Bemidji Daily Pioneer Newspaper, November 1, 1907, Page 1

— 3 THE BEMIDJT VOLUME 5. NUMBER 165. DELIVERED FINE ADDRESS AT MEETING OF TEACHERS Prof. A. P. Ritchie, Superintepdent of Bemidji Schools and President of Association, Principal Speaker at Meet- ing of Teachers at I'he following is the address which | was delivered this afternoon by Prof. Ritchie, superintendent of the | Bemidji public schools, at the meet- | ing of the North Central Minnesota Teachers’ association, which is be-| ing held at Cass Lake. i “It is meet that the people en- gaged in any vocation and repre-| senting similar conditions come to-| gether for the purpose of discussing‘ topics which interest them. Northern Minnesota has problems of her own to solve in the educational as well as the physical world. We have| conditions to meet as, well as prob-| lems to solve in this section of the| state that are of minor importance | in other sections. Especially is this | truein this abnormal commercial | wave that is now sweeping over ouri‘ entire land. There is a demand for | every boy of 15 and for every girli who is able to handle the dish towel, | at almost fabulous prices. The de- mand for help in the mining regions, | in the lumber districts, and the| farming communities has never been | so tempting to lure the youth from our schools as at the present time. | Take these conditions together with | the natural tendency for boys and girls to drop school, with the natural surroundings and picturesque beauty | of our country—our lakes that are| unsurpassed for beauty in any part of the world, our forests, composed of vegetation from the meanest herb to the gigantic tree, all bid the| youth welcome. Is there any won-| der that boys and girls drop school work? Not withstanding all ihis,g where in the history of our country!\ do you find any communities where education has been so rapidly| diffused and brought to the front as in Northern Minnesota? Where on the face of the globe will you find villages from five to ten years of age supporting State H. S. accredited to our own State University and to almost every University and College in the U. S.? We have High Schools in this section of the state whose course of study and equipment for research would put some of the colleges of 60 years ago to shame. “With all this to our credit, is there no room for improvement? Yes, there is stillroom. The millen- ium has not yet appeared and as long as our educational system stands, educators will be striving to better conditions. Great strides have been made toward the goal, and yet the goal is as far as ever. Indeed educational work may be likened unto education itself, —when the harvest of one field is reaped it only opens the gates to another whose harvests are greater by having reaped the former. Yes, it is like unto space itself. We may learn much about our own little sphere, but where is the end of space? We may and have learned much of edu- cational truths but who dares set the goal beyond which we cannot pass? “I believe that the general quali- fications of teachers, the equipment of our buildings in our cities and larger villages will not suffer in com- parison with those of any other section of the state. I am not sure, however, that our rural schools can boast of so favorable a condition. Prof. Kennedy of the North Dakota University said in a lecture at Crookston, last fall, that he did not think that the general conditions of our rural schools had improved one bit during the past forty years. “At first, I thought this statement drastic and far fetched, but the more I have reflected upon the statement and studied the conditions of our rural schools, the more I am inclined to think it is so. At any rate, the rural schools have not kept pace with the graded and high schools. Let us look at the condition of our rural schools from twenty to forty years ago. Is it not true that the teacher of the rural school then, in the majority of cases, was a man or e, S i Cass Lake Today. woman of mature age and consider- able experience and ability? They may have taught Reading by the alphabetic method, which to my mind is not a bad method; they may have neglected language and culture for the three R’s, but they did not neglect the moral phase of their educational duties and were generally found a leader in the community. Now what do we find in many of our rural schools? Is it not too often the case that the teacher is a girl or boy from fifteen to seventeen years of age with no experience and but little education—often taken from the eighth, seventh or-even the sixth grade of some neighboring school? It is bad enough to have a teacher with experience and but little education but it is worse to have a teacher with no experience and but little education. This is not the case in all of our rural schools. Some of them have teachers with experience, culture and learning that would put to shame some of the teachers in our graded and high schools, but is it not true that on the whole, the best rural teachers are looking for positions in our city schools? .And who can blame them? “It is a sad mistake that anyone can teach a country school espec- ially if it is composed of small pupils. It is not everyone who can teach all grades well, ‘superintend the school, and, in many cases, act as janitor and board member. may be true that it is easier to give satisfaction, but that does not always'prove that -a_teachér is a good‘éne. -’ WRE R “This brings us to the point where we may well ask the question, ‘Why have not our rural schools kept pace with the graded and high schools?” To my mind, the reasons are evident and many. In the first place, closer supervision is main- tained in our village and _city schools than it is possible under our present system in our rural schools. While the most of our County Sup- erintendents are competent men and women, itis not possible for them to give the proper supervision to their schools. The mannner of selecting teachers in our city schools has undergone a great change in the last decade. No longer do school boards sit down and go over a batch of applications, sometimes numbered by hundreds, and in some occult manner, make a selection of teachers. Nor does personal “pull” and favoritism enter into the selec- tion of our city teachers as at one time. The most of our city schools have a very competent Superinten- dent whose business and duty it is to look up and recommend com- petent candidates, and, after they are selected, he is held in some measure responsible for results. “How different in most of our rural schools! One does not have to be around a county superintend- ent’s office long before he will notice members of school boards appearing, with some sort of a pitiful story ask- ing that some neighboring girl, who is wholly incompetent, be granted a permit to teach their school. The pupils are small anyway and most anyone can teach them. Then this appeal is supplemented by the girl and her father or mother, who has a woeful tale to relate of how some unfortunate circumstances make it necessary for the girl to teach. If this is not sufficient to melt the county superintendent’s heart, a petition will probably be presented to him signed by the neighbors. Finally no suitable candidate who is qualified makes application for the position and the permit is granted. And a repetition of the same thing occurs the next year, unless some offending boy has been spanked and thus the teacher has incurred the emnity of some influential parent. “The country schools have not been alive to-the -tendency of -the — It | BEMIDJT, MINENESOTA, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1907. age. They have not exerted the influence in' the legislature they might have done; they have prac- tically made no demands and con- sequently have received little. In- stead of being a consolidated whole, they still remain a chaotic mass. “‘How may our rural. schools and city schools be improved? The teaching profession, if we may call it such, is the only profession with which I am acquainted wherein the layman is supposed to know more about the profession than those engaged in it. In some respects this is justified for the reason that too many enter the profession with- out the proper qualifications. How may the standard be raised? My answer is, first, by raising the wages paid teachers. We cannot expect the bright young man to enter the teaching profession and remain there at $40—$50 per month, and from three to nine months during the year, and pay $25 per month for room and board when he can get steady employment at manual labor at same salary with room and board furnished. i “In the second place, the minimum qualifications shotild be raised. No person should: ever be allowed to enter the teaching profession who has not had.some special training for that work.. What other business or profession is there that does not require an apprenticeship? I am told by Supt. Olsen’s report, that last year more' than 1,200 persons were attempting t teach school in Minnesota who ‘could not pass an examination in #rithmetic to say nothing of scores of the others who had made no npeéinl preparation for their work. And from the best authority I could&ecure, Iam com- pelled to state tha* the great majority of the 1,200 were \in the north half of the state. . | - “How can we sécure more trained teachers’? I answer—by. paying better salaries and by establishing more training schools for teachers. There are some pegple even in north- ern, Minnesota; who' profess to be- lieve that there is no more room or demand for training schools. These, I think, are in the minority and have not made a study of the conditions. It is true that Minn, has five normals and an educational college, but are they sufficient? No, not while only a small percentage of our schools can secure ‘trained teachers. Some go as far to say that our present Normol schools are all we need and, at present, supply the demand. Fellow teachers, did you ever figue on the proposition? Do you know that at the present rate our five normals are today sending out teachers, none of the normal teachers dropping out and the number of teachers in the state remaining the same, it would take more than 20 years to fill our schools with trained teachers? “Some one asks, if there is such a demand why do not more teachers enter? The reasons are,—present salaries too low and normals too Continued on Last Page AILY PIO MINNESOTA HISTORICAL FORTY CENTS PER MONTH FARMERS’ INSTITUTE TO BE HELD HERE TOMORROW One Day Session of Practical Demonstration of Farming for This Section of the Country.---Good Speakers for the Occasion. Much interest is being taken in the Farmers’ Institute which will be held at the city hall in Bemidji next Saturday, Nov. 2, on which occasion it is proprosed to have a rousing meeting of the farmers in the vicinity of Bemidji for the purpose of getting together and listening to the dis- seminating of information on how to farm in an up-to-date manner. Prof. A. D. Wilson, superintend- ent of the Minnesota Farmers’ Institute, and A. J. McGuire of Grand Rapids, superintendent of the Northeast State Experimental Good Clothes; Nothing Else Money Cheerfully Refunded Money P Q"B' tC;lothing Howuse Mail Orders Promptly Filled Che Men’s Suits Our line of Men’s Suits is the most complete: Any- thing you want. The greatest hit of the season is our Warwick Sack Suit with flaring skirt, wide sleeves with cuffs, form fitting; trousers equally striking and the new Warwick vest, in elephant grays, browns, tans, etc. A “Whizzer.” $10.00 to $30.00 choice. Be original in your hat You can do it here | with the Stetson ard Gordon hats. and $4. There are three-dol- lar hats and hats worth $3. And there are hats worth three-fifty Soft and stiff hats at. $3 and just plain $3.40 hats. But how about a hat at $2 that could fairly sell for $3.50. It's the Gordon in different styles. One of it's par- ticularly new features is the brown stiff shape, “gingery” in style, ginger in shade. When you give your money to us we agree to give you in return two things---the full value of your money in the best clothes that can be ‘made, and entire satisfaction---both very im- pertant te yeu. Until you have received both we eonsider the transaction imcomplete and stand ready to .return your money, ne matter whicn of the two you have failed to receive. You may go out of our store without the clothes, but you’ll never g0 out without entire satisfaction. Overcoats Our $16 Overcoats are the principal features just They are to be had in browns, gays, blue and black. now. Our stock includes the best things in Fall and Winter Overcoats. You may be sure that our “Woolton” Suits at $9.76 good in workmanship as any suit for $15. A big variety for...... .. are as The most particular man can’t do bett-r than we’ll do for him in Florsheimn Shoes— flexible sole, water-proof, guar- anteed calf and oxide kid— priced at $5 and $6. You're ready for any occa- erfully Refunded These three words are printed in every ad- vertisement of this store; mot an uncommon statement for a store to make; a good many houses refund money, but no house refunds it cheerfully if your money is the only thing it sees in you as a customer. : 10 to $35 $9.75 sion as far as shoes go with Walk-Over Shoes at $4. Foot Form Shoes in Box Calfor Velour Calf at $3 is - right in every way. Farm at Grand Rapids, will be in attendance at the institute and will address the farmers. Messrs. Wilson and McGuire will speak in both the forenoon and after- noon, and they will have real live subjects for discussion with the other farmers who attend the insti- tute. The subjects to be discussed are as follows: Clearing land; dairy- ing; growing seed, roots, etc.; raising bacon hogs; marketing farm pro- ducts, and several other topics. The gentlemen announce that they will be prepared to answer any questions regarding any subject pertaining to farming, and more especially to the requirement of the farms located in northern Minne- sota. Institutes have been held in St. Louis county during the past week and they have been well attended. Reports from Institutes are to the effect that great interest has been manifested in the subjects discussed by Mr. McGuire and Mr. Wilson. Everyone interested in agriculture and the best methods of farming is urged to attend the Institute, as the addresses which will be delivered at the gathering will be of great benefit to those present. LOGAL HUNTERS SECURED FINE BUNCH OF DUGKS Were at Squaw Lake, Thirty Miles Southeast of Northome.~Had Splendid Shooting. That there are ducks in the coun- try, and that devotees of the gun can get good bags of game, was demonstrated this niorning, when three Bemidji hunters returned from a successful trip in quest of some good shooting. W. W. Brown and Oscar Minor of this city returned home from a trip to Squaw lake, about thirty miles southeast of Northome. The hunters had considerable difficulty reaching the lake from Northome, the trip being a very arduous one, but they found some excellent shooting, there being large num- bers of ducks of all varieties. They stopped at the lake for a week, getting all the ducks they desired, bringing home with them as many as the law would allow a sports man to get. H. J. Loud was also a visitor at Squaw Lake, having gone there from Northome, in company with Dan Rose and another party from Northome. Mr. Loud brought home some forty-five ducks, nnd stated that his party had excellent shoot- ing, all the time they were at the lake. The inclement weather of the past few days has been just the sort to start the northern ducks on their southward flight, and there is no doubt that in a few days all the lakes in the vicinity of Bemidji will be well inhabited with the feathered game. Three New Recruits. Lieutenant O. H. Dockery of Duluth, who has full charge of all the U. S. Army Recruiting offices, for this district in Minnesota, came over from Duluth last evening for the purpose of inspecting the local recruiting office, and alse to swear in some recruits for service in the Philippine Islands. Sargeant Eilek, who is in charge of the Bemidji recruiting office, secured James C. Mason, Conreid Smith and Fred Dwyer as recruits, and Lieutenant Dockery administered the oath to them. They are now full-fledged soldiers in the services of your Uncle Samuel. The men willgo to St. Paul and from there will be sent to the Philippines for service in the regular army. today