Jasper County, Missouri - Chapter 12: Educational Matters, 1912

Keeping pace with the growth of the country in population, the school system grew larger and more important during the 'seventies, as noted in our last chapter. January 1, 1870, found the county with seventy-nine school districts and one hundred and four teachers. December, 1879, found a few over a hundred organized schools and one hundred and sixty teachers.

We will treat the city schools in a description of the several towns, and will, in this article, speak of the county schools and the matters pertaining to education in which the entire county had an interest, grouping together the important happenings which occurred during the administration of each of the county superintendents.

Jasper county was the first in the state to adopt county supervision and employ the entire time of a county superintendent, and the high standing of her schools attests the wisdom of this step along the line of progress.

At the general election of 1870, J. W. Jacob was elected county superintendent. Spelling was his hobby and during the early 'seventies the old-fashioned spelling matches were renewed and came into great popularity. We present here a paper written by one of the Jasper county teachers and read before a teachers' meeting in February, 1872. It is interesting because it describes the conditions of the 'seventies and a period when the public school system was in its infancy.

"We met a sleigh-load of boys and girls the other night a few miles out of the dty, on their way to a ^spelling match* In the schoolhouse of a neighboring district, and the jingling bells and the merry laughter of the young folks made us forget for a season that we had passed the forenoon of life; and we Joined the happy throng In imagination, and were back again among the scenes of years ago, when cares were few and the greatest sorrow of our life was to be compelled to stay away from spelling or singing schools and know that Bill Jones would go home with our girl after the exercises of the evening were ended.

"Is there an individual living who does not at times brush the cobwebs away from his pictures of the past and revert fondly to the scenes of his youth? If so, let him be known, though we do not believe in the unmanly feeling that prompts one to look back for all bis pleasures, and see only clouds and stormy weather in the future.

"But we commenced to talk of spelling schools - ^the old-fashioned kind, held in our own or neighboring school houses. The latter, however, were looked forward to with more pleasure, as the usual monotony of the occasion was relieved by the excitement of the meeting of a foreign foe, and the fun of a ride under the buffalo robes to the field of contest.

"How *big* we used to feel when in solemn manner the school master would step up on the rostrum, and after erasing all traces of the day's arithmetical exercises upon the blackl>oard that our minds might not wander from the evening's work, sing out in a well-remembered voice, a cross between a deacon's and a heavy tragedian's, our name, coupled with some member of the opposition side as the two upon whom fell the honor of choosing sides.

"And what terrible suspense intervened while the two pedagogues drew cuts to see who should have his first clioice, preparatory to selecting the chosen two dozen who were to try and spell each other down.

"If the leader of the 'other side' happened to be a rival of ours in the suit for smiles from the rosy-cheeked girl who apparently had no thou^t for anything save the apples she was slyly eating behind the stove, the excitement was doubly great, until it was decided that we (just think of it!) had drawn the longest straw and were entitled to the first choice among all the bevy of young folks that were scattered around the schoolroom.

"How high we lifted our cow-hide boots as we stepped off to the comer of the room where the line of orthographical battle was to be formed! Of course, the first name called was that of our sweetheart, though (must we say it?) she was the poorest speller in the school, and her formation of Words would frighten the portrait of old Noah Webster from the title-page of his first-book. She was the handsomest young girl in the whole school ; her cheeks were as red as a Baldwin apple, and her curls, which had been elaborately twisted around a hot poker, were natural, and besides that she had agreed to go home from all the singing schools for a month ahead with us, and when we had a stone bruise on our heel in summer, who but she could tie a rag so tenderly around the spot ! So, we repeat it, we chose her at once, and while she was tripping to her place at our side, the other leader, as if to seek revenge and pay court to Mars instead of Venus, selected for his first choice the very best scholar in school, a girl who, though homely as Barnum's *What is it,' could go through the spelling book like lightning, and was as much at home among words of seven syllables as those of two. When the work commenced and the quota of spelling was soon filled, though we must confess that our mind became slightly confused while holding 'our girl's' hand and choosing at the same time, our side was weak, mentally, compared with that of Bill Jones.

"After order was obtained among the scholars and those who were not In the lists had brought their angry feelings under subjection, *01d Jacket Duster,' as we termed our teacher, would pull out a dog's-eared copy of *Webster'8 Elementary/ whose fly leaves had long since ascended heavenward In the form of ^spit-balls/ and in a voice about three keys higher than his ordinary tone, pro* ceed to *put out' the words alternately to the two sides. The contest waxed warmer, and down went all the *small fry' on the simple words. We were only allowed one trial and the man who hesitated was irrevocably lost, until at last only a half a dozen were left on a side. *Our girl' had come near going down on the word *coflfee.' (She always commenced it with a K), but we had set her right in a whisper, though Bill Jones saw the 'prompting' and would have informed the teacher had he not at that moment received a stunner in the shape of *phthisic,' which occupied his mind to the exclusion of all else, but which he would have mastered had not a wad of chewed paper struck him at that moment in the mouth, and so affected his utterance as to lead the master to think he had omitted one *h ;' and he sat down swearing, and we had the satisfaction of seeing his ears slapped with a piece of rubber for his profanity. There were now five on the other side and six on ours, when the teacher of the other school took the floor, and we saw that there was blood in his eye the moment he said *We will now proceed to spell Bible proper names.'

**This exercise soon thinned our ranks. Four at one shot, on *Nebuchadnezzar.* *Our girl' let go of our hand and wilted on 'Pharoah' before we could inform her whether it conmienced with F or P, and finally we keeled over on the simile word Isaac, and the champion was a small boy of ten years, who was named after the son of Abraham, and the only Bible word which he could spell was that which he had won that day.

"But the sorrows and troubles of our youthful days never lasted long, and we had soon forgotten our defeat in the happiness of having the rosy-cheeked girl to ourself in the back end of the sleigh, and with three buffalo robes that we had stolen to conceal our faces and render unintelligible the whispered words of sympathy and affection that we poured In under the 'kiss-me-quick' hood that covered her curls. Two mittens held our four hands, and the few strong peppermint drops that we had been hoarding up for this occasion were dull and tasteless compared to the condensed extract of sweetness that we daringly snatched from her lips when crossing the bridge on our way home. She said she had 'forgotten that there were so many bridges on the road,' while we - well, gentle reader, you cannot have forgotten how the old thing worked In those days before the war/'

The third meeting of the Jasper County Teachers Institute was attended by one hundred and ten teachers, which, considering that there were but one hundred and four schools, showed an interest both among the regular teachers and the prospective ones. The institute occurred on August 14th and the following oflScers were elected: U. B. Webster, of Medoc, president; K. Elliott, vice president; Laura Ralston, secretary; J. W. Jacobs, treasurer.

The feature of this meeting was the appointment of Miss M. E. Chaddle, a noted linguist, as the critic for the meeting, and at the close of each session she made a report of the inaccuracies of speech, grammatical errors, mispronounced words, etc. It is needless to say that after the first session everyone was on the qui vive and guarded his speech most carefully. During Mr. Jacobs' administration the school exhibition also came into popularity. The following clipping from the Carthage Banner, March 12, 1872, describes one of many such, and shows, too, how the people of the early day overcame difficulties.

By urgent request we atteuded the school exhibition at Jasper school house, eight miles southeast of here, on last Tuesday night. We were well paid for doing so. The Jasperites are natural exhibitionists, as the following report will show.

We arrived on the ground about sundown, and found the large exhibition tent well filled^ even at that early hour. Every road centering to the school house was lined with young and old, afoot, ahorse or in wagons. The grove by the school house was packed full of teams. People had come together from a radius of eight miles to see and hear the exhibition. The school house was used as a dressing room. The performers entered the stage through the windows. The stage, with the side curtains, covered the entire side of the school house, and was about 15x30 feet in size. This gave the actors plenty of elbow room. A large tent was put up, extending out sixty or seventy feet from the school house, capable of seating five hundred persons. The seats were railroad ties, new and hard. There were at least six hundred persons present

The exercises commenced about 8 o'clock, and continued until nearly 3 o'clock, in the morning. Everything passed off smoothly. We have never seen better acting done in country places, than at Jasper, last Tuesday evening. All did well - a few did extra well. Much credit is due Mr. H. C. Warner, the teacher, for the excellent discipline and control, all evinced, from the least to the greatest. He was well assisted by Mrs. Smith, who seems to be perfectly at home in the bewilderments of an exhibition of that magnitude. The only unpleasant feature about the performance, was the cold weather. There being no fire In the tent many near the canvas were uncomfortably cold; those near the center fared better. We did not stay till the close, but we learn that the pieces grew better and better to the close. Had it been pleasent weather it would have been a real enjoyable occasion.

U. B. Webster succeeded to the superintendency in 1872 and introduced into the schools the plan of publishing reports giving an account of his works, visitation and his observation in the schools. These reports had the effect of causing each teacher to be on the alert and make the best showing possible, so that the printed report of the school would reflect credit on the district. During 1872 Mr. Webster made seventyfour visitations, and, for the purpose of giving the reader an idea of the conditions then, we print here the notes made at the schools, taking one or more from each township.

Cliarter Oak school house, seven miles northeast of Carthage ; John Bryant, teacher; seventy pupils on the register, and an average attendance of thirty four; public examination of the school every three months; three cases of cor poral punishment during the term, all slight. The school had twelve visitors to day. One of them said he **wa8 much pleased with the attention and genera i deportment of the school.** Mr. Zinn said "the school is well regulated ;** Mr Brummint, was "well pleased with the order and attendance ;" Mr. Walker said **the dismissal was the best and most orderly he ever saw ;** Judge Koontz said **the system of teaching is good and the order excellent.'* Charter Oak has a good school, and all seem pleased. The house Is not equal to the requirements of the district, and must soon give place to a better one.

Silver Creek school house, three and a half miles northwest of Medoc, Miss Alice Pickering, teacher. Wages $30. New district. Eighteen pupils on register, sixteen In attendance. House comfortable, but no seats or blackboard. Schooi

School house on Blackberry Creek, three miles west of Medoc, Miss Nora Grayson, teacher. Wages $30. Eighteen pupils on register, fourte^en in attendance. Good little school house and everything in order. Good desks and teacher's desk, b^ and black board. School doing welL Miss Grayson and Miss Pickering are both new teachers, and in their schools show good system.

Jasper school house; H. O. Warner, teacher; wages $45; sixty pupils on the register, averaging an attendance of forty ; house seated with pine desks and furnished with maps, tablets, charts and globe; school doing welL Warner is one of the *'01d Reliables," "one of the working ones," and means business all the time. The directors and patrons are interested and harmonious, good feeing prevails, and, of course, the school is a success.

Reed's school house, in sub-district No. 7, town 28, range 80; Miss Oarrie Ditto, teacher ; wages, $33 1-3 ; small, new house, and first term of school in this district The people of this district have long needed a school. Thirty-two pupils on the register; term three and a-half months. Miss Ditto is doing well, I think. I heard in this school the most perfect recitation in Geography that I have heard this winter, it was perfect - even to the exact locating of St. Petersburg, Russia.

Stony Point (Boyd's) school house, sub-district No. 4, town 27, range dD; W. T. Burkholder, teacher; wages $35; about sixty pupils on register; room clean, pupils quiet and order good; house seated with pine desks along the sides of the room and facing each other ; good blackboard and plenty of chalk ; good average school.

Garden Dell school house, six miles northwest of Oarthage; Miss Bfattie Higglns, teacher ; good little house ; well seated ; teacher's table, maps and blackboard ; forty-five pupils on register ; average attendance thirty-eight ; <dass exercises good, except third reader, in that recitation a lack of attention ; particular pains in spelling and pronouncing ; some good essays in topical geography by the Misses Frise; small pupils print spelling lessons; Miss H. labors earnestly; two visits from directors.

Alba; Miss Emma Frise, teacher; wages $331-3; seventy pupils on register ; average fifty-eight ; house too small and out of repair. This is Miss Emma's first term ; and she has had a hard time, but she is one of the plucky ones that will *'dare and do;" she has fought it out on "that line," and her first school is a success; but it has required spirit, and muscle too. The Alba school is crowded; the house is too small, and there is too much work for one teacher to do. The patrons of the school should look to the interest of the children in this matter; a good set of pupils.

Quaker Church school; Jeremiah Hubbard, teacher; wages $40; No. of pupils seventy ; average attendance forty-eight ; good school ; Mr. H. keeps good order, has good recitations; and is beloved by his pupils; his district will lose a good teacher when it lets him go ; he is faithful and earnest and has the welfare of his pupils at heart The district has no school house at pres^it, but have $500 towards a new brick house, and have the site and the plan of their house, and are intending to build the coming season ; if they carry out the design, the house will be a credit to their district.

Stroup school house, small log house. In "The name of God" what do men want to build a log school house for, in this day and age of the world? Like the old maid who prayed for a husband; when the owl said "who, who" she answered "any body good Lord." This house don't fill the bill; teacher A. J. Hubbard; wages $35; No. of pupils twenty; average fourteen. This is a small school ; cannot say much about it ; I like what I saw of it pretty well.

Perry school house, two miles north of Carthage. T. J. Dudman, teacher, wages $40. Forty-six pupils on register, thirty-nine in attendance. Messrs. Conard, Thomas, and Armsby present. House well seated and furnished with black board, maps, globe and tablets. Pupils bright, intelligent and studious. Teacher in earnest, school a success. It is one of the schools of the county that fills the bill. Some of the reasons: 1st. It was started right when first organized. 2d. The patrons are alive to their own interests. 3d. Directors do their duty. 4th. Teacher and pupils understand each other. School considerably advanced and A No. 1. Good singing.

Preston school, Whitemore, teacher. Wages, $40. Sixty-flve pupils on register, thirty-five in attendance, average forty-two. This school still retains its old name of being a hard school to manage. It is, and requires a teacher of experience and a thorough disciplinarian. Directors should employ some of the. old "Wheel horses" of the county, who would enforce discipline. Whitemore is a good teacher but this is his first term. He is doing well, considering all things. This house has blackboard enough, for every available space is covered with good wall black board. House well seated with cherry desks. Directors present A good school, but lacks that great essential, discipline. An $85 bell crowns the building. With good discipline this school would be all right Good singing.

Cedar Bluffs, two miles west of Preston. Henry Hubbard, teacher. Wages $35. Forty-six pupils on register, average attendance twenty-seven. Small box house, cold and uncomfortable; good seats and maps, but insufficient black lioard. School Just about an average. Cannot be much improved without a new house, which is much needed.

Linnland school house, four miles north and east of Preston. This is an awkward name, and not appropriate, but the school is all right, and a perfect success, for all are satisfied - parents, pupils and superintendent. T. A. Remington, teacher. Wages $40. Fifty-six on register, average thirty-seven. Directors present One of the good schools of the county. Please keep it so. Good singing.

Coon Creek, Union Valley school; two miles west of Midway, sub-district number 1; township 30; range 30; John Weed, teacher; wages $40; here I found a good school, good house, good desks, good blackboard, plenty of chalk and directors not afraid to have it used. Appearance of pupils good, clean, sprightly and intelligent; recitations good. Weed is a good teacher, his pupils love him and the district appreciates his labors. The patrons of this school deserve credit for their mutual effort to sustain a good school.

Summit school house; H. C. Parrich, teacher, wages $35; five months term; good house, large and comfortable, seated with pine desks ; sixty-two pupils. This Is sub-district No. 2, township 30; range 30. A very good class of pupils and pretty well drilled ; school a success, all seem interested in the support of a good sdiool and as far as I could see labor to that end. 1 think tardiness a bad feature of this school ; also non attendance but on the whole the school is doing very well.

Range Line school house. This is the smallest school and the smallest house in the county I guess. There is strong talk of disorganizing the district as it appears impossible to sustain a school; but by disorganizing some must suffer, as they will then be too far from either Summit or Hackney. Miss Eva White is the teacher here at $25 ; fourteen pupils on register.

The meeting of the Jasper Couoty Teachers' Institute at Joplin, October 1, 2 and 3, 1873, was a most successful gathering and drew out a large attendance, nearly every teacher in the county being present, The people of Joplin did the host splendidly and threw open their homes for the entertainment of the teachers. The meetings were held in the Methodist church.

The following were the oflScers of the assembly: S. A. Underwood, president; W. H. Lister, W. J. Seiber, G. L. Jackson, vice presidents; Mrs. M. A. McCallum, secretary; executive committee - J. M. Wims, S. P. Ormsby and J. M. Stephenson.

In the above list of officers appear the names of S. A. Underwood and J. M. Stephenson, both still in the teaching profession and prominent educators of Kansas City.

On September 3, 1873, the teachers of the Sixth Congressional district, comprising practically all of the counties of southwest Missouri, met in Carthage and oi^anized the Sixth District Teachers' Association and the following teachers were elected as officers: President, Hon. John Monteith; vice presidents, A. H. Parker (Newton county), A. J. Wray (Barton county), and U. B. Webster (Jasper county) ; secretary, Gteorge H. Smeltzer.

This convention made the following recommendations: I. To teach Civil (Jovemment and Good Citizenship in the public schools. II. A compulsory educational law. III. A Southwestern Missouri Teachers' Normal.

S. D. McPherfion succeeded Mr. Webster as county superintendent and during his administration nothing out of the ordinary occurred, save that a few new school districts were organized.

The constitution of 1875 contained in it a number of wise provisions relative to public schools and after its adoption many new school laws were passed. The time of electing the superintendent was changed from the fall ielectlon to the annual meeting in April and thus the election was in a way, taken out of politics. The name was also changed from Superintendent to County School Commissioner.

S. A. Underwood of the East Joplin schools (now principal of the Westport, Kansas City High School) was elected first county commissioner and reelected in 1879 and 1881, being the first county superintendent to be reelected. During Mr. Underwood's term of oflBce, the county was honored by a meeting of the State Teachers' Association, in June, 1878, and was also noted for the several enthusiastic meetings of the Jasper County Teachers' Association.

Mr. Underwood urged a uniform set of text books in the county, endeavored to establish a course of study to be pursued in the several county schools and in many ways raised the standing of popular education in the rural districts. He also pursued the policy of publishing a report of his visits. We present here a score of his printed reports, with the view of showing the progress and changed conditions which has been brought about since the early 'seventies. The reports presented here are extracted from the 1878 reports and show a marked contrast from the published reports of 1872.

Galesburg District - Ed Mitchell, Frank Sj)oiiable and Ed McFerron, directors ; Jolin H. Booton, teaclier. Term began September 23d, and continues six months. Building and furniture second class. Seating capacity 46. District enumeration 4S, enrollment over fifteen years of age 7, total 40, present 32. Here we find order, the movements of the pupils to and from recitation regulated, and pupils who recite do not depend upon the teacher to perform that duty for them. Too many teachers hold their pupils up and lead them through the recitation. Remember that what the pupil does not recite independently is not recited. Mr. Booton is bringing the Galesburg school up to a level with other leading schools of the county. It pays to employ a good teacher even if to do so requires the payment of a reasonable sum for his services. Mr. Mitchell, one of the directors visited with me.

Silver Creek District - Three miles north of Medoc ; John Luster, M. K. Jones and Wm. Row, directors; J. C. Grason, teacher. Term of six months began October 2l8t. District enumeration 31, enrollment 14, present 13. Building and furniture second-class. Seating capacity 18. This Is Mr. Grason's fourth term. In Jasper county and he Is teaching a good school. On the day of the recent election a prairie fire broke out in the neighborhood which destroyed a large amount of fencing and would have burned the school house but for the hard work of Mr. Grason and the entire force of his school.

Medoc District - R. G. Sloan, J. S. Enos and Ira Grayson, directors ; Wm. J. Sailor, teacher. Term began October 7th, and continues five months. District enumeration 97, enrollment over fifteen years of age 6, total 71, present 58. Building and furniture second-class. Seating capacity 56. This is Mr. Sailor's sixth term in Jasper county schools and the Medoc school is doing thorough work under his management. Not a single case of whispering was noticed during any visit. General deportment good. The examination passed by the different classes did credit both to pupils and teacher. Dr. McPheters, and Mr. Welty, an ex-teacher, visited with me.

Amity District - One and one-half miles east of Joplin ; Henry Moore, L. B. Osborn and S. A. Hopliins, directors ; L. B. Osborn, teacher. Term of six months began September 20th. District enumeration 50, em'ollment over fifteen years of age 3, total 41, present 31. Building and furniture first-class. Seating capacity 28. In addition to school house and site the district property indules a good set of outline maps, a Webster's Unabridged, a nine-inch globe, a teacher's desli and nineteen Victor folding deslis.

Galena Township Dixon District - ^Three miles north of Joplin; A. Dixon, Henry Martin and Hiram Snapp, directors; James K. Thomas, teacher. Term of seven months began September 2d. District enumeration 99, enrollment over fifteen years of age 12, total 65, present 42. Building and furniture first-class. Seating* capacity 54. Value of district property $600. This is Mr. Thomas' first term and he is doing good work for a beginner. This is one of the leading districts of the western portion of the county and always has "number one" schools.

High Hill District - Four miles southwest of Carthage; H. Robinson, F. J. Hasselwood and John Homback, directors; G. B. Lowery, teacher. Term began October 7th, and continues three months. District enumeration 103, enrollment over fifteen years of age 5, total 39, present 32. Building and furniture firstclass. Seating capacity 40. Mr. Lowery is teaching his first term and as far as I am informed is giving his patrons satisfaction. High Hill is one of the largest and oldest districts in the county, and although it has a school house much larger than the average, yet it can only seat less than half the pupils enumerated in the district

Lynnland District - John Crandall, George Hille and John M. Peterson, directors ; Harrison Hunt, teacher. Term of five months began October 2l8t District enumeration 67, enrollment over fifteen years of age 8. total 49, present 28. Building second-class, furniture third-class. Seating capacity 42. Mr. Hunt has taught in the county at intervals for several years. Lsmnland School has a number of non-resident pupils and is making rea«)iiable advancement under the charge of Mr. Hunt

Alba School - Henry Hubbard, James M. Ha worth and Wm. John, directors ; J. S. Bees, teacher. Term of five months began October 7th. District enumeration 70, enrollment over fifteen years of age 9. total 45, present 30. Building and furniture second-class. Seating capacity 30. The Alba school has been hard to govern and the pupils have been allowed to cut and otherwise Injure the furniture. Under the management of Mr. Rees, who is now teaching his seventh term in the county, the deportment is rapidly improving and the recitations are becoming more thorough. The directors have placed in some new furniture, improved the interior of the school house and propose to do their part toward having a good school.

Blood District - O. H. Carpenter, M. A. Estey and E. Kerr, directors; O. W. Rose, teacher. Term began November 4th and continues four months. District enumeration 69, enrollment over fifteen years of age 5, total 32, present 29.

Baildiug and furniture llrst-class. Seating capacity 38. The schooi house is located near Salem Church nine miles north of Carthage and is one of the best in Preston townsliip. A good pine fence with cedar posts and a neat coal house are the improvements made during the summer. Deportment and recitations are good and show that Mr. Rose is master of the situation. Mr. Estey visited with me.

King District - Isaac N. Johnson, James Pitts and OrvlUe Frost, directors; Miss Alice Peterson, teacher. Term began November 4th and continues four montlis. District enumeration 72, enrollment over fifteen years of age 8, total 31, present 23. School house third-class, furniture first-class. Seating capacity 24. This is Miss Peterson's third term and her school compares favorably in deportment and recitations with any in the township. The reading recitation witnessed was excellent Mr. Pitts, member of school board, visited with me.

Preston District - E. Pinney and I. Landerbaugh, directors; Miss Delia M. Greene, teacher. District enumeration 55, enrollment over fifteen years of age 3, total 39, present 32. Building and furniture liave been first-class but are now greatly in need of repairs. Seating capacity 58. The school is without a daily register. The vacancy in the board should be filled without delay as the law requires. This is Miss Greene's fourth consecutive term In this district. The good understanding between teacher and pupils and the thoroughness of the recitations show the advantages arising from retaining a good teacher.

North Fork District - ^J. W. Underwood, Joseph Cather and Isaac Herring, directors; J. W. Spaid, teacher. Term began September 16th and continues five months. District enumeration 50, enrollment over fifteen years of age 15, total 43, present 28. Building and furniture first-class. Seating capacity 48. This Is Mr. Spaid*s second term in Jasper county; he has thus far secured employment in our best districts and receives the highest wages paid in Preston township. North Fork directors have **a number one" school.

Spring Hill District - J. J. Hall, D. N. Wood and Rees Williams, directors; W. H. Lester, teacher. Term began October 28th, and continues four months. District enumeration 83, enrollment 83, enrollment over fifteen years of age 15, total 64, present 58. Building and furniture first-class. Seating capacity 64. This is the most spacious and best furnished school house owned by any rural district of the county and the Spring Hill people are justly proud of it. Mr. Lester has the school thoroughly systemized. Directors Hall and Wood visited with me and expressed their intention to strike the Eclectic primer, fifth reader and number three geography from the list of studies pursued in the school. This I consider a wise action and think other districts would do well to follow the example.

Hazen District - Alfred Kellum, Dr. Hazen and Virgil Irwin, directors; Mrs. S. A. Phelps, teacher. Term of four months began November 18th. District enumeration 33, enrollment over fifteen years of age 14, total 42, present 41. Building and furniture first-class. Seating capacity 31. This is the only district in the township that owns an Unabridged Dictionary. The school is also supplied with charts and outline maps, and is making good progress under the charge of Mrs. Phelps, who is now teadiing her fifth term in the county. George I^ Leaming one of Jasper county's leading teachers, visited with me.

Magoffin District - ^W. F. Stemmons, Geo. McCormick and Peter Schell, directors ; Hiram Harry, teacher. Term of five months began October 7th. District enumeration 45, enrollment over 15 years of age 5, total 39. Building second-class and furniture third-class. The directors will during the term supply the school with patent desks sufficient to accommodate 40 pupils. Willingness and promptness were noticeable merits in the classes examined and the recitations and deportment were good. District Clerk Simmons visited with me.

bert directors ; J. T. Wolfe, teacher. Term of four mouths began November 4th, District enumeration 50, enrollment over fifteen years of age 5, total ^1, present 25. Building and furniture third-class. Seating capacity 28. Class in mental arithmetic organized and doing thorough work. Our schools need more mental work, more analysis In arithmetic and less prompting from the teacher. Mr Wolfe has taught twelve terms In Bates county, this State, and we are glad to give him a place In our Jasper county schools.

Schooler District - John N. Schooler, A. Elting and Paul Glrton, directors; <;. T Rhodes, teacher. Term began November 4th and continues four months. District enumeration 59, enrollment over fifteen years of age 13, total 50, present 40. Building and furniture third-class. Seating capacity 30. Mr. Rhodes is an Ohio teacher of long standing and Is now teaching his second term in Jasper county. Here are found order about the desks, a teacher who conducts a recitation but does not recite, and pupils who are required to think and express thought. The teacher may direct but the pupil must do the work. That which the pupil does not recite Is not recited. I^t us think of this at each recitation.

Twin Grove District - Peter Samson, Allen Bobb and Reuben Kelly, directors ; Miss Lizzie Rice, teacher. District enumeration 55, enrollment over fifteen years of age 4. total 43, present 30. Term of four months began October 28th. Building and furniture first-class. Seating capacity 56. Too many geography classes. We have no use for Eclectic No. 3. The Eclectic primary and No. 2, contain much more geography than we will ever succee<l in having our pupils remember, and the use of the third Ijook is unnecessarj', and only shortens other recitations. Miss Rice has a model class in mental arithmetic. She is teaching her third term hi this district, which is tlie extent of her experience. The school is doing well. The log house of a year ago has given place to an excellent and commodious school building of which the citizens of the district are Justly proud. The people of Twin Grove believe in progress and have done the handsome thing in erecting and furnishing the building now occupie<l by the school.

Georgia, City District - Jacob Myers. J. M. Woolomes and Thomas Euos. directors; Miss Sue Gray, teacher. Term of five months began September 29tb. District enumeration 103, enrollment over fifteen years of age 8, total 50, present 20. Building second-class and furniture first-class. Seating capacity 50. Miss Gray has taught eleven terms in the county and is now teaching her third term in this district. An exercise In phonetic spelling witnessed showed that the pupils had been patiently and thoroughly drilled in orthoei>y which, though essential and interesting. Is overlooked in some of our schools. The district is the owner of a large and well bound Mble. the only one, I believe, owned by any district of the county, (ieorgia City pays her teachers liberally and invariably has good schools.

Center District - Ira (iray, Amos Atherton and J. A. Wilson, directors; Miss Josie Culpepper, teacher. Term began October 14th and continues five months. District enumeration 10.S, enrollment over fifteen years of age S, total 50, present 25. Building and funiiture first-class. Seating capacity 34. School is supplied with out-line niai>s and charts. Miss Culpepper succeeds unusually well In teaching mental arithmetic. A class of young ladles in civil govenmient acquitted itself creditably. Good order and thoroughness in all the work gone over characterizes this school.

present 43. Building and furniture secoud-clasg. Seating capacity 44. Tbe policy of tlie directors lias been to pay the best wages and employ tbe best teacbers, and they have thereby given the district a school that in point of advancement and thoroughness, ranks with the first district schools of the county. Mr. Haugliawout is teaching his fifth term, and is doing good worls, esi)ecially with the "little ones*' (who are too often neglected) in primary reading and mental arithmetic. Any teacher not in possession of good methods in primary' work would do well to witness the exercises of this school.

Mt. Pleasant District - Six miles northeast of Joplin ; S. B. Holden, T. W. Witten and C. J. Parker, directors; J. C. Weddel, teacher. Term of eight months began May 13th. District enumeration 76, enrollment over fifteen years of age 3, total 50, present 8. Building and furniture third-class. Seating capacity 24. Mr. Weddel Is a teacher of experience, having taught eighteen terms. The examination passed by the pupils present was satisfactory and showed that they were thorough in the work gone over. Tbe dally register showed a large and regular attendance until late severe weather.

Smithfield District - David Hopkins, W. M. Temple and John R. Walters, directors, T. A. Stockslager, teacher. Term of six months began September 2d. District enumeration 104, enrollment over fifteen years of age 10, total 07, present 31. Building second-class and furniture second and third-class. Seating cax)acity 32. This school contains wide-awake pupils, earnestly at work and respectful to their teacher who in turn treated them with merited kindness.

These twenty reports the author selected from his one hundred printed reports and they represent the conditions of the county at that date. It will be noted that in a few of the districts the old house and furniture of the ante-bellum days was still in use, also that in most of these, laboring against such adverse circumstances, the schools were a success, showing that, after all, it is the teachers and the pupils that made a good school.

The Missouri State Teachers' Association held its seventeenth session in Jasper county, honoring both Carthage and Joplin with a session, the visit to Joplin being largely of a sight-seeing tour and for the purpose of seeing the mines and twenty lead furnaces that were in full blast.

The feature of this meeting was the organization of the teachers of the several portions of the state into local associations, the old Sixth District Association changing its name to the Southwestern Missouri Teachers' Association.

The following were the officers of the Southwestern Missouri Teachers* Association at this organization meeting: S. A. Underwood, president; the county commissioner of each of the twenty-five counties embraced in the association, vice presidents; J. C. Mason, secretary; Paul Roulet, treasurer.

At the close of the meeting the citizens of Carthage tendered a reception to the visiting teachers, using the new opera house for the occasion. The reception was a brilliant affair.

During the early days it was quite common for the music-loving people of a county or village school to organize singing schools and they were very popular and largely attended. The largest singing school ever organized in a country school in Jasper county was at Preston during the winter of 1878-9. E. P. Searl of Carthage was secured as instructor and here one hundred singers gathered and sang away the cares of the day. This singing school became quite famous and contained some of the best singers of the county. ^ .

In 1879 S. D. Carpenter, through the columns of his i>aper, the Patriot, advocated a uniform state text-book law, and we refer here with great pride to the fact that the agitation which finally resulted in the passing by the state legislature of a uniform text-book law began in Jasper county.

W. R. McLane, a negro, was granted a teacher's certificate August 23, 1877 ; was the first colored person in the county to successfully pass the examination, and was therefore the first colored teacher in the county.