f 
 
 / 
 
 y» ' 
 
 A Trinity of School Songs. 
 
 THE COUNTY, 
 
 THE STATE, 
 
 THE NATION. 
 
 THE COUNTY. 
 
 WINNELBAGO. 
 
 By Harriot!' Wight Sherratt, Rockford, III., October 23, 1901. 
 i '^Alr Battle Hymn of the llei>u}>lie) 
 
 I. 
 
 3 - 
 
 From the groves of Winnebago where the limpid water gleams, 
 
 Where the watch-fires of the Indians blazed along the rushing streams; 
 Where our fathers built their altars, where they dreamed prophetic dreams. 
 Our children lift their song. 
 
 (Chorus : — God be with thee Winnebago, 
 
 Glory,^glory, Winnebago, 
 
 Halleluiah, Winnebago, 
 
 Our children lift their song. 
 
 From the homes of Winnebago where our mothers knelt in prayer. 
 
 Where their cabin fires were lighted in this new world fresh and fair; 
 
 From the kingdom of the fireside where the happy children are. 
 
 They lift triumphant song. 
 
 Chorus :—God be with thee, Winnebago, 
 
 Glory, glory, Winnebago, 
 
 Halleluiah, Winnebago, - 
 Fhey lift triumphant song. 
 
 From the fields of Winnebago where her golden harvests lie. 
 
 From the busy towns and cities underneath her sunny sky, 
 
 Lift the song of glad rejoicing, let all woe and discord die. 
 
 For God hath blessed the land. 
 
 Chorus ;—God be with thee, Winnebago, 
 
 Glory, glory, Winnebago, 
 
 Halleluiah, Winnebago, 
 
 For God hath blessed the land. 
 
 4. Lift the flag o’er Winnebago, sacred Hag to me and mine. 
 
 Flag our fathers bore in triumph o’er the battle’s deadly line. 
 Emblem of our righteous freedom, freedom born of law divine. 
 
 Our fathers’ Hag and ours. 
 
 Chorus :—God be with thee, Winnebago, 
 
 Glory, glory, Winnebago, 
 
 Halleluiah, Winnebago, 
 
 Our fathers’ Hag and ours. 
 
 5. Grant, O God of Winnebago, and of all the sons of men. 
 
 That the cannon’s lips be silent, that they may not speak again ; 
 Let the sword drop from the scabbard, while the people cry amen. 
 Let Peace reign evermore. 
 
 C’horus :—Glory, glory, Winnebago, 
 
 Halleluiah, Winnebago, 
 
 God be with thee, Winnebago, 
 
 His peace reign evermore. 
 
 (Repeat Last Chorus Very Softly.) 
 
 i 4HC. 
 
THE STATE 
 
 ILLINOIS. 
 
 I. By the river gently flowing, Illinois, Illinois, 
 
 O’er the prairies verdant growing, Illinois, Illinois, 
 
 Comes an echo on the breeze, rustling through the leafy trees. 
 And its mellow tones are these, Illinois, Illinois, 
 
 And its mellow tones are these, Illinois. 
 
 2. O’er a wilderness of prairies, Illinois, Illinois, 
 
 Straight thy way and never varies, Illinois, Illinois, 
 
 Till upon the inland sea, stands thy great Commercial Tree, 
 Turning all the world to thee, Illinois, Illinois, 
 
 Turning all the world to thee, Illinois. 
 
 3. When you heard your country (calling, Illinois, Illinois, 
 
 When the shot and shell were'falling, Illinois, Illinois, 
 
 When the Southern host withdrew, pitting Gray against the Blue, 
 There were none more brave than you, Illinois, Illinois, 
 
 There were none more brave than you, Illinois. 
 
 4. Not without thy wondrous story, Illinois, Illinois. 
 
 Can be writ the Nations glory, Illinois, Illinois, 
 
 On the record of thy years Abr’am Lincoln’s name appears. 
 
 Grant and Logan and our tears, Illinois, Illinois, 
 
 Grant and Logan and our tears, Illinois. 
 
 THE NATION. 
 
 AMERICA. 
 
 I. My country ’tis of thee 
 Sweet land of liberty. 
 
 Of thee I sing; 
 
 Land where my fathers died 
 Land of the pilgrim’s pride. 
 From ev’ry mountain side 
 Let freedom ring. 
 
 2. My native country thee, 
 
 Land of the noble free, 
 
 Thy name I love; 
 
 I love thy rocks and rills. 
 
 Thy woods and templed hills ; 
 My heart with rapture thrills 
 Like that above. 
 
 3. Let music swell the breeze, 
 
 And ring from all the trees. 
 
 Sweet freedom’s song; 
 Let mortal tongue awake. 
 
 Let all that breathe partake; 
 Let rocks their silence break; 
 The sound prolong. 
 
 4. Our Father’s God ! to thee. 
 Author of Liberty, 
 
 To Thee we sing; 
 
 Long may our land be bright 
 With freedom’s holy light; 
 Protect us by thy might 
 Great God, our King. 
 
A Road to Learning. 
 
 District No. 114 Winnebago Co., Ill., August, 1902. 
 
 “ Heavy with sunshine droops the golden- 
 rod. 
 
 And the red pennons of the cardinal 
 flowers 
 
 Hang motionless upon their upright 
 staves. 
 
 The sky is hot and hazy, and the wind. 
 
 Wing-weary with its long flight from the 
 south. 
 
 Unfelt; yet, closely scanned, yon maple 
 leaf 
 
 With faintest motion, as one stirs in 
 dreams. 
 
 Confesses it. The locust by the wall 
 
 Stabs tlie noon-silence with his sharp 
 alarm. 
 
 A single hay-cart down the dusty road 
 
 Creaks slowly, with its driver fast asleep 
 
 On the load’s top.”— 
 
 Whittier, Prelude Aiiwikj Hie Hills. 
 
Another Road to Learning. 
 
 The Country School Library and the Country Child. 
 
 A Pleasant Corner. District No. 58, Winnebago County, III., May 1902. 
 Miss Emma Pepper, Teacher. 
 
 The books and library case in above school have been put in through the 
 efforts of the teacher and pupils by means of school socials. There are many 
 such corners in the school houses of Winnebago County. There are eleven dis¬ 
 tricts without a single library book. What is to be done about it ? 
 
 See District School Library Exhibit. 
 
 See Winnebago County District School Travelling Library Exhibit. 
 
 What is of Most Value ? To make these books most helpful in terms of better charac¬ 
 ters and stronger school work. See Special Library Work. 
 
 2 
 
To the Friends of the Country School and the Country 
 Child in Winnebago County. 
 
 T his booklet is presented to you at the close of our first four years of work 
 together. Those four years have been years of hard work. My sincere thanks 
 are yours because of your hearty co-operation. It has been my duty to 
 champion new ideas and methods with reference to the education of the country 
 child and the evolution of the country school. In all departments of human ac¬ 
 tivity new measures and methods are necessary for success. The farm is feeling 
 the spirit of a new age. And why should the district school lag behind ? 
 
 Your attention is called to the improvement of school buildings and grounds. 
 A clean, healthful building with beautiful grounds is the first step towards a better 
 school. Soap, fresh water, paint, trees and flowers are the needed additions to our 
 course of study, not Geometry, Algebra or Latin. 
 
 Please read carefully the exhibits of the district school library and the Win¬ 
 nebago county traveling libraries. Libraries in the schools should aid in cultivat¬ 
 ing a taste for ^ood reading and supply material for supplementary study in the 
 regular school work. The books. Supplementary Readers, works on U. S. History, 
 Geography and Nature Study have been selected for these two objects. 
 
 And yet a school library may not prove an entire blessing. So you will see 
 that far some time to come the Superintendent and teachers will study together how 
 to make these books of most service to the children. Teachers have been urged 
 not to allow library readings to interfere with school work and to teach children to 
 make proper use of books. 
 
 You will observe that the beginning of an attempt has been made to bring 
 the farm into close touch with the College of Agriculture by the organization of the 
 Winnebago County Farmer Boys’ Experiment Club ; Educational Excursion to the 
 College of Agriculture and Experiment Farm; Agricultural College Extension 
 Work ; and the co operation of the Farmers’ Institute and the Country School. 
 Here is a great opportunity for the country boy who has quit the district school. 
 
 Read the “Evolution of Truth” with reference to School Gardens. Do 
 farmers demand practical teaching of Agriculture in the conntry schools ? 
 
 Your attention is called to the great work being done by the teachers and 
 pupils in putting beautiful pictures into the school-rooms. The illustrations speak 
 for themselves. 
 
 Will your school get a prize offered by the Youth’s Companion ? 
 
 Is yonr school one of the eleven districts of Winnebago County without a 
 single library book ? 
 
 If you have children in school and are interested in giving them the best 
 preparation possible for the battle of life, you will carefully read the exhibit with 
 reference to Centralization of Schools. 
 
 My special thanks are due the Winnebago County Board of Supervisors 
 for their help, sympathy and co-operation for the past four years. 
 
 I sincerely trust the future will bring yet greater results in all matters per¬ 
 taining to the improvement of those conditions affecting the Country School and 
 the Country Child. 
 
 Respectfully, O. J. KERN. 
 
 Rockford, III., November, 1902. 
 
 3 
 
By the Roadside. 
 
 District No. 72, June, 1902, Winnebago County, Illinois. 
 
 
 
 Arbor Day Anthem. 
 
 Tune —“America.” 
 
 Joy for the sturdy trees! 
 
 Fanned by each fragrant breeze. 
 Lovely they standi 
 The song birds o’er them thrill. 
 They shade each tinkling rill, 
 They crown each swelling hill 
 Lowly or grand. 
 
 Select the strong, the fair, 
 Plant them with earnest care- 
 No toil is vain. 
 
 Plant in a fitter place. 
 
 Where like a lovely face. 
 
 Let in some sweeter grace. 
 Change may prove gain. 
 
 Plant them by stream or way. 
 Plant where the children play 
 And toilers rest; 
 
 In every verdant vale. 
 
 On every sunny swale 
 Whether it grow or fail 
 God knoweth best. 
 
 God will His blessings send— 
 
 All things on Him depend. 
 
 His loving care. 
 
 Clings to each leaf and flower 
 Like ivy to its tower, i 
 
 His presence and His power | 
 
 Are everywhere. 
 
 Dr. S. F. Smith, Author of America. I 
 
 i 
 
A Four Years Course of Professional Study 
 for Winnebago County Teachers. 
 
 Discussion of Topics in the Following Books. 
 
 COURSE OF 1899=1900, 
 
 1. Blow. —Letters to a Mother. 
 
 2. Coinpayre —Lectures on Pedagogy. 
 
 3. Compayre —Psychology Applied to Education. 
 
 4. Hinsdale —Horace Mann and the Common School Revival. 
 
 5. McCormick —Suggestions on Teaching Geography. 
 
 6. McMnrry —Method of the Recitation. 
 
 7. McMurry. Special Method in Science in the Lower Grades. 
 
 8. Taylor —Study of the Child. 
 
 9. Tompkins — Philosophy of Teaching. 
 
 10. Tompkins —Philosophy of School Management. 
 
 11. White —School Management. 
 
 For completion of Course of 1899-1900, Professional Attainment Certificates 
 were issued to 114 teachers. Besides the required readings, attendance at the var¬ 
 ious monthly and annual institutes was necessary. The teachers’ meetings are held 
 in four different places in the county during several months of the school year. 
 
 COURSE OF 1900=1901. 
 
 1. Mace —Method in History. 
 
 2. Barrage and Bailey —School Sanitation and Decoration. 
 
 3. James —Talks on Psychology and Life’s Ideals. 
 
 4. Seeley — Wisiory of Education. 
 
 5. Hinsdale —Teaching the Language Arts. 
 
 6. McMurry —Method of the Recitation. 
 
 7. Tompkins —Philosophy of School Management. 
 
 8. Arnold —Reading: How to Teach It. 
 
 9. McCormick —Suggestions on Teaching Geography. 
 
 For completion of the course of 1900-1901, Professional Attainment Certifi¬ 
 cates were issued to 119 teachers. 
 
 COURSE OF 1901 = 1902. 
 
 1. James —Talks on Psychology and Life’s Ideals. 
 
 2. Hinsdale —Art of Study. 
 
 3. Mace —Method in History. 
 
 4. Hart —Formation of the Union, 1750-1829, Epochs of American History 
 
 Series. 
 
 5. Scott —Nature Study and the Child. 
 
 6. Tarrand McMurry —Home Geography. 
 
 7. Barrage and Bailey —School Sanitation and Decoration. 
 
 8. Emery —How to Enjoy Pictures. 
 
 For completion of the course of 1901-1902. Professional Attainment Certifi¬ 
 cates were issued to 103 teachers. 
 
 5 
 
COURSE OF 1902-1903. 
 
 The course for the present year includes: 
 
 First :—Review Readings and practical discussions of School Organization 
 and Management. 
 
 Second :—Library Course. How to use books, both of the district school 
 libraries and the Winnebago County Traveling libraries. How to make them of 
 most service to the pupil and teacher in carrying out the Course of Study. 
 
 Importance of Use and Care of Library Books. 
 
 In view of the fact that there are now 6635 vols. in the district libraries of 
 our county and also 2600 volumes in the fifty eight Winnebago County District 
 School Traveling libraries, it seems of greatest importance that teachers study how 
 to make these books of m.ost use to themselves and theirpupilsm thedaily school work. 
 So, therefore, no regulation pedagogical reading is required this year—as of former 
 years—other than such review readings as may be necessary to carry out programs 
 of discussions of problems of school organization and management at our various 
 monthly meetings. Instead, teachers are urged, and it is believed they will desire 
 so to do, to read many books in our traveling libraries (see list page 12, etc.) 
 
 Thus we will know better how to make the children’s reading of most service 
 to them and help to form a good readmg habit in growing childre 7 i. As teachers, 
 we will be stronger ourselves for a year’s work of this kind. Our increased power 
 and capacity for better work will prove the wisdom of our efforts in this direction. 
 
 Special WorK in United States History. 
 
 For the past two years we have been using Mace’s Method in History as the 
 basis of our study together at the Monthly and Annual Institutes. This year 
 each teacher is to see how much of that method is practical, by working out a 
 model lesson during regular school work in U. S. History. The teacher is to select 
 any event and give a written outline of how that event was treated in class work. 
 This outline must be given to the County Superintendent by the Annual Institute 
 the last week of March, 1903. 
 
 At the Northern Illinois Teachers’ Association held at Ottawa, April, 1902, 
 I was assigned this topic to discuss before the Grammar School section, viz : 
 “Some Fundamental Principles and How They Control in the Study of Colonial 
 History—Illustrated by outlines of two or three events.” The outline given then 
 is here printed again with the hope it may prove suggestive to teachers in their 
 special work. 
 
 “Some Fundamental Principles and How They Control in the Study 
 
 of Colonial History.** 
 
 [Illustrated by Outlines of two or three Events.] 
 
 [No originality is claimed for much of what follows.] 
 
 A.—Preliminary Statement without Discussion. 
 
 I.—Object of history teaching. Two quotations by way of introduction. 
 
 I. — “One of the chief ends for the teacher of history in the grades is to present the ele¬ 
 ments of the industrial, social and economic tendencies of the past, together with the 
 development of our political institutions.’’ — Radebaugh, p. 13. Printed Pamphlet. 
 
 2—“An examination of the life of any people will reveal certain permanent features 
 common to the history of all civilized nations. There will be found five well-marked 
 phases,—a political, a religious, an educational, an industrial and a social phase. 
 These are further differentiated by the fact that each has a great organization, called 
 an institution, around which it clusters, and whose purpose, plan of work, and 
 machinery are peculiar to itself. For political ideas, the center is the institution cal¬ 
 led government; for religious ideas, the church; for educational and culture influ¬ 
 ences, the school; for industrial life, occupation ; and for social customs, the family. ’ ’ — 
 Mace, page ii. Method in History. 
 
 6 
 
II. —Children should know the beginnings of American Institutional Life. 
 
 III. —Relation of Discoveries and Explorations to Colonial Life. 
 
 1. —Show places where European Ideas were planted [Mace pp. 76-81.] 
 
 2. —Motives of Colonization. [Ref. Thwaites, The Colonies.] 
 
 (a) Spirit of adventurous enterprise. 
 
 {d) Desire for wealth. 
 
 (c) Economics or political discontent. 
 
 (d) Religious sentiment. 
 
 3. —Why instruction limited chiefly to English colonies? 
 
 IV. —Colonial Period. —1607-1760. 
 
 1. — Economic, religious and political situation in England, 17th century. 
 
 2. —Characteristics of English colonists. 
 
 3. — English Institutions transplanted to new world.—Ref.—Thwaites, 
 
 The Colonies—Fisher, Colonial Era. 
 
 B,—Study of Colonial History. 
 
 I.—The Beginning and Growth of American Institutional Life.—The Or¬ 
 ganizing Principle.— 
 
 Mace pp. 82-104—Method in History. 
 
 I.— Subordinate Phases of this Principle. 
 
 (a) Concentration of power, wealth, refinement, opportunity into the 
 hands of the few.—Southern Colonies—Virginia as type. 
 
 (I?) General participation in rights and privileges—Northern colonies, 
 Massachusetts and Connecticut as types. 
 
 (c) Characteristics of Middle Colonies. 
 
 II.—Development of Institutional Life in the South. Growth of Aristocracy. 
 I.— Event Outlined — Landing of Slaves at Jamestown, Aug., 1619, 
 
 (a) Conditions favorable for unskilled labor. 
 
 (^) Effects of Slavery upon slave-holder and non-slave-holder. 
 
 (1) —Industrial opportunities. 
 
 (2) —Social Life. 
 
 (3) —Educational facilities. 
 
 (4) — Religious sentiment. 
 
 (5) —Political Power. 
 
 [Ref. Thwaites, The Colonies,—Fisher, Colonial Era ] 
 
 III.—Development of New England Institutional Life,—Growth of Democracy. 
 I.— Events Outlined. 
 
 (a) Fundamental Orders of Connecticut 1639. Illustrative Material. 
 
 (i) From School text-books on U. S. History. 
 
 ist—“During three years these four towns were part of Massachusetts. But in 1639, 
 Windsor, Hartford, and Wethersfield adopted a constitution and formed a little re¬ 
 public which in time was called Connecticut. Their ‘Fundamental Orders of Con¬ 
 necticut’ was the first written constitution made in America. Their republic was 
 the first in the history of the world to be founded by a written constitution, and marks 
 the beginning of democratic goverment in our country.” 
 
 2nd.—“All these four river towns at first allowed themselves to remain part of Mas¬ 
 sachusetts, and Springfield has always remained so. But early in 1639, the people 
 of the other three towns met at Hartford and agreed to govern themselves according 
 to a written constitution drawn up by Hooker and others. By this constitution the 
 three towns, Windsor, Hartford, and Wethersfield, were united into a republic, 
 which came to be called Connecticut. This seems to have been the first time in the 
 history of the world, that a State was created by a written constitution. In the colony 
 thus founded there was no restriction of suffrage to church members.” 
 
 3rd.—“One reason why many of the Connecticut emigrants had left Massachusetts was 
 that they did not believe in the principle of limiting the right of voting to church 
 members. The Hartford constitution imposed no such restriction ; every citizen was 
 politically equal with every other, and there was nothing to hinder his taking part 
 
 7 
 
in making laws. Today, not only the United States, but every State in the 
 Union, has a written constitution—a safeguard of liberty—similar in that respect to 
 the one drafted at Hartford in 1639. That, then, may be called the parent of all 
 that have followed.” 
 
 4th. — ‘‘Every man, without regard to belief, could vote for the governor and council ; 
 each township had equal representation in Assembly; free schools were established; 
 indeed, the constitution of Connecticut was so liberal in all its provisions that it has 
 been said to mark the beginnings of American democracy.” 
 
 (2) Analysis and study of Old South Leaflet No. 8, to show how Organizing 
 Principle controls with reference to Political Rights and Privileges. 
 
 (d) Harvard College 1639 Analysis and study of Old South Leaflet, No. 
 
 51. New England’s First Fruits—to show educational opportunities. 
 
 {c) Banishment of Roger Williams 1635. Analysis and study of Old South 
 Leaflet No. 54. Letters of Roger Williams to Winthrop 1636 or 1637. 
 [The second letter given in the leaflet discusses the religious differences 
 between the two men and the doctrines which had led to William’s ban¬ 
 ishment from Massachusetts.] 
 
 (2) General Observations on 
 {a) New England Social Life. 
 
 {b) Industrial Life and Occupations. 
 
 [Ref. Thwaites, The Colonies. Fisher, The Colonial Era ] 
 
 Library Exhibit of Winnebago District Schools. 
 
 July 1 , 1900 to June 30, 1902. 
 
 The following tabulated results show what has been done towards putting 
 books into the district schools for the past two school years. There are yet eleven 
 districts without a single book. May we not hope that the teachers, children and 
 patrons of those districts will find a way to get books before this school year is 
 ended ? 
 
 Brief Summary for School Year July 1, 1900 to June 30, 1901, 
 
 1 No. of vols added to district libraries—2180. 
 
 2 AniDunt of miney expended from district funds for libraries [55 dis¬ 
 tricts] ^480.34. 
 
 3 Amount of money raised by school entertainments and socials for books 
 and pictures [66 districts] ^868.68. 
 
 Brief Summary for School Year July 1, 1901 to June 30, 1902. 
 
 1 No. of vols. added to district libraries—1403. 
 
 2 Amount of money expended from district funds for libraries [24 dis¬ 
 tricts] $242.05. 
 
 3 Amount of money raised by school entertainments and socials for books, 
 pictures, library cases [67 districts] $1072.09 
 
 8 
 
lo, of 
 
 strict. 
 
 1 
 
 2 
 
 3 
 
 4 
 
 5 
 
 6 
 
 7 
 
 8 
 
 9 
 
 10 
 
 11 
 
 12 
 
 13 
 
 14 
 
 15 
 
 16 
 
 19 
 
 20 
 
 21 
 
 22 
 
 23 
 
 24 
 
 25 
 
 26 
 
 27 
 
 28 
 
 29 
 
 30 
 
 31 
 
 59 
 
 32 
 
 33 
 
 34 
 
 35 
 
 36 
 
 37 
 
 38 
 
 39 
 
 40 
 
 41 
 
 42 
 
 43 
 
 44 
 
 45 
 
 46 
 
 47 
 
 48 
 
 49 
 
 50 
 
 51 
 
 52 
 
 53 
 
 54 
 
 55 
 
 56 
 
 57 
 
 68 
 
 ited Report July 1, 1900 to June 30, 1902, 
 
 )tice carefully the following : What will be 
 our record for the present school year? 
 
 No.Vols.in 
 
 Library 
 
 July 1,1900. 
 
 No. Vols. 
 Added 
 
 1901. i 
 
 No. Vol. 
 Added 
 
 1902. 
 
 Total Vols. in 
 Library 
 
 June 30. 1902. 
 
 16 i 
 
 20 1 
 
 0 
 
 36 
 
 12 
 
 20 
 
 17 
 
 49 
 
 21 
 
 13 i 
 
 0 i 
 
 34 
 
 16 
 
 25 1 
 
 20 1 
 
 61 
 
 0 
 
 0 1 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 16 1 
 
 25 1 
 
 41 
 
 1 
 
 0 1 
 
 0 
 
 1 
 
 10 
 
 20 1 
 
 20 
 
 50 
 
 95 
 
 30 i 
 
 20 
 
 145 
 
 1 
 
 20 
 
 21 
 
 42 
 
 2 
 
 20 ! 
 
 0 1 
 
 22 
 
 6 
 
 21 ! 
 
 0 1 
 
 27 
 
 185 
 
 66 
 
 50 
 
 301 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 1 
 
 26 ! 
 
 20 
 
 47 
 
 13 
 
 20 i 
 
 20 
 
 53 
 
 1 
 
 40 i 
 
 26 
 
 67 
 
 1 
 
 0 1 
 
 30 
 
 31 
 
 1 
 
 27 
 
 20 
 
 48 
 
 9 
 
 22 
 
 0 
 
 31 
 
 1 
 
 29 
 
 10 
 
 40 
 
 11 
 
 0 ! 
 
 0 
 
 11 
 
 1 
 
 20 
 
 0 1 
 
 21 
 
 1 
 
 21 
 
 0 
 
 22 
 
 300 
 
 85 
 
 20 
 
 405 
 
 25 
 
 32 
 
 ! 20 j 
 
 77 
 
 3 
 
 0 
 
 0 ! 
 
 3 
 
 28 
 
 21 
 
 11 
 
 60 
 
 16 
 
 20 
 
 1 8 
 
 44 
 
 5 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 5 
 
 3 
 
 1 20 
 
 20 
 
 1 43 
 
 1 
 
 1 20 
 
 i 20 
 
 41 
 
 0 
 
 20 
 
 1 
 
 21 
 
 28 
 
 20 
 
 0 
 
 48 
 
 1 
 
 20 
 
 ‘ 0 
 
 21 
 
 1 
 
 20 
 
 1 0 
 
 21 
 
 20 
 
 0 
 
 i 20 
 
 40 
 
 31 
 
 21 
 
 20 
 
 72 
 
 9 
 
 11 
 
 1 20 
 
 40 
 
 13 
 
 1 20 
 
 ! 21 
 
 54 
 
 4 
 
 14 
 
 i 20 
 
 1 38 
 
 0 
 
 20 
 
 1 20 
 
 1 40 
 
 21 
 
 20 
 
 ! 20 
 
 61 
 
 39 
 
 20 
 
 15 
 
 74 
 
 17 
 
 20 
 
 20 
 
 57 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 1 
 
 20 
 
 0 
 
 21 
 
 12 
 
 17 
 
 1 20 
 
 49 
 
 21 
 
 ’ 19 
 
 i 0 
 
 40 
 
 1 
 
 20 
 
 11 
 
 32 
 
 0 
 
 47 
 
 0 
 
 47 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 80 
 
 20 
 
 1 20 
 
 120 
 
 1 
 
 21 
 
 1 0 
 
 22 
 
 4 
 
 0 
 
 1 20 
 
 24 
 
 1 
 
 20 
 
 20 
 
 41 
 
 9 
 
No. ( 
 
 Distrl 
 
 61 
 
 62 
 
 63 
 
 64 
 
 65 
 
 66 
 
 67 
 
 68 
 
 69 
 
 70 
 
 71 
 
 72 
 
 73 
 
 74 
 
 75 
 
 76 
 
 77 
 
 78 
 
 79 
 
 80 
 
 81 
 
 82 
 
 83 
 
 84 
 
 85 
 
 86 
 
 87 
 
 88 
 
 117 
 
 89 
 
 90 
 
 91 
 
 92 
 
 93 
 
 144 
 
 95 
 
 96 
 
 97 
 
 98 
 
 99 
 
 100 
 
 101 
 
 102 
 
 103 
 
 104 
 
 105 
 
 106 
 
 107 
 
 108 
 
 109 
 
 110 
 
 111 
 
 202 
 
 112 
 
 113 
 
 114 
 
 115 
 
 116 
 
 118 
 
 119 
 
 120 
 
 Tabulated Report, continued. 
 
 No. Vols. In 
 Library 
 
 July 1,1900. 
 
 No. Vols. 
 Added 
 
 1901. 
 
 No. Vols. 
 Added 
 
 1902. 
 
 Total Vols. in 
 Library 
 
 June 30, 1902. 
 
 100 
 
 21 
 
 20 
 
 141 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 20 
 
 21 
 
 20 ’ 
 
 61 
 
 1 
 
 20 
 
 20 
 
 41 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 22 
 
 20 
 
 15 
 
 57 
 
 3 
 
 20 
 
 0 
 
 23 
 
 33 
 
 32 
 
 20 
 
 85 
 
 83 
 
 21 
 
 20 
 
 124 
 
 51 
 
 47 
 
 32 
 
 130 
 
 129 
 
 16 
 
 20 
 
 165 
 
 45 
 
 20 
 
 10 
 
 75 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 1 
 
 18 
 
 22 
 
 41 
 
 1 
 
 20 
 
 21 
 
 42 
 
 1 
 
 0 
 
 20 
 
 21 
 
 0 
 
 27 
 
 20 
 
 47 
 
 2 
 
 21 
 
 0 
 
 23 
 
 2 
 
 21 
 
 0 
 
 23 
 
 0 
 
 21 
 
 20 
 
 41 
 
 3 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 3 
 
 0 
 
 21 
 
 20 
 
 41 
 
 1 
 
 20 
 
 0 
 
 21 
 
 21 
 
 20 
 
 13 
 
 54 
 
 567 
 
 0 
 
 30 
 
 597 
 
 40 
 
 35 
 
 11 
 
 86 
 
 34 
 
 20 
 
 20 
 
 74 
 
 0 
 
 48 
 
 0 
 
 48 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 20 
 
 21 
 
 0 
 
 41 
 
 9 
 
 20 
 
 13 
 
 42 
 
 26 
 
 20 
 
 21 
 
 68 
 
 20 
 
 20 
 
 0 
 
 40 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 16 
 
 20 
 
 20 
 
 OLFire] 
 
 10 
 
 13 
 
 20 
 
 43 
 
 219 
 
 14 
 
 8 
 
 241 
 
 38 
 
 20 
 
 20 
 
 78 
 
 8 
 
 20 
 
 20 
 
 48 
 
 4 
 
 5 
 
 20 
 
 29 
 
 33 
 
 20 
 
 20 
 
 73 
 
 50 
 
 14 
 
 0 
 
 64 
 
 5 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 5 
 
 65 
 
 20 
 
 20 
 
 105 
 
 1 
 
 20 
 
 0 
 
 21 
 
 29 
 
 20 
 
 0 
 
 49 
 
 3 
 
 20 
 
 20 
 
 43 
 
 20 
 
 20 
 
 0 
 
 40 
 
 13 
 
 21 
 
 20 
 
 54 
 
 4 
 
 20 
 
 0 
 
 24 
 
 2 
 
 20 
 
 0 
 
 22 
 
 1 
 
 27 
 
 29 
 
 57 
 
 198 
 
 26 
 
 0 
 
 224 
 
 12 
 
 37 
 
 0 
 
 49 
 
 20 
 
 47 
 
 8 
 
 75 
 
 3 
 
 20 
 
 20 
 
 43 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 20 
 
 20 
 
 20 
 
 0 
 
 24 
 
 44 
 
 6 
 
 21 
 
 20 
 
 47 
 
 1 
 
 20 
 
 20 
 
 41 
 
 3107 
 
 2180 
 
 1403 
 
 6635 
 
 10 
 
11 
 
 District School 1'raveling Libraries of Winnebago County, III. In the County Superintendent’s Office, Sept, i, 1901. 
 
 These forty boxes have traveled over the county during the past year. Since Sept, i, 1902, eighteen boxes 
 more have been added, making a total of 58 libraries. Boxes i, 2, 3, 4 were cut down to smaller size and four 
 much larger boxes made for the eight graded schools of the county. 
 
l^xhibit of Winnebago County District School Travel= 
 ing Libraries, November 1, 1902. 
 
 Financial Statement. 
 
 By appropriation, Board of Supervisors, June, 1901, $300.00 
 
 Net proceeds Township Graduation Exercises, June, 1901, 300.00 
 
 “ “ “ “ “ June, 1902, 281.60 
 
 By appropriation. Board of Supervisors, Sept. 1902, 400.00 
 
 Total Traveling Library Fund, $1281.60 
 
 How Above Fund has Been Used. 
 
 It was decided that the money could be used to best advantage in the pur¬ 
 chase of Supplementary Readers, books on United States History, Geography and 
 books relating to Nature Study, i. e. animal and plant life. These books are put 
 into boxes and travel from district to district, staying a month at a time in each 
 district. By careful selection of as many different titles as possible, the children 
 and teachers will come in contact with a great many different good books in the 
 course of a few years. Especially is this true when different boxes are assigned 
 to the various circuits from year to year. After paying for the construction of 58 
 library boxes and the necessary freight, express and cartage, the following books 
 have been purchased. You will notice that the books purchased in 1902 comprise 
 ■a greater variety of titles than those purchased in 1901. The books of 1901 were 
 selected as a foundation and some dupHcation was imperative to fill the need of Supple¬ 
 mentary Readers, Histories, etc., since school directors would not purchase these 
 for the schools. 
 
 Books Purchased in 1901. 
 
 40 Holton —Primer. 
 
 20 Baldwin —First Reader. 
 
 20 Baldwin —Second Reader. 
 
 20 Baldwin —Third Reader. 
 
 20 Baldwin —Fourth Reader. 
 
 164 Cyr —First Reader. 
 
 164 Cyr —Second Reader 
 164 Cyr —Third Reader. 
 
 164 Fourth Reader. 
 
 40 Fiske —History of the United States. 
 
 20 Thwaites —The Colonies, 1492-1750. 
 
 20 //rt-r/—Formation of the Union, 17501829 
 
 ' 20 Bratt —Exploration and Discovery. 
 
 20 Bratt —The Early Colonies. 
 
 20 Tarr Me Murry —Home Geography. 
 
 20 Tarr Me Murry America. 
 
 10 Andrews —Seven Little Sisters, etc. 
 
 TO Afidrews —Eich and All, etc. 
 
 10 Andrews —Ten Boys Who Lived, etc. 
 
 10 Andrews —The Stories Mother Nature told Her Children. 
 
 12 
 
20 Bass —Plant Life. 
 
 20 Bass —Animal Life. 
 
 20 Grinnell —Our Feathered Friends. 
 
 20 Stickney Hoffman —Bird World. 
 
 10 Welsh —Some of Our Friends. 
 
 10 Welsh —Out Doors. 
 
 lo Chase —Plant Babies and Their Cradles. 
 
 10 Kh'by —kwiii Martha’s Corner Cupboard. 
 
 10 Baldwin —Four Great Americans, 
 lo Burton —Four American Patriots, 
 lo Cody —Four Famous American Writers, 
 lo Beebe —Four American Naval Heroes. 
 
 20 Holder —Stories of Animal Life. 
 
 20 Kelly —Short stories of Our Shy Neighbors. 
 
 20 Needham —Out door Studies. 
 
 20 Lane —Stories for Children. 
 
 20 Baldwin —Old Stories of the East. 
 
 20 Baldwin —Filty Famous Stories Retold. 
 
 20 Dana —Plants and Their Children. 
 
 20 Gould —Mother Nature’s Children. 
 
 30 Burroughs —Squirrels and Other Fur Bearers. 
 
 20 Miller —The First Book of Birds. 
 
 20 Crosby —Our Little Book for Little Folks. 
 
 10 Poyntz —Aunt May’s Bird Talks. 
 
 4 James —Practical Agriculture. 
 
 I Redway —The New Basis of Geography. 
 
 I Shaw —School Hygiene. 
 
 Books Purchased in 1902. 
 
 Some of these books were added to the boxes of last year and the remainder 
 used to equip the eighteen new libraries. 
 
 14 Roosevelt —Episodes from The Winning of the West. 
 
 10 Roosevelt Lodge —Hero Tales From American History. 
 
 14 Dodge —Hans Brinker or the Story ot the Silver Skates. 
 
 14 Baldwin —The Discovery of the Old Northwest. 
 
 20 Burton —New Era History of the United States. 
 
 7 Shejard —Life on the farm. 
 
 7 George —Little Journeys to Cuba and Puerto Rico. 
 
 7 George —Little Journeys to Hawaii and the Philippines. 
 
 7 George —Little Journeys to China and Japan. 
 
 7 Geo 7 ge —Little Journeys to Alaska and Canada. 
 
 10 Hart —Formation of the Union. 
 
 7 Brooks —The Century Book for Young Americans. 
 
 7 Brooks —The Century Book of the American Colonies. 
 
 5 Blanchard —A Daughter of Freedom. 
 
 5 Tomlinson —Three Colonial Boys. 
 
 5 Drysdale —The Treasury Club. 
 
 5 Drysdale —The Young Consul. 
 
 5 Happy Playtimes. (Picture Books for Primary ) 
 
 5 Pet’s Picture Farm. (Picture Books for Primary.) 
 
 10 Our Doggies. (Picture Books for Primary.) 
 
 19 Our Farmyard. (Picture Books for Primary.) 
 
 TO The Book of Ships. (Picture Books for Primary. 
 
 13 
 
•8 
 
 8 
 
 8 
 
 8 
 
 4 
 
 4 
 
 5 
 
 6 
 
 5 
 
 8 
 
 8 
 
 8 
 
 8 
 
 7 
 
 6 
 
 8 
 
 7 
 
 lO 
 
 lO 
 
 13 
 
 6 
 
 7 
 
 13 
 
 7 
 
 6 
 
 7 
 
 8 
 
 7 
 
 7 
 
 16 
 
 6 
 
 6 
 
 6 
 
 6 
 
 6 
 
 6 
 
 10 
 
 10 
 
 20 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 2 
 
 I 
 
 3 
 
 3 
 
 3 
 
 3 
 
 3 
 
 3 
 
 3 
 
 Our Country—West. (Youth Companion Series.) 
 
 By Land and Sea. (Youth Companion Series.) 
 
 Talks About Animals. (Youth Companion Series.) 
 Our Country—East. (Youth Companion Series.) 
 Stoddard —Little Smoke. 
 
 Stoddar'd—Q^o'^d.o,^ Out O’Crofield. 
 
 Barbour —For the Honor of the School. 
 
 Captain Fritz—His Friends and Adventures. 
 Bolton —Our Devoted Friend The Dog. 
 
 Johnston —ThQ Little Colonel’s House Party. 
 
 11 ^ade—Our Little Russian Cousin. 
 
 Wade —Our Little Japanese Cousin. 
 
 Wade—Om Little Indian Cousin. 
 
 Wade —Our Little Brown Cousin. 
 
 Holden —Oav Country’s Flag. 
 
 Pierson —Among the Farmyard People. 
 
 Egleston —Hand-book of Tree Planting. 
 
 Basket —The Story of the Fishes. 
 
 James —Practical Agriculture. 
 
 Howells —A Boy’s Town. 
 
 Baldwm —The Conquest of the Old Northwest. 
 Guerber —The Story of the Thirteen Colonies. 
 
 Shaw —Discoverers and Explorers. 
 
 MeCullough —Little Stories for Little People. 
 
 Krout —Alice’s Visit to the Hawaiian Islands. 
 
 Shaw —Big People and Little People of Other Lands. 
 Eggleston —Stories of American Life and Adventure. 
 Bradish —Stories of Country Life. 
 
 Bartlett —Animals at Home. 
 
 Stokes —Ten Common Trees. 
 
 Wray —Jean Mitchel’s School. 
 
 Coe —The World and its People. Book IV. 
 
 The World and its People. Book V. 
 
 Smith —The World and its People. Book VI. 
 
 Moore —From Colony to Commonwealth. 
 
 Eassett —Colonial Life in New Hampshire. 
 
 Wigwam Stories. 
 
 Under Sunny Skies. (Youth Companion Series.) 
 Northern Europe. (Youth Companion Series.) 
 Montgomery —The Leading Facts of American History. 
 Ebers —Uarda, A Romance of Ancient Egypt [2 vols.J 
 Lodge —Alexander Hamilton. 
 
 Jewett —The Normans. 
 
 Bradley —The Goths. 
 
 Roosevelt —American Ideals and Other Essays. 
 
 Barnes —For King or Country. 
 
 Chaplin —Little Folks of Other Lands. 
 
 Hornibrook —Camp and Trail. 
 
 Stoddard —Jack Morgan. A boy of 1812. 
 
 Brooks —True Story of Benjamin Franklin. 
 
 Brooks —True Story of Abraham Lincoln. 
 
 Brooks —True Story of George Washington. 
 
 Brooks —Century Book of Famous Americans. 
 
 14 
 
3 Brooks —Animals in Action. 
 
 3 To 7 'ey —Every Day Birds. 
 
 3 Miller —Little Brothers of the Air. 
 
 3 Miller —Second Book of Birds. 
 
 3 Eckstrom —Woodpeckers. 
 
 3 S))iith —Under the Cactus Flag. 
 
 3 Miller —In Nesting Time. 
 
 3 Merriain —Birds of Village and Field. 
 
 3 Tomlmson —Boys of Old Monmouth. 
 
 3 Coffin —Boys of ’76. 
 
 3 Barnes —For King or Country. 
 
 3 Coffi 7 i —Old Times in the Colonies. 
 
 3 Gibson —Eye Spy. 
 
 3 Coffin —Abraham Lincoln. 
 
 3 Coffin —Building the Nation. 
 
 3 Stoddard —Dab Kinzer. 
 
 3 Burt —Eugene Field Book. 
 
 3 Davis —Stories for Boys. 
 
 3 D 7 -ake —Making of New England. 
 
 3 D 7 '‘ake —Making of Virginia. 
 
 3 Gra 7 it —Our Common Birds and How to Know Them. 
 
 3 Field —Lullaby-Land. 
 
 7 Ca 7 'roll —Around the World, Book 1. 
 
 7 Carroll —Around the World, Book 2. 
 
 7 Carroll—kxowndi the World, Book 3. 
 
 3 S 77 iith —Jolly Good Times. , , , 
 
 4 Alcott —Little Men. 
 
 ^ '■■■ ■ iT' ^ ^ 
 
 4 Alcott —Little Women. ‘ 
 
 3 Ply 7 npto 7 i —Flowers of the Wilderness. 
 
 3 Bailey —Garden Making. " , - 
 
 3 Earle —Child Life in Colonial Days. 
 
 3 Earle —Home Life in Colonial Days. 
 
 3 » Bolto 7 i—Cx\v\% who Became Famous. 
 
 3 Bolto 7 i —Poor Boys who Became Famous. 
 
 10 Wilso 7 i —Division and Reunion. 1829-1889. 
 
 3 Clark —Birds of Lakeside and Prairie. 
 
 3 Birds of Song and Story. 
 
 3 Otis —Life Savers. 
 
 3 Harrington —About the Weather. 
 
 4 Landscape gardening as applied to home decoration. 
 
 3 Neighbors of field, wood and stream. 
 
 12 White —Court of Boyville. 
 
 3 Riley —Neighborly Poems. 
 
 6 Denslow —Mother Goose. (Pictures for Primary.) 
 
 6 Pictures for Little People. (For Primary.) 
 
 2 Barbour —Half-Back. 
 
 6 Scudder—Wevse and Prose for Beginners. 
 
 6 Wiggin—StoTy Hour. 
 
 6 Hawthorne —Tangle Wood Tales. 
 
 6 Miller —Second Book of Birds. 
 
 6 Hughes —Tom Brown’s School Days. 
 
 6 Fishe —War of Independence. 1 
 
 6 Repplier —Book of Famous Verse. 
 
 15 
 
6 Scudder —George Washington. 
 
 6 Arnold—V m\vs\^x. 
 
 6 Twombly —Hawaii and its People. 
 
 6 Arnold Gilbert —First Book, Stepping Stones to Literature. 
 
 6 Flolton —Primer. 
 
 6 Perdue Victoire —Lights to Literature, book i. 
 
 6 Sprague —Lights to Literature, book 2. 
 
 6 Pa 7 'due Victoire —New Century Second Reader. 
 
 6 Aiken —Eyes and No Eyes and Other Stories. 
 
 6 Kupfer —Stories of Long Ago. 
 
 6 Bass —Animal Life. 
 
 6 Bass —Stories of Pioneer Life. 
 
 6 EcksU'orn —The Bird Book. 
 
 6 Pratt —The Earlier Colonies, 1601-1733. 
 
 6 Pratt —The Later Colonies, 1733-1769. 
 
 6 Pratt —The Revolution and the Republic. 
 
 6 Burto 7 i —Story of Our Country. 
 
 6 Perry —Four American Explorers. 
 
 6 We 7 ner—W\vs\QX. 
 
 6 Guerber—^ioxy of the Great Republic. 
 
 6 Guerber—^ioxy of the English. 
 
 6 Flowers and Their Friends. 
 
 6 Seed Dispersal. 
 
 6 IVeed—Seed Travelers. 
 
 6 Secrets of the Woods. 
 
 6 Q'r—Primer. 
 
 6 Brooks —Stories of the Red Children. 
 
 6 Davis —Nature Stories for Youngest Readers. 
 
 6 Chase —Stories from Birdland, Vol. I. 
 
 6 Chase —Stories from Birdland, Vol. II. 
 
 3 Flagg —A Year with the Birds. 
 
 3 Flagg —A Year Among the Trees. 
 
 20 Hart —Colonial Children (Source Readers in American History). 
 20 Hawthor 7 ie —First Reader. 
 
 20 Hawthorne —Second Reader. 
 
 20 Hawtho 7 ’ne —Third Reader. 
 
 20 Hawthor 7 ie —Fourth Reader. 
 
 4 Park 77 ian —LaSalle and Discovery of Great West. 
 
 3 Park 77 ta 7 t —Pioneers of New France in the New World. 
 
 3 Park 7 na 7 i —Frontenac and New P'rance. 
 
 3 Park 7 nan —The Oregon Trail. 
 
 2 Sets. Pa 7 'k 7 nan —A Half-Century of Conflict [2 vols.] 
 
 2 Sets. Pa 7 ’k 7 nan —Montcalm and Wolf [2 vols.] 
 
 2 Sets. Pa 7 -k 77 ian —Conspiracy of Pontiac [2 vols.] 
 
 I Fisher—The Colonial Era. 
 
 I Sloane—The French War and the Revolution. 
 
 I Walker—The Making of the Nation. 
 
 I Burgess —The Middle Period, 1817-1858. 
 
 I Morse —Abraham Lincoln [2 vols.] 
 
 I Wallace —Ben Hur, Tale of the Christ. 
 
 I Dickens —A Tale of Two Cities. 
 
 I Austin —Standish of Standish. 
 
 I Griffis—^X2.ve Little Holland. 
 
1 Blackmore —Lorna Doone. 
 
 2 Hale—Thit Man Without a Country. 
 
 I Grant—Owx. Common Birds and How to Know Them. 
 
 1 Wilkins— Antiquities. 
 
 2 Bald'wm—The Book Lover. 
 
 2 Kbopman—The Mastery of Books. 
 
 At the time of going to press part of the fund is still unexpended. The total 
 number of volumes in Traveling Libraries will be 2600 at least. 
 
 Net Proceeds Graduating £.xercises 1902. 
 
 Durand (rain) 
 
 $13 
 
 60 
 
 Rockton (more rain) 
 
 31 
 
 25 
 
 Laona (no exercises—rain) - 
 
 I 
 
 20 
 
 Pecatonica 
 
 8 
 
 10 
 
 Rockford .... 
 
 35 
 
 45 
 
 Cherry Valley 
 
 ■ ' - 5 
 
 00 
 
 Roscoe .... 
 
 22 
 
 00 
 
 New Milford 
 
 27 
 
 30 
 
 Shirland .... 
 
 8 
 
 60 
 
 Harrison 
 
 20 
 
 20 
 
 Winnebago . - - - 
 
 15 
 
 00 
 
 Harlem 
 
 27 
 
 00 
 
 Burritt .... 
 
 10 
 
 00 
 
 Seward (rain) 
 
 16 
 
 00 
 
 Owen . . 
 
 - ‘ ’ 15 
 
 70 
 
 Guilford 
 
 • 25 
 
 20 
 
 Total, 
 
 ^281 
 
 60 
 
 In spite of the rain much interest was manifested in the work of the child¬ 
 ren. This is the second year these exercises have been held and the Superintend¬ 
 ent is planning for better things next year. 
 
 Diplomas. 
 
 In all seventy-six diplomas were given for admission to high school. For 
 library readings there were issued nearly iioo diplomas with about 2000 seals. For 
 the coming year credit will be given for reading books of the Winnebago County 
 District School Traveling Library. A diploma will be given for reading six books 
 or more, but no seals are promised. 
 
 17 
 
Programs of Exercises, 
 
 The following is a sample program of the various township exereis-es: 
 
 Second Annual Graduating Exerctes 
 of 
 
 Schools of Rockford Township 
 
 at 
 
 MENDELSSOHN HALL, 
 
 Tuesday Evening, June 17th, 1902. 8:15 o'clock. 
 
 Instrumental Solo, - - • Vera Smith 
 
 Discovery and Exploration of Lousiana, 
 Purchase of Lousiana, 
 
 Lest We ¥ or gQi—Kipling^ 
 
 Presentation of Eighth Grade Diplomas, 
 Vocal Duet, 
 
 A Trip to Champaign, 
 
 Pearl Griggs 
 Erma Witherstine 
 Samuel Mishler 
 O. J. Kern 
 Ruth and Louie Maixner 
 { Orville Brown 
 \ WiLFORD Johns 
 
 Dialogue from Making of Illinois, 
 
 Book Representations, 
 
 Poem—“I used to Kill the Birds,” 
 
 Freddie Thompson 
 Henry Swanson 
 Hildur Swanson 
 Erma Truesdell 
 Grace Gilmore 
 Frank Smith 
 Ethel Smith 
 Walter Ullmark 
 Martin Grip 
 
 Dwight Holdridge 
 
 Book Representations, 
 
 [ Beth Barningham 
 J Hazel Baldwin 
 j Willie Storrs 
 [ WiLLA Tape 
 
 Song, ..... District No. io8 
 Presentation of Reading Circle Diplomas and 
 
 Teachers’ Proffessional Attainment Certificates, O. J. Kern 
 
 Song, ..... Schools 
 
 The following is Wilford John’s paper delivered at the Rockford Exercises: 
 
 Most of the people of Winnebago county are interested in the boys’ ex* 
 cursion to Champaign under the leadership of Superintendent Kern. The trip was 
 a very enjoyable one and we will try to tell you about some of the things that we 
 saw there. We left Rockford, June 5, at 4:30 a. m. on the Illinois Central rail¬ 
 road. Between Rockford and Chicago I saw thirteen school houses, none of which 
 had any trees in the yard. At Chicago Superintendent Kern took us up to see 
 Logan’s statue. We had time before leaving to get a general view of the lake 
 front, Michigan avenue, and to see the tallest mercantile building in the world. 
 We left Chicago at 8:30 a. m. In South Chicago, I saw the drainage canal and 
 the swinging bridges. 
 
 18 
 
At Kankakee there are stone quarries, but soon after leaving there I saw no 
 stone quarries and noticed that most of the foundations of the houses were of brick. 
 There was a noticeable change in the appearance of the trees. I saw no leaf- 
 blighted branches nor half-dead trees. The groves which I saw looked very thrifty. 
 The country from Chicago to Champaign is very level and I saw many flooded fields. 
 
 On arriving at Champaign about noon we were conducted by Mr. Fred H. 
 Rankin to specially provided street cars on which we rode to the university 
 grounds. We were met there by the dean of the college who conducted us to the 
 stock judging pavillion where we were served with coffee, sandwiches and cake. 
 
 After dinner we were shown through the group of agricultural buildings, each 
 professor explaining his part. This is the largest group of buildings devoted to 
 this purpose in the world. Then Professor Shamel took us over the fields and 
 showed and told us about the sugar beets, cow peas, soy beans, and the wheat 
 which had been planted. 
 
 He showed us a piece of land that had been planted to corn for twenty-five 
 years without once having been manured. He showed us a field of alfalfa and 
 pulled up one of the plants that we might see the tubercles that deposit the 
 nitrogen taking the air into the soil. 
 
 Here also they were experimenting on planting corn, oats, clover, cow peas 
 and soy beans at different depths. We were shown the horse department, where 
 they have some fine specimens of the Morgan horse. 
 
 We next went to the dairy barns and saw the herd of cows under test. In the 
 beef department they have three carloads of cattle feeding for a test. They also 
 have some fine specimens of Polled Angus and Shorthorns. From the cattle de¬ 
 partment we went to the orchards where the spraying of trees was explained to us. 
 In the evening we were entertained at Menor hall. Each professor gave a short 
 talk explaining his department and what was being done in iL 
 
 Friday morning we met at the Armory and were conducted through the 
 gymnasium and the engineering hall. On the steps of this building we had our 
 pictures taken. First the boys who belonged to the experiment club, then all the 
 boys under twenty-one years, then last the older people. Some of the other build¬ 
 ings which we visited are the electrical and the mechanical engineering buildings, 
 the hydraulic building, the central heating plant, the natural history hall and the 
 library building. The latter is considered the finest building on the grounds and 
 contains 50,000 volumes. Having some time left I revisited the museum in natural 
 history hall. 
 
 The electrical and mechanical engineering buildings seemed to be of special 
 interests to the boys. One of the professors said he thought it was because the 
 wheels went round. Perhaps he was right. But I, for one, would like to take a 
 course in this or some similar institution and find out what makes the wheels go 
 round. 
 
 Educational Session of State Farmers’ Institute. 
 
 Thursday Evening, February 20 , 1902, 7:15 O'clock, Opera House, 
 
 R.ockford, Ill. 
 
 PROGRAM. 
 
 The program was in charge of the County Superintendent and given by 
 pupils of our district schools. Their excellent work reflected great credit upon their 
 teachers. 
 
 PART 1. 
 
 Music—Rockford High School Orchestra. 
 
 Song—Winnebago’’—Pupils of Districts 46, 58, 61, 68, 69, 70, 71, 
 
 107, 113, 202. Led by Mr. George Smith, Instructor 
 in Music, Winnebago County District Schools. 
 
 Library Spirit in Winnebago County Schools, Illustrated. 
 
 1. Illinois Pupils Reading Circle—Rea Frisbie, District 71. 
 
 2. District School Traveling Libraries, Wilford Johns, Dist. 46. 
 
 19 
 
Piano Solo—“ Melaine ”—C. Bohm, op. 278—Paul Schad, Dist. 113. 
 School Room Decoration in Winnebago County Schools, Illustrated 
 with Pictures from School Rooms. 
 
 1. Lillian Remsburg ■ - - District 6g 
 
 2. Hattie Kingsbury, ... . District 202 
 
 Patriotic Exercise, - - - Pupils of District 69 
 
 Whistling Solo—Silvery Wave, - Miss Carrie M, St. John 
 
 PART 2-8:30 O’CLOCK. 
 
 Stereopticon Lecture—“The Farmers and the Schools”—O. T. 
 
 Bright, Chicago, Superintendent Schools, Cook County. 
 
 A Stranger’s Opinion. 
 
 The children will be interested in knowing what the strangers thought of 
 their work. The following is what the Bloomington Pantagraph said in part. 
 
 “The educational session of the Illinois Farmers’ institute at Rockford came 
 Thursday night and was prepared and managed by O. J. Kern, Superintendent of 
 Winnebago County schools, and was one of the greatest features of the institute, 
 attracting and holding an audience of 1400. 
 
 One hundred and seventy-five pupils from ten schools of that county sang 
 ‘Winnebago’, a beautiful bit of home enthusiasm, with a solid basis of fact. This 
 kind of singing by well trained boys and girls, with all the fresh ardor of joyful 
 youth, carries with it charni and zest that is lost in the fine rendering of the artist 
 or professional. It is putting it mildly to say that the farm people present were 
 proud of (and all were pleased with) the appearance and work of the rural young 
 folks that crowded the stage. 
 
 Library Work. 
 
 The next number was an illustration of the library spirit in Winnebago 
 County Schools. Two little boys acquitted themselves splendidly in speaking with 
 very composed manner, distinct utterance and fine effect to the great throng that 
 slanted away back for half a block in two decks, ‘why, they talk better than some 
 of the women on the program’, said an observing member of the audience. They 
 talked to be heard and were heard—a point of considerable importance in address¬ 
 ing a large audience. Their tones were not very loud, but great care was taken 
 to speak every syllable plainly and with vigor enough to move the sound waves 
 through the room. ******* 
 
 School Room Decoration. 
 
 The next topic was ‘School Room Decoration in Winnebago County Schools.’ 
 Eight fine pictures, well framed, taken from county schools, were placed on easels 
 in a row across the stage. Lillian Remsburg and Hattie Kingsbury, school pupils, 
 spoke with excellent effect of the topic in general and interpreted each picture im 
 detail. ******** 
 
 Patriotic £.xercises« 
 
 A great deal was included in the next brief title, ‘Patriotic Exercises’, by 
 pupils from district 69. The exercises lasted over an hour and were the crowning 
 stage effect of the session. Twenty-four girls in white dresses carrying red, white 
 and blue sashes, gave a beautiful drill with forty kinds of evolutions in marching, 
 with arm movements, posing, etc., in ranks and files and groups and masses. All 
 this in perfect order without a word of direction, with the changing lights and' 
 stage effect, this made a great showing. Pictures of Washington and Lincoln were 
 shown. The boys joined the girls on the stage and all sang ‘Mt. Vernon’. One 
 girl spoke of Washington, another of Lincoln. Then came more marching, a 
 tableau, ‘Tenting on the Old Camp Ground’ and the singing of ‘The Star Spangledi 
 Banner’, during which a great flag slid into view. 
 
 20 
 
E,ffect of it All. 
 
 This was patriotism personified; its living breath filled the atmosphere; it 
 was heard and seen and felt. Many taking features cannot be described in detail. 
 It was a great object lesson, and it was not lost on the audience. The bright, pure 
 hopeful faces of the children, the multiplied enthusiasm of numbers, and the com¬ 
 bined effect was something not easily forgotten. It thoroughly entertained the 
 audience, but it did far more; it was the most contagious form of education upon 
 one of the liveliest topics of the day and given by the county in the forefront of 
 this worthy campaign. Ideas in song and story, in the concrete and in the living 
 minds and bodies of 175 children found ready and pleasing interpretation.” 
 
 Winnebago County Farmer Boys’ Experiment Club, 
 
 One result of the State Farmers’ Institute was the organization of the Win¬ 
 nebago County Farmer Boys’ Experiment Club, in the office of the County Super¬ 
 intendent of Schools, at Rockford, Ill., February 22, 1902. The charter members 
 of the club number thirty-three, boys who met that morning and listened to talks 
 by Prof. Shamel and Supt. Rankin of the Agricultural College extension work. 
 Since then the membership has been increased to one hundred and fourteen boys 
 between the ages of 9 and 21 years. The boys have been doing experiment work, 
 making original investigations under the direction of the faculty. College of Agri¬ 
 culture. 
 
 They have tested vitality of seed corn and clover, by planting a certain num¬ 
 ber of grains of seed, watching the growth and reporting the results to the faculty. 
 Each boy received two pounds of sugar beet seed and was asked to plant the seed 
 and cultivate the plants according to directions in a leaflet which was mailed to 
 him. When the beets are matured each boy will send selected specimens to the 
 college of agriculture so analysis may be made to test for percentage of sugar. 
 The remainder of the beet crop will be fed by the boys to the animals on the farm. 
 
 Smut in Oats. 
 
 In July, they, occording to directions, mailed them, made investigations with 
 reference to smut in oats. 
 
 Each boy was directed to go into four different fields and make three counts 
 in various parts of the same field by placing a barrel hoop over as many stalks as 
 the hoop might enclose, and then counting and recording the results. These were 
 reported to Supt. Rankin. 
 
 Well, What of it? 
 
 Sure enough, what does it all amount to ? In school we urge elementary 
 science work, such as seed germination, etc. For boys to test vitality of seed corn 
 and clover is good science observation work. In school, the children making investi¬ 
 gations for injurious plants, insects, etc. Do they do it? For boys to investigate 
 for smut in oats and estimate the loss is practical education. For the boys to fig¬ 
 ure out the percentage of smut is practical arithmetic. 
 
 Help From Teachers. 
 
 To be sure an organization of boys must be piloted and encouraged or it will 
 fail. And in this connection teachers can render valuable assistance to the boys 
 in making their investigations. 
 
 21 
 
Francis Bailey, Age 14, District 104, July, 1902. 
 
 This illustrates his experiment field of sugar beets. Francis went on the educational excursion. 
 
 Clarence Wallin, Age 14, District No. 114, August 1902. 
 His field of prize-growing corn. 
 
 22 
 
John and Charles Mishler, Ages 14 and 12, District No. 113. August 1902. 
 With their experiment field of sugar beets. 
 
 Earl Thompson, Age 13, District 113. August 1902. 
 
 His prize corn-growing field. He went on the educational excursion to Champaign. 
 
 23 
 
The Farmers’ Institute and the Country School. 
 
 The Farmers’ Institute sustains a vital relation to the country school and 
 the country child. With the month of November these institutes are fairly under 
 way in the different counties of Illinois. The amount of attention given to the 
 condition of the country school building and premises and the educational advance¬ 
 ment of the country child, by the various institute meetings will be a pretty fair 
 indication of the value farmers place on the requirements for the training of their 
 children. The institutes are doing a great work. It is estimated that last year in 
 the United States 500,000 farmers were effected by these meetings. This seems 
 encouraging. But when we remember that there are 10,000,000 farmers in our 
 country, then the ratio is i to 20 of those who attend and those who do not. The 
 problem is how to interest the 20 who do not attend the meetings. 
 
 One Way. 
 
 When I was a boy on the farm there was no such thing as a farmers’ insti¬ 
 tute. It would have been a great help to me if there had been and if I had been 
 induced to atte^id. To illustrate. Strange as it may seem, I never knew the use 
 of the corn-tassel till after I left the farm. There was absolutely no elementary 
 science instruction either in the district school or on the farm. I never heard of 
 a barren stalk of corn or smut in oats. 
 
 Yes, I ate corn-bread and lived in spite of my ignorance of pollen and fertili¬ 
 zation. And it is equally true that I might have swallowed corn juice and died in 
 the same degree of enlightenment. But that is not the thought. And it has seemed 
 to me that at the various county institutes I have attended for the past two years and 
 noted almost total absence of boys that there should be an effort made to interest 
 the boys and secure their regular attendance. 
 
 How Interest the Boys. 
 
 This is a hard question to answer. We need to understand boys before we 
 attempt to guide them. We need to sympathize with them and encourage them. 
 And I wish, as a brief preparation for handling boys, every parent and teacher 
 would read two books we are putting into the Winnebago County District School 
 traveling libraries this year. They are “In a Boy’s Town,” and the “Court of 
 Boyville.” They give the reader a wonderful insight into a boy’s character. 
 
 Program at the County Institute. 
 
 The officers of the Winnebago County Farmers’ Institute have requested 
 the County Superintendent to prepare a program for boys at the coming institute 
 in February when an afternoon will be given over to the Winnebago County Boys’ 
 Experiment Club. This is a start towards interesting and securing the attendance 
 of boys in our country. Only the future can reveal the success. But if hard work 
 counts for anything, that session will be of intense interest from start to finish and 
 there will be many boys present, weather permitting. 
 
 Character of the Program. 
 
 The County Superintendent is putting much earnest thought into the make¬ 
 up of the program. In this he will be guided by the spirit of the recommendation 
 of the directors of the Illinois State Farmers’ Institute, viz: “ That entertainments 
 foreign to institute lines, consisting of brass bands, comic songs and recitations, 
 school contests and theatricals, etc., be discouraged.” And also, “That at least 
 one session of each institute be conducted by the farmers’ sons and daughters and 
 that the program of this session be made up of topics of special interest to them. 
 That the students who hold scholarships in the College of Agriculture and Do¬ 
 mestic Science be invited by the counties represented by these scholarships to take 
 
 24 
 
part on the program of the County Institute to discuss the questions pertaining to 
 the college work.” Animated by this spirit an earnest effort will be made to make 
 the program of the boys, by the boys and for the boys, a program truly educational 
 in its character so that boys shall not vanish from the face of the farm. 
 
 Suggestions from the Boys. 
 
 'In July last I sent to each member of our Boys’ Club a circular asking for 
 answers to various questions. I give one question with a few answers. 
 
 Question. 
 
 What kind of a program do you think we ought to have for the Boys' afternoon 
 oit the County Farmers' histitute in February f 
 
 Answers. 
 
 1 st. “ I think a talk from several of the boys of the Experiment Club would 
 be all right.” 
 
 2nd. “ I think we ought to have a program that we boys will be interested 
 in farming and make it the most beautiful place on earth.” 
 
 3d. “I think each boy ought to tell how his corn and beets grew and what 
 he did with them.” 
 
 4th. ‘‘ I am willing to have Mr. Kern prepare the program.” 
 
 5th. “I would like to have Mr. Shamel talk about corn or something like 
 
 that.” 
 
 6th. “ Something that will interest the boys in their corn growing contest 
 and see if they would like to go to Champaign next year.” 
 
 7th. “I think speaking of farmers and how school yards should be filled 
 with trees and flowers.” 
 
 Corn Contest and Investigations. 
 
 Last spring each boy sent to the Secretary of the Winnebago County 
 Farmers’ Institute for a pint of seed corn selected by the officers of the institute. 
 This was planted and each boy is to receive a prize for an exhibit of corn. The 
 boys of the club also have been doing experiment work in corn under the direction 
 of the College of Agriculture at Urbana, Illinois. Three boys to my personal 
 knowledge visited four different cornfields in one township and made four different 
 counts in each field for barren stalks. The average per cent of barren stalks in 
 the first field was 13 per cent; in the second 6 per cent; in the third 4 per cent; and 
 in the fourth 3 per cent. 
 
 Each boy was requested also to make observations with reference to the 
 time of the appearance of the tassel and the silk on a stalk of corn. “ What does 
 that amount to ?” you say. Well, what would you? Would you have a ten-year- 
 old boy take a compound microscope of 10,000 diameters and with a cross-section 
 of a grain of pollen know the whole mystery of life in a single sitting? Nay, rather 
 have him use his eyes, a little observation, this week, more next week, more next 
 year until the habit of observing is fixed, and silently there grows within him the 
 power to judge and he becomes an educated man because he sees things with his 
 eyes. I wish everyone who has anything to do with the training of children would 
 read the chapter on Habit in James’ “Talks to Teachers on Psychology and to 
 Students on Life’s Ideals.” That chapter alone is worth the price of the book. 
 
 Word of Caution. 
 
 You must not expect too much of boys at first. In order to get things done 
 one will need to camp on a boy’s trail and keep after him. That is, you will, if he 
 is a normal, a natural boy. In spite of discouragements and seeming lack of in¬ 
 terest on the part of many boys, come up smiling every time. Boys will not follow 
 any other kind of a leader. 'This is our first year in Winnebago County in this 
 kind of work and we will know better next year how to do things. 
 
 I have mailed to each member of the club a set of Shamel’s leaflets on the 
 Study of Farm Crops, published by The School News. The boys have enjoyed 
 them. There is a great field for co-operation of the Farmers’ Institute and the 
 district school in the direction of the material, social, moral and intellectual con¬ 
 ditions affecting the country school and the country child. 
 
 25 
 
Orville Brown, Age 12, District 68, Sept. 1902, with his prize corn growing field. 
 A member of the educational excursion. 
 
 Evans Kern, Age 10, School District 69, a member of the 
 boys experiment club, August 1902. 
 
 He is standing by his prize growing corn. During July and August he watered his 
 corn twice each week with a rake. That is, he took Prof. Bailey’s advise and raked the 
 ground twice each week to produce a surface mulch of fine soil to prevent evaporation of 
 moisture. He went on the educational excursion to the College of Agriculture and the experi¬ 
 ment farm at Urbana, Ill. 
 
 26 
 
George Halley, Age i6, School District No. 8, a member of the 
 
 BOYS EXPERIMENT CLUB, AUGUST 1902. 
 
 He is standing in his field of sugar beets while his prize growing corn is to his right. 
 He went on the educational excursion and as he had never been on a railroad train before, you 
 can imagine the trip was an inspiration to him. 
 
 Edom Black, Age 17, School District 42, Sept, i, 1902, a member 
 OF THE boys’ experiment CLUB. 
 
 He is standing beside his father Mr. John Black, Chairman of the Committee on 
 Education of the Board of Supervisors. Mr. Black has an equal interest with his boy in the 
 experiment field of sugar beets. They are keeping account of every item of interest with 
 reference to this experiment work. I'hese facts are to be reported at the Boys’ Session of the 
 County Farmers’ Institute. Here is the secret of work of this kind. The father takes an in¬ 
 terest in his boy and goes with him. Mr. Black inspected the centralized schools of Ohio 
 and took two of his boys on the educational excursion to Urbana. He is interested in building 
 up the country schools and was instrumental in securing appropriations for our district school 
 traveling libraries. 
 
 27 
 
An E^ducational E^xcursion. 
 
 Not all of the education for the country child is acquired in the country 
 school. It has been said that the farm educates the child as much as the school. 
 The time is near at hand when we must teach more practical things in the district 
 schools. The child should visit places and see things for himself. Much may 
 thus be learned within the limits of the average district. We spend too much time 
 in reading about things without seeing them. The polar bear gets more of the 
 child’s attention in books than does the study of an obnoxious weed on the farm. 
 The average country child will hardly be called upon to study arctic animals in 
 their native environment, but there are many things worth learning in an excursion 
 of an hour or two in the neighborhood of the district schoolhouse. 
 
 When our boy’s experiment club was organized it occurred to me that if the 
 boys of the club and other boys of the county and their parents could have an 
 opportunity of visiting the State College of Agriculture and the fine experiment 
 farm at Urbana, it would have a great influence upon the educational and agricul¬ 
 tural interests of Winnebago County. For three months I thought, talked and 
 worked to bring about such an excursion. And on Thursday, June 5, 1902, one 
 hundred thirty boys and one hundred fifty adults — nearly six coaches full — left 
 Rockford for Urbana. So far as I know it was the first distinctively farmers’ 
 educational excursion from Winnebago County to a great educational institution, 
 the University of Illinois. 
 
 Transportation. 
 
 Rockford is two hundred fourteen miles from Urbana, on the Illinois Central 
 Railroad, via Chicago. After a brief correspondence with General Passenger 
 Agent A. W. Hanson, we were given a rate of ^2.50 for round trip. This was but 
 a little more than one-half cent per mile. We were shown every courtesy by the 
 officials of the road. Our coaches were attached to regular trains, leaving Chicago 
 on the New Orleans limited and making schedule time. Returning we had a 
 special from Chicago to Rockford, run as the second section of the Omaha limited, 
 which makes but one stop between Chicago and Rockford. Some of the boys drove 
 twenty miles to reach Rockford for the early train, which left at 4:30 a. m. As far 
 as transportation facilities were concerned nothing further could be desired. 
 
 Arrival at Urbana. 
 
 We arrived at Champaign about noon and street cars were in readiness to 
 take us to the University grounds at Urbana. After a lunch, served us by the Uni¬ 
 versity in the stock judging pavillion, the afternoon was spent in inspecting the 
 experiment farms under the management of the faculty of the College of Agricul¬ 
 ture. Supt. Rankin, of the Agriculture College Extension Work, had met us about 
 twenty miles north of Champaign and safely conducted us to Urbana. While at 
 lunch we were warmly greeted by Dean Davenport and his assistants, and through¬ 
 out our entire stay every courtesy was shown us and every one tried to make our 
 visit as pleasant as possible. They succeeded. 
 
 A Walk Over the Experiment Farm. 
 
 The ladies of the party preferred to remain at the College of Agriculture and 
 inspect the domestic science department while the boys and men under the leader¬ 
 ship of Supt. Rankin and Prof. Shamel were conducted over the farm. The grow¬ 
 ing crops were inspected and minute explanations were given how they were being 
 
 28 
 
cared for and what experiments were being made. We inspected sugar beets, corn, 
 soy beans, cow peas, oats, wheat and alfalfa. Some roots were pulled up of this 
 last named plant, and the boys were shown the tubercles that deposit in the ground 
 the nitrogen taken from the air. 
 
 Next we were shown through dairy and feed barns. The boys saw fine speci¬ 
 mens of Polled Angus and Shorthorn cattle. The afternoon closed with a visit to- 
 the orchard and gardens and spraying plant, etc. Space will permit of only the 
 briefest mention of the afternoon’s inspection. Each member of the faculty of the 
 College of Agriculture was present to explain his particular field of operations, and' 
 took the keenest delight in answering our questions and making our visit profitable. 
 On Thusday evening a meeting was held in Morrow Hall, and brief talks were 
 made by various members of the faculty of the College of Agriculture. Each 
 professor told how he was trying to carry out the purpose of the great agriculture^ 
 equipment we had just inspected. 
 
 The Second Day. 
 
 Friday morning, June 6, was spent inspecting the other buildings of the 
 University of Illinois. We were shown through the armory, gymnasium, electri¬ 
 cal and mechanical engineering halls, labratories, library, etc. This of itself was 
 a liberal education for the boys. The boys are still talking about the trip. One 
 district school of Winnebago County had eleven boys attending school at the time 
 of the excursion, and all members of the Boy’s Club. Eight of the eleven went 
 on the excursion. And the teacher told me that during the rest of the term the 
 boys had plenty to say in recitation time about what they had seen. 
 
 The Future Effect. 
 
 To be sure, it is too soon to say what the effect will be. We will wait 
 patiently for time to show results in quickened aspirations and stronger characters 
 in growing boys. The results will be all right. If twelve boys out of one hun¬ 
 dred and thirty become strong men in the county because of this excursion, just 
 think of the good twelve men can do in a county for the advancement of the farm 
 and school. Personally I am much gratified with the success of the excursion. We 
 hope to go again next year. 
 
 The Cost of Success. 
 
 Two days previous to our excursion, a party of one hundred and thirty went 
 to Urbana from McHenry County, under the auspices of the McHenry County 
 Farmers’ Picnic Association. And the Bloomington, Illinois, Paragraph—a news¬ 
 paper earnestly advocating improvement in the farm and country school—very 
 kindly spoke as follows of the McHenry County and Winnebago County Educational- 
 Excursions: 
 
 “ They make careful plans, and good ones and start them in operation, but do 
 not stop with any mere theory or formal procedure, however perfect or unique, but 
 get out in the field, see how their plans are working, and work them, revising them 
 if necessary, meeting any deficiency, putting the whole weight of their personalty 
 and influence into the project, meeting doubts, overcoming objections, securing, 
 personal pledges absolutely doing things—and then people wonder why they sue- 
 succeed. 
 
 “ Their spirit and methods should be studied, emulated and adapted to the 
 local conditions by other would-be-successful workers in a similar field. The price 
 of success seems to be devotion, work, plenty of it, and the ingenuity of plan that 
 comes from great earnestness and continued brooding over things desired to be 
 accomplished.” 
 
 29 
 
Members of the Winnebago County Boys’ Experiment Club In Front of the College 
 OF Engineering, at Urbana, III., June 6, 1902. 
 
 Members of the Boys’ Experiment Club and Other Boys of the Educational Ex¬ 
 cursion in Front of the College of Engineering, at Urbana, III., June 6, 1902. 
 
 A number of these boys had never been outside of Winnebago. A few had never 
 been on a railroad train. At Chicago they had an opportunity to see Logan’s Statue, Lake 
 Michigan, the Art Institute and the tall buildings along Michigan Ave. This is no small 
 thing for the boys who had never seen Chicago. This entire excursion will mean much to the 
 future of these boys. 
 
 30 
 
Adult Members of the Winnebago County Farmers’ Educational Excursion, 
 
 June 6, 1902. 
 
 All the officers of the Farmers’ Institute of Winnebago County and other influential 
 members were present. Here are fathers who have had or now have children attending the 
 University of Illinois. These farmers now feel as they have never before experienced that this 
 great institution belongs to them in common with all the people of Illinois, and deserving their 
 heartiest support, although living far away along the Wisconsin line. 
 
 School Gardens. 
 
 A certain writer has said, “Truth is always rejected when it comes to a man 
 for the first time, its evolutions being as follows: First, we say, the thing is rank 
 heresy and contrary to the Bible. Second, we say, the matter really amounts to 
 nothing, one way or the other. Third, we declare we always believed it.” 
 
 Now, in Winnebago County, school gardens are in the first degree. That 
 is, most people say “They are a fad and contrary to the Sacred Course of Study.” 
 
 But never mind. Just keep on and it will not be long before the great ma¬ 
 jority have taken the third degree and the grand pass word will be, “We always 
 believed that the school grounds should be made beautiful and attractive for 
 children.” 
 
 School Gardens and the Teaching of Agriculture. 
 
 If the fnndamental principles of Agriculture are to be taught in our country 
 schools with any degree of success, a small experimental garden will be necessary. 
 The average school ground has ample space for work of this kind. 
 
 Secretary Wilson and the School Garden. 
 
 Hon. James Wilson, secretary of agriculture, protests against the present 
 and pleads for the future in country education. He says: “But considering the 
 Americans pay more money for public education than any other people on earth, a 
 comparatively small proportion of the sum is devoted to stimulating and aiding the 
 
 31 
 
half of our population who cultivate the soil. The tendency of primary educa¬ 
 tion has been to lead the country youth away from the farm instead of helping him 
 in the study of those sciencies relating to production. It would be politic and 
 patriotic to incorporate into the farm youth’s education some knowledge that shall 
 bear more directly upon his future life and work.” And thus he pleads for the 
 country school garden. “Flowers should abound in the school house grounds. 
 They are among the best of educators, for they develope taste and a love for the 
 beautiful, and make men sensitive to the attractive and lovely, in town or country, 
 in field or forest. * * * The young farmer attending the district school could 
 
 readily be taught what a plant gets from the soil and what it gets from the air. 
 The several grasses could be planted and their office in filling the soil with humus, 
 enabling the soil to retain moisture, could be explained. The legumes—peas, 
 beans, clover and alfalfa—could be grown in the school house yard, and during 
 recess or at the noon hour the teacher could interest the students by digging up a 
 young pea or clover root and showing the nodules, whose office is to bring the free 
 nitrogen from the atmosphere and fix it in the soil.” 
 
 What We Can Do. 
 
 In the first place we can not bring the German school garden to America all 
 at once. We can make a beginning. With the co-operation of all, trees and 
 flowers can be planted at but little or no expense beyond labor. A small sum of 
 money from the school funds will put a neat fence around the grounds and paint 
 the school house. Let us seriously consider the educational effect of surroundings 
 and earnestly set about changing some things. What districts will be the leaders?’ 
 
 Prizes for Beautifying School Houses. 
 
 Now trees do not cost much. I have sent literature on tree planting, school 
 gardens, etc., to every teacher, every director and looo farmers in the county. 
 One result has been that last spring 425 trees were set out in 46 districts. There 
 are several school grounds yet without trees. What is the reason ? 
 
 Youth’s Companion offer. 
 
 Here is what that splendid paper says : /1 
 
 “ We are so desirous of having every school in your county take an enthusiastic interest 
 in this work that we make you a special offer. To every public school in Winnebago County 
 which improves its grounds or buildings between April i, 1902, and March 31, 1903, we will 
 present eight historical pictures, reproduced from the celebrated paintings by John Trumbull, 
 each picture fourteen by eighteen inches in size, and suitable for framing. The titles of the 
 pictures we shall give are: “The Battle of Bunker Hill,” “The Surrender of Burgoyne,” 
 “ The Battle of Princeton,” “The Death of Montgomery,” “Washington Resigning His- 
 Commission,” “Signing the Declaration of Independence.” “The surrender of Cornwallis,” 
 and ‘ ‘ Washington. ’ ’ 
 
 In addition to this offer, we will give an American bunting flag, six by nine feet in size, to* 
 each of the six schools in your county which show the most enterprise, and which are most 
 successful in beautifying their grounds or buildings. Your County Superintendent will act as 
 judge, or will appoint judges to decide upon the merits of the respective school improvements. 
 You can write to him for any information. The pictures and flags will be forwarded by us- 
 as soon as we have been notified by Superintendent Kern of the successful contestants. 
 
 Very sincerely yours. 
 
 Perry Mason Company.. 
 
 32 
 
District No. 104, Winnebago County, Illinois. 
 
 July, 1902. 
 
 The teacher, Miss Miriam Buttimer and children have a nice flower bed here. Francis 
 Bailey, a member of the Boys’ Experiment Club, is making the grounds attractive by'cutting 
 away the grass and weeds. Why not a lawn mower as part of the equipment of such a school ? 
 It would educate as much, possibly, as some high priced unused educational charts.' 
 
 This is a Last Year’s Chicken Yard. Winnebago County. 
 
 July, 1902. 
 
 A few cents for seeds and a little work has transformed this corner. If such things are 
 worth while for our homes, why not for our schools? 
 
 33 
 
Studying Arborculture and Agriculture at Graumont, East Flanders. 
 
 34 
 

 Schoou'Garden at Plauen, a^^Suburb'of'^Dresden, Germany. 
 
 Girls Working in Leipzig School Garden. 
 
 35 
 
The Scene of Last Year’s Rubbish Pile, Winnebago County, III., September, 1902. 
 
 A gentleman and his wife, lovers of flowers and plants, have thus changed the appearance 
 of their back yard in a few months. The vegetation above (not trees) represents one season’s 
 growth. In the evolution of the school garden who will help initate people into the third degree 
 mentioned on another page. 
 
 36 
 
fiditorial of the R^ockford Register=Gazette. 
 
 Improve the School Grounds. 
 
 The decoratiou of the public school buildiugs and grounds is a topic that oc¬ 
 cupied much time at the recent Illinois State Farmers’ Institute. The movement 
 advanced by Superintendent O. T. Bright of the Cook County schools in his mem¬ 
 orable lecture on Thursday evening of the Institute week, was merely in line with 
 the work previously done by Supt. O. J. Kern, of Winnebago County. It was a move¬ 
 ment to beautify the district school houses and make them places which should be 
 sought with pleasure by the children of the country districts. 
 
 Who of those who listened to Mr. Bright’s lecture or saw his illustrations of 
 school houses which he had found bare of adornment, and sometimes almost of 
 windows, and his comparisons with other buildings about which the scholars had 
 planted trees and flower gardens will forget the contrast? 
 
 Study in the illy ventilated, poorly heated and barren school rooms would 
 scarcely appeal to the average student, while the pretty, tastefully decorated build¬ 
 ings shown in contrast could not fail to be a source of pride to the children and 
 an incentive to good work and a love of the school and the work done there. 
 
 Nor is it alone in the pleasure afforded the children by pretty surroundings, 
 but in the positive benefit they derive from such incentives to a more aesthetic 
 view of life that the beautifying of the school house is useful. The care of 
 plants, the watching of their growth and development is a practical botanical les¬ 
 son which will engraft itself on the heart of every school boy and girl. 
 
 It is with this view of the matter that the Register-Gazette warmly endorses 
 Supt. Kern’s efforts in this direction and proposes a stimulus to the work of the 
 children of the district schools in making the school houses brighter, more attrac¬ 
 tive and more useful. 
 
 The Register-Gazette asks the scholars to enter into a competition for plans 
 for the decoration of the school grounds. The competition is open to the scholars of 
 all the district schools in the county, and is for the plan of the greatest utility com¬ 
 bined with the greatest beauty, not only for this but for succeeding years, of set¬ 
 ting out trees and shrubs and arranging flower beds for the school yards. 
 
 Each school teacher is asked to select the best plan submitted by her schol¬ 
 ars and to plainly mark it with the name and age of the pupil, the school he or she 
 attends, and the teacher’s own name. 
 
 These plans will be submitted to a committee of practical gardeners and 
 prizes will be awarded to the schools in the order of excellence as follows: 
 
 For the best design, - - - ^5 oo 
 
 For the next best, - - - - 3 oo 
 
 For the third best, - - - 2 00 
 
 For the next five, each, - - - i 00 
 
 The plans submitted for competition should be ten by fourteen inches in 
 size. The school lot should be indicated and the position of the school house upon 
 it. The walks should be laid out and the various trees and shrubs indicated, the 
 name of each plant being distinctly written. Flower and vegetable beds, if any 
 should be drawn in the shapes it is proposed to install them, and the numbers and 
 varieties of flowers and plants should be marked. 
 
 The nature of the soil should be described and this should be taken into 
 consideration in the selection of trees and shrubs which will bestthrive. The cost 
 must be moderate, and preference will be given to that plant which shows the best 
 prospects of results for the least expenditure. 
 
 The awards were made as follows : 
 
 First prize—Melvin C. Smith, District No. 72. 
 
 Second Prize—Martin Grip, Dist. No 69. 
 
 Third prize—Hattie Kingsbury, Dist. No. 202. 
 
 Fourth prize—Grace Gilmore, Dist. No. 46, 
 
 Fifth prize—Dwight Hall, Dist. No. 71. 
 
 Sixth prize—Eunice Fitzgerald, Dist. No. 109. 
 
 Seventh prize—Fred Thompson, Dist. No. 104. 
 
 Eighth pnze—Leila Willoughby, Dist. No. 68. 
 
 The diagrams of first and second awards are given in this report. 
 
 37 
 
M u lli>er Hedge. Fence. 
 
 / 
 
 J5o\j’s Closet. Closet. 
 
 tValH. 
 
 • 
 
 
 • 
 
 e 
 
 
 _I_ 
 
 
 _I«_ 
 
 m £len Trees. 
 
 och McLjoles. 
 O Snour h alls. 
 
 • e e 
 
 _J_ 
 
 JSoston Ql-ila.cs. 
 
 © Hose £u.sh. V l/Vhzte Fan7i}er ?lose£usk. 
 
 t Carolina Foplax. H. Hitching Posts. 
 
 Second Prize, Martin Grip, District No. 69. 
 
 38 
 
 Mull6erry Hedge. Fence. 
 
District No. 41, Winnebago County, Illinois. 
 
 June, 1902. 
 
 Notice the trees. 
 
 Directors are Henry Stevens. E. R. Halley and Momas Higgins, 
 
 District No. - Winnebago County, Illinois. 
 
 June, 1902. 
 
 This district is in an adjoining township to that above. We hope the people of this 
 district will observe Arbor Day next year by planting trees. 
 
 39 
 
Two Stone School Houses in Adjoining Townships, 
 
 WiENNBAGO County, Illinois, August, 1902. 
 
 District No. 70. 
 
 Directors are: 1 '. G. Pierpoint, Chas. R. Hall and C. B, Williams. Interior view on 
 another page. 
 
 District No. - (From Last Year’s Report.). 
 
 School-house and grounds have held their own during the past year. The ventilation of the 
 woodshed is still all that could he desired. 
 
 40 
 
Two School Premises in Adjoining Townships. 
 
 Winnebago County, Illinois, August, 1902. 
 
 District No. ioi. See the trees! 
 
 Directors are S. P. Mitchell, A. H. Mitchell and John Johnson. 
 
 District No. - 
 
 A director, in conversation with me recently, frankly admitted that this school house is a 
 disgrace to the educational interests of Winnebago County. He says the people want Central¬ 
 ization of schools rather than building a new house here. They are waiting. During the 
 past summer they put in a new hardwood floor and new desks. I'hey expected to paint the 
 interior. This picture was taken the last week of August. The weeds had not then been cut 
 for opening of school. 
 
 41 
 
District No. 6i, Winnebago County, Illinois, June, 1902. 
 
 Trees here and a nice fence in front. Directors are ; Mrs. Nellie Smith, F. A. Hart and J. C. Snow, 
 
 District No. 54, Winnebago County, III., July, 1902. 
 
 The directors got busy last spring. Trees set out, new fence put up and house painted. 
 Let the good work go on. Only five pupils in this school, Mr. Alfred Martin, teacher. Direc¬ 
 tors are ; R. Brown, J. Brown, and H. J. Smith. 
 
 43 
 
The Old and the New, 
 
 Before. 
 
 District No, 65, Winnebago County, Illinois. 
 June, 1902. 
 
 After. 
 
 This building was built from plans prepared by State Supt. Bayliss, in his circular No. 
 28. The directors are E. M. Sovereign, P. P. Wilson and G. L. Nevius. Finished Octo¬ 
 ber, 1902, at a cost of $1350.00. 
 
 43 
 
Well Kept Grounds 
 
 District No. 71, Winnebago County, III., July, 1902, 
 
 New well and house painted. Fence put up and yard cleaned. A number of trees do not 
 show. Directors are: L. P. Hall, T. G. Levings and J. D. Barningham. 
 
 District No. 28, Winnebago County, III., July 1902 
 
 An old stone house yet pleasant interior. And the people take pride in keeping the grounds 
 attractive. Directors are : Mike Oakley, Burton Fritz and A. Horrigan. 
 
 44 
 
Two New Houses 
 
 District No. 5, Winnebago County, III, Erected in 1899. 
 
 Takes place of an old stone house. Cost about $1000. Heated with a furnace, slate 
 blackboard and single seats. Many trees set out last spring. Directors are: Messrs Niles Patterson, 
 Alfred Orth, and A. W. Goodrich. 
 
 
 District No. 95, Winnebago County, III., Erected 1902. 
 
 Cost about $1150. Takes the place of old frame building destroyed by fire. Heated 
 with a furnace, slate blackboard, single seats, library cases, etc. The people expect to observe 
 Arbor Day here next spring. The directors are: T. W. Murphy, John W. Murphy, and Henry 
 Hart, 
 
 45 
 
Two Buildings in Same Township 
 
 Winnebago County, Illinois, June, 1902. 
 
 District No. 99, June, 1902. 
 
 Pleasant grounds, house painted inside and outside. Trees grow here. Interior shown 
 on another page. 
 
 Nine trees set out here last spring. Interior of this school room is very pleasant. Many 
 pictures on the walls and a good library and case. Interior shown on another page. Directors 
 are Harry Pollard, W. R. Hollenbeck and Alfred Coffin. 
 
 46 
 
Two Buildings in the same Township. 
 
 Winnebago County, Illinois, September, 1902. 
 
 
 District No. 105. A Country School House and a Country Road. 
 
 Ready for School September i, 1902. Weeds all cut and taken off the grounds. Fence 
 since removed. Interior nicely refitted during past vacation. Directors are C. E. Johns, J. ' 
 W. Miller and L. J. Wing. 
 
 (From Last 'S’har’s Report.) 
 
 In the same township as above, three miles away as the crow ffies. Everything hold¬ 
 ing its own. Even the weeils were not cut and removed from ground for opening of school 
 the present year. Both houses in sight of Rockford, The Forest City, the city of trees. 
 
 47 
 
Heating and Ventilation of Schoolrooms 
 
 [Interior of District No. 46, Winnebago County, Illinois. Miss Neenah-Burritt, 
 teacher. Since above photograph was taken a water tank has been put in. Teacher and chil¬ 
 dren gave a social which netted $ 21 . Money was expended for tank and sink and pictures 
 for the walls.] Directors were George Johns, Frank Johns and Frank Gilmore. 
 
 At a slight expense the children can be protected from the direct radiation 
 of a highly heated stove. It can be done by enclosing the stove in a sheet iron 
 jacket, leaving a distance of 12 or 18 inches between the stove and the inside of 
 the jacket. Such a jacket can be made and adjusted to fit any stove by a good 
 tinner. The above illustration shows what one board of directors did. 
 
 The jacket is 6 feet high (it need not be so tall for some stoves) well made 
 and securely fastened to the floor. A ventilator was built into the wall when the 
 house was erected. The opening is near the floor. The jacket cost twelve dollars 
 and will last as many years, thus making an annual outlay of one dollar to curb 
 this stove and make the room more comfortable for the children. 
 
 School Room Decoration. 
 
 Besides putting a jacket around the stove the directors at the same time had 
 the interior walls and ceiling nicely decorated with two good coats of paint. The 
 plastering between the baseboard and the blackboard is painted a rich orange 
 color. Above the blackboard (slate all) to the picture moulding, the wall is a deep 
 olive, (not an ugly green.) Above the picture moulding and the ceiling the color is 
 a light corn yellow. It is a beautiful room. The total cost was $35 and there are 
 many districts in Winnebago county that are abundantly able to have a similar 
 room for their children, for the few short years in which they will get their only 
 schooling so far as books are concerned. Pictures are finding their way into the 
 school room. You see two library cases built into the walls. The directors pur¬ 
 chased the set of Illinois Pupils’ Reading Circle books ready for the first day of 
 school. On a chair you may see a box of the Winnebago County District School 
 Traveling Library. 
 
 48 
 
[Interior District No, 70, Winnebago County, Illinois, June, 1902. The direct¬ 
 ors had interior nicely painted, new hardwood floor, and jacket put around the stove. Li¬ 
 brary case and pictures put in as result of social held by pupils and teacher. You see also a 
 box of Winnebago County District School Traveling Library. Exterior view of this house 
 is shown on another page. Weeds all cut and out-houses repaired. An up-to-date board of 
 directors. Mrs. Lulu Keeling is the teacher.] 
 
 Ventilation. 
 
 A cold air duct should be so made as to admit cold fresh air beneath such 
 stoves as shown above. The cold air will thus be warmed and rise to the ceiling. 
 This does not secure the discharge of foul air, however. A very recent and most 
 excellent book on school hygiene offers the following suggestions: “The point to 
 be secured in the heating and ventilating of the rural school house is the quick and 
 uniform distribution of the heat to all parts of the room. In the opposite side of 
 the room from the stove (enclosed in a jacket) a tin or galvanized iron ventilating 
 duct should be constructed, oblong in shape, having its cross-section dimensions 
 12x6 inches. The open end of this duct should be within one foot of the floor. 
 This duct should be extended to the ceiling, and run along the ceiling to the chim¬ 
 ney. There should not be any sharp angle in this duct, but a curved bend where 
 the upright section unites with that which runs along the ceiling. The ventilating 
 duct should discharge into a large chimney flue, at least 14x20 inches, of cross 
 section area. In the middle of this flue there should run a sheet iron pipe of suf¬ 
 ficient capacity to deliver the smoke and gases from the stove. The heat radia¬ 
 ted from this pipe when there is a brisk fire in the stove will cause a strong draft 
 in the flue and draw the air out of the school room through the ventilating duct.” 
 This duct, of course can be painted the prevailing color of the room. 
 
 Some Simple Directions. 
 
 If directors do not provide for proper ventilation the teachers, at least, can 
 do something to better the condition of the school room air. The windows may 
 be lowered somewhat on the side opposite from which the wind is blowing. Better 
 still, boards three or four inches wide may be fitted under the lower sash on each 
 side of the room. Surely, as a last resort, the windows may be thrown up once in 
 an hour and the children marched around the room while the air is changing. It 
 is not a loss of time. 
 
 Drinking Water in the School Room. 
 
 As a rule, the water pail is in one corner of the room on a small bench, 
 almost lost among the dinner pails, wraps, etc. A pail of fresh water is brought 
 before school begins in the morning and that, oftimes, ends the water question 
 
 49 
 
for the day. The highly heated, foul atmosphere of the school room has its effect 
 on the water as well as the children. The children drink the impure water and 
 live in spite of it, you say. But why compel them to do this when a very small 
 expenditure of money will secure good cool fresh water? The following illustra¬ 
 tion shows how the directors of District No, 69, Rockford township, manage the 
 drinking question. 
 
 [Hall of School House, District No. 69. Another tank has since been put in up¬ 
 per hall. See picture of this building on another page.] 
 
 As the school building is outside the city of Rockford, of course it has no 
 connection with the city waterworks. But there is a splendid well on the prem¬ 
 ises, and the water is carried and poured into the galvanized iron tank as shown 
 above. The tank is semi-circular with a flat surface at the back and is nicely 
 painted on the outside, with a cover which keeps impurities of the air from reach¬ 
 ing the water. There are a number of drinking cups so a dozen children or more 
 do not attempt to drink the same drop of water from the same cup at the same 
 instant of time. 
 
 The sink, porcelain lined to prevent rust, is 3 feet long by feet wide. 
 The water pipe conducts to the exterior of the building. The statuary and plants 
 were placed there by the teachers. It makes a very attractive drinking place where 
 good pure water is secured. The cost for tank and sink was $12. Most district 
 school houses I am acquainted with have a small passage way at the entrance 
 where a tank and sink may be placed, thus taking the water out of the school room 
 proper. Even if the tank and sink were put in one corner of the school room it can 
 be screened with a curtain, and either way is infinitely superior to the open pail 
 among dinner pails, wraps, overshoes, broom, washpan, fragments of lunch, etc. 
 
 The tank should have fresh water twice a day at least and always emptied at 
 night so there would be no danger of freezing in cold weather. 
 
 The Financial Question. 
 
 The cost of the jacket above was ^12. The same amount provided the tank 
 and sink. That makes a total of ^24, an outlay not yet equal to the price of some 
 almost worthless charts. The above improvements will last many years, we will 
 say eight at least. That makes an outlay of S3 per annum. Ascertain how much 
 the assessed valuation of your district is and figure how much the tax, for an out¬ 
 lay of S3 per year, will amount to for the man who owns an eighty acre farm in 
 the district. It will mean only a few cents, and if the man has two children in 
 school they will come pretty near getting the value of those few cents during the 
 year in the enjoyment of the above improvements. Need I urge you to provide for 
 the heating, ventilation and water supply of your school rooms before cold weather 
 begins? 
 
 50 
 
Interior of District No, 74, Winnebago County, Illinois, June, 1902. 
 
 Mr. Louis J. Roberts, teacher. You see the water tank in this room. Mr. Roberts and 
 children gave a social which netted $30. Some beautiful pictures, curtains and school sup¬ 
 plies were purchased with the money. This district is one of the eleven in Winnebago County 
 that has not bought any library books for the past four years. We hope for an addition in 
 this respect before this year is ended. 
 
 A Reading Class. 
 
 Interior District No. 55, October, 1902. Mrs. Jessie Ford, teacher. Notice the water 
 tank with individual cups. This school has a dictionary and it is used. 
 
 51 
 

 
 [Exterior View District No. 69 [Highland School,] Winnebago County, Illi¬ 
 nois, August, 1902. Mrs. Maude Jaycox, principal. Misses Margaret Nicolson, Gertrude 
 Coffin and Lottie Gregory, assistants.] 
 
 The County Superintendent takes a special pride in this school. For five 
 years he served as clerk of board of directors while instructor in the Rockford High 
 School 1891-1898. He has seen this grow from a miserable one-room district school 
 building. In 1893, the present building was erected at a cost of ^io,ooo. Only 
 one more bond to pay and the district will be free from debt. 
 
 This being a suburb of [not included in] Rockford, the population has 
 steadily increased till at present four teachers are employed. 
 
 The present board of directors, Messrs. C. W. Barber, Frank Holmes and 
 C. A. Lundvall, is one of the best in the state. They take great pride in keeping 
 building and grounds in first class shape and in maintaining a good school. 
 
 During their administration, all the walls have been nicely decorated accord¬ 
 ing to approved color schemes selected by the teachers. And the teachers and 
 patrons have hung pictures on the walls. See interior views on page 53. 
 
 Many trees were set out here in 1894, principally hard maple, and in 1902 
 thirty large elm trees were added, mostly at the rear and the north side. A shrubbery 
 hedge was set out along the north side also. Some flowers were planted last spring 
 and it is safe to say more will be planted next year. 
 
 It is a source of great satisfaction, that when one in line of official duty is 
 urging the claims of better educational facilities, to reflect that all is well in the 
 home district. A Parents’ Day and School Reception is a regular thing at this 
 school. 
 
 52 
 
Interior of Room 4, District 69 [Highland School], Winnebago County, III., 
 Oct. 1902. Mrs. Maude Jaycox, teacher. 
 
 A Model Decorated School R.oom. 
 
 The pictures in above room were donated to the school by Mr. Horace K. 
 Turner, room 1007 Paddock Building, Boston, Mass. Mr. Turner visited Winne¬ 
 bago County last June, and while here promised to decorate a school room as he 
 thought one should be decorated if I would send him a diagram of the room with 
 the subjects of the course of study taught in that room. The room includes the 
 6th, 7th and 8th grades and the pictures are selected for those grades. 
 
 Mr. Turner has made several years study of art for school rooms, colleges 
 and libraries. For the next two years he will take special lectures at Harvard 
 University. At present he has charge of the school department, free traveling art 
 exhibits and lectures of the Soule Art Company, the Berlin Photographic Company 
 and the Franz Hanstaengl Company. As he annouces to the public:—“ The 
 traveling art exhibits are more interesting than ever before. They are not chosen 
 fro 7 n any one publishing house^ but are made up of the best pictures for school 
 decoration, the reproductions being chosen according to merit fro 7 n all the great 
 Art Publishing Houses. This year they include for the first time some very beauti¬ 
 ful color-prints.” It is the expectation to have one of these exhibits at our next 
 Annual Teachers’ Institute, the last week of March, 1903. 
 
 53 
 
Names of the Pictures in this Room. 
 
 The attempt was made to get two different views so as to show all the pic¬ 
 tures as they hang on the walls. But the photographer found it impossible to 
 photograph against the light coming from seven windows. We are not sure the 
 hanging of them is in proper form, but Mr. Turner has promised to correct any 
 faults in this particular when next he visits us. Facing the teacher’s desk and be¬ 
 ginning at extreme left and passing around the room to the right, the pictures 
 [fourteen in allj are as follows: 
 
 1. Washington— Gilbert Stuart [not shown in view]. 
 
 2. Shaw Memorial— St. Gaudens. 
 
 3. Lincoln.— St.Gaudens 
 
 4. Gleaners— Millet. 
 
 5. Approach to Venice— Turner [in color]. 
 
 6. Fighting Temeraire— Turner. 
 
 7. Flight of Night— Wm. Morris Hunt. 
 
 8. Windmill— Ruysdael. 
 
 9. Water Gate— Va 7 i Marcke. 
 
 10. Lower Falls, Yellowstone [in col jr] . 
 
 11. Sistine Madonna— Raphael. 
 
 12. Shepherd’s Lane— Mauve. 
 
 13. Portrait of Longfellow [very beautiful]. 
 
 14. Twilight— Burgel. 
 
 The two pictures on the rear wall, viz.: Lower Falls, Yellowstone, and the 
 Sistine Madonna, are as large as the Abraham Lincoln on the front wall. 
 
 The frames of the pictures are beautiful, no two being alike. Mr. Turner 
 has put some careful study on the selection of these pictures, and the thanks of 
 the children, teachers, directors, patrons and superintendent are hereby extended 
 him for his most generous gift. A reception will be given these pictures and the 
 beautiful school room Wednesday evening, Nov. 19, 1902. It is the occasion of 
 the annual Parents, School Officers and Teachers meeting which has been held for 
 several years. Naturally the County Superintendent takes pride in his home 
 school. Much excellent work is being done in other schools of the county, and 
 greater work will yet be done in Winnebago county in the matter of art education. 
 
 Press Comment. 
 
 The Rockford Daily Republic of Oct. 21, 1902, says: 
 
 “ At the time the work of completing the eighth grade room in the Highland 
 district school was in progress, and when the job was finished, Mr. Kern recom¬ 
 mended this room as the one to be adorned by the Boston gentleman, the select- 
 tion of the model room as Mr. Turner called it having been left to Mr. Kern. 
 
 The consignment of pictures arrived some days ago and have been placed 
 in position according to the arrangement suggested by the donor and the result is 
 a model school room in a model district school. The pictures are reproductions 
 from the old masters, and must be seen to be appreciated. They could not be 
 duplicated for ^200 at retail in Rockford, and the management of the Highland 
 school is unstinted in its praise. 
 
 Mr. Turner selected the pictures especially appropriate for students in 
 the sixth, seventh and eighth grades of schools and his choice cannot fail to be 
 commended by all parents and others who visit the embellished school room. 
 
 Mr. Turner is now in charge of the school work for three large art houses, 
 of which the Soule Company is one and his ‘ model room ’ in Highland school can¬ 
 not fail to impress all interested.” 
 
 54 
 
School Room Decoration. 
 
 The past year has witnessed a great advance in the matter of more artistic 
 interiors of the school-rooms. The Traveling Art Exhibits and Courses of Read¬ 
 ing on Art and Artists for the last two years at our annual institutes are having a 
 good effect. It is the expectation to have a fine collection of pictures again at our 
 next Institute the last week of March, 1903. 
 
 'Work for 1902=1903. 
 
 Teachers and directors will not forget that the Perry Mason Co., publishers 
 of the Youth’s Companion, have a standing offer of historical pictures and flags to 
 every district in Winnebago County that makes a substantial improvement in build¬ 
 ing or grounds. This offer closes March 31, 1903. See their letter on another page. 
 
 Much may yet be done in the way of interior work this fall and winter. The 
 plastering and wood-work should be painted. A jacket should be put around the 
 stove; a water-tank and sink should be provided. The out-houses should be 
 cleaned, painted and repaired. 
 
 The Prize Winning Schools. 
 
 Will your school be in the list when published next spring? Remember the 
 improvements must be substantial ones. And if your school receives a set of the 
 historical pictures, these pictures, if properly framed and artistically arranged in 
 the school room, will have a great educational influence. An “ historical corner ” 
 may be fitted up near the library case, while other pictures—reproductions of the 
 great masters— may, in time, be hung elsewhere in the room. 
 
 Socials for Books and Pictures. 
 
 If school officers, in the expenditure of school funds to make the school- 
 house clean and attractive, will do as well as the teachers of Winnebago County 
 in raising funds for good reading and choice pictures, there will be many prize¬ 
 winning schools. See record of socials for last two years on another page. 
 
 55 
 
Interior View District No. 41, Winnebago County, Illinois, June, 1903. 
 
 Miss Florence Miller, teacher. Pictures and books put in as result of socials. Directors 
 had interior nicely papered. Exterior view seen on another page. 
 
 Pictures Used in Decoration District No. 13, Winnebago County, Illinois. 
 
 June, 1902. 
 
 This is the four-room village school of Rockton. D. Frank Fawcett, principal, and 
 Misses Waite, Morrison and Watts, assistants. The pictures were purchased partly with 
 money raised by the teachers, and partly by appropriation of school board. The walls of the 
 school room have been tinted and a new heating plant installed. The directors are George 
 Hopkins, Mr, Merrill and Mrs. F. Coons, 
 
 56 
 
Interior View District No. 99, Winnebago County, Illinois, June, 1902. 
 
 Miss Hannah Shells, teacher. Library case, pictures and books put in as result of 
 socials. Directors worked a complete change in interior and exterior. Walls andjwood-work 
 painted. A box of the District Traveling Library is present. Directors are Robert Greenlee, 
 Hugh McMichael, Jr. and Chris Groeneveld. Exterior view is seen on another page, 
 
 Interior View, Room Three, District No. 9, Roscoe Village School, 
 
 June, 1902. 
 
 B. A. Streeter, principal. Books and pictures put in as result of socials. Directors 
 had interior of rooms nicely painted and papered. Directors are E. H. Randall, C. W. Wilcox, 
 and W. A. Whiting. 
 
 67 
 
Interior View, Primary Room, District No. 69, Winnebago County, Illiinos. 
 
 January, 1902, 
 
 Miss Flora Clark, teacher. Exterior view shown on page 52. 
 
 58 
 
Interior View District No. ii8, Winnebago County, Illinois. 
 
 February, 1902. 
 
 Miss Mattie Lines, teacher. Pictures and books put in as result of social. The interior 
 walls and wood work were nicely painted. Directors are Mike Govern, John Lantz and 
 James Dolan. 
 
 Interior View District No. 104, Winnebago County, Illinois. 
 
 July, 1902. 
 
 Miss Miriam Buttimer, teacher. Pictures and books put in as result of socials. House 
 nicely painted. Directors are S. H. Herrick, Thomas Buttimer and John Engdahl. Exterior 
 view shown on another page. 
 
 59 
 
Interior View District No. 98, Winnebago County, Illinois. 
 
 June, 1902, 
 
 Miss Mary Fitzgerald, teacher. Pictures and books put in as a result of socials. Ex¬ 
 terior view shown on another page. A box of Winnebago District School Traveling Library 
 on the window ledge. 
 
 Interior View District No. 72, Winnebago County, Illinois. 
 June, 1902. 
 
 Miss Clara Wray, teacher. Exterior view shown on page 4 
 60 
 
Centralization of Country Schools and the Transpor= 
 
 tation of pupils. 
 
 There was a time when the great majority of people were opposed to any 
 change whatever with reference to country school education. But since our visit 
 to the Centralized Schools of Northeastern Ohio and the publication of a report of 
 what we saw there, many people have changed their opinions. Many of the argu¬ 
 ments offered against Centralization are purely imaginary. I remember once when 
 speaking on this subject at a Farmers’ Institute, a gentleman arose and spoke in 
 opposition to it. I forget now how many wagons he demonstrated [to his own sat¬ 
 isfaction] that it would take to chase around a man’s farm to pick up his children 
 and take them to school. That part was all right. But the worst feature was that 
 he froze all the children to death in getting them to the centralized school house, 
 or else a flood came while they were at school and washed out all the bridges so 
 the children could not get home. Nothing of that kind has happened in Ohio. By 
 that logic we should refuse to travel on a train for fear of wrecks. 
 
 All that is needed \% permissive legislation so that a few communities in Illi¬ 
 nois may patiently work out the problem just as country people under like condi¬ 
 tions are doing in a dozen other states. When people can see for themselves then 
 all will be ready for the Third Degree, and the Grand Pass Word will be, “We 
 always believed Country Children should have just as good school facilities as 
 the City Children.” 
 
 One Way. 
 
 Going Home from School, Winnebago County, Illinois, February 4, 1902. 
 
 Mercury that morning was 12 degrees below zero and a stiff gale blowing. 
 
 Another Way. 
 
 The following illustrations are already familiar to you. But they are given 
 again and you are requested to read carefully what Mr. C. G. Williams, of the 
 Board of Education, Gustavus, Trumbull County, Ohio, says in the September 
 number, 1902, of the Ohio Teacher. We visited these schools and secured the 
 photographs in October, igoo. Mr. William’s testimony is two years later. 
 
 61 
 
Diagram of Gustavus Township, Trumbull County, Ohio. 
 Showing Transportation Routes, October, 1900. 
 
 Going Home from School, Gustavus Township, Trumbull County, Ohio, October, 1900. 
 
 The wagons are fitted with curtains, laprobes, and if necessary, with oil stoves for severe 
 weather. Longest route 4% miles. Average price per wagon per day $1.25. 
 
 We saw these wagons. 
 
 CENTRALIZATION OF RURAL SCHOOLS by C. G. Williams, member of the Board 
 of Education, Gustavus, Trumbull County, Ohio. From September number, 1902, of 
 the Ohio Teacher, published at Athens, Ohio, by Henry G. Williams, Dean Normal 
 College, Ohio University. 
 
 “Gustavus is a typical rural township of the Western Reserve covering 
 twenty-five square miles, with a little hamlet composed of eighteen dwelling houses, 
 
 62 
 
two churches, town hall, school building, one store, and finally a blacksmith shop 
 at the center, and some eight hundred population scattered promiscuously over the 
 township, with a school enumeration of about two hundred and forty. 
 
 Decrease in Population. 
 
 In common with many rural communities there has been a falling off in pop¬ 
 ulation in recent years. In fact there are fewer people living in our township to¬ 
 day than there were sixty years ago. No manufacturing, and nothing save agri¬ 
 cultural and live stock interests. Less population and fewer children in our schools. 
 The time came when it seemed impolitic to maintain our usual number of sub-dis¬ 
 trict schools. Up to August ’98, we had maintained nine sub-district schools as 
 conveniently located as possible, with a free high school at the center of the town¬ 
 ship, which any pupil was at liberty to attend when he could pass the required ex¬ 
 amination. Some few of these sub district schools were attended by twenty to 
 twenty-five pupils; others had an attendance of five to ten, and one school was kept 
 up for several months for only two pupils. Since the above date we have been ac¬ 
 commodating our school poupulation in a five-room building located near the center 
 of our township, to and from which every pupil living more than one-half mile 
 from the center is conveyed at public expense. 
 
 Nine Covered Wagons, 
 
 Built expressly for this purpose with a view to comfort and health of occupants 
 and owned by the route contractors, call at the home of every pupil in the morn¬ 
 ing, and return every pupil to his home after school. Our routes vary in length 
 from two and one-half to five miles, and cost us from 68c. to ^1.55 per day. These 
 routes are let to the lowest responsible and satisfactory bidder. In the letting of 
 routes the moral character of contractor is taken into consideration and he is put 
 under strict bond, not only to do the work, but is held responsible under the Supt. 
 of Schools for both the comfort and the moral condition and order in his wagon in 
 transit. ✓ 
 
 Cheap Transportation. 
 
 To many people the price at which we are able to let our routes is a matter 
 of surprise. It should be remembered that during the greater part of the year both 
 trips can be made in four hours or less, and that during the balance of the year 
 when more time is required, our contractors (usually farmers with few acres who 
 have to keep a team of horses anyhow) are not very busy upon their farms. We 
 have never yet had any trouble in letting our routes, and of late we have not had 
 enough routes to supply all who v/ould like them. 
 
 Providing for Emergencies. 
 
 Before this system was put into operation some prospective patrons worried 
 a little as to what might happen should a child be taken ill at school, in some in¬ 
 stances a long way from home. Our Board of Education has thought best to pro¬ 
 vide against that trouble by contracting with a man to take any pupil immediately 
 to his home that the Superintendent thinks should for any reason go home. We 
 have not as yet had to expend over $3 any year for this purpose. It surely is a 
 comfort to a parent to know his child will be brought home if occasion demands it. 
 
 Speaking of opposition it should be recorded that when the proposition came 
 before our voters for indorsement four years ago at our annual spring election, it 
 was defeated upon a tie vote. Three weeks thereafter the same, or a very similar 
 proposition was submitted to our voters and, with practically every vote in our 
 township cast, centralization carried by a majority of only seventeen votes. It will 
 be seen that public sentiment was pretty evenly divided and that the new system 
 and the new school would have very many critics. 
 
 63 
 
The R.eal Test. 
 
 It is a fair question to ask, how have these opponents been pleased ? Per¬ 
 haps as good evidence as I can bring to the readers of The Ohio Teacher, is the 
 result of an investigation and canvass of our township made by a visiting commit¬ 
 tee from another county of the State in their efforts to determine how the new sys¬ 
 tem was working. This visiting committee was composed of two members, one of 
 whom was sent here as an opponent, the other as a friend of centralization. Their 
 canvass was made after our school had been in operation two years. This commit¬ 
 tee spent several days in our community visiting not only the school but many of 
 the parents of the pupils at their homes, and particularly those people who resided 
 farthest from the school. Their report to their own Board of Education (after¬ 
 ward published) shows seven out of fifty-four people interviewed to be yet opposed 
 to centralization. But of the seven opposed to the system six were without child¬ 
 ren in attendance upon school. This was two years ago. I think public sentiment 
 is even more in favor of the “new way” now than then. 
 
 Centralization is Here to Stay. 
 
 As further evidence that centralization is here to stay attention should be 
 called to the fact that while Gustavus was the first township in this county to adopt 
 this system, since we have adopted it every township adjoining us have adopted it, 
 and at the present time has in operation similar schools. Those who are nearest 
 us seem to be most favorably impressed with its benefits. 
 
 As to the comparative expense of our public schools conducted in the old and 
 new way: The last year in which we worked under the old system our expenses 
 were as follows: Teachers, ^2,400; other expenses, 1^555; total, $2,955. 
 
 Under the new system, for the year ending August, 1901: Teachers, $1,320; 
 hauling pupils, $1,755; other expenses, $200; total, $3,275. 
 
 Deduct from this $75 received from foreign tuition (not received under old 
 system) and we have an extra expense of $245 for the well supervised and graded 
 central school as compared with the “hit-or-miss” sub-district way. For the year 
 ending August, 1902, we employed an extra teacher at an expense of $240 more. 
 With a larger daily attendance under centralization the per capita expense is about 
 the same. Our taxable property is in the neighborhood of $370,000, and our tax 
 rate for school purposes, 9 or 10 mills on the dollar. 
 
 Advantages of Graded Schools. 
 
 I need hardly take any of your space in considering the advantages of a 
 good graded school as compared with the average sub-district school. Under a 
 competent superintendent, with large numbers and consequently greater interest 
 and enthusiam, with better teachers, more satisfactory apparatus, more regular 
 attendance, and absolutely no tardiness, it goes without saying that we have a 
 school beyond all comparison with our former sub-district school. It costs a little 
 more money in our case but we are getting more than value received for it, and 
 when this is true the tax payer who has the interest of the public at heart is 
 satisfied. 
 
 Our Course of Study 
 
 is likely very similar to the ordinary village special district school, with the possi¬ 
 ble exception that we have more work along the line of nature study than is usually 
 given. This is true of all grades. 
 
 Among the advantages not already mentioned I should not fail to include the 
 fact that we are able to keep the older boys in school longer. Under the old sys¬ 
 tem most of them dropped out before reaching the high school. There is no gap 
 now to bridge over—no changing from an insolated sub-district school to a high 
 school elsewhere.” 
 
 64 
 
Kingsville, Ashtabula County, Ohio. 
 
 Kingsville Centralized School, October, 1900. Children Going Home from School. 
 Centralization of schools in Ohio began here in 1892. 
 
 We visited above school and I rode in one of the wagons with the children. 
 
 Green Township, Trumbull County, Ohio. 
 
 Adjoining GustavuS township. This shows how other townships around Gustavus are 
 falling into line. 
 
 Centralized Country School Building, Green Township, Trumbull County, Ohio. 
 
 Erected 1900. 
 
 To this school are brought all the children of the township and nine wagons are em¬ 
 ployed in the transportation. We visited this school. 
 
 Champaign County, Ohio. 
 
 The following is a part of an excellent article by Supt. A. B. Graham, Town¬ 
 ship Superintendent, Springfield, Ohio. The entire article appeared in the Octo¬ 
 ber number, 1902, of the Ohio Teacher, published at Athens, Ohio, by Henry G. 
 Williams, Dean Normal College, Ohio University. 
 
 65 
 
The cuts for this article were kindly loaned me by Supt. Graham. I have 
 had the pleasure of meeting Supt. Graham and talking over the country school 
 problem with him. Mad River Township, Champaign County, is more than six 
 miles square, and part of the roads are muddy. 
 
 They do not attempt to bring all the schools to the geographical center 
 of the township but centralize in two places, part in the “north precinct,” others 
 in the “south precinct,” and still two or three one room schools in the township 
 not yet consolidated. Some people get the idea that all children must be carried to 
 the geographical center of the townships regardless of conditions. This is not true. 
 We saw both kinds during our visit to the Western Reserve. 
 
 Supt. A. B. Graham in the October Ohio Teacher. 
 
 The centralization of the country schools at one or more points in a town¬ 
 ship is the only real solution of the country school problem. Nearly forty town¬ 
 ships of our state are today solving the problem in this way. Let us consider under 
 what conditions the schools may be centralized. 
 
 There are but few townships in the state of Ohio that support a system of 
 sub-district schools that cannot support a system of centralized schools, finances 
 only considered. The average number of teachers in a township is nine; the aver¬ 
 age number of pupils enrolled in a township is 270, or an average of 30 pupils in 
 all grades for each teacher. The number of teachers for elementary grades could 
 be reduced from nine to six, and the difference in the money could be used in 
 paying for transportation. Some one remarks that this is throwing teachers out 
 of employment. This is really not such a serious matter as the uninformed may 
 consider it, the real seriousness is now, in a great many counties, where can 
 teachers be found ?” 
 
 [North Precinct, Mad River Township, Champaign County, Ohio. This is the 
 old building and was remodeled into a fine 6-room building. Contrast this old building with 
 the new.] 
 
 66 
 
[New Building in North Precinct [Westville] , Mad River Township, Cham¬ 
 paign County, Ohio. Here are the transportation wagons in which are carried 150 children.] 
 
 Matter of Expense. 
 
 Judging from the experiences of townships that have centralized schools, 
 there is a saving of more than one-half of the former fuel bill; this saving can be 
 applied toward defraying transportation expenses. Where there have been from 
 eight to ten schools, if they are brought to one central point, about one-eighth the 
 expense of keeping up repairs on fences, pumps, walks, roofs, etc., may be counted. 
 The increased contingent expense which may be expected by having one or two 
 large buildings will be materially lessened by the pride and precaution taken to 
 prevent unnecessary breakage and decay. The writer has noticed that in a number 
 of townships where the single room houses are well cared for, aside from cost of 
 fuel, the contingent expense averages from ^20 to ^25 per house. About every 
 three years in townships of nine schools, a new house must be built or remodeled 
 at a cost of from $900 to ^1,500. When the expense of building or rebuilding nine 
 single-room school houses is compared with the cost of building a six-room house, 
 the saving is found to be quite a considerable one, which with the interest on it and 
 on other savings from year to year will pay for transporting every child required 
 to be transported by the present law. 
 
 Good Roads and Centralization. 
 
 Besides the possibility of saving enough money to carry on a centralized 
 system of schools instead of a sub-district system, good roads are necessary. It 
 seems that the building of them, as a means of securing a better school privilege 
 and attendance, should engage our thought as much as for transporting the pro¬ 
 ducts of the soil. Good schools give clear, powerful and effective thinkers; the 
 properly educated boy or girl, who should be a graduate of a high school, has ac¬ 
 quired increased earning power for use on the farm. Would space permit, the 
 increased earning power of the educated boy or girl could be arithmetically dem¬ 
 onstrated. Increased production calls for better transportation facilities. To 
 
 67 
 
maintain the greatest power to produce, the schools must continue to be the best 
 possible; hence the roads, which have been looked upon primarily as routes for 
 transporting farm products, and secondarily for school purposes, must first be con¬ 
 sidered for schools. 
 
 Since such a large per cent, of the people of our state are in the cities and 
 villages, and since this per cent, is gradually increasing, there is a great demand 
 on the farmer for the products of the soil, and the demand will increase. The in- 
 
 [Old Building, South Precinct, Mad River Township, Champaign County, Ohio. 
 The expectation is to replace this building with an $8000 six-room, brick building, to which 
 200 children will be carried.] 
 
 creased power for production cannot be secured and maintained by improving the 
 elementary course only, but well trained teachers and high schools must be estab¬ 
 lished to acquire proper knowledge and mental discipline, to be able to understand 
 articles in farmers’ papers, bulletins, reports, and texts on the different branches 
 of agriculture. 
 
 The Original Surveys 
 
 of our state have made centralization of the schools very easy in some parts of it, 
 especially in the Western Reserve. In this Reserve the townships are nearly all 
 five miles square, and the population less than a thousand. In the Virginia Mili¬ 
 tary District the townships are in almost every conceivable shape; and in the Con¬ 
 gress land, where the townships are usually rectangular but are of odd lengths 
 and breadths, the problem is a much more difficult one. In such townships, some¬ 
 times the schools could be centralized at a conveniently located village. 
 
 There is another solution for it in larger or in oddly shaped townships if 
 advantage is taken of a law passed by the last legislature. This law permits trans¬ 
 portation in special districts. When sufficient sentiment has been created in favor 
 
 68 
 
of such a plan, a population sufficiently large and territory enough to carry with 
 them ample wealth to support a central school could be organized into a special 
 district. 
 
 R.ecent Legislation. 
 
 The passage of the Patterson and Brumbaugh laws will do much toward 
 centralizing our country schools. After paying high school tuition into a few cities 
 and villages for a year or two, the subject of bringing the elementary schools to¬ 
 gether will come up, and with it the propriety of having a high school. These two 
 laws and the law creating the normal schools will do much toward bringing this 
 matter squarely before the people. 
 
 Community Life. 
 
 Not the least necessity for bringing the small country schools together may 
 be the restoration of the debating and literary exercises in the high school and 
 the playing of invigorating games where enough take part to make them a real 
 pleasure. Then, too. the play ground becomes the school of the citizen, where 
 the boys and girls live some of the fundamental lessons of civics. In such a 
 school the township becomes a stronger unit for local government than it can be¬ 
 come under a system of isolated schools. A boy or girl grows up a member of the 
 society of the township instead of an acquaintance of a few families. 
 
 The Natural Conditions 
 
 for educating a child are found in the country, where he is constantly surrounded 
 by the great panorama of nature, which, when serving him who observes, aids in 
 the interpretation of literature, science, and art. The conditions surrounding the 
 child of the city are largely artificial; hence in the study of the mechanical indus¬ 
 tries he may have this one point to his advantage against the many in favor of the 
 child who finds healthful alternations of work and play on the farm. With proba¬ 
 bly no less expense, better roads, good libraries, greater opportunities for expres¬ 
 sion, trained teachers who know well how to make the most profitable use of the 
 natural conditions, may we hope to see systems of centralized schools making 
 strong and valued members of society, ready and willing to perform well every 
 duty in church, state and home. 
 
 Transportation Wagons used on Short Routes in Mad River Township, 
 Champaign County, Ohio. 
 
 2/4 mile route, 45 minutes; capacity, 12 and 15; cost, $17 per month. The wagon to left 
 is heated by chemical brick heaters, one in each end of wagon. 
 
 69 
 
Wagon Firstused on West Side of State of Ohio for Transporting Children to School 
 IN Mad River Township, Champaign County, Ohio, 
 
 Capacity, 20; route, 53^ miles: cost, $25 per month. 
 
 Wagon used in Springfield Township, Clark County, Ohio, for 
 Transporting Children to School. Winter Dress, 
 
 Route, 6 miles; time, i hour 10 minutes; capacity, 28; transports, 18; Township owns wagon, 
 built by National Wagon Works, Chilicothe, Ohio; cost, $i. 66 H per day for transportation. 
 
 Summer^Dress^of Same Wagon, 
 
 We have a second route now using same style of wagon. Route, 3K miles; 45 minutes; same cost. 
 
 70 
 
Township High School, Bethel Township, Miami County, Ohio. 
 
Here, I suppose, children transport themselves at no expense to the township. Such a thing can be done in Illinois. 
 
 72 
 
A Practical Solution. 
 
 Editorial from Ohio Teacher [Oct. 1902] published at Athens, Ohio, by Henry 
 G. Williams, Dean Norman College, Ohio University: 
 
 “ It must not be forgotten that centralization of small rural schools is a 
 practical solution of the problem. Small schools cannot have the vitalizing force 
 that comes from larger numbers The environment and associations necessary to 
 the most desirable results cannot come from a small school, especially if this small 
 school is taught by an inexperienced, poorly trained and poorly-paid teacher, as is 
 likely to be the case. It must not be forgotten that children who are transported 
 in comfortable covered wagons are not exposed to the inclemency of the weather. 
 Their clothing will be better cared for, and their general health will be improved. 
 Tardiness and absence would be almost unknown. Parents would become more 
 deeply interested in their schools. Pupils would take a deeper interest in their 
 work, because of the added rivalry. Better school buildings, better sanitary con¬ 
 ditions, better equipment, and better teachers would be a few of the inevitable 
 results. It most not be forgotten, also, that wherever there was decided opposition 
 to the plan at the start, the successful operation of the system almost always wins 
 unanimous approval. This plan was first tried in Ohio, but it is now spreading in¬ 
 to several other states. The Michigan State Grange recently sent Hon. A. E. 
 Palmer into Ohio to investigate the claims of centralization. He came as an 
 opponent of the idea, but returned as a convert and advocate.” 
 
 73