The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, December 27, 1920, Page 8

Y@t T he World’s Greatest Country School Colorado Clalms the Record and Points to San Luis Valley—Can Any BY 0. M. THOMASON HE citizens of San Luis valley, Colo- rado, make the modest claim that they have the greatest country . school in the world. This may be an idle boast, but the facts are worth knowing and they are herewith submitted to a candid world. \ : The San Luis valley lies between two mountain ranges in the southern part of Colorado—the San- gre de Cristo range, which all but bars acgess on the east, and the great Continental Divide. It may be reached by a number of routes, all of historical importance. The old Spanish trail is part of one route. Another winds through Mesa Verde National park, where old General Cortez ex- terminated the Indians some centuries ago, and where you will find abundant evidences of habita-- tion by a race of people long before Cortez and the Indians fought—namely, the ancient cliff dwellers. The San Luis valley maintains an average ele- . vation of about midway between 7,000 and 8,000 feet above sea level, is 120 miles—long north and south, and is 60 miles wide at the widest place. Geologists say that this valley was at some re- mote time the bed of a great lake and that the Rio Grande river, which heads at the southern end, some time got on a rampage and cut the mountain " barrier and let the lake escape into New Mexico, 3 i 7 § Texas and finally into the Gulf of Mexico, leaving behind it a vast level plain of fertile land. - Much of the valley is so level that irrigation ditches may be run on section lines and watering done by the sub-irrigation method. This was done until it was found that the land became water-logged, then sur- face irrigation was substituted. The San Luis valley claims to have not only the greatest country school in the world, but boasts the longest line (with one exception) of railroad with- out a curve in the world—nearly 70 miles. It also has the longest stretch of auto road, being 50-odd’ Other State Surpass It? We know one reader of the Leader, at least, who will follow this story from . beginning to ‘end: He is Lynn J. Fra- zier, governor of North Dakota, who ' has labored long and successfully for consolidated schools in his home state ever since taking office. As a result North Dakota has taken the lead of the nation in this' important enterprise, though it is doubtful if any one school his reached the completeness of the .community building program of the Colorado school described on this page. miles without a bobble, except at township correc- tion lines, known as the Gunbarrel road. The southern end of the valley is inhabited largely " by Mexicans, many of whom are. very intelligent and progressive; as is attested by the fact that you will find among them League boosters as live as can be found in Williams county, N. D., or Renville county, Minn. The middle and upper portions of the valley are inhabited by Yankees, Germans and Scandinavians, all of whom are pretty well Ameri- canized. _ The most fertile part of the valley lies between Monte Vista and Center, indeed embraces those two thriving towns. Potatoes and small grain are the principal crops. 3 Seven rniles north of Monte Vlsta--about midway - between there and Center—is located the Sargent school, named for its founder, Professor Sargent, now of Greeley, Col. The Sargent school occupies the richest farming section in the United States, it is claimed. ' The school district (consolidated) com- prises six former districts, embraces 250 families, or a total of 1,000 population. The district, as it SCENES AT THE SARGENT SCHOOL the auto busses driven by teachers. - 5 Upper left, the school bux-fdmg, three stones, with 20 classrooms. Upper nght, the garage and some of Center, two of the teachers, in their Hallowe’en party frocks; left, - Miss Inez Marble, junior high school teacher; right, Miss' Bernice Redburn, primary teacher. pictures, left to right, the community pastor’s manse, the home of the snper- intendent of the school, and the home of the teachers. Lower PAGE EXGHT S .. now stands, is 12 miles square. " The school building is located on a 10-acre tract, set apart for that pur- pose, and cost $75,000. It has 20 classrooms, em- ploys 15 instructors, including the superintendent, and has an enrollment of 383 pupils, ranging from the primary to the twelfth grade. The curriculum includes also manual trammg' and domestic science, for which the building is amply fitted. The pupils are transported to and from the school in large auto busses, each with a capacity of 30 children. The busses have regular routes, run on schedule and the children must be at the gates of their homes when: the bus arrives. bus route is 12 miles long, while the longest is 28 miles. The teachers drive the busses, going out in the morning to bring the children in and taking them home again at night. They then return to the school, where the busses are stored in the school’ garage and kept in repair by an expert mechanie. The teachers live at the school, in a home espe- cially built for them and in charge of a housekeeper and other help. They receive $25 a month extra for driving the busses. Asked if they objected to driving the busses, teachers were enthusiastic in . the affirmation that they liked it. The morning dnve, they said, was a pleasure, whlle, after being in the schoolroom all day, the evenmg spin was a Joy. 'The loft of the big cement garage is used for a gymnasium, basket ball and parties. A miniature electric light plant in the basement of the school building furnishes light to all the buildings. JUNIOR COLLEGE BUILDING NOW UNDER: CONSTRUCTION Just across the road from: the school building a Jjunior college building is now under construction in which a two-year college course will be given, This building is to cost $75,000 also and will be ready for next season. ° The community center idea’ has reached a hxgh state of development in this vicinity. Not only is there the consolidated school but there is also a consolidated church. The tonsolidated school takes the place of six small country schools and the con- solidated church comprises some nine different de- nominations. The school building is used for church and Sunday school purposes. Professor George R. Young, superintendent of the week-day school, is likewise superintendent of the Sunday school, and the teachers of the week-day school are teachers in the Sunday school. And it would be difficult to dis- tinguish the Sunday school from the week-day school. The 383 pupils of the regular school-are all enrolled in the Sunday school and on a Sunday _ morning every classroom presents as busy an ap- pearance as on Monday mormng, with the addition that in the auditorium there is the Bible class of grown-ups: Professor Young calls the classes to order by the clang of a bell the same as he does the week-day school. - Members of any evangelical denommatlon may - become members of this commumty church and non- church members may enjoy an associate or active membershlp The community church maintains a pastor, who is supplied with a manse and three acres of ground. The pastor, Rev. O. E. Nourse, is also editor of the Sargent Co-Operator, a commu- nity weekly paper, to which every family in the district subscribes. The community spirit pervades all social actxvi- _ ties at Sargent, but it must be remembered that Sargent is not a village. It is only a school—a country school—and there is not a store, shop or postoffice ‘in the néighborhood. Naturally the question arises as to the expense of this proposition. The cost of operating the school is approximately $26,000 a year and a tax of 6 mills on the property of the district realizes some $33,000 annually, so that a surplus is left over. That the people are satisfied is proven by the fact that the school has been in operation four years and that the citizens are more ‘enthusiastic over:it now than ever before. submitted to vote bonds for the new college bulldmg it carried almost unanimously. This _may fiot be the greatest Echool in the world o but it is a great one, that must be admitted, and is well’ worthy the proud boast of the people of Sdn- Luig valley. A The shortest When the proposition was - T e % ~