USA > Missouri > Livingston County > Past and present of Livingston County, Missouri : a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 16
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Hiram Comstock, an uncle of Field Comstock, was a teacher in the county at a very early day, but studied law and was sheriff of the county.
John R. Kelso for many years taught school in Moores- ville township, studied law, went into the war as a Union man, advanced to the rank of a major, and afterwards was elected to Congress from Springfield, Missouri.
Benjamin Hardin taught school in Greene, Mooresville and Jackson townships, went to Kansas in the early '50s and was elected to the State Senate and was one of the parties that platted the town of Hiawatha, Kansas.
George Kirtley, uncle of the late E. Kirtley, was a lead- ing pioneer teacher in the county. At the beginning of the Civil war he enlisted in the Confederate army, won the rank of major for gallant service, and was killed in the battle of Hartsville, Missouri.
Richard C. Jordan, an elder brother of our John J. Jor- dan, taught several terms of school in the northeast part of the county immediately before the war.
The eccentric Sam Cox taught for many years in the north part of the county. He is remembered for his easy going meth- ods. When he heard his classes, he would lie down on his desk and go to sleep. When the noon hour came, the pupils would shake him and say, "Teacher, wake up, it is dinner time."
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"All right, children," he would answer, "you are now dis- missed for noon." When the arithmetic class got over to frac- tions, he would say, "Now, scholars, we will skip fractions for there is no good in them; when you get anything except a fraction of it, you are near enough to it and there is no use wasting time studying fractions."
Reuben Hawkins began teaching in Jackson township some time in the early '50s. After teaching for several years he came to Chillicothe, clerked in stores until 1860, when he began studying law with General Slack. Mr. Hawkins is better known as a banker and business man, but nevertheless, as a teacher he ranked high in that day, and can now entertain the dullest ear by detailing the quaint methods and rude archi- tecture of the log schoolhouse when he was a youth of sixteen and with dignity presided.
Thomas Kirk, a brother of Col. J. B. Kirk, was a famed teacher in the forks of the river in the '40s. One of the many men who attended his school was the Rev. W. E. Dockery, father of Ex-Gov. A. M. Dockery.
Charles and George Hutchinson were famed teachers in Jackson township before the war. They were sons of Thomas Hutchinson who lived to be one hundred years old. When Charles Hutchinson was employed at the Hicks school, he and the directors drew up an elaborate set of rules. The first was: "Pupils are positively forbidden to use any profound language in this school." George Hutchinson now resides at Gallatin and is the father of Mrs. Emerson Hart.
George P. Pepper, father of John Pepper of Chillicothe, was a prominent county school teacher before the war. He is remembered as a genial good-natured pedagogue who was always liked by the pupils, but thought by some of the patrons to be too easy and lax in his discipline.
The two decades after the war might appropriately be called the "Renaissance" in the county school work in this county. Then education took on new life; new schoolhouses were built; new districts were organized and advanced meth- ods introduced. The annual Teachers Institute, now an in- stitution provided by law, became a fixed and interesting part
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of the educational work of the county. Then it was only a voluntary association supported entirely by the teachers. It is a high tribute to the zeal of the teachers of that period that they recognized the value of organization and professional training, and voluntarily assumed the expenses of the insti- tutes. The names of the teachers most prominent in that im- portant era of the early educational history are John J. May, L. A. Chapman, R. R. Kitt, Mrs. Gregory Lawson, then Mary Allbritain; W. T. Harper, John Smith, David Smith, William Smith, Wright Smith, T. D. Jones, Robert L. Black, P. P. McManis, Thomas Hurst, Mrs. Agnes Hurst, now Mrs. O. Keafe of Moberly; Mrs. Wm. Lightner, then Miss Annie Roach; I. E. Wilson, Mrs. Lizzie Young, then Miss Lizzie Jordan; Otis Melon, Maggret Andrews, Otis Baylis, F. K. Thompson, and others not now recalled, as splendid and patri- otic a band of men and women as ever enlisted in defense of flag or country. Their work was in a great measure a dedi- cation, for the meager wages they received compared with the splendid work they did were so out of proportion that for just compensation they must charge the greater part of their efforts to the consolation of having performed a patriotic duty, nobly and well.
Livingston county has ninety-nine district schools. The largest in area is the Green Grove, the smallest in area is the Sturges district; both districts adjoin. A large area does not mean a large school. Some years ago an effort was made to de- tach an eighty acre farm from the Green Grove district and at- tach it to Sturges. On this farm lived a family with three children of school age. The effort failed, for the reason that after taking those three children from the enumeration of the Green Grove district, the total number of children of school age in the remaining six and one-fourth square miles of that wealthy and splendid district was less than twenty, the legal limit below which no district can change its boun- dary lines. This condition is a startling contrast to the school population of a generation ago. Then many of our district schools boasted of an enrollment of nearly one hundred pupils. When L. A. Martin taught the McCormick school in 1885
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
the enrollment was eighty-nine, and the school population was then on the decline, having in terms previous been as high as one hundred pupils. Other schools famed for their large enrollment in the later '7os and the early 'Sos were the Kirt- ley school, east of Mooresville; then called the Rush College; the Butler school in Chillicothe township and the Blackburn school in Jackson township. Many other schools were famed for their classic excellence and in many of them were con- ducted debating societies, then called literary societies, that were famed throughout the county. It was in these societies that L. A. Chapman, Scott J. Miller, Z. B. Myers, R. R. Kitt, Dr. W. R. Simpson and many other of our older citi- zens that are oratorically inclined learned the forensic art.
But one custom which at an early day was in vogue in the county schools was the weekly spelling school. Then the whole district turned out; everybody had to stand up and spell. When the sides were chosen and the battle was on, it was as interesting a contest as could be imagined. There was no writing. The word was pronounced; the speller had one trial and if he missed, one on the other side caught the word and spelled it; and that party was spelled down. The speller that stood up without missing until all were spelled down was the champion. It was an honor worth winning. The champion speller for many years was William Hoge, a younger brother of T. J. and George Hoge of Chillicothe. He was one of the leading school teachers in the county for several years prior to his untimely death in 1886. He was never spelled down. His memory was so accurate that no matter on what page a person would start to pronounce a word in McGuffy's spelling book, he could name the word follow- ing.
The Chillicothe school district has always been consid- ered separate and apart from the schools of the county. It is a part of them, but since 1865 has a special charter which exempts it from many of the provisions of the general law. This charter was obtained from the Legislature of Missouri in 1865 by J. W. McMillen, then Representative from this county. That law provided the School Board of Chillicothe
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
should consist of six directors, the first board to be appointed by the county court. In accordance therewith on June 15, 1865, the county court appointed the following named citi- zens to constitute the first School Board of the City of Chil- licothe : Joel F. Asper, John M. Alexander, James B. Bell, James W. McMillen, John Dixon and William W. Walden. The school record of Livingston county in the past has been a clean page. No scandal has defamed the character of any teacher, and no graft tarnished the straight business methods of our people in managing our schools. Economy, honesty, diligence and devotion to duty has been the watchword of all our people in dealing with our schools. Their past is secure- as bright a page, when fully written, as ever historian penned. Their future is in the domain of prophecy and is beyond the work of the historian, but judging by the past is extremely bright.
Following are the numbers of the several school districts in Livingston county, together with the names of the clerks and presidents of the school boards, the names of the clerks appearing first. The postoffice of each is also given. Dis- tricts Nos. 72 and 73 do not appear, as No. 72 is now a part of a district in Linn county; and No. 73 a part of a district in Chariton county and No. 101 part of a district in Caldwell county.
District No. I. I. W. Transue, Chula; J. L. VanHorne, Chula.
District No. 2. O. O. Phillips, Chula; Sam Thorne, Chula.
District No. 3. N. M. Martin, Chula; F. I. Thompkins, Chula.
District No. 4. Mrs. Wm. Pray, Chula; D. L. Ward, Chula.
District No. 5. Dr. F. P. Batdorf, Chula; J. Varney, Chula.
District No. 6. Chas. Mitts, Chula ; J. M. Kelley, Chula.
District No. 7. J. W. Walls, Hickory; J. V. Maxey, Hickory.
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
District No. 8. Alva Campbell, Hickory; Milton Camp- bell, Hickory.
District No. 9. H. J. Kesler, Sampsell; E. A. Kesler, Jamesport.
District No. 10. Reed Pearcy, Sampsell; J. C. Mase-
well, Jamesport.
District No. 11. C. H. Lipke, Sampsell; L. P. Ott, Sampsell.
District No. 12. Wm. McCarthy, Chillicothe, R. 3; G. H. Bassett, Sampsell, R. I.
District No. 13. S. F. Caddell, Chillicothe, R. 3; W. T. Hilt, Chillicothe, R. 3.
District No. 14. J. W. Case, Chula; J. M. Coltrane, Chillicothe.
District No. 15. Z. T. Hooker, Chillicothe, R. 7; J. J. May, Chula.
District No. 16. W. K. Thompson, Chula; W. E. Pay- ton, Chula.
District No. 17. J. C. Raney, Chula; S. B. Patterson, Chula.
District No. 18. J. C. Edmondson, Chula; Andrew Durfee, Wheeling.
District No. 19. Ira Donivan, Chula; Peter Jacobs, Chula.
District No. 20. H. G. Schorr, Sturges; J. Thompson, Sturges.
District No. 21. Mrs. Ray Marsh, Chillicothe; C. T. Boyd, Chillicothe.
District No. 22. Chillicothe.
F. W. Goff, Chillicothe; Wm. Fisher,
District No. 23. field, Chillicothe.
District No. 24.
Calvin Lamp, Chillicothe; A. B. Brass-
A. E. Meserve, Chillicothe; G. W. Mast, Chillicothe.
District No. 25. Wm. Grouse, Chillicothe; W. H. Boon, Chillicothe.
District No. 26. W. S. Lay, Sampsell; C. L. Mason, Sampsell.
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
District No. 27. J. T. Zell, Sampsell; T. S. Breeze, Sampsell.
District No. 28. T. A. Brookshire, Breckenridge; S. A. McCreary, Mooresville.
District No. 29. T. E. Boucher, Sampsell; J. J. Comete, Sampsell.
District No. 30. L. M. Dryden, Chillicothe; F. M. Tiberghien, Chillicothe.
District No. 31. G. L. Nothnagel, Chillicothe; W. F. Williams, Chillicothe.
District No. 32. J. H. Lowe, Chillicothe; Allen Thomp- son, Chillicothe.
District No. 33. J. K. Steen, Sturges; Chas. R. Wallace, Chillicothe.
District No. 34. W. M. Beal, Sturges; C. N. Boorne, Sturges.
District No. 35. Major Veserat, Chillicothe; D. J. Bow- man, Chillicothe.
District No. 36. sella, Wheeling.
District No. 37. grist, Wheeling.
District No. 38. Wheeling.
District No. 39. nety, Chillicothe.
District No. 40. zelle, Chillicothe.
District No. 41. Chillicothe.
Edward Hogan, Wheeling; Thos. Kin- S. A. Timmons, Wheeling; Chas. Sie- Alvin Powers, Wheeling; V. J. Howe, E. S. Inman, Chillicothe; John McGin- R. F. Cranmer, Chillicothe ; J. V. Bea- A. S. Brown, Chillicothe ; Chas Elinger, M. F. Forbis, Chillicothe; C. S. Haga-
District No. 42. man, Chillicothe.
District No. 43. W. M. Hutchinson, Chillicothe; M. E. Conway, Chillicothe. District No. 44. Dick Hargrave, Chillicothe; Fred Har- grave, Chillicothe.
District No. 45. Jas. Trimble, Chillicothe; John Troe- ger, Chillicothe.
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
District No. 46. A. D. Walker, Sampsell; G. D. Wag- ner, Sampsell.
District No. 47. C. B. Reynolds, Mooresville; J. F. Gaunt, Breckenridge.
District No. 48. J. H. Roberts, Mooresville; Wm. Troe- ger, Mooresville.
District No. 49. R. L. Hall, Utica; L. F. Bonderer, Utica.
District No. 50. P. E. Bagely, Utica; Geo. Rice, Utica.
District No. 51. Maud B. Willard, Chillicothe; J. P. Hutchinson, Chillicothe.
District No. 52. Milton Lemon, Chillicothe; Lon Kin- zer, Chillicothe.
District No. 53. John Lininger, Chillicothe; Fred Mc- Curry, Chillicothe.
District No. 54. A. W. Bradford, Chillicothe; A. E. Glore, Chillicothe.
Frank L. Smiley, Wheeling. (Village school.)
District No. 55.
District No. 56. Harper, Wheeling.
Catha Inderwiesen, Wheeling; J. F.
District No. 57.
Geo. Bate, Chillicothe.
District No. 58. J. F. Reed, Chillicothe; J. E. McVey, Chillicothe.
District No. 59. Steve Wilhite, Chillicothe; Louis M. Jones, Chillicothe.
District No. 60. Nat Fiske, Mooresville; W. O. Spears, Mooresville.
District No. 61. T. W. Hudgins, Mooresville; Wm. Dilly, Mooresville.
District No. 62. J. P. McClellan, Mooresville; C. C. Adams, Mooresville.
District No. 63. J. W. Garlick, Mooresville; Wm. Murphy, Utica.
District No. 64. A. J. Culling, Utica.
District No. 65. C. M. Seiberling, Chillicothe; W. S. Bowen, Chillicothe.
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
District No. 66. Roy Cameron, Chillicothe; Harry Stone, Chillicothe.
District No. 67. Ester Livingston, Chillicothe; H. S. Hoffman, Chillicothe.
District No. 68. J. H. Barnes, Bedford; T. J. Stagner, Bedford.
District No. 69. J. C. Graham, Bedford; John Dewey, Bedford.
District No. 70. Elijah Wolfscale, Bedford.
District No. 71. S. B. Eaton, Hale.
District No. 74. Jas. Dye, Hale; C. A. Colliver, Hale.
District No. 75. John W. Pultz, Hale; John W. Silver, Hale.
District No. 76. John Akerson, Bedford; Chas. Young, Bedford.
District No. 77. S. A. Browning, Avalon, (Village school.)
District No. 78. W. S. Bishop, Bedford; T. C. Linton, Bedford.
District No. 79. John Meeker, Chillicothe; C. H. Strang, Chillicothe.
District No. 80. H. J. Kleinschmidt, Chillicothe; Sam Evans, Dawn.
District No. 81. Lorenzo Wilcox, Dawn; Geo. A. Evans, Dawn.
District No. 82. A. T. Weatherby, Dawn; C. C. Curren, Dawn.
District No. 83. A. J. Anderson, Ludlow.
District No. 84. Earnest Austin, Mooresville; J. E. Toner, Ludlow.
District No. 85. Marcus Hamblin, Ludlow; Byrd Ham- blin, Ludlow.
District No. 86. Wiley Miller, Ludlow; Isaac Wells, Ludlow. (Village school.)
District No. 87. John R. Davis, Dawn; John J. Grif- fiths, Dawn.
District No. 88. D. P. Williams, Dawn; E. J. Williams, Dawn.
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
District No. 89. W. O. Goff, Dawn.
District No. 90. J. W. Beauchamp, Dawn; C. M. Drake, Avalon.
District No. 91. E. B. Dowell, Hale; E. E. Hawkins, Hale.
District No. 92.
W. H. Smith, Hale; J. C. Good, Hale.
District No. 93. Irma Shannon, Hale; J. E. Cracken- berger, Hale.
District No. 94. Hale.
Edgar Baymiller, Hale; Wm. Bayles,
District No. 95. J. A. Lewis, Hale; O. I. Jones, Hale.
District No. 96. Mrs. Elizabeth Warner, Dawn; J. L. Condron, Dawn.
District No. 97.
H. J. Elsas, Dawn; John H. Hoyt, Jr., Dawn.
District No. 98. T. J. Evans, Dawn; Ed Thomas, Dawn.
District No. 99. D. R. Lewis, Dawn; Asa Jones, Dawn.
District No. 100. W. H. Cowan, Braymer.
District No. 102. Mont Woodey, Chillicothe; Henry Faubion, Chillicothe.
Following named teachers are employed in the public schools of Livingston county, together with their postoffice addresses :
Chillicothe: Jennie Abeshire, Beulah Brownfield, Eu- genia Bradshaw, Bena Brandenburger, Supt. A. R. Coburn, Ruby Cherry, Pearl Cherry, D. C. Clark, Ella Casey, Imo- gene Dennis, Zelma Gurley, Gladys Grouse, Odessa Hillman, Mary Hart, Alice Hart, J. J. Jordan, Belle Low, Goldie Lutes, Dixie Miller, Rosa Martin, H. W. McIntire, Jose- phine Norville, Pearl Peterson, Minnie Payne, Mina Smith, Laura Schmitz, E. A. Scott, Blanch Sawyer, Ruth Way, Dott Walker, Daisy White, Mattie White, Estella Webb and F. L. Clark.
Rural Route: Lyda Zirkle, 2; Emily Allen, 6; Lena Bennett, 1; Martha Brown, 4; Elsie Bradbury, 2; Corintha Bruce, 7; Mabel Cranmer, 5; Eva Coburn, 3; Mabel Ducey, Frank Darr, 7; Maud Haines, J. W. Jones, 1; Marie John- son, Lena Moss, 6; Mamie Morris, 3; Elizabeth Morris, 7;
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
Julia Matthew, 6; Helen Norman, 5; Edna Potter, 6; Mabel Reilly, 6; Catherine Slattery, C. B. Smith, 3; Foy Trimble, 3; Mary Tudor, 7; Nellie Tudor, 3; Jessie Wooden, Apol- lonia Martin, 5; Bevah Maxey, 3; Anna Allen, 2; Celia Lowe, 6.
Avalon: Stephen Blackhurst, Helen Drake, Flora Wright.
Bedford: Stella Baymiller, R 1; Catherine Hapes, Blanche Richardson, Hattie Hawker, Kate Hoyt, R. 1 ; Clara Dye, R. I.
Chula: Mary E. Lindsey, E. P. Thompson, Amy Case- beer, Inez Casida, Florence Coburn, Jennie Emily, Katie Black, Alice Terrill, R. 3; Nora Stream, Floyd A. Thomp- son, R. 3; Kathryn Waits, J. S. Waydelich, A. F. Molloy, and Don F. Runkle.
Dawn: Katherine Duncan, Theodocia Griffiths, Mary Griffiths, Daisy Hoyt, Ruth Linville, R. 1; Edna Glick, E. O. Harvey, E. Grace Hughes, Lena Johnson, R. 2; Oliver C. Perry, R. 1; Ethel Perryman, R. I ; and Jessie Young.
Hale: Lois Baymiller, Retta Butler, R. 3 ; Winnie Crack- enberger, Grace Griffiths, Golda Eaton, Roxie Eaton, Dell Venard, R. 1 ; and Essie Billingsly, R. 3.
Hickory: C. H. Frager and Gertrude A. Stith, R. I.
Jamesport : Lyda McCue, R. 2.
Ludlow: Sadie Close, R. 1 ; Dovie Crithfield, R. 1 ; Mary Gilliland, Nettie Harlow, R. 1 ; Ada Mossbarger, J. L. Vin- cent, Ethel Kinzy, R. I.
Mooresville: Nias Powell, Ethel Coburn, Almary Gibbs, R. 1 ; Bertha S. Gibeaut, R. 1 ; A. S. Hart, R. 1 ; and Margaret M. Martin.
Sampsell : Elsie Allen, R. 2; Alice Dunn, R. 1 ; Faye Dry- den, Dave Johns, Mary Young, R. 2; and Donald Warner.
Sturges: Ruth Eckard.
Trenton : Mary Conger.
Utica: Florence Franklin, R. 1; Theodore Bonderer, Vera Braden, Hattie Ferguson, J. W. Lee, Clara Phillips, Stella Phelps and Byron E. Western.
Wheeling: Ora Collins, Viola Davis, J. M. Gallatin,
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
Alice Lawler, R. 2; Cora Littrell, Lucy Wanamaker, and Elizabeth Durfee.
There is a total of 5,723 pupils of school age in Livingston county, with an enrollment of 4,500. Of this number 108 are negroes. The average daily attendance is 3,176.
The past year there were 12,528 cases of tardiness. Speak- ing on this feature, Superintendent McCormick said that a child who contracted the habit of tardiness would regret it in later years, as the habit usually followed them through life. Offsetting this tardiness, however, is the small number of cases of truancy. A total of 44 cases was reported, and less than one-half of these were in the rural schools.
Ninety-seven of the ninety-nine schools in the county have libraries. The two without books, strange to relate, are lo- cated in two of the wealthiest and most progressive districts of the county. There are a total of 20,649 volumes in the public school libraries, and their value is estimated at $10,000.
There are 146 public school teachers in the county. There are 105 schoolhouses in the county valued at $180,070, with furniture, fixtures and libraries valued at $25,420. The total indebtedness of the schools is less than $18,000. The average salary paid male teachers in the county is $62.50, while the average salary of the female teachers is $45.72. The cost of operating the schools of the county the past year was $76,301.01.
When Missouri was admitted into the Union Congress donated twelve bodies of saline lands, of six sections each. In 1837 the General Assembly provided that the proceeds of the sales of this land, augmented by the profits on the United States deposits in Missouri banks, should constitute a perma- nent school fund. This was increased in 1865 by $132,000 from the sale of the state tobacco warehouse. This fund now approximates $3,250,281. The income from this sum, to- gether with one-third of the ordinary revenue, is apportioned annually by the State Superintendent to the counties and to the city of St. Louis, according to the number of children of school age.
The first apportionment was made in January, 1842, on
CENTRAL AND HIGH SCHOOLS, CHILLICOTHE
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ELM STREET METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH. CHILLICOTHE
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
the ratio of sixty cents to each child above the age of six and under eighteen years, in the district in which an organized school was taught.
The second, third and fourth apportionments were also made on the enumeration of children between the ages of six and eighteen years. The fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth were made on children between the ages of six and twenty years. The ninth to the twenty-first inclusive, were made on children between the ages of five and twenty years. The twenty-second, twenty-third and twenty-fourth were appor- tioned on children between the ages of five and twenty-one years. From 1871 to the present time the legal school age has been from six to twenty years.
In 1842 the number of children taught was 6,192; the number reported between the ages of six and eighteen, 10,839; the number of counties having organized schools, 28; whole number of counties in the state, 77.
From 1892 to 1900 the amount apportioned per child of school age was less than one dollar. In 1900 it was $1.00 and has steadily increased each year, except one, till 1910, when it was $1.79. In 1909 it was one cent less than in 1908, but the total was greater on account of the increase in the number enumerated. For the three years, 1906, 1907 and 1908, the enumeration showed a steady decrease. In 1909 an increase of 20,443 over the enumeration of the preceding year was shown. This was on account of a new enumeration of St. Louis being taken which is done only once in every five years. The enumeration of 1910 was 1,870 less than in 1909. This loss is known to be in the state outside of the city of St. Louis, for the reason that the St. Louis enumeration of 1909 will stand until 1914.
While the increase of population in ten years, 3, 106,665 to 3,292,335 is only a fraction over six per cent, the increase in the amount of money apportioned from the state treasury has increased in proportion from $1,085,700.65 to $1,792,- 303.58, or nearly seven per cent. It must be borne in mind that $13,078.13 was deducted from the public school moneys and apportioned to weak districts under the state aid law of
Vol. 1-13
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
1909. The total amount apportioned in 1910 was $1,805,381.71, or an increase in ten years of $719,681.06. This is a bit of Missouri's history in which all counties have an equal in- terest.
CHILLICOTHE HIGH SCHOOL
The Chillicothe high-school building was erected in the year 1900 at a cost of $25,000. It has an auditorium on the first floor with a seating capacity of three hundred. In addi- tion to this there are thirteen recitation rooms. The members of the board of education having charge of the erection of the building were L. A. Chapman, J. M. Dunn, Wm. McIlwrath, Dr. David Gordon, J. B. Ostrander, and S. England. A. H. Huggett was the contractor During the present year the building will be enlarged by the addition of six rooms. This is made necessary on account of the rapidly increasing enroll- ment in the school. On the first floor is the library in which there are 8,000 volumes and is the largest and best in the state. In the line of general reference for every phase of school there is found the very best books that it is possible to secure. The books are also used largely by the public, generally, especially by the women who are connected with the several literary clubs of the city.
The laboratories are found on the north side of the second floor, where a full and complete equipment is provided for work in chemistry, physics, agriculture, botany, zoology, and physical geography. The school also offers the very best work in manual training, domestic science, art and music. A strong course is also offered in the commercial department, including bookkeeping, shorthand, typewriting, etc. An additional de- partment will be added to the work the coming year, the training of teachers. In fact, Superintendent Coburn and Principal McIntire have begun the work. State aid is of- fered high schools doing this work and it is edifying to know that Chillicothe is one of the first to begin.
During the present school year the high school enrollment is 292, with sixty-one in the graduating class. This is the largest graduating class in the history of the school, the class
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