Macoupin County, Illinois - Chapter 13: Educational, 1911

Chapter 13: Educational

It is very difficult, if not impossible, for the historian to determine when and where any institution or historical movement really had its beginning. This is true particularly of education, which has to do with the growth and development of the human mind. Therefore, if we were to attempt to trace the growth and development of the present school system of our county and state to its original germ, we would likely be led back to the earliest historical ages, or to the time when Adam learned a great .lesson in character development by suffering the consequences of evil doing.

But suffice it to say that many of the earliest settlers in Illinois brought with them the idea that the education of their children was necessary, at least to the extent of teaching them to read and write. This idea had been transmitted to them from the earliest settlers on the shores of America, and especially from the settlers along the shores of New England. These settlers had come willing to endure the struggle, toil, and suffering necessary to conquer a wilderness and its savage inhabitants because they wished to worship God according to the dictates of their own consciences. In other words, they had fled from those who insisted upon compelling them to think and act according to constituted authority, and had settled in America where they might have freedom of thought, expression, and action. These early fathers of our free institutions realized that, if their children were to be able to preserve and develop these institutions, they must be able to read, to write and speak intelligently, and to think clearly for themselves ; or, in other words, they realized the necessity for education. Therefore, schools and colleges were founded at a very early date in the colonies, and the idea of public education very naturally developed with the growth of our other institutions.

Probably the first official statement influencing education in Illinois was contained in Article three of the celebrated Ordinance of 1787, which planned in a general preliminary way for the government of the great Northwest Territory. This statement declared that "knowledge is necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind" and enjoined that "schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged." This Ordinance was promulgated by Congress just after the colonies had won their independence, before the adoption of the national constitution, and at a time when Congress was struggling with the problem of forming one national government out of several quarreling colonies. No doubt, under these circumstances, the author of the clauses quoted above had it deeply impressed upon his mind that "knowledge is necessary to good government," and that, if the several weak, quarreling colonies were to form a strong and permanent government, they must be made up of intelligent people.

The encouragement urged in the Ordinance of 1787 took a concrete form in 1818. The convention which framed the constitution under which the state was admitted accepted in August of that year a proposition made by Congress, in the "Enabling Act" for this state, and made April i8th, appropriating section 16 in each township in the state for the use of the inhabitants of said township for school purposes ; also three-sixths of five per cent of the proceeds of public lands within the state sold by Congress after January i, 1819, should be appropriated by the legislature for the encouragement of learning. One-sixth of this amount was to be applied to a college or university, and thirty-six sections, or one entire township, with one previously reserved for that purpose, should be reserved for the use of a seminary of learning. In 1835 there was established a County Fund, which was formed from certain surplus funds in the hands of county commissioners. In 1836 Congress added the surplus revenue then found in the treasury, which was distributed among the several states and loaned at six per cent interest. The share of Illinois amounted to $335,592.32. The interest from these funds was to be distributed annually to the counties for school purposes. The names of these several funds and their respective amounts were as follows in 1908: School fund proper (from sale of public lands). . . .$ 613,362.96

The most valuable donation from Congress to the schools was the sixteenth section in every township. The act provided that, if this section had been sold or if a fractional township did not contain this section, lands equivalent in area but differently located were to be given for school purposes. This magnificent gift amounted to nearly one million acres. At the present time when we are hearing so much about the "conservation of our resources for the benefit of all the people" we might consider this gift and its disposal as a contrast to the idea of conservation. Had these lands been retained and properly managed by the public, the revenue derived from them would have released the people from local taxation for school purposes forever. But in 1828 the legislature authorized the sale of these lands at a time when land was very cheap, and they were nearly all sold, or practically given away. The meager proceeds were placed under the control of a board of trustees elected for each township and were to be loaned, and the interest was to be used for the support of the schools. But the income thus received, because of the small amounts received for the lands, was entirely inadequate to support the schools, and taxes had to be added by act of the legislature.

In many districts the school tax now amounts to half or more than half the total tax paid. But a few townships were wise enough to retain the title of the school sections in the name of the people. These lands are rented and the income is distributed to the districts in the townships. One township in McLean county derives an annual income of nearly $4,000 from its school section. This is more than the total annual expenditures for schools in some of the townships of the state. There is not a foot of this township land left in Macoupin county.

Development Of The System

In 1824 Governor Coles, in his message to the Legislature, advised that provision be made for the support of the common schools. Accordingly Senator Joseph Duncan of Jackson County introduced a bill to establish a system of free schools. Mr. Duncan is recognized as the founder of the public school system in Illinois, and the system that his bill provided for was in advance of the times. The bill was introduced in 1824 and passed January 15, 1825. Some of its important provisions were as follows:

5. The legal voters at an annual meeting could levy a tax in money or merchantable produce at cash value not exceeding one-half of one percent, subject to a maximum limitation of ten dollars for any one person.

6. The State appropriated annually to the schools two dollars out of every hundred received into the treasury. Five-sixths of this was added to the interest received from the school fund, and the sum was apportioned to the counties according to the number of white children under twenty-one years of age. The counties distributed this among the districts, but no district was to receive any part of this fund unless it had sustained a school of three months for the year in which the distribution was made. This distribution was based upon the report of the clerk of each county commissioner's court, which was made to the Secretary of State and contained an abstract of the reports made by the trustees of schools, giving the school population, school attendance, and the expenses of the schools.

Any progressive movement, even if it is just and for the good of a majority of the people, always arouses more or less opposition. So enemies of this law at once began to make themselves felt. They violently opposed the public school system and the payment of taxes to support it and questioned the legality of the appropriation from the state treasury in support of the system. This opposition became so violent and powerful that the law became inoperative and was practically annulled by an act approved Feb. 17, 1827. This act repealed the fifteen family clause, made taxation for the full or half support of district schools optional with the voters of the district, and forbade the taxation of any one for the support of any free school without his or her written consent. This act proved that in those days it was possible to elect men to the Legislature who were weak, non-progressive, or ignorant. Suffering from this setback, the State entered upon a period of about twenty or twenty-five years which might be called the Dark Ages in its educational history.

But, even if the State as represented in the Legislature, was not willing to keep up with the progressive ideas of Joseph Duncan, the idea of public education was deeply implanted in the minds of the people in general, and their demand for more and better schools finally began to result in more liberal laws. The expression of these demands was often made through teachers and organizations made up largely of teachers. For instance, in 1844, a "Common School Convention" was held in Peoria. This assembly appointed John S. Wright, H. M. Weed, and Thomas Kilpatrick as a committee to draft a memorial to the Legislature on the subject of "common schools." The paper drawn up by them was an able and exhaustive one, and plead for a State Superintendent with a salary of nine hundred dollars per year, and recommended local taxation for school purposes. This movement among the teachers brought the subject of public education again to the attention of the Legislature. In February, 1845. an act was approved which contained some provisions very helpful to the schools. It made the secretary of state ex-officio state superintendent of common schools, and the county commissioners ex-officio county superintendents, one of whose duties it would be to examine and license teachers. It provided for local taxation on a favorable majority vote in the district. It contained some other provisions designed to help the struggling schools of the state.

But the opposition to the system was still strong and little progress was made until 1855. However, during the intervening decade, the opposition gradually ceased, a few helpful laws were enacted, and a healthy school sentiment was developed. The press discussed the question favorably, and many ministers, teachers, and public leaders urged the necessity for better educational advantages. New settlers from the East and South were pouring into the rich prairies, bringing with them advanced ideas of education and a craving for broader intellectual opportunities for their numerous children. Great political questions of grave import were being discussed, and the people were beginning to realize that their children, the future citizens, must be intelligent and educated if they were to settle these questions so as to give justice to all and preserve the liberties guaranteed in the constitution. There was much discussion on the subject of schools, and several convocations met and passed resolutions relative to public education.

One result of this was that the Legislature, in 1854, created the separate office of State Superintendent of Public Instruction with a salary of $1,500 per year. This office has since that time been one of the greatest importance to the state, has been very influential for the good of the schools, and has been a strong factor in having some helpful school laws placed on the statute books. The salary has been increased at intervals until it is now $7,500.00 per year. The first state superintendent was to be appointed by the Governor and was to hold his office until his successor could be elected and qualified. Accordingly, the Governor appointed Hon. Ninian Edwards as the first State superintendent under this act, and he had the honor of framing an entirely new bill for a Freeschool System. This bill met with ready acceptance by the Legislature and was approved February 15, 1855. On the delicate subject of taxation, it enforced the collection of a state tax of two mills on the dollar of assessment, to be added annually to the revenue already provided, and also provided for the levy and collection of local taxes for the support of schools. This law was too full and complete to give even a synopsis of it here.

The system thus inaugurated was the first which really made schools free by providing for a sufficient state and local tax for their support and for a sufficient number of properly related officers to organize and enforce the system. With some alterations and amendments, it is substantially the law of today.

These alterations, additions, and amendments have been made at intervals for the last fifty years, and a few years ago, it was noticeable that the school laws of the State were not very logically organized or arranged. This chaotic form of the law caused much comment on the part of teachers and others interested in it. When the State Teachers' Association met in Springfield on December 26, 1906, the Governor of the State, Hon. Charles S. Deneen, opened the proceedings with an address in which he urged the association to adopt resolutions requesting the General Assembly to appoint a commission to codify the school law which, he said, had "become so cumbersome and contradictory in its provisions that no lawyer, not to say laymen, pretends to know and understand it." The Association passed resolutions in accordance with the Governor's suggestion, and the result was that the next General Assembly provided for the appointment of an Educational Commission of seven members of which the state superintendent should be ex-officio chairman, and made an appropriation of $10,000.00 to pay the necessary expense of the commission. The Governor appointed the commission on September 27, 1907. The State superintendent at that time was the man who is still serving. Hon. Francis G. Blair. Under his forceful leadership, the commission at once began their Herculean task. They not only made a careful codification of the old law, but drew up several new bills embodying some of the advanced educational ideas already adopted by some of the most progressive states. However, only two of the bills recommended by the commission were passed by the General Assembly; one of them was the codification bill, and the other was a bill to increase the county superintendents' salaries. But it was considered a great step in advance to have these two bills passed. This Commission has been continued up to the present and made a few recommendations and prepared a few bills for the General Assembly which met January, 1911. One of their recommendations had to do with an increased appropriation from the state for the support of the schools. It seems that the "two mill tax" provided for in the act of 1855, as above stated, had remained in force only until 1873. About that time, the Legislature had appropriated a lump sum of one million dollars "in lieu of the two mill tax." This was probably an equitable arrangement at that time, as the valuation of the property of the state under the two mill tax law yielded but little more than the million dollars. But the slogan of the public school defenders of the state has always been, "The property and wealth of the whole state must be taxed to educate all the children of the state." And it was found that local taxes had in- creased from about five million dollars in 1870 to over twenty-three millions in 1908, while the appropriation by the state had remained at one million dollars. Therefore the Educational Commission and the Teachers' Associations of the state felt justified in asking for the restoration of the two mill tax, which would yield about four and a half million dollars at present. After an energetic campaign before the committees of the General Assembly by the Commission and many school officers, an appropriation of two million dollars was made, which is double what it has been but only about half what was asked for. However, the fight will go on for a more liberal appropriation from the state to the schools. The appropriations to care for the insane, feeble-minded, paupers, and other dependent classes of the state, and to protect society from the criminals of the state have increased enormously in the last twenty years. The Educational Commission and the teachers of the state believe that the best way to counteract the demands for these appropriations and the causes for them is to make more liberal appropriations to the schools.

One great problem always before the superintendents for solution is the problem of obtaining a sufficient number of well qualified and efficient teachers. Upon the teachers ultimately depends the success or failure of the entire system. The State has shown a willingness to help solve this problem by establishing professional training schools for teachers. Five of these State Normal Universities are now established in the state, and the State University at Urbana also offers teachers' courses. The names of the State Normal schools, their location, and the date of the acts creating them are as follows :

Two of these universities were established under the administration of Gov. Altgeld in 1895. Gov. Altgeld proved himself to be very much in favor of public education, and much was done in his administration for the benefit of the school children of the state.

The hundreds of graduates from these institutions have gone abroad in the state and put into practice the practical lessons they received. Thousands who did not stay to complete the entire course have been greatly benefited in their work. While Macoupin County is about as far removed from any of these institutions as any county in the state, many of our teachers have attended them and the results of their attendance have been good. During the summer of 1910, about sixty from this county were in attendance at the various universities, and this summer (1911), probably an equal number will attend.

Such is a brief review of the development of the public school system of Illinois. It has taken almost a century of study and struggle to make it what it is. But our sturdy citizens have thought, and planned and paid their taxes and zealously pushed forward to better things in education. And any one studying the development of the system will notice that it has advanced with a constant acceleration. It is natural that this should be true; for the better the schools the higher the average intelligence, and the higher the intelligence the better able are the people to perfect the educational system. Therefore, we may face the future cheerfully, trusting and believing that further advances will be made and that the future of our great state will be safe in the hands of intelligent, educated citizens.

The progress of education in Macoupin County has kept pace with the progress in the other counties and deserves special mention here. One of the first things to claim the attention of the early settlers of this county was the education of their children. They realized that these children would be the future citizens of a great state and would have to be prepared for the heavy responsibilities of this citizenship. Many people may think now that the early schools were indeed poor and inefficient, but we must remember that it required much effort and self-sacrifice on the part of our early settlers to have schools at all. But they did the best they could under the circumstances, and laid the foundation for the splendid -educational advantages our children enjoy today. As was the case in nearly all new countries, one great impediment to early education in this county was the lack of well qualified teachers. But less was required and less was expected of the teachers then than of the teachers of today. There were no Normals nor Training Schools for teachers in the state, and the teachers were simply the better educated people among the settlers or itinerant Yankees or adventurous college students from the East. The school houses, the furniture and equipment were of the most primitive character. The houses were most often built of unhewn logs and covered with boards held in place by weight poles. The floor consisted of rough puncheons, or more often of the bare earth. A few openings were left in the walls by cutting out short lengths of the logs and these served for windows. In bad weather oiled paper was placed over these openings to shut out the wind and snow but to admit a little light. The seats were usually made of split logs or puncheons with wooden pins driven into augur holes to serve as legs. Similar logs or puncheons placed on horizontal pins set in the walls served as writing desks. A rude fireplace in one end of the building baked the pupils near it and left those in the distant corners to shiver on cold days. About all the studies that were attempted in these early schools were spelling, reading, and writing, and in some of the best arithmetic was added.

The first school taught in Macoupin County was conducted by William Wilcox at Staunton in 1824. He boarded around among his patrons and received in addition $30.00 for ten weeks' work Mr. Wilcox continued to teach there at intervals until 1827, when he was succeeded by Roger Snell, who had come to the county in 1821. Mr. I. P. Hoxsey taught at the same place in 1828, Philip R. Denham in 1829, and Archibald Hoxsey in 1830. The first school in the northwest part of the county was opened in 1829. In the summer of that year and again in 1830, a school was taught near Apple Creek by a man named James Howard. He was a relative to the Solomons, who were early settlers in that part of the county and who still have numerous descendants there, several of whom have been teachers. Mr. Howard was a native of New York. His attainments were good for that day and he was considered the best scribe in the county at that time. He continued to teach until his death in 1864. In 1829 a gentleman

The overflow at Girard. Both cars are crowded with people listening to a lecture, and a university professor is lecturing on soil fertility to a crowd outside.

University Of Illinois

named Scruggs taught a school in the southern part of what is now Scottville township in a rude school house on the south side of Nigger Lick Creek. In

1831 a Mr. Richardson taught a school in Bunker Hill in a small house near Mr. Branscomb's hat factory. Another early school was in the western part of the county near Chesterfield and was taught in 1832 by a man named Anderson in a small house with an earth floor. It is said that this school was very elementary in its character, and that the teacher was familiarly known among his patrons and pupils as the "Plug teacher." A rude log-house was erected in Chesterfield in 1834 and a school was opened in it by a Mr. Dooner, who was considered a great improvement over the "Plug teacher."

The first lady teacher named in the records of the county was Miss Charlotte Sherman, who taught school in Brighton township during the summer of 1832. Mrs. L. P. Stratton taught near the same place during the next summer. Miss Matilda Thompson was employed as the first teacher in Dorchester township in

These were the first schools organized in Macoupin County. Although they were poor as compared with our best schools now, they were equal to the demands of the people and were the foundation of the liberal and extensive school system of today. The growth from these early beginnings was gradual but steady and in accordance with the encouragement offered by the liberal school laws of the state. The children of some of the early settlers had to travel several miles each day to attend school, but school houses have multiplied in number until now almost all the children of the county are within easy walking distance of one or more school houses. In fact the schools have become almost too numerous to be properly kept up. There are now 179 school districts in the county and 184 different schools employing 315 teachers and having an attendance of about 12,000 pupils. Although we often hear some of the old settlers speak of the wide knowledge and wonderful proficiency of some of these very early teachers, we believe that the improvement of the teaching force of the county has kept pace with the growth of the schools. Be that as it may, we can truthfully say that the character and scholarship of the teachers will compare favorably with that of the teachers in any other county in the state. The teachers of this county have been greatly improved by institutes, normal drills, and attendance at the State Normal Schools. County teachers' institutes are now provided for by the state, and at these institutes careful attention is given to the theory and art of teaching and the proper management of schools.

The first teachers' institute held in the county was organized in Carlinville, September 16, 1857, by appointing Rev. J. C. Downer, president, pro tern, and D. H. Chase, secretary, pro tern. A constitution was adopted to govern its deliberations and permanent officers were elected, as follows : L. S. Williams, President : Leonard Ledbrook and George Mack, Vice-Presidents ; Lewis Judd, Treasurer; James Lee, Secretary; and J. M. Cyrus, O. Blood, and W. V. Eldridge, Board of Directors to serve one year. The secretary and the directors were to constitute an executive committee. Among the attendants at its first session were J. W. Langley, afterward County Judge of Champaign County, and H. M. Kimball. Interesting and inspiring addresses were delivered at the first session by Rev. J. H. Moore and J. M. Palmer, LL. D. It continued to hold regular semi-annual sessions with increasing interest up to December, 1870. After this time the sessions were annual and each of one week's duration for two years when it gave place to the Macoupin County Normal, an organization among the teachers of the county for self improvement. About this time a law was enacted by the legislature raising the standard of qualifications of the teachers throughout the state. It required teachers to pass a satisfactory examination in orthography, reading, penmanship, arithmetic, English grammar, modern geography, history of the United States, the elements of the natural sciences, physiology, and the laws of health. To get ready to meet the requirements of this law, the teachers of this county organized the County Normal, which held annual sessions of from four to six weeks each year during the months of June and July up to about 1880. Since that time the County Normal has been subject to the call of the county superintendent and has been held at intervals of from two to four years up to the present, but attendance at the State Normal schools is now taking the place of the County Normals. In these early County Normals the work was pretty thoroughly systematized and made to embrace all the branches required in the examination for county and state certificates. The attendance has always been good. A desire for self-improvement has always been a characteristic of Macoupin County teachers, and they have been faithful in their attendance at Normals and Institutes. The County Normal Schools have always been paid for by the teachers attending and the Institutes were up to 1883, when the legislature passed an act requiring each applicant for a certificate or a renewal of a certificate to pay a fee of one dollar. These several fees were to be called the institute fund and were to be used to defray the expenses of the annual institutes.

It is now generally recognized that the success and efficiency of the schools depend largely upon the work of the County Superintendent. The success and organization of any enterprise depends largely on the zeal and energy of those under whose supervision it is placed. This county has been fortunate in having some very capable school men at the head of its system. The office of County Commissioner was first filled in 1833 by appointment of the court. In 1865 the title of the office was changed to that of County Superintendent of Schools, and the term of office was extended from two to four years. Below is given a list of the names of men who have served as commissioner or superintendent with the time of their service :

In the early days, the office of school commissioner or superintendent was considered of little importance. His chief duty was to have charge of the school lands, to sell them, and to pay the proceeds over to the proper officer. A striking evidence of the lack of consideration given to the county superintendent and his work is the fact that as late as 1877 that officer was limited to 80 days work at $4.00 per day. Previous to that time, the county superintendent was us_ually a teacher who gave his Saturdays and a few days in summer to his official duties. Another evidence is the fact that no records of the official acts of the county superintendent previous to 1885 can now be found in the office. The educational history of the county could be made much more complete if all the records had been preserved.

But within the last few years, the legislature has recognized the importance of the office and the necessity of having it filled by a man who could devote all his time and energies to his official duties. Therefore, the General Assembly passed an act in 1905 repealing the per diem salary law and providing that the counties pay an annual salary to the county superintendent. These salaries varied according to the three different classes of counties. Macoupin being in the second class paid her superintendent $1,650 per year for the four years beginning with the term of R. C. Moore in 1906. Then in 1909 an act was passed which provided certain salaries according to the population of the counties as given in the census reports of 1900. This law makes the present salary in Macoupin County $2,250.00 per year. But almost every General Assembly has added also to the powers and duties of the county superintendent and placed upon him new burdens of responsibility. These added duties, the rapid increase in the population of the county, and the new demands made upon the office by a people becoming more and more interested in education, have greatly increased the work in the office within the last few years. The county board of supervisors, recognizing this fact, unanimously passed a resolution in 1908 allowing $600.00 per year from the county treasury to pay for assistance in the office. Miss M. Bessie Moore has been the regular assistant since that time, but at the times of holding the pupils' final examination and some of the teachers' examinations, it is necessary to employ several more assistants for a few days at a time.

Previous to 1894, the county superintendent's office was frequently moved from room to room wherever it would be least in the way. But about this time, and in the term of James E. McClure, the board of supervisors provided a commodious double room on the west side of the main hall of the court house as the permanent office and properly furnished it according to the needs of the work. The supervisors for several years back have shown great interest in school affairs and have responded to all reasonable suggestions by the superintendent.

Below is given a little history by statistics. These figures are taken from the county superintendents' reports to the state superintendent for the years 1890, 1900, and 1910, and will give an idea of the magnitude and growth of the school business in this county.

Helps In Organization And Supervision

In a large and populous county such as Macoupin it is very difficult for the county superintendent to closely supervise all the schools. The schools are so numerous and are scattered over such a wide territory that his visits are few to each school. Therefore, it is necessary to adopt all possible means to organize the work according to some definite system and then to enlist all the teachers and school officers in an effort to make the system effective in results.

Probably nothing has been more helpful to the superintendent nor more productive of good results in the rural schools than the State Course of Study. The closer supervision of the schools which led to the development of the present Course of Study had its beginning in Macon County about 1879 or 1880, with John Trainer, County Superintendent of Schools in that county. His work soon spread into Piatt and Champaign counties and grew into what served for a time as a course of study for those counties. As time passed and the idea developed, new courses embodying special features appeared in various counties in the State. At a meeting of the Central Illinois Teachers' Association at Jacksonville in March, 1889, the friends of the plan discussed the advantages of a State Course, and at their solicitation, Hon. Richard Edwards, Superintendent of Public Instruction, issued a call to county superintendents and other leading educators of the state to meet in Springfield, April 10, 1889, to discuss the subject. As a result of the meeting a committee consisting of five county superintendents was appointed to compile a course of study for the State, consisting of eight years' work, eight months to each year. This course was completed and published in time for the opening of the schools in September of that year. One edition was issued by the State Department of Education. It was used in most of the counties of Illinois, and also in some counties in every state west of New Jersey to the Pacific coast. It continued in use in the original form until 1894, when it was revised by a committee appointed by the State Teachers' Association. Since that time it has been revised and added to every four years until it has now become a full and complete outline of all the work to be done during the first eight years of the pupil's life. It contains complete outlines for the elementary study of the following subjects : reading, spelling, language, grammar, numbers and construction work, arithmetic, writing, geography, history of the United States and of Illinois, civics, physiology and hygiene, music, drawing, morals and manners, agriculture, household arts, and woodworking.

It contains also many helpful suggestions to teachers, a model country school program, outlines of high school courses, etc. Its general purpose is to outline the work in each branch for each month in the school year in a logical, orderly way and thus set up a standard for the guidance of the teachers and pupils. It serves also to unify the work in the different schools.

This course was introduced into Macoupin county in 1888 by County Superintendent George Harrington. It met with considerable opposition by many teachers and school officers, but the superintendent was persistent in promoting its adoption. By the time his term expired, it was in use in nearly all the rural schools and in some of the village schools in the county. Since that time all the superintendents have taken advantage of this effective help in organization, and the State Course of Study is now followed by all the rural and village schools and is made the basis of the plans of work in all the city schools.

Another thing that has helped to systematize and unify the work in the county is the adoption of a uniform series of text books. Superintendent Kessinger first tried this plan by recommending a list of text books for uniform use in the county. His list was adopted in nearly all the schools and was used until 1908. Then county superintendent R. C. Moore recommended a list which varied some from the former list but which was adopted in about 95 per cent of the schools and is still in use in 1911. The benefits arising from this plan are many and criticism of it has ceased.

In order to keep in touch with the work in the schools and to give the teachers and pupils ideas of what he expects of them, the superintendent uses a system of examinations and reports. Every two months during the school year he sends a complete set of examination questions to every teacher in the county and sets a day for the examination or written review. On that day the teachers give the pupils the work sent by the superintendent and requires of them written answers. These papers filed by the pupils are carefully graded, the grades are recorded, and reports of them are sent to the parents. Near the end of the school year, or about April first, a final examination is held at Carlinville for the pupils who have finished the eight grades of elementary work according to the State Course of Study. This is participated in by two hundred to three hundred pupils from all parts of the county each year and the rivalry for high honors is keen. In 1911, two hundred sixty pupils took this examination and one hundred sixty-five made passing grades. On Thursday evening of institute week each year, the County Eighth Grade Graduating Exercises are held at the court house, and the pupils who passed the examination are given diplomas which admit them to any of the high schools in the county. Those who make the highest grade in their respective townships are given Normal Scholarships provided for by an act of the Legislature, approved May 12, 1905. These scholarships entitle the holders to gratuitous instruction in any of the State Normal Schools for a period of four years and exempts them from the payment of any tuition, term, and matriculation fees. This plan of holding bimonthly and final examinations was adopted about the time of adopting the State Course of Study, has been improved upon from time to time, and has grown constantly in usefulness and results.

In 1908, County Superintendent Moore introduced the plan of having specimens of school work sent to his office by each teacher. Paper of uniform quality and size is furnished the schools by the superintendent and is returned to him in the spring covered with specimens of the work done by the pupils. This work is filed in the superintendent's office for the inspection of the public, and about twelve hundred sheets of it are hung up each year in the room where the county institute is held. This arouses much discussion on the part of teachers and enables them to exchange many helpful ideas.

About 1901, a plan for encouraging regular attendance and punctuality in the rural schools was adopted in this county. Certificates of Perfect Attendance signed by the county superintendent are furnished to the rural teachers. These are signed by the teachers and given to the pupils who are neither absent nor tardy for a full month. When any pupil has obtained six of these, he may send them to the county superintendent and receive for them a larger and more beautiful Certificate of Award, and when he has obtained three of the latter, he may exchange them for a large engraved Diploma of Honor, which signifies that he has been absolutely perfect in attendance for 18 months. During the term from 1906 to 1910, the county superintendent issued over twenty thousand certificates of perfect attendance, over two thousand certificates of award, and nearly three hundred diplomas of honor. The teachers assert that the plan is very helpful in securing regular attendance.

At intervals of two or three months, the county superintendent issues printed circulars to the teachers giving them his plans for the year and calling their attention to certain phases of the work. Once or twice a year he addresses a circular to each board of directors, calling their attention to certain duties and suggesting certain lines of improvement. These circulars, many personal letters, the visits to the schools by the superintendent, and the addresses made by him at educational meetings keep up a close, working relation between him and the teachers and school officers of the county. The annual institute, the autumn meeting of the Teachers' Association, and the various local institute meetings also give the superintendent opportunities for discussing plans with the teachers and for promoting the adoption of new and helpful ideas.

Buildings, Grounds, And Equipment

It is a long step from the first one-room log school-house with its fireplace, puncheon seats, and earth floor to one of the latest improved high school buildings, such as the one at Staunton. This building is of stone and brick, with a slate roof, furnace heat, modern systems of lighting and ventilation, sanitary sewerage, etc. It has a large assembly room furnished with individual folding seats and desks, slate blackboards, piano, bookcases, laboratories, recitation rooms, electric lights and signal system, and other modern conveniences. But a general improvement in school buildings and equipment has resulted from the progressive spirit of our people, and, although this county still contains some poorly equipped and antiquated buildings, most of the districts have comfortable and well furnished buildings. The public intelligence is beginning to realize that the physical and the spiritual nature of the child are being developed at school as well as his mental powers, and that it is as necessary for him to have comfortable, sanitary, and beautiful surroundings as it is for him to have good books to study and good teachers to give instruction. In response to this idea, many improvements are being made in buildings, grounds, and equipment. The grounds of some schools are being extended to larger size, trees and shrubs are being planted, and walks and better outhouses constructed. Many of the old buildings are being remodeled and several new buildings are being erected according to modern plans. As an example of what was done in one year, we will describe what was done in the building line in 1910. Palmyra vacated their old frame building and erected a beautiful and substantial four room building of brick and cement. Workman District, No. 31, built an excellent new building, as did Rural Mt. Olive District No. 60, Centerview District No. 33, Oakland District No. 74, Boston Chapel District No. 38, and Rural District No. 72. The last two named may be briefly described as types of what rural school buildings ought to be.

The Boston Chapel building is of brick and cement and has a slate roof and steel ceiling. It has a basement under the entire building, and this basement has a cement floor and contains a fuel room and a play room for the children. In front of the school-room are an entry and cloak rooms, and a stairway leads from the entry to the basement. The large airy school-room is properly furnished, heated, lighted, and ventilated.

The Rural school building in district 72 is a frame building and consists of six rooms and a small front porch on the west. From this porch a doorway leads into a small hall which opens directly ahead into the main school-room, and on either side into the cloak rooms, one for the boys and one for the girls. These cloak rooms also open by doorways into the main school-room. In the schoolroom, the pupils sit with their right sides to the entrance doors on the west and facing the south wall, which is solid and has a slate blackboard extending its full length. The east wall contains five large windows, which admit an abundance of light to the left of the pupils. To the rear of the pupils and on the north side of the main room are two other small rooms. One of these is entered through an arched opening and is used as a library room. It contains some shelving and is lighted by two windows. The other room is a fuel room and is entered through a door opening directly from the school-room and near the heater. This heater is really a hot air furnace and-a ventilator combined. The steel stove is surrounded by a jacket with an air space of about eight inches between them. A fresh air inlet comes through the wall from outside and admits cold, pure air to the furnace inside the jacket. This air is heated and rises to the top of the room and circulates to all parts of the room driving out the foul air through the foul air extractor, which is a pipe about ten inches in dameter opening near the floor and passing out with the smoke-pipe. This system of heating and ventilating is found to be very beneficial to the health and vitality of the pupils and teacher and to increase their working efficiency quite materially. The schoolroom is furnished with fifty single seats and desks properly arranged to suit the convenience of pupils of different sizes. The building is surmounted by a belfry containing a clear-toned bell, is surrounded by a yard containing several trees, and has many other commendable features. Its cost as now furnished was about eighteen hundred dollars.

Many other schools have recently made very creditable improvements in their furniture and apparatus. About fifteen of the sanitary heating and ventilating systems described above have been installed, several rooms have been furnished with new single seats, and a large number of library books have been purchased. Almost every rural school now has at least a small library of books of reference and of general literature. Most of these are chosen from the list of books recommended by the State Pupils' Reading Circle Board. Much needed apparatus has been bought, such as maps, globes, primary helps, measures, dictionaries, clocks, organs, etc.

State Superintendent F. G. Blair has introduced a plan for encouraging improvement in the rural schools. In the summer of 1909 he issued a pamphlet entitled "The One-Room Country Schools of Illinois" in which he gave his ideas of what a country school ought to be and how it should be organized and equipped. This pamphlet was furnished in large numbers to the County Superintendent and a copy was sent to each board of directors in the county. It contained chapters on the school building, heating, lighting, ventilation, seating, repairing old buildings, furnishings, sanitation, country school supervision, or- ganization and devices, the teacher and her work, and The Standard One-Room School. Under this last topic, he described fully what is necessary to make up a Standard School. During the following school term, he sent an assistant, Mr. U. G. Hoffman, to several counties to visit country schools with the county superintendent and to make inspection records of his visits to the several schools. This record covered a complete description of the grounds, buildings, furnishings and supplies, organization, and teacher. If the school graded perfect in all the details of these factors, the inspector so reported to the State Superintendent, who issued to the school a diploma stating that it was recognized as a Standard School. If the school was found to be deficient in some points, the inspector so reported to the county superintendent, the teacher, and the directors and requested them to use their best efforts to make the necessary improvements. Mr. Hoffman visited two days with County Superintendent Moore in February, 1910, and inspected eight or nine schools. But this inspection resulted in issuing but one diploma that year. Prairie Dale School in District 3, with Miss Mary Bleauer as teacher, soon arranged everything just as it should be, and was given a diploma as a standard school. This diploma was renewed in March, 1911, and the progressive directors in that district will probably see that it is renewed each succeeding year.

Since 1910, Mr. Hoffman has furnished the inspection blanks to the county superintendent and had him to make the inspection records. These records are sent to the state office and acted upon there. Two more schools were thus standardized in 1911. The first of these was the Robley School in District No. 71, with Miss Nell Head as teacher. This is one of the best equipped schools to be found anywhere and has a board of directors who will keep making the improvements and repairs necessary to retain their diploma.

The other Standard School is in the Miller District, No. 6. Miss Lottie Burdsal was the teacher there, and she and her pupils and the directors all worked hard to meet the requirements for standardizing their school before the close of the term.

This plan is attracting the attention of many of the directors and others interested in rural schools, and plans are being made to standardize several other schools.

High Schools

Probably the most noticeable evidence of educational progress in Macoupin County in recent years is the development of the high schools in the cities and villages. Thirty or forty years ago, if the young student wanted to advance in his studies beyond what is now the eighth grade of the common schools, his parents must be able to send him to some academy or college. These colleges were most often private or sectarian schools and were at such a distance as to take the youth away from home at just the age when he most needed the good influences of the home. MoFt boys and girls could not afford to go at all, and were thus prevented from obtaining anything beyond an elementary education. But now all the cities and most of the villages have high school courses varying in length from ore to four years. The better of these courses offer about the things that made up the college courses a few years ago, and the work done according to them is of such excellence as to be fully accredited at the Illinois State University. The course of the Carlinville high school for 1910-11 may be taken as a type of the courses in the accredited schools. It is as follows :

Fourth Year

No pupil will be allowed to take less than 15, nor more than 20 recitations per week, nor to select his work from different years, without permission.

High school work was begun in Virden about 1880, and the course has been extended and improved until in 1890 it was accredited by the State University and has remained on the accredited list since. Some of the superintendents who have had charge of this school for two or more years each were as follows: Henry Higgins, Wm. E. Evans, P. M. Silloway, Milo Loveless, F. E. Kennedy, Josiah Main, J. C. Walters, and J. Carl Stine. Supt. Silloway had charge of this school for several years about 1890 and then left to teach in some western state, but returned in 1909 and has again had charge for the last two years. The total number of graduates from this school is two hundred thirty-eight.

Girard began to have high school work in 1890 and was placed on the accredited list in 1906. Some of the superintendents who have helped build up this school were E. L. Howett, J. I. Taylor, S. H. Tilden, F. E. Kennedy, Heywood Coffield, F. E. Wolfe, and W. F. Grotts. The total number of graduates is one hundred seventy.

Carlinville introduced some high school work into its course in 1885, and extended and improved its course from time to time until it was placed on the accredited list several years ago. It now has four teachers in the high school besides the superintendent. The men at the head of this school have been George Harrington, R. B. Anderson, E. H. Owen, J. E. Wooters, and H. A. Perrin. Some of the high school teachers have been Annie E. Otwell, Agnes Fitzgerald, A. M. Horine, Catherine A. Kelley, Margaret Hubbard, Ida C. Turnbull, and Stella Surman. Altogether about 345 students have graduated from this school.

Gillespie introduced a two year high school course into its system in 1893, and changed it to a four year course in 1905. The superintendents have been Rosa Burke, F. L. Hoehn, A. C. Stice, and George W. Soloman. Eighty-four have received diplomas from this school. Gillespie has had a very rapid growth in the last few years and the board of education has had a difficult problem in providing school facilities for the rapidly increasing number of school children. They built a large grade school building about 1904 and added a high school building and some more grade rooms in 1909 altogether costing about $25,000.00. The Gillespie school building is very conveniently arranged and is one of the most beautiful in this part of the state.

Staunton is another city of phenomenal growth within recent years and has built about $30,000.00 worth of school buildings within the last six years. Brief mention of the high school department was made in a preceding part of this article. It is probably the best equipped high school in the county. The ninth grade of work was begun in Staunton in 1894, the tenth grade was added in 1895, the eleventh grade in 1897, and the twelfth grade or fourth year of the high school work was added in 1907, and the course is now fully accredited by the Illinois State University. This development took place under the following superintendents : J. I. Taylor, W. R. Duncan, C. M. Brennen, Robert C. Moore, and Wm. E. Eccles. One hundred five students have graduated from this school and the attendance is constantly increasing. To give an idea of the growth of the schools in some of the cities, we will say that in 1894 there was an enrollment of 250 pupils in the Staunton school and they were taught by seven teachers, while in 1910 the enrollment was 760 pupils taught by seventeen teachers.

Mt. Olive is a progressive little city and has a very capable corps of teachers. The high school work was introduced into this school in 1895, and they have graduated 109 students since that time. Their superintendents have been E. D. Bittner, J. U. Uzzell, E. A. Morgan, R. H. Perrott, and F. L. Hoehn. This city also has had to meet the building problem within recent years and has extended its school grounds and added to its buildings quite extensively.

Bunker Hill was the first city to add work beyond the eighth grade. High school work was begun there in 1878, and the course has been extended and improved from time to time. Some of the superintendents have been W. H. Miller, T. E. Moore, W. C. Hobson, W. G. Baab, C. W. Yerkes, P. M. Hoke, L. T. Shaw, and H. M. Anderson. G. W. Smith of Medora is employed there for the year of 1911-12. Two hundred seven have received diplomas from this school.

Palmyra has a very good three year high school course and will probably soon add another teacher and another year to the course. Their new building has already been mentioned.

Medora has a beautiful and substantial new building and a good two year high school course. They have there the largest and most beautiful school yard in this part of the state. It consists of several acres of natural forest modified by landscape gardening into a thing of art. The school and school grounds are the pride of Medora.

The first school building in Medora was built in 1864, and was replaced in 1905 by the present structure, which cost $12,000. Stroud V. Keller was the first schoolteacher in the old building.

The Medora high school began its more advanced work with the class of 1903 and 1904, and this school has turned out seventy-six graduates. Since 1903 the superintendents have been: G. A. Walker, C. W. Yerkes, A. Dawkins, W. J. Chapman, five years, George Solomon, and G. A. Smith, six years.

Some of the other villages in the county doing some creditable work beyond the eighth grade are Scottville, Modesto, Nilwood, Piasa, Shipman, Benld, Chesterfield, Woodburn, Atwater, Dorchester, Hettick, Plainview, and the two room rural school at Pleasant Hill.

The State University Trolley School

In January, 1911, the officers and teachers of the Illinois State University began to make plans with the county superintendents in the counties traversed by the McKinley electric railroad to "bring the State University to the people." Their plan was to send out several university professors and lecturers on a trolley train through these counties, to have the train stop at certain stations agreed upon in advance, and to have the lecturers address the people at these stations upon live agricultural topics illustrating their lectures with suitable apparatus and products. The county superintendent designated five stops in this county, Gillespie, Clark's Siding, Carlinville. Girard, and Virden, and notified the teachers and pupils near each of these stations to be present at the time appointed for the lectures. The train was run on March 2d according to the schedule agreed upon. Two lectures were given in each of the two cars at each stop, and the school children and their parents attended in such large numbers that it was necessary to have overflow meetings at nearly every stop.

The lectures were on such subjects as Soil Fertility, Helpful and Harmful Birds. Crop Rotation, Dairying, Cattle Feeding, Poultry Raising, Farm Buildings, etc. The lectures and the exhibits on the cars aroused much discussion among the teachers, pupils, and parents, awakened an interest in the work at the State University, and implanted in the minds of many people a desire for more knowledge of the real science of agriculture.

Some Present Problems And The Future

This brief history of our educational system is a story of growth, development and improvement. But it must not be taken for granted that the entire system is now perfect, that all the complex problems involved in it have been solved, nor that it will require little attention and improvement in the future. New conditions raise new questions, and progress is made only by overcoming difficulties. So new educational problems arise and old ones reappear because of changing ideas of the purposes of education, because of the rapid increase in our foreign population, and because of the concentration of our population in cities and the decrease of population in our rural communities.

One of our present problems might be stated thus, "What should be included in our course of study?" A part of our people claim that we are trying to teach too much and that the course ought to be shortened and simplified ; while others are asking for the addition of new subjects. Some insist that manual training and household science be given more attention ; others argue for music, drawing, and physical culture. Some insist upon emphasizing bookkeeping, business arithmetic, and commercial law ; others plead for more English, Latin, and literature. Some say that we should have more studies of a strictly ethical nature; others claim that the proper teaching of any subject by a perfect teacher develops moral character. Many demand more work in the physical sciences ; and probably as many demand more work in sociology and economics. These are but a few of the many things suggested to the school authorities by an earnest people desiring the best education possible for their children. The State

Course of Study has responded to many of these varying demands until it now includes more than can be mastered by the average teacher. And the time limit will not permit the introduction of all useful subjects into the programs of our schools. "What shall we teach ?" will be an open question for some time to come and perhaps forever.

Many deep students of education claim that it matters little what is taught besides the elements of reading, writing, spelling, and numbers if the teacher is a person of high ideals, good character, and proper methods. This at once introduces the problem of how to keep up the supply of good teachers. Death, matrimony, and change of occupation depletes the ranks of the tried and true teachers each year. Death occurs because it cannot be prevented, marriage under proper circumstances should not be avoided, and change of occupation is often desirable and even necessary because of the better pay in other departments of the world's work. So it is necessary each year to grant certificates to about forty or fifty boys and girls and to send them out to practice the highly important profession of teaching before they have had any special training for it. So the problem of obtaining and keeping a supply of efficient teachers is still a live one.

The large increase in the population of this county during the last twenty years has been altogether in the cities, and the increase in the school population of these cities has been much more rapid than the increase in the assessed valuation and therefore more rapid than the available school revenue. The demands of the people for the addition of high school courses in these cities have increased the cost of maintaining the schools. Therefore the problem of raising enough money to provide proper school facilities is an acute one in several of our city districts.

The popularity of the high school courses in the cities has spread into the rural districts, and the demands for high school advantages for the country pupils are increasing. Some rural districts have tried the experiment of adding some high school work to their course, but it is found that one teacher has enough to do to teach the work below the high school. When she attempts more, she is compelled to so divide her time and energies as to slight some of the work. Some parents send their children to the city high schools and pay their tuition. But some people live at considerable distance from any city high school, and some can hardly afford the extra expense of tuition, etc., for several children. At the same time these people feel that their children deserve advantages equal to those of the city children. Therefore, the question of how to provide high school advantages for the country boys and girls is insistantly demanding an answer.

The law provides that township high schools may be established by a vote of the people, but no such school has yet been established in this county, largely because of the rivalry between different parts of townships and the opposition of non-resident land owners and of tax payers without children. Many believe that we have too many rural districts and that consolidation is the solution of several of our problems. But this idea is new and not yet well understood and is opposed by the same influences named above.

The fact that these questions are being discussed shows not only that much is to be accomplished in the future but also that our people are awake to the needs of the day in educational affairs. The experience of the past gives us hope and courage, - courage to grapple with the stubborn opposition to progress, and hope that all these questions will be answered in terms of what is best for the children, and through them in terms of what is best for the welfare of our state and the stability of our government.

Blackburn University

About the year 1835 the Rev. Gideon Blackburn proposed to various benevolent persons -in Massachusetts and other eastern states the following plan for raising money for the purpose of founding and establishing a theological seminary in Illinois : - that they should advance to him money with which he should purchase government lands at $1.25 per acre, that he should convey to them respectively of these lands amounts, which at $2.00 per acre should be equal to the sums advanced ; that of the remaining lands he should take one-third to his own use to reimburse him for his trouble and expenses and the other two-thirds should constitute a fund for the funding and establishment of the college; in other words, five-eighths of the lands thus purchased should be conveyed to the persons who advanced the money, and one-eighth to himself, leaving one-fourth to constitute the seminary fund. In the execution of this plan he raised funds with which he purchased over 64,000 acres of land ; thus providing a seminary fund of over 16,000 acres. On the 28th day of September, 1837, Dr. Blackburn acknowledged and executed a deed of trust' conveying to W. S. Oilman and six other trustees the said lands constituting the seminary fund and some other lands in trust for the purpose of establishing an institution of learning on the principles in the deed specified. The deed directs the trustees to procure from the legislature of Illinois an act of incorporation for the institution, if practicable, to which they shall convey the lands and transfer the funds constituting the fund of the institution and until such act of incorporation shall be procured it authorizes the trustees to sell, mortgage, or lease the said lands and to apply the avails thereof to the funding and up-building of an institution of learning, the object of which shall be to promote the general interest of education and to qualify young men for the office of the gospel ministry by giving them such suitable instruction in the Holy Scriptures as may enable them to perform the duties of that high and holy vocation acceptably to the world. The deed provides for the appointment of others and additional trustees and for filling vacancies, and provides with considerable detail for the government of the institution and reserves to the grantor the right of visitation. In the deed immediately following the description of the premises conveyed and the habendum, this clause appears: "On the following trust and conditions, that the said southeast quarter of the southeast quarter of section 21, and the northeast quarter of the northeast quarter of section 28. township 10. north of range 7 west, be the site for the permanent location of 'the institution hereinafter mentioned, the said parcels of land having been purchased by the said party of the first part and other funds of the institution for that express purpose."

In August, 1838, Dr. Blackburn died intestate, leaving eight children, his heirs at law, several of whom were infants, and one of whom had died before the filing" of the original bill in this suit. The trustees sold portions of the land from time to time for the purpose of paying taxes on the residue, etc., but made no attempt to proceed with the erection of the institution.

There was an attempt made to convey these lands to the trustees of the Illinois College, at Jacksonville, under a decree issued by the Sangamon circuit court. That decree was entered at the November term, 1854, of said court by Judge David Davis, the judge then presiding. The trustees of the Illinois College sold a number of acres of these lands and at the December term, 1854, the supreme court of the state of Illinois reversed that decision, ordering the trustees of Illinois College to reconvey to the trustees of Blackburn College the said lands that they had received and the money that they had received for land they had sold, and thus under that decision Blackburn University became rehabilitated with the trust left by the Rev. Gideon Blackburn to be used for the purposes indicated as aforesaid.

To secure the location of the school at Carlinville, the citizens had contributed funds to purchase eighty acres of land at the edge of town as "the site for the permanent location of the institution."

William Weer, Jr., who was a brilliant young lawyer then residing in Carlinville, and had married a daughter of Mrs. Elizabeth Hamilton, a daughter of the Rev. Gideon Blackburn, induced Mrs. Hamilton and Grundy H. Blackburn, a son of Gideon Blackburn, to file a cross bill in the case, claiming that as the trust had failed, the lands reverted to the heirs of the Rev. Blackburn. He appeared in the case as their solicitor, being opposed by the distinguished lawyers, Abraham Lincoln, who afterwards became president of the United States, and the Hon. David A. Smith, of Jacksonville, Illinois, who were employed by the trustees of the Illinois college as their attorneys. Judge Walter B. Scates rendered the decision of the supreme court holding that the attempted transfer of the lands by the trustees of Blackburn College to the trustees of the Illinois College was an illegal act, without authority and could not be enforced as, under the deed of conveyance made by Dr. Blackburn to the trustees of Blackburn College, the institution was permanently located at Carlinville, Illinois, and could not be removed, thus settling its location at Carlinville for all time to come.

In 1857 a charter was obtained from the state legislature into which the language of Dr. Blackburn's deed of trust was incorporated as far as practicable. This charter exempts all the property of the institution from taxation forever.

A preparatory school was opened in 1859, with the Rev. John C. Downer as principal and Professor Jacob Clark as assistant. In 1862 Professor Robert B. Minton became president of the college and served as such until 1871. Afterwards he became professor of mathematics and continued with the institution until his death in 1889. He had for years occupied the position of treasurer of the institution, as well as instructor.

In 1864 a full collegiate course of study, classical and scientific, was adopted women being admitted on the same terms as men. The first class was graduated from the college in 1870, consisting of seven members who have taken high position in the communities in which they live, in the learned professions and in the business occupations of the times. In 1867 a theological department was organized and continued, until the development of theological seminaries in cities within reasonable distance made it no longer necessary.

In 1868, the legislature, at the request of the trustees, changed the name of the institution from Blackburn Theological Seminary to The Blackburn University.

In 1871, the Rev. John W. Bailey, D. D., a distinguished scholar and eminent preacher and educator, was chosen president and held that position until 1876. The following year, the Rev. Edwin L. Kurd, D. D., an able minister, a refined and courtly gentleman, who was perhaps one of the ablest instructors that the institution has ever had, was chosen chief executive and continued in the presidency until 1891. In that year the Rev. Richard Edwards ex-superintendent of public instruction of Illinois, was made president but was compelled to resign two years later on account of failing health. The Rev. James E. Rogers, Ph. D.r D. D., a noted linguist, was called to the presidency and remained at the head of the college until June, 1896, when he resigned to resume the pastorate. During the year 1896-7 Professor Walter H. Crowell, an alumnus, was appointed acting president and in 1907, at Professor Crowell's resignation, Professor Walter H. Bradley was appointed acting president and continued as such until 1905, when the Rev. Thomas W. Lingle, Ph. D., was elected president, and was entitled to the credit of obtaining the increase in the endowment fund which assured the future of the college. At his resignation in 1908, Dr. Bradley was again made acting president.

In 1906 a movement was inaugurated to increase the endowment. Andrew Carnegie offered $20,000 on condition that $50.000 more be raised in cash. The condition was met and $70,000 was added to the resources of the school. In 1908, by the settlement of the John A. Harris estate, $20,000 came into the treasury of the college and in 1910 other bequests added to the endowment fund.

1. The campus farm of eighty acres, on twenty acres of which a state agricultural experiment station is located. Ten acres are used for college purposes exclusively, in the campus and athletic fields.

2. Three buildings : University Hall, costing about $50,000 ; Robertson Hall, erected for scientific purposes by the late Dr. William A. Robertson and wife, at a cost of $12,000; and the Minton Observatory, named for Professor Robert B. Minton.

3. The Taylor Museum, containing between thirty and forty thousand mineral and fossil specimens, the gift for the most part of the late Dr. Julius S. Taylor, of Kankakee, Illinois, obtained through the influence of President Hurd.

The citizens of Carlinville are rightfully proud of Blackburn University and of their other educational facilities and why shouldn't they be? Blackburn University and its surrounding campus of eighty acres can not be excelled for beauty and its inviting green swards with its large forest trees composed of elm and oak with wide branching tops make shade for the reclining student in his studies. As to the course of study Blackburn embraces all the requ'sites of the best and larger colleges of our state for the obta:ning of a practical education and Ma- coupin County owes to Dr. Blackburn a debt of gratitude for his great foresight and courage in selecting our city and county for the institution that so appropriately bears his name, and we feel that we would be recreant to his good name and deeds did we not give testimony to the character of the educational work accomplished by this institution and no better tribute can be found than in the high and honorable position accorded to the graduates of Blackburn University. In the learned professions and in all the varied business avocations of this wonderful business age, they nowhere fall behind the graduates of the larger and more expensive colleges and universities of this state.

Gideon Blackburn was born in Augusta county, Virginia, August 27, 1772, his father being Robert Blackburn and his mother a member of the Richie family. His parents were of Scotch-Irish ancestry and devout members of the Presbyterian church.

Gideon made his home much of the time until his twelfth year with his grandfather, General Blackburn, and owed his educational opportunities for the most part to his maternal uncle, Gideon Richie, for whom he had been named. In the current of westward migration the family settled for a time in Washington county, Tennessee, (then within the bounds of North Carolina), where the boy was placed under the care and instruction of the Rev. Samuel Doak, D. D., a distinguished minister and teacher, the founder and principal of Martin Academy. At this school the greater part of his literary course was taken. Seventy miles farther west, at Dandridge, Tennessee, under the Rev. Dr. Robert Henderson, his advanced literary and theological studies were pursued. By the Presbytery of Abingdon, (Tennessee), he was licensed to preach in 1792 and ordained to the full work of the ministry in 1794. In April,^724jpe accepted a call to the New Providence (Maryville, Tenn.,) and Eusebia cHurches and began his pastoral duties. Those were the days when congregations went armed to church and ministers preached with rifles by their sides because of danger from the Indians. The Cherokees were on the warpath. Work was done and trips were made in companies. The people lived in settlements or behind the walls of forts. The young minister did his share of the common labor and took his part of the dangers. When the Cherokees became more tractable he established missions and schools for them, collecting considerable amounts of money in the north for this purpose and discontinuing the work only when health and financial embarrassment, growing out of his personal sacrifices for the mission, made it necessary.

In 1811 he removed to Franklin, Williamson county, Tennessee, eighteen miles south of Nashville, to take charge of Harpeth Academy and afterwards Independent Academy in the same county and to evangelize the surrounding region. A considerable change was made in the religious sentiment of the country within a radius of fifty miles. While here, in 1818, Greeneville College, Tennessee, gave him the degree of Doctor of Divinity.

Remaining in Williamson county for twelve years, he, in 1823, became the pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Louisville, Kentucky. After a sue- cess ful pastorate of four years he accepted the presidency of Centre College, Danville, Kentucky, where he remained for three years. Returning to the pastorate he remained at Versailles, Kentucky, for three years and' thence came to central Illinois, in 1833. For a time he was financial agent for Illinois College at Jacksonville but the last years of his life were given to founding a theological seminary for the central west. His efforts resulted in the establishment of Blackburn University, at Carlinville, Illinois.

In the early part of the winter of 1837-8 Dr. Blackburn slipped and fell onthe ice, so seriously injuring the hip-joint that he never walked again. August 23, 1838, he fell asleep, in the sixty-sixth year of his age.

October 3, 1793, he was married to Miss Grizzel Blackburn, a distant relative. Of eleven children, seven sons and four daughters, two sons became ministers and one son died while fitting himself for the ministry.

Dr. Blackburn was a new school Presbyterian, throwing himself heart and soul into the struggle for what he believed to be the truth. Yet in his manners he was of the old school of gentlemen, easy, gentle, courteous, mild, affable, always dignified, even somewhat reserved. His bearing was naturally military and on occasion he could be severe and haughty. He ruled well his own household and the youth entrusted to his care in the academies and the college of which he was the head. His knowledge of and instruction in logic, rhetoric, mental and moral philosophy, was broad and illuminating. In his preaching he was ex ternpore, didactic, vividly descriptive, witching. His voice was silvery, his person and manner elegant, his zeal contagious, his logic convincing and his eloquence inspiring. Men heard him, went away and came to hear him again. He was laborious and earnest, a man and Christian of the active rather than the contemplative type. He did things and he believed more in a religion of keeping the commandments than in one of ."frames and feelings." He believed in Providence and accepted trial and sorrow as well as prosperity and happiness as coming from God. He was a man of men and a man of God.