenia, a city of 8700 inhabitants, exerts some influence on the surrounding rural neighborhood. On the economic side and also from the point of view of homogeneity of population, intelligence and traditions, conditions are favorable for the development of a high state of religious and social life. The large proportion of negroes in the county does not offer serious hindrances to develop- ment of the social life of the white population. Greene County has 83 churches. 17 of these are located in the city of Xenia, 38 in the villages and 28 in the open country. 14 colored churches, seven in Xenia and seven in the villages, are included in the number. A study of the accompanying map indicates that such lack of adjustment as exists consists not so much in over-churching as in too great centralization of church life at some points and a comparative lack of facilities for worship at others. The most conspicuous situations that appear to call for readjustment are: (i) Bellbrook, in Sugar Creek Township, with three churches. There is no resident pastor and none of the churches are doing more than holding their owm. (2) Caesar's Creek Township with six very small congregations. (3) An area in Ross Township and another in southern Bath and nothern Beaver Creek w^hich appear to offer promising areas for extension of religious activities. The day has not yet arrived when all the rural population can travel several miles to church and Sunday School any more readily than they can to day school. Until that time comes through the introduction of automobiles, interurban railways and [30] A RURAIv IvIFE SURVEY OF GREENE COUNTY 31 Other means of travel, the effort should be made to provide ade- quate religious services near the homes of the people. Seventeen denominations served by 38 ministers are repre- sented by the sixty-six churches located outside of Xenia as follows: Methodist Episcopal, 17; Christian (Christian and Disci- ple), 7; German Reformed, 6; Friends, 4; Baptist (Primitive), 3- Baptist, 2; Methodist Protestant, 6; Presbyterian, 3; United Presbyterian, 3; Reformed Presbyterian, i; Roman Catholic 2;. Lutheran, i; United Brethren, i; German Baptist Brethren, 2' Mennonite, i; A. M. E., 4; Baptist (colored), 3. Greene County Church Map— Xenia Omitted. KEY TO HAP ^ ChURCH With Rlsiqlnt Himistlr □ ChuFfCH Without Rlsidlnt Mimist^r X fllNISTtR'S RL5\OL^4LE. W Church Without Himimer I Abandome-d Crtuncrt Nu^^LR^L5 Indicate MtbABLRSHiP Imc.,- Increasing DEC.,-DtCRE:^slMe» St., — Stationary 32 MIAMI UNIVERSITY Many of the ministers, as is shown by the converging resi- dence lines (see map), are still serving two, three, and occasionally five churches. Eight of the thirty-eight ministers live outside the county. Fifty-six protestant churches reported an average seat- ing capacity of 292. The total number of church buildings now in use by the white population is equivalent to one church for each 373 persons, and for the colored population the ratio is i to 283- The total church membership in the county outside of Xenia was reported as 6,767. This is exclusive of two small disorganized colored churches at Cedarville and a Catholic Church at Yellow springs, information as to the membership of which was not obtained. The total membership in Xenia is 6153. Including an estimated membership of 400 for the other churches for which accurate data was not obtained, the total church membership of the county is approximately 13,320. This total ma}^ be accepted as representative, because the tend- ency is for membership within the county of persons residing elsewhere to be off-set by the membership in churches elsewhere of persons residing wnthin the county. Of the total member- ship 1779 are colored, 1259 of these having their membership in the city of Xenia and 520 in other churches. The following table will show the status of the population as to church mem- bership: TABLE XII Church Membership Race Population County Church Membership ^Per Cent. White 25,760 3,970 11,541 1,779 44.8 Colored 44 8 Total 29,730 13,320 44.8 * — Cf. Clermont Co. data, 32.3 per cent, page 66, and Butler, Darke and Montgomery Counties, "Rural Survey in Southwestern Ohio," p. 51. A comparison of the membership of churches outside of Xenia with the rural population of 1910 yields a per cent, of 33.5, somewhat higher than the results for Darke, Butler, and Montgomer\' Counties and about the same as for Clermont County. The explanation for the higher percentage of the county doubtless is in the large proportion of country population holding membership in city churches. A RURAL LIFE SURVF.V OF GREENE COUNTY 33 The population data are for 1910, wherea.s the religious data are for 1913. However, the change in either is not rapid enough to invalidate the conclusions reached. Greene County presents a high percentage of membership among the counties studied in southwestern Ohio. Greene County shows better conditions as to church vitality than some of the other counties. Reports were secured as to the increase or decrease in membership of 60 churches as follows: TABI^E XIII Church Growth Churches Total Town Country No. Per Cent. No. 18 6 8 Per Cent. No. Per Cent. Increasing .... Stationary .. . Decreasing . . . 30 12 18 50 20 30 56.2 18.8 25.0 12 6 10 42.8 21 4 35-8 Total..... 60 100 32 100. 28 100 The evidence is that in Greene County as elsewhere the open country church is not holding its own as well as the village church. Both country and village churches are thriving better in this county, however, than in the less favored agricultural counties. Other data secured indicate that this decrease is more nomi- nal than real. Figures as to membership in 1902, 1907 and 1913 were secured from 27 "town" churches and 22 "country" churches representing a total present membership of 5,331 or 74.3 per cent, of the total rural membership with the following results: TABLE XIV Kind of No. Re- Membership Increase or Decrease Church porting 1902 1913 No. Per. Cent. "Town" . .. "Country". 27 22 49 3263 1583 3774 1557 + 511 _ 26 -r 15-7 - 1.6 Total . . . 4846 5331 + 485 + lO.O Rural Population (1900)22917 ( I9I0')2I027 — 1890 _ 8.0 R S [ 8 ] 34 MIAMI UNIVERSITY This record of membership as compared with population in- dicates that the church life in Greene County is considerably above the average. An increase of lo per cent, in church mem- bership while the population has decreased 8 per cent, is, com- paratively speaking, very creditable. The open country churches, considering the decrease in population, have more than held their own. The data for average membership and attendance in rural churches furnish an interesting comparison with similar data col- lected from the churches of the city of Xenia. TABLE XV Membership Average Attendance Morning Service Place No. Churches Reporting 1 1 7 Average Mem'ship No. Churches Reporting Atten- dance White Xenia... Colored Xenia 445* i8o 7 7 311 67 Total Xenia. . . i8 342* 14 189 Villages Open Country . 34 25 135 73 28 13 93 66 ♦Iiieludes one church with mpmbership of 1,-500, and one with membership of fou»- teen. Average for remaining nine is 875. Xenia has two churches with an unusually large member- ship and average attendance. One of them reports an av-erage of 800, and the other 465. These tend to increase the general average for the cit3^ The average attendance for the village and country churches is not large. The average membership per family as determined from data obtained from 32 churches was 2.2. According to the census of 19 10, the average size of Green County families was 3.8. Compared with conditions in other counties, there is a rela- tively small percentage of the churches that have a member- ship under 50. Twelve churches or 19.3 per cent, have under this number. A RURAL LIFE SURVEY OF GREENE COUNTY 35 Complete data as to church attendance were not obtained. The data secured are as follows: TABLE XVI ToTAiv Average Attendance Time No. Churches Reporting Male Female Total Pc. Male Pc. Fem. A. M P. M Evening 33 9 25 1329 170 638 2055 220 883 3384 390 1521 39-3 43-6 48.6 60.7 56.4 51 4 Total 2137 3158 5295 The average attendance at the morning service is the largest. The per cent, of attendance of females is also largest at this period. If this average for the morning service holds good for all the country and village churches, there should be an average attendance for the entire count}^ approximating 6600 people, a number but slightly less than the total rural and village member- A Modern Country Church— Greene County Mt. Zion Reformed Church, Beaver Creek Township. 36 MIAMI UNIVERSITY ship, 6767. Doubtless this percentage of attendance is too large to be representative. The ph3^sical condition of the church buildings is generally good. Over 50 per cent, of the churches have but one room. Nine reported kitchens and dining rooms. Only two churches have horse sheds. 39 per cent, of the buildings are brick. 39 out of 56 or 69.6 per cent, of both the brick and frame buildings were in good condition. 66.1 per cent, or nearly two-thirds of the grounds are reported in good or fair condition. The data as to average expenditures are as follows: TABLE XVII Average Expenditures Item No . Churches Reporting Total Value or Amount Average \^alue or Amount Value of buildings Value of Parsonage Pastor's salary . . Supervision .... Janitor service . . . Fuel and light .... Renairs . .... 57 17 50 21 41 37 19 28 22 24 23 12 $146,200.00 33,700.00 $21,167.00 1,848.00 2,442.00 1,805.00 7,647 00 1,628.00 2,184.00 2,853.00 3,544.00 2,112 .00 $2,565.00 1,982 .00 423 00 88.00 60.00 49.00 402 . 00 Sunday School. . Home Missions. . Foreign Missions. Other Benevolences Other Expenses . . 48.00 99 . 00 1 1 9 00 154.00 176.00 Total Expenses . 42 $26,980.00 $642 .00 Receipts are from two principal sources: subscriptions and collections. The following table shows the relative importance of the different sources: A RURAL IvIFE SURVEY OF GREENE COUNTY TABLE XVIII Average Incomes 37 Form of Incomes No. Churches Reporting 21 25 Total Averag^e Subscriptions Collections $19,160.50 2,730.00 $912.40 158.00 A small amount was received from socials, home mission aid, and endowment, but this was not enough to affect appreciably the total. A rough estimate of the annual financial cost to the county of its religious equipment may be made from the averages arrived at. Interest on Value of Property I 66 churches @ $2,565 per church. . . 17 parsonages Operating expense 66 churches @ . '^6_L'> Der church $169,290® 5% $8,464 00 33.700 @5% 1,685.00 42,372.00 Total l$52,52I.OO Total membership, 7167. Average cost per member, approximately, $7 30. Deprecia- tion of property not considered. This amount is practically the same as is paid per member in Clermont County. Few data were obtained as to the complete educational training of the ministers serving in the county. Of the thirty reporting, nineteen had seminary training and seven others some collegiate preparation. The distribution of the time spent in the present and preced- ing parishes by the ministers is given below. 38 MIAMI UNIVERSITY TABLE XIX Number of Years In Present Parish In Preceding Parish One or under Two 9 6 4 2 5 3 3 I Three Four Five ... Six and over 4 3 6 3 One pastor has served fifty j^ears in the same parish. The average length of service is 4. 7 years. As is shown above, . fifteen or 52 per cent, have been in the present parish two years or less. Seven of the ministers have other occupations in addition to their regular ministerial duties. There are one farmer, five stud- ents, one editor, one machinist, one salesman, one contractor and builder, and one teacher. The average income of eighteen of the pastors in the county is $1048. But four of these are compelled to pa}^ rent for their parsonages. This is much better than the average salary paid to the township school supervisors, w^hich is $901.00. The average amount paid by individual churches has gradually increased. Ten years ago it w^as $389; five years ago, $390; now it is $420. Ten churches report a decrease in expenditures over the ten year period. THE SUNDAY SCHOOL AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS In 61 Sunday Schools reporting, there were 246 teachers engaged. The total enrollment was 5040, and the average attend- ance in 55 Sunday Schools was 3212 or ^S per school. As compared with the 5904 young people under 21 years of age in the small villages and rural districts in Greene Count}^ the total enrollment represents 85 per cent, and the average attendance 54.4 per cent. This average attendance suggests the pos.^ibilities of careful study of local communities wath the purpose of reach- ing a larger proportion of young people. This does not take into consideration the fact that the total enrollment of 50^0 is A RURAL LIFE SURVEY OF GREENE COUNTY 39 made up partly of those over 21 years of age, an item which somewhat lowers the per cent. A condition to be considered is the enrollment of country children in the Sunday Schools of Xenia. This is a limited influence. The Sunday School is the chief source of new members to the church, as is shown by the data obtained. Of the 237 joining church on confession, 229 came from the Sunday School. The comparison of enrollment and average attendance in Sunday School in the villiage and open country is interesting. TABLE XX Sunday School Attendance Item Total Town Country Enrollment Av. enrol. perS. S. [54]*. . • . Av. attendance [55]*- • • • Per cent, of attendance on enrollment. . 5040 93 -3 [33]* 58. 5 [33]* 62.4 3620 io9.7[2i]* 69.6[2i]* 63. 4 [20]* 1420 67.6 41 6 61.6 •Ghurehes reporting. Whereas the enrollment in country Sunday Schools is smaller, the per cent, of attendance is about the same. This speaks well for the standards of the rural population as to regularity of attendance. The per cent, of attendance on enrollment is lower in both cases, however, than is consistent with the highest standards of efiicienc}'. Practically all the Sunday Schools in the county continue for twelve months. There are but five churches without Sunday Schools, and only one Sunday School not connected with a church. Very few reported special equipment, such as blackboards, books» maps, charts, etc. The social life of the Sunday School is discussed elsewhere. There is little doubt that the Sunday School in this county could be bettered by the addition of more social features. No men's social organizations in the churches were reported. The membership and the average attendance at the Young Peo- ples' and the Women's Church organizations are given as follows: 40 MIAMI UNIVERSITY TABLE XXI Organization Young People's Societies Women's Societies Prayer meeting No. Re- L^ , ^. porting I Membership i8 554 Average Attendance 495 46 1556 744 20 3^3 Eighteen churches reported protracted meetings and con- versions in the past year. These meetings averaged fifteen days in length. There were 256 conversions, 210 of the converts join- ing church. SUMMARY OF RELIGIOUS CONDITIONS The characteristic phases of the religious situation in Greene County as brought out by the Survey are: 1. With two or three exceptions, freedom from the usual complications of over-churching. 2. A few sections with inadequate church facilities. 3. A percentage of membership in proportion to total po- pulation for the whole county of 44.8 as compared with 33.5 for the rural and village communities of the county, and 39 for the entire state. 4. Notwithstanding the decrease in population in the county 75 per cent, of the village churches and 64 per cent, of the county churches are either holding their own or are increasing in member- ship. The village churches show the greater vitality, since 56 2 per cent, of these are growing where but 42.8 per cent, of the country churches are growing. On the other hand but 25 per cent, of the village churches reporting are losing ground, while 35.8 per cent, of the country churches are losing ground. Of 49 churches reporting, the membership increase in a ten year period was 10 per cent, whereas during the last census decade, the loj-s of rural population was 8 per cent. 5. Greene County presents the usual characteristics of absentee pastorates and multiplicity of denominations. It does not have as large a proportion of seminary students as pastors as is found in certain other sections of the state. A RURAL LIFE SURVEY OF GREENE COUNTY 41 6. Both churches and Sunday Schools have large opportunity for service in reaching those not brought directly under the influence of these agencies. The Sunday School, and the i^eriod of decision offered in the annual revival, are as yet the principal agencies for extending the influence of the church. At present, when the need of extending and strengthening the social and recreational life of the communities so generally recognized, it would appear that the churches of the county have a golden opportunity to appropriate the social agencies as means of extending their influence; and in turn, the social life of the community under the auspices of religious agencies would have the moral environment and the spirit of service accompanying it which are characteristic of the religious life. 7. Greene County has taken an advanced step in the cordial support given to both the Young Men's and the Young Women's Christian Associations. Both these organizations have been doing a definite service to the young people of the county and have been supplementing the efforts of the church along lines of social improvement. The Young Men's Christian Association has held a number of boys' congresses made up of delegates from all parts of the county. This organization devotes most of its atten- tion, however, to problems within the city of Xenia. The Young Women's Christian Association has extended its activities to different parts of the county and at the close of the last year (19 1 3) had a membership of 150 in the Xenia Camp Fire Girls' Organization, and had branches established in Beaver Creek and Yellow^ Springs. Thus the religious life of the county is gradually being brought into a unified constructive agency for the advance of the social welfare of the community; and in religious activity as in agricultural and educational interests, Greene County ought to continue to be among the leaders in the state. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS OF THE SURVEY OF GREENE COUNTY The conclusion of the survey must be that, comparatively speaking, Greene County is in a high state of social development. It has been shown that there is some lack of adjustment of church 42 MIAMI UNIVERSITY life to the community; that some churches continue to struggle to exist which should merge their eflForts into those of other organi- zations for the benefit of the community; that there is a possibility of a wider influence of the Sunday Schools in the county. But the spirit of progress is such that doubtless these conditions will soon be remedied. The schools are representative of the best in the state, parti- cularly in the effect of township supervision. The schools, more- over, through their mass day programs have exercised a powerful unifying interest in the social life of the country. The moral life should be considered in connection with the recreational life. Evidence exists that the country and particu- larly the villages are brought under the influence of neighboring cities; and for this reason the people of the country have a right through the state legislature to say what the moral influence of the city shall be in the same way that the state shall say what steps the city must take to prevent physical contagion. This right has not been exerted as yet, but doubtless will be before many years have passed. On the other hand, the evidence is that both country and village are still lacking in provision for wholesome amusement for their boys and girls. When adequate, pure recreation is provided, the saloon and vice resorts of the neighboring city wall exert less influence. The county can urge the development of the social center in co-operation with the schools, the Christian Association and the churches. When adequate recreational Hfe is provided, the village and the rural community will be on a much higher plane of social life than at present. Greene Count}" is one of the pioneers in the engagement of a trained social engineer, the County Agricultural Adviser. The utility of the movement has already demonstrated itself, and this county should in time show very marked advancement in all phases of rural life and interest. RURAL LIFE SURVEY OF CLERMONT COUNTY OHIO INDUSTRIAL CONDITIONS IN CLERMONT COUNTY Clermont Count}^ is located on the Ohio River, the second county east of the Indiana line. Its county seat, Batavia, is centrail}^ located, having a population in 1910 of 1,034. It has no town that has an influence over any considerable portion of the county. However, Cincinnati, in the next county, is easil}^ accessible from every part and has a decided influence politically, socially, and morally over the whole county. All its roads, electric and steam, lead to Cincinnati. The topograph}' of the county is such that the county falls into three divisions: the level plateau on the northeast; a wide central strip of hills and valleys, steep declivities and gradual ises; and a narrow strip of river bottom along the Ohio, having a steep ridge for a background. The level plateau contains the best farming land in the county but is rather difficult to drain. A few have tried underground tile drainage, which has proved successful, much to the surprise of the old farmers of the community, who had predicted failure. The central strip of hilly farms contains much waste land that could be utilized for pasturage. The soil is clay with limestone layers underneath. The roads are rolling and not well adapted to travelling or hauhng heavy loads. The Little Miami River along the northeastern border with its East Fork tributary flowing through the central portion of this division drains the greater part of the county. The river section consists of a narrow strip of fertile river bottom land and for a background a steep ridge which forms the water shed between the Miami and Little Miami. The road between Stonelick and Monterey, a distance of six miles, rises 355 feet. The roads from the river to the towns of the central section rise rapidly all the way. There are no mineral resources in the county except limestone, and this is quarried for local use only. The county has no manufacturing centers and is therefore dependent on [45] 46 MIAMI UNIVERSITY agriculture as its chief source of income. The county has a total area of 297, 600 acres (19 10). Of this number, 274, 210 acres are in farms now; in 1900, 274, 880 acres were in farms. Thus there has been a decrease of 670 acres in ten j^ears. The total number of farms has decreased in the past decade and the size has sHghth' increased. The following table shows the relative changes as reported by the U. S. Census: TABLE XXII Size of Farm, Acres Under 10 10 to 99 100 to 259. . . . 260 and above Year I9IO 1900 313 402 2570 2735 963 944 30 32 The marked increase is in fartns of 100 to 260 acres. Farms of under 100 acres have uniformly decreased. Clermont county has shown a tendency toward decrease in tenantry and increase in ownership. The number of farms operated by owners increased from 2698 in 1900 to 2797 1910, while the farms operated by tenants decreased from 1390 to 1042. The number of farms operated by managers increased from 25 to 37- Among the owners of farms there are 2,525 native whites, 238 foreign-born whites, chiefly Jews and Hungarians who have moved into the territory for truck farming, and 37 negroes. Of tenants there are 992 native whites, 23 foreign-born whites, and 27 negroes. The foreign element usually bu}' in groups, and when the foreigners settle in a neighborhood, property falls in value, because the native element will not mix with them and wants to leave. In Pierce Loop there is a large Jewish settlement; at Mt. Carmel village nearly half of the population are Hungari- ans. In both places the native people wish to sell and move out. A RURAL LIFE SURVEY OF CLERMONT COUNTY 47 TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES The roads are uniformly bad and are frequently washed out in places. Little money has been spent upon them either in con- struction or for repairs, for the county, depending as it does up- on agriculture as its only source of income, is financially poor. Out of a total of 1086 miles of road, 435 miles are stone. Prob- ably the greatest obstacle in the way of improvement is the hills, which make necessary an enormous amount of grading before travel can become at all eas}^ The county has the Pennsylvania Railroad in the extreme northwest, the Norfolk and Western through the center, and the Baltimore and Ohio along the river on the Kentuckj^ side. The north is also crossed by the C. M. & L. and the Cincinnati and Columbus electric lines; the central part by the C. A. & P. and the Inter. R. R. and Tr. Co.; and New Richmond on the river is connected with Cincinnati by the southern branch of the Inter. R. R. and Tr. Co. electric line. Each of these roads leads to Cincinnati. They are so well distributed that probably every farm is well within five miles of one or another of these lines. The division of the county into three parts because of its topo- graphical condition and the interests of the inhabitants is also sustained by these roads. There is no communication between the three parts except through Cincinnati, save b}' way of the railroad, which runs only two trains each wa}^ a day, making connection at Milford with the C. M. & L. and the Cincinnati and Columbus Electric Lines. The effect is very evident. The count}^ seat at Batavia has never been visited by many citizens of the county. The count}' is peculiar, in that some of the county officers do not live at the county seat. For instance, the surveyor lives five miles away at Owensville. The teachers' institute is held at Williamsburg on the N. & W., a town difficult to reach. The county fair is held at Owensville, in the northern section, which can only be reached through Cincin- nati or by taking an early train on the N. & W. to Milford and changing to the Interurban. The teachers in the southern divis- ion of the county seldom attend. Many people did not know there was a county fair in Clermont county. At one time each of 48 MIAMI UNIVERSITY these divisions had its own fair. There is no county spirit — no unit}^ whatever. There is continued jealousy. Bethel and Williams- burg are each striving to secure the county seat. The farmers are beginning to realize what the electric lines mean to them. A few have already taken advantage of this new shipping facility, and have started truck, dairy, or fruit farms, sending the product to the commission houses of Cincinnati,' Portsmouth, or Columbus b}' way of the Interurban. They have little or no difficulty in disposinp- of their products. Ver\^ little complaint is heard from the farmers concerning ill treatment by the conmiission men. It is a very common sight to see from twenty to thirty calves herded together in the baggage section of the early morning passenger cars. During the berry season the various lines have special cars in the morning taking the berries from the farms directl_v to the commission houses. All the farmers need to do is bring the berries to the station. Milk cans make an important part of the baggage. The country is well adapted to dairy or fruit farming because of the large acreage per farm that cannot be cultivated. The limestone soil affords good blue grass pasturage, while the valleys of the farms raise good feed. Besides, the land is comparatively low in price and a market with healthy demand is within easy reach. The spirit has been conservative and traditional. The farmer and the villager speak of the great things of the past rather than the future. The}" love to tell stories of their fathers and of how they used to do things. The farmer of this county as yet farms with almost no machinery. To him the farm is a home and not a business establishment. The following table shows the production of crops in the county in 19 lo as compared with the output for the state. It should be noted that only in the production of tobacco is the output greater per acre than the state average. Scientific farm- ing should change this record. A RURAL LIFE SURVEY OF CLERMONT COUNTY 49 TABLE XXIII Production of Crops Corn . . Oats . . . Wheat . . Rye ... Potatoes Tobacco Timothy Clover , . Alfalfa. Acres Bushels Per A. Per A. for Ohio 48,250 1,434,749 29.8 42.5 6,790 158,288 23-3 32.7 14,524 212,409 14.6 16.8 2,424 33,995 14.0 14.0 2,123 i8i'o84 85.3 95.6 4,353 4,304,464 lbs. 988.8 832.1 3i,iiJ 32,648 T. 1.05 1.2 3,090 3,406 T. I.I 1-3 1,264 2,619 T. 2.0 2.5 The chief source of income for years was tobacco. There were a few acres of tobacco raised on each farm. This brought in an income sufficient to maintain the family for the year. The farmer raised corn or wheat, garden vegetables or fruit incidentally. The tobacco always received first attention. The manure was placed on the few acres to be put into tobacco. The remainder of the farm seldom was fertilized. Thus the farm was slowly mined. Very little commercial fertilizer has been used in past years, although now in the plateau and central sections a few farmers are beginning to use it to a small extent. In the river section many small farmers still depend altogether on to- bacco for a living, but in the other sections general farming has been substituted and tobacco is onh^ one of the sources of reve- nue. A few farmers are making a specialt}^ of trucking, dairy- ing, or fruit farming. The central section has many young or- chards started. However, some one is needed to show just how to take care of a fruit orchard. In spite of the state law making spraying obligatory, in only a few cases has spraying been done. A few have made the feeding of hogs a specialty. Prac- tically none of the corn raised is shipped out. The only coopera- tion among farmers is found in shipping hogs. In and around Pike and Williamsburg townships, if one farmer does not have enough hogs to warrant a shipment, he gets some of his neighbors to ship with him. All over the county the farmers R S [4] 50 MIAMI UNIVERSITY either haul their hogs to the cit}^ or ship them themselves. Clermont County is certain in the near future to attract men contemplating going into the fruit, dairy, or truck business. It has the following advantages for each: FRUIT 1. Proximity to market. 2. Ease of marketing because of system of trolley lines. 3. Cincinnati as a market is large enough to consume all the fruit produced in the county. No danger of overstocking the market. 4. Climatic conditions are favorable. 5. Topography is such that the fruit trees are protected from winds, etc. as well as, if not better than in any other part of the state. 6. Limestone soil makes good fruit soil. 7. Small capitalization is needed because of the low priced land. The best farms sell at from $50 to $75 an acre. Every foot of the hills can be utilized in fruit raising. DAIRY 1. The hills afford good blue grass pasturage, leaving little waste land. 2. The valle3\s of the farm are fertile and can supply the grains and feed. 3. Alfalfa has been proved at the experiment farm and b}^ private owners to grow both on the hillsides and in the valleys. 4. Small capitalization because of cheap land. 5. Protection from cold winds etc. because of the topography. 6. Near to demand. 7. Ease of marketing. TRUCK FARMING 1. The one great advantage, proximit}' to market, over- shadows the disadvantage of a seemingly infertile soil. 2. Cheap lands. 3. Ease of marketing. A RURAL LIFE SURVEY OF CLERMONT COUNTY 51 4. There is considerable river bottom land now lying idle or in tobacco that would make fertile truck farms. Postqffices. —Before the days of rural free delivery Clermont County had 59 postoifices, one wherever there was a country store. There are 465 square miles or 297 , 650 acres in the county, making one postoffice to every eight square miles. However, twenty-two of these have been closed within the last ten or fifteen years, leaving 37 postoffices or one postoffice to every 13 square miles. Greene County, which is perhaps an average county, has one postoffice for every 32 square miles. Clermont County is served by 33 rural carriers. In several instances where there is a postoffice a rural carrier drives through the village. The village could be served by the rural carrier, re- ceiving better service and at the same time saving the post- master's salary of $100.00 a year. Union township, with a population of 1,695 i^ 1910, without an incorporated village, has postoffices at Summerside, Glenrose, Gleneste, Mt. Car- mel, Withamsville, Tobasco, and Mervin. A rural carrier from Amelia goes through Mervin, Withamsville, and Tobasco. One from Batavia goes through Summerside and Gleneste and within a mile of Glenrose and Mt. Carmel. A route from Mil- ford goes through Mt. Carmel. All seven villages could be served by these three lines, saving $100.00 a year for each vil- lage besides making the work of the mail clerks easier. Sum- merside circulated a petition almost universally signed peti- tioning the U. S. Postal Dept. to abandon the postoffice at that village, because they could get better service from the rural carriers. However, for reasons unknown to the vil- lagers, the petition was not granted. POPULATION AND NATIONALITY The population of the county has decreased for each decade since 1880. The total decrease since 1880 has been 7162. This decrease has been principally in the open countrj^; the villages have been able to hold their own in population. Only two townships, Miami and Tate, increased in population 52 MIAMI UNIVERSITY during the past census decade. Their increase is due to the growth of the principal villages, Milford and Bethal respectively. The country population in every township has decreased. New Richmond, the largest village of the county, in 1890 had a population of 2,379; in 191 o it had 1,733 — a loss of 646. Batavia, the county seat, in the last decade increased its population by 4. TABLE XXIV NaTIONAIvITY Year White Negro Foreign born White 1910 1900 1890 28.685 30,428 30,043 865 1,183 1,510 1,052 1.330 The population of Clermont County is in general becoming more homogeneous. In one or two sections of the county the proportion of foreign population is much larger, but this is char- acteristic of but a small portion of the county. The colored popu- lation is also absolutely and relatively decreasing. Increasing homogeneit}' is a favorable tendency from a social point of view. SOCIAL AND RECREATIONAL LIFE Clermont County at one time was well adapted to social life. It had a social center within tw^o miles distance of every farm. The farmers gathered there evenings to do their buying and get their mail and would sit around a while discussing topics of the day. The introduction of rural free delivery has changed conditions so that the farmer now has no reason for going to the village store; therefore he sta3^s at home to read the daih' paper. The excellent electric and steam railway connections with Cincinnati make it possible for the young people to go there to work, many to live, many to seek amusement on Saturday and Sunday. This changes the amusement problem at home. The trolley lines of the central and southern portions of the county on Saturday nights are crowded to overflowing. Many of the young people look to the the city for amusement altogether. A RURAIv IvIFE SURVEY OF CLERMONT COUNTY 53 The boys come to the village, hitch their horses, and take the trolley for the city. This lessens the social influence of the village and the country community. The schools are not centers of social life, as they once were. Thirty-one schools report having a total of 41 entertainments, eight of them not having any. However, it must be understood that perhaps two-thirds of these were afternoon entertainments on some special holiday. Three spelling schools and one box social are reported. All others were programs for Christmas, last day. Thanksgiving, Arbor Day, or some other holiday. The various lodges show that the people do not care much for the social life furnished through them. Of the 42 lodges reporting, 24 are increasing and 18 are decreasing. It seems difficult to maintain interest in their meetings and it seems that if it were not for financial benefits derived from them, farmers would not become or remain members. At Ow^ensville the Odd Fellows and Masons both have about one-half farmer membership. For four years they removed "benefits." Nearh^ all the farmers dropped out and at present the two lodges are very weak. They have again inserted the "benefit" clause hoping thereby to draw the farmers back into the lodge. The reasons given for the decreasing membership were usually lack of interest, or that those once interested have moved away. The average member- ship of the organizations in the community ranges from 29 to 68. The average attendance ranges from 9 to 26. Man}^ organizations frequently cannot hold meetings because there is no quorum present. The church takes a decided stand on many of the forms of social activity, doing little to provide social life and at the same time condemning w^hat exists. Two ministers opposed baseball as a form of amusement because, they said, it w^ould draw the young people away from the church — making them indifferent, and because they ought to be earning money instead of playing. All ministers oppose Sunday baseball, because, the}^ say, it is a breaking of the Sabbath. However, they have done little to have baseball during the w^eek. One Methodist minister has organized a team and superintends their games, having a game 54 MIAMI UNIVERSITY ever}^ other Saturday during the summer. Sunda)^ baseball is prevalent all over the county. Where opposition is too strong, the young boys go elsewhere to attend games or to play games. Some of the teams are not allowed to play at home. There are 15 teams in the county. Two of these play on Saturday, one at AmeHa once in two weeks under the auspices of the M. E. church, and one at Milford. Thirteen play on Sunday afternoon. Three of these always play away from home; ten teams are al- lowed to play at home. The players would like to play on Saturday but cannot be- cause they have to work. Bethel Sunday Schools last year voted not to attend any games played on Sunday, and thereby drove the teams to play away from home. This year they are again making a fight against Sunday playing. Felicit}' and Batavia have no teams but the young boys and older ones leave town to seek amusement elsewhere. Where the churches are too weak to oppose them, they play every Sunday. Owensville has had Sun- day baseball for years. At Edenton it is said that on Sunday afternoon nearh^ everyone goes, church people as well as non- church members. They have had Sunday baseball for 3'ears. Motion pictures are opposed b}^ 1 5 ministers and favored by 8. A number of ministers and church officers said that some are good but all must be condemned, because people cannot choose and again because people get the habit. There are six such shows in the county. Everywhere they are well attended in spite of opposition. At Williamburg the pictures are of such low standard that the business people and high school pupils do not attend. Nevertheless this town of 948 population supports two shows, more than any other village in the county. At Batavia different groups of the population attend different shows. At Bethel the boys' Niagara Club, under the leadership of the cashier of the First National Bank, has a moving picture show in the Baptist church twice a week. Each one of the 25 members sells 10 tickets to insure the cost of having the show. The pro- ceeds go to the club. The best pictures available are secured yet they have many of the church people to contend with. In A RURAL IvIFE SURVEY OF CLERMONT COUNTY 55 all incorporated villages the manager of a moving picture show has to pay a license varying from $8 a month to $3 a night. Home talent plays were considered harmful to a community b}^ 3 ministers, while 22 saw no harm in them. The 3 ministers gave for their reasons that such plays are frivolous and detract from the church, and one minister said it broke up his revival meetings last winter. However, not more than 10 home talent plays were given in the county last year, and those were usually to raise money for the support of the church. Armory, Batavia, Ohio. i . m^ h * A Useful Social Center. Dancing is opposed by church people generally all over the county. It was considered harmful by 28 ministers and not harmful by 3. One minister differentiated between home and public dances saying that home dances are not harmful if chaperoned. In some communities there are not enough young people left for dances. Goshen Township has had no dances in 56 MIAMI UNIVERSITY recent years. The southern half of the county is verj^ strongly opposed to dancing. No dances have been held there outside of Felicity, ^Moscow, and New Richmond. Batavia has an armory which is used for a dance hall, and a dance to which all classes pu is held there at least once a month. In Jackson and Stonelick townships dances are more frequent. The church leaders are strongly opposed as a rule but the membership has largely taken to dancing, except in the territory- where the old Wesleyan ideas are strong. Many of the 3^oung people go to Coney Island near Cincin- nati for dancing and other amusement in the summer. Highland Park is frequented by dancing parties. The northern part of the county has a dance hall at Woodland Park. Card playing was considered harmful by 29 ministers and helpful or unharmful by one minister. The active church people all seemed very strongly opposed to this form of amuse- ment. Throughout the county there are small groups of clubs which have card parties at regular stated times — one or two a month. These are found only in villages. Church socials in any form are considered harmful by 4 ministers and helpful by 24. Many of these, however, differ- entiated between a free church social and one the object of which is to raise money for the church. There were only a few of the former. The churches of Clermont County spent $40 for church socials, raising by them $3441 for the support of the church. People seem to be tired of them — there are socials to raise money for the churches, for the schools, for the libraries, as well as for other enterprises, such as baseball teams and orchestras. Three churches had socials in which the members provided the refresh- ments at their own expense in order that the social might be free to all. These socials are well attended and a good spirit prevails. The eleven pool rooms in the county are patronized mosth by the 3'oung people of the villages. 22 ministers were opposed to them and 4 favored them. Parents active in church work in most instances opposed pool as a form of amusement because there by the young boys are thrown into bad company and learn bad habits. A RURAL LIFE SURVEY OF CLERMONT COUNTY 57 Nearly all these pool rooms had some special closing time. The pool room at Batavia frequently was open until midnight or later. At Mt. Carmel the proprietor said that he had kept open until three o'clock in the morning the night before he was interviewed^ He closed whenever the customers went. In some instances no one under i8 years of age is allowed to play. In Amelia no one under i6 years of age is admitted. In several of the incorporated villages a license must be paid and the manager must comply with regulations made by the council. House parties as a form of amusement were favored by 27 ministers and opposed by 2. These two claim that it is a loss of time and that it is a method by which the world draws young people from the church. House parties exclusive of dancing parties are not frequent. Singing schools, though favored by all the ministers, are not in existence in the county. Literary societies were not opposed by ministers but none were found. There are no theaters in the county but many of the wealth- ier class and professional men of the villages go to Cincinnati to the theaters, having to stay there all night. Many others would go were it not for expense and time. The cars do not run so they can return the same night. There were 10 visiting circuses in the county with an average attendance of 240. The circus is opposed by 12 ministers and favored by 13. Agricultural fairs are favored by all ministers and church people generally. The southern part of the county is not well represented at the fair. Some do not know there is one in the county. It is difficult for them to get there. The northern and central part of the county are well represented . It is the social event of the year. The girls have special dresses made for the occasion and look forward to it for weeks. It is distinctly social: many go there to meet people that they know and have not seen since the last fair. Incidentally they look at the exhibits, but that is not what draws them. The races, however, are a great attraction. 58 MIAMI UNIVERSITY Tennis and croquet are indorsed by all ministers who were interviewed. However, only two public courts and one or two private courts are found in the county. Picnics are favored by all ministers and are quite common. Franklin, Washington, and Ohio townships have each a township Sunday School picnic once a year. This is well attended by both Sunday School pupils and others. The Franklin township picnic has a program in the afternoon of music and speeches. Forty A Progressive Boys' Club, Bethel, Ohio. Sunday Schools had a Sunday School picnic within the year and 54 had none. There are many class and private picnics, such as family reunions. The young boys of the village of Bethel have been organ- ized into a club very similar to the Boy Scouts. The boys range in age from 12 to 15. There are 25 members, each one present at the meetings held once a month for an hour and a half. The social meetings are held in the homes of their parents by turns. Each one must attend Sunday School; two successive A RURAIv LIFE vSURVEY OF CLERMONT COUNTY 59 absences result in a fine of 10 cents unless a very good ex- cuse is given. The dues start with one cent, increasing one cent each week until the end of the first half of the year when they start with one cent again. Not one has fallen behind in dues. It encourages them to earn money and to save. The leader gets work for them to do. They rent vacant lots to raise vegatables, the boys doing the work and selling the produce, the proceeds be- longing to the club. They have a motion picture show in a vacant room of the Baptist church. Each boy sells 10 tickets to cover expenses. They do their own advertising. They col- lect papers to sell and turn the proceeds over to the treasurer of the club. In the winter they have a club room for a reading room. Sunday afternoon they meet there for games and reading. They have taken several short walking trips. On one occasion they walked to Cincinnati, taking the train for the return trip. They have raised about $400 in seven months with which they intend to take a trip to Niagara Falls. The railroad company has granted them half-fare rates. The National Bank of Cleveland has agreed to entertain them for a day. The churches of Detroit will entertain them while in Detroit. The boys are all working together and are very much interested in all they are doing for the club. The county has one Chautauqua. It is centrally located and can be reached with little difficulty, yet it is supported only by the people of Batavia village. It has been in existence for five or six 3 ears. Boating and swimming are features. The main fea- ture is the program. Two villages in the county have the boys organized as boy scouts. In both cases the plan seems to be successful. Social Hfe is lacking. People talk of the social life of the past, but with changed conditions they have done nothing to change social amusments. Church people have opposed nearly all forms of amusement yet they do little to substitute healthful recrea- tion or superintend those in existence. RELIGIOUS LIFE The religious life of Clermont County represents certain influences and conditions which typify a number of the most fundamental problems facing the rural community at the present time. Proximit,v to Cincinnati, one of the large cities of the state, an unusual number of villages, a topography that has prevented development of adequate means of communication, and a retarded development of the industrial resources of the county have all cooperated to prevent that constructive coordination of efforts at progress so much needed. The churches of the county have felt the deteriorating influences present in the social life as well as have other social institutions and are to-day facing con- ditions that demand immediate attention. The first condition that presents itself is the unfavor- able adjustment of the church plants in the community to community needs. A total of 1 1 7 churches was found. Forty-two of these are located in incorporated towns and 75 in unincorporated tow^is or in the open country. This total number of churches is equivalent to one church for each 253 inhabitants. The 106 Protestant churches reported a total seating capacity of 27,845, or an average of 262 per church. If the seating capacity of the seven Catholic churches is added, the facilities for seating 29,550 inhabitants of the county are found to be ample. The situation is such, however, that in a number of instances the welfare of the community would be better conserved if the smaller churches should unite their energies in a common plant with a large seating capacity. The distribution of churches as shown by the follow- ing map indicates that the situation could be materially improved by the abandonment of at least half of the existing plants and the consolidation of effort into increasing the efficiency of the re- maining ones. A few specific illustrations of the need of reorganization may be suggested. At Monterey, in the eastern part of the county, [60] Church Map, Clermont Cou M X— ^ /T S$n^ ^ ;^^ :Ak 50 y- / ^^^^ ^ "l \^ ,Uv m 34J \ ME x\ MP_ _, r EfD^3 ' w 3»r 1 JlH^ N ,H j)«L^ -■r HD^ X H 1 3+ D... X VY- 1?. me: r-i ^j . -J ^ w LHr >^ For Explanation See Church Map Green Counly. 62 MIAMI UNIVERSITY are located a Presbyterian and a Christian Church. Within one and a half miles of these two churches are a Methodist Episcopal and another Presb3^terian Church. The total membership of the four churches is 211 and the four churches are pa3dng four ab- sentee pastors a total salary of $975 in addition to the expense of maintaining four church buildings. The Christian Church is now in process of erecting a new building. The members of these churches are neighbors and cooperate in many of the activi- ties of community life. In religion they are divided. There appears to be no reason why this should be so. A similar situation exists at Withamsville. Here four churches representing a total membership of 140 pay $375 to absentee ministers. All churches have been losing members during the past 10 years. At Mulberr}' is a Methodist Church of 26 members and at Pleasant Hill, one mile away, is another church of the same denomination with 32 members. Unnecessarj' duplication ap- pears to exist at Amelia, Batavia, Point Isabel, Goshen, Edenton, Miamiville, Mt. Carmel, Felicity, Cedron, and other points. Seventeen denominations are represented by the 117 churches as follows: Methodist Episcopal, 47; Christian (New Eight, Christian Union, Disciples), 20; Presbyterian, 14; Catholic, 7; Baptist, 7; Old Order German, i; Baptist, Missionary, i; United Brethren 3; United Brethren, German 2; Universalist, 2; Holi- ness, 2; Evangelical, i: Brethren, (Conservative), i; Methodist Protestant, i; International Bible Students Association, 1; M. E. (Colored), 4; Baptist (Colored), 3; Of these, 81 or 69 per cent, belong to the Methodist Episcopal, Christian, and Presby- terian denominations. The presence of a number of small con- gregations of different denominotions indicates independent tendencies and to some extent unstable religious conditions in certain classes of the population. Another condition brought out by the map (see p. 6 r ) is the relation of the ministers to their respective charges. Of the 67 minister serving the county, 34 live out side the county. The lines connecting several churches with the residence of the minister showthat in many cases the pastor has from three to six scattered A RURAL LIFE SURVEY OF CLERMONT COUNTY 63 charges to serve; that at Withamsville, Newtonsville, Monterey, Maple Grove, Bantam, Point Isabel, Neville, Mt. Carmel, Rural, Cedron, and Nichollsville are groups of churches none of which have resident pastors. The dark squares do not tell the whole story of dead churches, as many have been abandoned or consoli- dated in the course of the history of the county. Statistics as to membership in the churches indicate the tendency in the church life of the county. The statistics gathered represent the best information available. Some records still carry the names of those long since removed to other communi- ties or whose active affiliation with the church has ceased. The attempt was made to get as accurate figures as possible, figures that represented the best judgment of the proper church official. The following tables will show tendencies as to church membership. Of 112 churches for which data as to increase or decrease in membershp were obtained, 24, or 21.4 per cent, were increasing; 78, or 69.6 per cent, were decreasing; and 9 per cent, were stationary. LOSING i;A|;y ground'^''/" STANDING Qc^ STILL ^^° GROWING 21.4^ These results, however, are not conclusive because there has been a general decrease in population in the county and the de- crease in church membership might be a normal accompaniment of decrease in population. Data collected from two sources as to church membership prove that the decline in church membership particularly in the open country churches is more rapid than the decrease in population. During the investigation it was possible in a number of cases to secure data of membership of churches ten years ago, five years ago, and at the present time. A histor}' of Clermont County compiled in 1880 gave also the membership of 64 MIAMI UNIVERSITY a number of churches for that period. The following table shows the results. TABLE XXV Church Growth Item 1880 1900 1910 Per cent. Decrease 1880-19T0 Per cent. Decrease 1900-1910 Population Church member- ship 52 churches.. 26 countr}^ churches 26 village churches 56 churches 30 countrj^ churches 26 village churches 36713 5632 2152 3480 5592 31610 2308 3284 29551 4646 1269 3377 4975 1776 3199 19 5 17 5 41.0 30 6.5 II .0 23.0 2 .0 The Open Country Church Going. Last Ten Years' Records Most Serious. 1880-1910 Decrease in pop- ulation. 19.5*5^0 Decrease in membership. 5? churches 17% 26 Village churches, 3^ 26 Country churches, 41^ 1900-1010 Decrease in pop- ulation , 6.5% Decrease in membership 56 churches, 11% 26 Village churches, 2^ 30 Country churches, 23% Shall we Revive the Open Country Church or Abandon it for the Village Church ? A RURAL LIFE SURVEY OF CLERMONT COUNTY 65 While the total number of churches for which data were obtained have more than held their own in the period 1880- 19 10, this condition has been due to the vitality of the congregations lo- cated in villages. The open country churches have declined more than twice as fast as the decrease of population. Since 1900, the churches for which data were available have declined nearly twace as rapidl}^ as the decrease of population. A discrepancy of three years from 19 10, the census year, to 19 13, the date of in- vestigation, is not sufficient seriously to invalidate the result. The 26 village churches again demonstrate their vitality by show- ing a rate of decline slower than that of the general population. 77 churches reported both total membership and number of families represented. These 77 chtirches had a total of 3503 members and represented 2320 families, or an average of 2.37 members per family. The size of the average family in Clermont County according to the U. S. Census of 1 910 is 3.77. Attention should be given to the large number of churches with very small membership in the county. The following table shows the distribution as to membership: TABLE XXVI Church Membership Membership Under 20 to 30 to^ 40 to 50 to 60 to 70 to 80 to 90 to 100 to 125 to 150 to 175 to 200 or 20 . . 29.., J9- • 49 • 59. • 69 . 79 • 89.., 99 124. . 149. . 174. . 199 . above No. churches Total 9 10 II 9 8 13 7 3 6 4 6 .S 2 8 01 R S [ 5 ] 66 MIAMI UNIVERSITY Tliirt3^-nine churches, or 38.6 per cent, have a membership of under 50 each. Nineteen have a membership of under 30 each. Nine have under 20. Of the no Protestant churches, 108 re- ported present membership as 8561. If we estimate the mem- bership of the seven Catholic Churches at 1000 more, based on the number of families represented, we have a total of 9560 members. This number constitutes less than 53 t.he total population of the county. Eighty-one churches reported a part of their membership under 21 years of age. or a total of 1008. The others reported no members under 21 years of age. This is 1 1.7 per cent, of the total membership reported b\ the several churches. Of the total population of Clermont County in 1910, 1 1 ,040 or 37.3 per cent, were under 21 years of age. Of the total population, ig. 8 per cent, are between the ages of 10 and 21. The evidence is that the proportion of the church members under 21 years of age or during the critical period of affiliating with the church is not keeping pace with the population. This conclusion is further verified b}- data secured as to ages of members of churches in Clermont Count^^ Estimated ages were secured from persons in the respective communties who were well acquainted with the church membership, with the following results: TABLE XXVII Age Under 21 21 to 29 30 to 49 50 and over Total Per Cent. Over 70 per cent of the membership of the churches studied were thirty j^ears of age and over. The evidence from this in- vestigation as well as from previous studies^ is that the problem of church growth has not yet been solved. Normally a much 1 Rural Survey in Southwestern Ohio. p. 47. A RURAIv IvIFE SURVEY OF CLERMONT COUNTY 67 larger proportion of the church membership should be under thirty years of age. Where are the Young Peopi^e? Age Record of 371 i Church Members, Ci^ermont County 29.8% Church membersunder3o 51.8% Population of Ohio under 30 398 Records of age of joining church, Clermont county. 94% Period under 30 77.5% under 21 i Approximately 50(^0 of the Church Mempership should be under 30 years of age. What will the church of the future be unless the church now reaches its Young People? The suggestion has been made that this abnormal condition might be accounted for by the exodus of young people from the country to the cities. This would not account for all unfavorable conditions. The data as to church attendance are based on the estimates of pastors or of church members acquainted with the usual at- tendance. The record is as follows: TABLE XXVIII Average Attendance Time No. Churches Reporting M F Total A. M P. M Evening 74 28 55 1315 314 1343 2269 544 2024 3584 858 3367 Total 2972 4837 7809 68 MIAMI UNIVERSITY The probabilities are that in the villages many duplications exist. Although the tendencies in church membership indicate the need of reorganization in the direction of consolidating and unit- ing efforts in religious hfe, the history of the past ten years shows that still there is the tendency for denominations to continue pushing denominationalism regardless of community interest. In that time 12 churches have been newh' built or remodeled. Of these four were probably justified. The other eight, owing to proximity to other churches and the relatively small number served, evidently should have been abandoned or never re- organized. Yet, so long as the different denominations persist in building denominations instead of communities, little can be hoped for. The self aggrandizing statesmanship of the churches may ultimately prove their undoing. Church Membership of CivErmont County Compared With That of State of Ohio. Clermont County 327c belong to church State of Ohio 39 7f belong to ■ church r, 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 F Tff-— T"-"— -T ift M ' ! ll l llll l l lll ll l l ll l l ll l llllil l l^ I III I HII I II I I I III I 1 1 1 1 1 1 i 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 H ti4J II I I I I I I IIII I II II III I IIIIIIIIIM Is Clermont County holding its own in church membership? Having considered location of churches, residence of pastors, and tendencies in church membership, we may now note some- thing of the physical condition of the plants and their cost to the community. Most of the church buildings have one room. Only 5 reported kitchens and 3 reported dining rooms. Many of the buildings have a separate Sunday School room. Of loi churches reporting, 82 or 81 percent, had no toilets. Only two churches reported horse sheds. The condition of the buildings is as follows: A RURAL LIFE SURVEY OF CLERMONT COUNTY TABLE XXIX Type OF Structure 69 Condition Brick Frame Not Reported Total Good Fair. ... 17 10 17 21 15 IG 8 2 6 46 71 Poor ^1 33 Total 44 46 16 ig6 Sixty-eight per cent, of the buildings are reported in good condition. Sixty-seven percent, of the grounds are reported in good or fair condition. The data as to average expenditures are as follows: TABLE XXX No. Churches Reporting Total Value Average Value of buildings Value of parsonage Pastors' salaries. ........ Supervision lOI 22 98 52 84 97 36 93 76 75 57 17 13 $26l,GGG.GG 37,7GG.GG 2,522 .OG 1 ,087 . GG 3,^098 . OG 2,980.00 3,57400 3,654 OG 2,947 OG 2,641 GO 3,587 OG 847. GG 305-00 $2,584.00 1,713.00 257. CO 21 OG Janitor service Fuel and lights Repairs Sunday School Home missions 37 OG 31 OG 99. GG 39 OG S9.OG Foreign missions Other benevolences Evangelists Other expenses. 35 00 63. GO 50.00 23. GO Total expenses 3711 $48,730.00 $508.00 Receipts are from three principal sources, i. e. subscriptions; collections at services, and socials. The relative importance of these different sources is shown by the following table of averages: 70 MIAMI UNIVERSITY XXXI Form of Income Subscriptions Collections , Socials Home mission. No. Churches Reporting Total Average $38,466.00 5,251.00 3,492.00 662.00 $427.00 58.00 73.00 110.00 Twelve churches reported some endowment, but the income from this source is in no case considerable. The evidence is that the subscription is the principal source of the support of the church. The cost of the religious equipment of Clermont County, estimated on the basis of cost for the churches reporting, is approximately as follows: Interest at 5% on $301,328, value 117 churches $15,066.00 Interest at 5% on $37,700, value 22 parsonages 1,885 00 Operating expenses, 117 churches 54,436.00 Total $71,387.00 The cost of operating the churches in Clermont County at approximately $71,000 per year is equivalent to over $7.00 per member. From the financial point of view alone it is demanded that the church situation be reorganized in order to secure better results at the same cost. The evidence as to church growth indicates that something must be done to turn the tide of church influence if the church is to retain its influence in community life. THE SUNDAY SCHOOL In 98 Sunday Schools reporting, there were 598 teachers engaged. The total enrollment was 7084 and the average total attendance in loi Sunday Schools was 4599. As compared with the 1 1040 young people under 2 1 years of age in Clermont County, the total enrollment represents but 64%. The fact is that the percentage of the total population enrolled in Sunday Schools is much less because many of the 7084 are over 21 years of age. That the Sunday School is the principal source for enlisting members of the church is shown by the fact that 378 of the 554 A RURAL IvIFE SURVEY OF CLERMONT COUNTY 71 who joined the church last year on confession came from the Sun- day School. The annual revival period becomes the time for decision. Practically all the Sunday Schools in the county continue for twelve months in the 3^ear. Thirt3^-three, or 33.7 per cent., re- ported special equipment, such as black boards, maps, charts, etc., while 65 reported no special equipment. The social life of the Sunday School appears to be limited to the annual picnic and the Christmas entertainment, and not all of the schools report even these. Forty- three out of 99 reported one picnic and 56 reported no picnic. Fifty-four out of 99 report- ed a Christmas festival. Thirty-seven schools reported other entertainments, such as class picnics, box .socials, Easter, Chil- dren's Day, entertainments and festivals. Doubtless the work of the Sunday School could be enlivened by the addition of more social features. The other activities of the churches may be represented as follows: TABLE XXXI Type of Activity No. Churches Reporting Membership Average Attendance Prayer meeting Young peoples' societies . ... Women's societies. . . . Men's societies Protracted meetings . . . Total No. days Average No. daj^s No. churches reporting converts 41 32 70 72 1059 15 43 1734 1732 854 636 923 Total No. converts. . . . 5«4 No. joining church . . 410 These figures show that the church service and the Sunday school are the principal agencies through which the church renders its service at the present time. The enrollment and average 72^ . MIAMI UNIVERSITY attendance in other societies are comparative!}- small. The significant feature of church life here as elsewhere is the absence of men's organizations. Bantam Presbyterian Church Has organized a lecture course, started a local library, cooperated in starting a farmers' organization, and is meeting real needs in community life. The revival services are still the great agency for recruiting the membership of the church. As the revival is based upon the appeal to the individual for personal salvation, the evidence is that the church has not yet grasped the idea of dealing with all the forces for improvement available in community life. A RURAL LIFE SURVEY OF CLERMONT COUNTY 73 No data were collected as to the experience of the ministers. Forty-eight ministers reported as to educational training as fol- lows: common school training, ii;high school, 6; college, 7; part college, 2; one year seminary, 4; two year seminary, 3; seminary training, 14. It is significant that 35 per cent, have not had more than a high school training. We have here the spectacle of a group of men dealing with one of the greatest problems confronting any institution, conscientious, earnest, but handicapped when coming into competition with those in charge of other agencies in com- munity life. The solution of the problem is fewer plants under the direction of better trained men. A number of the ministers are doing their best to improve themselves by taking courses at theological seminaries, but the demand is for men alread}' trained and experienced. The length of service in the community has a relation to efficiency of service. The distribution of service is as follows: TABLE XXXII No. of years served In present parish In preceding 1 or under ... 2 23 II 8 I I 2 2 2 I 3^ II 5 4 2 3 4. . . 2 6 7 . 8 Q . 10 or more. . Total 53 28 1 One has served 13, another 15 and a third 40 years in a single parish. Thirty-four or 6i per cent, have been in the present parish two years or less while 1 6 or 57 per cent, have been in the previous parish two years or less. The average length of service is 3.6 years. Evidently ministers are not more permanent as social leaders than are the teachers. 74 MIAMI UNIVERSITY Twelve of the ministers reported other occupations in addition to their ministry, as follows: blacksmith, i; bookeeper, i; carpenter, i; farmer, 2; laboring man, i; newspapermen, 3; real estate dealer, i ; student of law, i ; shoemaker, i . The ministers who reported total salaries in Clermont County receive incomes comparable to those paid teachers in the high schools of villages but less than those received b}^ principals or superintendents. Fourteen ministers having parsonages furnished rent free report an average salary of $767.00, while seventeen ministers who were paying rent out of their salaries were receiv- ing an average salary of but $595,00. This latter salary, which ma}^ be considered as typical of the country districts and the smaller villages, does not offer a strong inducement to men who have families to care for to enter the ministry. Men w411 seriousl}" consider whether it is not as religious to undertake work that will enable them to give their wives and children the material comforts available to the families of other men of similar training in other lines as it is to sacrifice wife, children, and self on the altar of community welfare. Reorganization is needed to give the ministers a living wage. The decrease in total church membership has not affected the money incomes of the pastors. Of 32 village churches re- porting, the total salaries reported increased from $11,962 ten years ago to $12,838 five years ago and to $14,993 ^t the time of the investigation. Twenty-nine country churches report a total decrease in expenditures for ministers' salaries from $4355 in 1908 to $4245 in 191 3. This is almost a negligible quantity. In neither type of church, however, have salaries increased com- mensurately with the increased cost of living or with the increas- ing demands upon the ministers' resources due to a rising standard of living in the communities in which they w^ork. The preceding data indicate that the religious spirit is de- clining in many communities. Other facts demonstrate that the really serious problem is not so much one of declining religious and moral spirit of the community, as one of the decline of in- fluence of the church, the established representative of this spirit, giving way to other agencies in community life. A RURATv LIFE SURVEY OF CLERMONT COUNTY 75 Clermont County has for several years been definitely in the ranks of those opposed to the liquor traffic and at the last elec- tion (1913) , under the leadership of representatives of the church- es it again demonstrated its opposition to the liquor traffic by a higher vote than at the preceding election. Increasing knowl- edge of social conditions and needs is leading gradually to a higher standard of welfare. The church, divided as it is, and poorly adjusted to present community needs, is handicapped in its efforts to do the work which modern leaders recognize as falling within its province. SUMMARY OF RELIGIOUS CONDITIONS The most impressive phases of the religious situation in Clermont County may be summarized as follows: 1 . A general decrease in church membership in the past ten years, especially in the open country. 2. This decrease in the open country is more rapid than the decrease in population. 3. A fairly constant ratio of church membership to pop- ulation in villages. 4. A disproportionate share of the membership over 30 years of age. 5. Persistence of sectarianism: placing of church above community interests. 6. 75 out of 1 17 churches for which data were obtained had non-resident pastors. This represented over two-thirds of the total number. Many communities in which several churches are located have no resident pastors. 7. An itinerant ministry working in conditions that demand a permanent resident pastor. 8. Lack of adequate provision for utilization of social forces as agencies of religious advance. Prime dependence upon the revival as an agency for church growth. Clermont County is but typical of the general situation. Will the church leaders take advantage of the golden opportunity for rural and village reorganization or will they allow this function 76 MIAMI UNIVERSITY to pass to the educational and agricultural organization agencies of the community? The church must lose its life in community service if it hopes to save it as a living functioning factor in rural social adv^ance. RURAL EDUCATION In view of the comprehensive investigation of rural schools under way by the commission appointed by the state legislature, only such phases of the situation in Clermont County as were considered of local interest were studied. Conditions in this county were in general similar to conditions found in other rural counties. The one room school in the open country is still the characteristic feature of the school life. Wages in the township elementary districts average according to the report of the state commissioner of education $45 -oo per month. Forty-one counties paid lower wages to men and eighteen paid lower wages to women than did Clermont County. Remarks maj^ still be heard in certain parts of the county intimating that a cash consideration is necessary to secure a school but no evidence is available to this effect. One former teacher stated that in his experience the suggestion was made to him on three different occasions that he pay for his position. One of the most serious problems in Clermont Countv is the development of the special district. In one township, every subdistrict but one has been transformed into a special with the results that each district has its board of five directors to elect the teachers, and there is an absolute lack of any coordination of effort in the different parts of the township. Each is a law unto itself in matter of teachers' qualification, grading schools, selecting text-books, and in other matters pertaining to the administration of the school. Fifty-nine schools reported average daily attendance as follows: A RURAL LIFE vSURVEY OF CLERMONT COUNTY TABLE XXXIII 77 Number Pupils Number Schools Under 5 5 to 9 10 to 14 15 to 19 20 to 24 25 or over 5 17 18 8 II Total. - 59 The larger number of schools reporting have an attendance of between 10 and 19. Equipment is in most cases inadequate. Eleven schools out of 36 report libraries, 3 of these having 100 books each. Most report less than 50 books. Generally the books are of fiction or of history. Other equipment is similarly inadequate. Only 2 out of 35 schools reported grounds exceeding one acre in size. The distribution according to size was reported as follows: TABLE XXXIV Size Number Reportijig One-fourths acre One-half acre ipVi^pp.fQiij-fVic acre 6 8 2 Onf flprp 17 ATnrp than one acre 2 'Lotal 35 Fifty per cent, of the grounds were one acre in size. The training of the 36 teachers reporting is higher than in many communities. Twenty-two out of the 36 reported having had high school training and 13 some normal or college work. As in the other counties studied, however, the grades of certifi- cates granted are low. For the year ending August 31, 191 ^ 78 MIAMI UNIVERSITY Clermont County had a total of 603 applications for license to teach. Of these, 368 or 61 per cent, were rejected. Those passing were distributed as follows: TABLE XXXV Certificates Granted Per Cent.i Years M. F. T. Per Cent. For State Kie^ht 2 .0 Five 7 5 12 4-9 4-4 Three I I 0.4 7 4 Two 57 107 164 23-5 26.2 One 14 44 58 66.3 58.4 Temporary 2 10 12 4-9 Total 80 167 247 100. 98.4 1. Ohio Rural School Summary Report p. 49 Over two-thirds of the certificates granted are for one year only and nearly three-fourths for one year or less. These figures include those teaching in the villages as well as those teaching in the open country. The conclusion as to the educational fitness of the teachers as indicated by the results of examination is obvious. Data were obtained as to the number of j^ears of teach- ing experience of 52 teachers, with results as follows: TABLE XXXVI No. Years Experience Number Reporting 15 20 Per Cent. Clermont Co. 28.8 38.5 32.7 Per Cent. State Under 2 2 to 5 6 or more 27.6 32.4 40.0 Total 52 100. 100. The teaching profession in Clermont County is evidently in large part made up of apprentices who need the oversight and guidance of some experienced educational leader. A RURAL LIFE SURVEY OF CLERMONT COUNTY 79 Clermont County also has an itinerant teaching force, as is shown by the data as to the number of years in their present and in the previous position. TABLE XXXVII No. Years In This District In Previous District No. Per Cent. No. Per Cent. One Two . . Three Four 27 10 6 6 I I 52.94 19.60 11.77 11.77 I .96 1 .96 3 II 5 3 2 12 44 20.0 120 Five More than five 8.0 4.0 Total 51 100.00 25 100 00 Over three-fourths of the teachers had been in their previous positions three years or less. Fifty-six per cent, had held their previous positions two years or less, and over half were in their first 3^ear. Community leadership is out of the question when teachers are constantly changing or when the field is being constantly recruited from new, untried material. Twenty-five schools reported the number of recitations per day. These varied from 18 to 44, with an average of 28. The mode was 30 recitations per day. The tendency to add to the courses in the curriculum without eliminating other materials is leading directl}^ toward the breakdown of the efficiency of the coun- try school system. The school building is used comparatively little for any other purpose than the holding of the school sessions, as a voting place, etc. It is occasionally used for literary entertainments, school board meetings, meetings of the township trustees, and at rare intervals for Sunda)^ School, prayer meetings, and picture shows. A number of the schools report special entertainments at holiday periods or at the close of school. The township health officer of Miami Towmship has been doing original and commendable work in connection wdth the 8o MIAMI UNIVERSITY rural schools. He visits each school annually, takes notes as to the sanitary conditions of the wells and outbuildings and of the school building and makes a written recommendation to the board as to repairs and improvements needed. His work is in contrast to that of many similar officials, who do not appear to know what to do to earn the money allowed them for the office. LIBRARIES There are four public libraries in the villages of the county — Williamsburg, Amelia, Bethel, and Batavia. Each one was found- ed by and still is maintained by the women's clubs of the above mentioned villages. Of these the Batavia library is the largest. A description of it will also be a description of the others. It now has 2000 volumes, 1 500 of which are fiction, the others reference books. It is open three afternoons and evenings a week, winter and summer. The members of the club do the library work gratis by turns. It is situated in the center of the town and patronized by practically all the white people of the town and by the high school pupils who come from the country. The colored people are excluded by rule of the club. Thej^ also have a reading table with 20 of the best current magazines. These also circulate after the first month. There are two methods of lending books: First, the card system. Any white person on payment of 50 cents is given a card which entitles the holder to one book a week for the year, with privilege of one renewal after having book for two weeks. Second, a system by which two cents is paid for a book for one week, with a fine of one cent a day on a book kept over time. The expenses for last year were: for room rent, $120; for fuel, $10; for lights, $12. The library has been built up and maintained by donation of books by members, friends, and people moving out of town; subscription; socials, rummage sales, candy sales, and box socials; fines and fees; home talent entertainments; and lecture courses. The Williamsburg library, founded in 1901, has now 928 volumes. An average of 62 books per week were taken the A RURAL LIFE SURVEY OF CLERMONT COUNTY 8i last year. During its existence only 2 books have been lost. Amelia has 750 volumes in its library and Bethel has a library of 800 volumes. Each one of these gets its share of books from the State lyibrary each year. The rural schools of Clermont County present the same needs of readjustment that are to be found in most other counties of the state where the one room district school still persists. Lack of adequate buildings and grounds; insufficient equipment; low salaried, temporary, shifting, untrained apprentice teachers; crowding of curriculum; small attendance and small classes insuffi- cient to arouse school spirit; general lack of supervision and coordination of one school with another; a low ebb of community life centering around the school; and a lack of educational leader- ship are the principal difficulties demanding solution. As interest in problems of education is aroused, and as the possibilities of improvement are recognized, we may look for. ward to an era of progress unparalleled in the history of educa- tion, not only in Clermont County but in the State of Ohio. CONCLUvSION In a characterization of the rural life in Clermont County as a whole, the following conditions should be noted: 1. Increasing homogeneity of the population except in one or two sections of the county. The proportion of foreign-born population has decreased from 4.2 to 3.6 per cent., and of negroes from 3.7 to 2.9 per cent. 2. Marked decrease in total population during the past thirty years affecting the rural districts and the villages bordering the Ohio River. This decrease has amounted to over 7000 in thirty years. 3. Notable lack of farmers' organizations in the county. 4. Tendency of topography of county and of railway con- nections to prevent social unity in the county. Relations appear to be divided into three groups, each of which has closer relations with Cincinnati than with each other, R S [6] Princeton Theological Seminary Libraries 1 1012 01235 2912 82 MIAMI UNIVERSITY 5. Recent tendencies to develop agriculture along lines adapted to natural conditions and to proximity to a large market. 6. Lack of rural leadership and dependence on Cincinnati and villages for amusement. 7. Church life out of adjustment to community needs. 8. Good moral tone indicated by decisive attitude toward the saloon. 9. There is need, however, of constructive provision for re- creation in both rural and village communities as indicated by the effect of the city upon the life of the young people in the countr}^ shown in the study of rural morality. 10. The need of trained leadership for the communit}^ at large in agricultural, religious, educational, a!id social affairs. Clermont County, as is the case with m.any other communi- ties in the state, has also made many advances and should in the next few years make further progress in agricultural production and social reconstruction that will bring great credit not only to itself but to all southwestern Ohio. ^^m^ ^^ "Vf f%..*" ':S4^*->r ?lC^i