History of Dakota Territory, volume III, Part 114

Author: Kingsbury, George Washington, 1837-; Smith, George Martin, 1847-1920
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : S.J. Clarke Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1146

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In January, 1891, Governor Mellette made several important suggestions con- cerning the schools. He recommended that one school officer only should be appointed in each township; that there should be a county board of education presided over by the county superintendent; that there should be a state board of education with from seven to nine members, and that in the schools generally there should be four courses of education as follows: (1) Common school course of eight years; (2) high school course of two years; (3) academy course of two years; (4) college course of four years. He said, "The mistake that is liable to be made in this regard is in developing our educational work too rap- idly and in making our machinery too cumbersome and too expensive for the system which it is necessary to build up. Too many school officers, too many school buildings, too many school teachers and too many expensive state institu- tions are now faults that our present system has, that should be at once remedied." He further observed that "a law should be passed that shall be compulsory in giving to each child in the state an English education and that shall give him his school books free or at actual cost. The present school system is too expensive, inefficient and lacking in that unity and system so necessary in educational mat- ters in order to obtain the greatest public benefit."

In July, 1891, the Educational Association held its annual session at Madison. The program of exercises was long and excellent. At this time G. L. Pinkham was president and Harry L. Bras secretary. The session opened with the con- vention of the county superintendents called together by the state superintendent. Rev. C. E. Hager delivered the address of welcome and response thereto was made by Cortez Salmon, superintendent of public instruction. The annual address, one of great strength, was delivered by the president, G. L. Pinkham. On the second day the session opened for the school of colleges and high schools,

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with Miss M. J. Pryne presiding. Among the subjects considered this day were: "Equipment of High Schools as to Apparatus, etc," by Prof. W. H. C. Newing- ton; the discussion was ably led by Prof. M. A. Robinson; "Sources of Moral Teaching," by Pres. W. M. Blackburn, of Pierre College, the discussion of which was well conducted by Prof. J. T. Shaw, of Yankton Collgee; "Department of Superintendents," discussed under the direction of H. J. Whipple; the question "County Supervision" was well considered under the leadership of N. M. Hill of Yankton; A. W. McClarren led the discussion on the subject "County Super- intendents' Records," with A. J. Williams presiding; "Department of Common Grade Schools" was discussed, with Prof. S. L. Brown presiding; "Our Com- mon Schools: Their Place in School Life," with Prof. S. L. Brown also presid- ing; "The Art of Questioning," with Prof. A. G. Gross presiding. All of these subjects were deliberately and elaborately considered and discussed.

At the general meeting on Thursday afternoon a stirring business session was hield and the annual officers were elected. Immediately thereafter a brilliant lec- ture was delivered by Rev. T. DeWitt Talmage under the auspices of the chau- tauqua. At the evening meeting the following subjects, among others, were discussed : "Denominational Colleges, Their Work," with Prof. L. A. Stout presiding and with Prof. H. H. Swain leading the discussion; "The Value of Psychology to the Common School Teacher," with Prof. H. E. Kratz presiding. On Friday the department of colleges and high schools again controlled the convention. Among the subjects considered were the following: "Promotions, How and When," with Prof. Bruce Fink presiding; "The Relation of High Schools to Business Life," with Prof. E. J. Vert presiding, the discussion being led by Prof. M. A. Taylor ; "Shall Certificates be Granted Upon Completion of the Grammar Grades," with Prof. A. H. Yoder presiding. At the meeting of the department of superintendents several important subjects were considered, among which were the following: "County Superintendents and the New School Law," with Supt. Read Matheny presiding, the discussion being led by Supt. R. S. Gleason; "Temperance in Common Schools," with Supt. H. L. Sheldon pre- siding, and Mrs. H. P. Bryson leading the discussion. Under the department of common and graded schools these subjects were considered: "The Pupil's Prep- aration," with Mrs. Dora Hawk presiding; "The Teacher's Preparation," with Mrs. E. J. Haynes presiding; "The Purpose of Recitation," with Prof. Edwin Dukes presiding. On Friday afternoon the following exercises were held: "Our Country Schools: Their Needs," with Supt. Kate Taubman presiding; "The Synthetic Method of Teaching Reading," with Miss Clara Wedehase presiding, the discussion being led by Miss Florence Jester; "The Historical Society of South Dakota," with O. H. Parker presiding.

At a public meeting in February, 1892, General Beadle noted that large quan- tities of the school lands were being sold. He insisted that they should be leased and not sold and that the leases should be on long terms. He pointed out that the development of the state was so rapid that the authorities were unable to loan the money upon the low rate of interest which had been set for March, 1892. Already the money on hand could not be loaned except with extreme difficulty and soon the deferred payments from previous sales would flow in and still further increase the cash idle in the treasury. He suggested that the funds should be invested in municipal securities not only in this state but in

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other states. He believed that the interest of 6 per cent was too high, and thought that a lower rate should be adopted and that the range of investment should be enlarged in order to relieve the counties of the responsibility of the idle school funds on hand. Various suggestions were made at this meeting. General Beadle said, "The only ample, permanent, safe and highly advantageous plan is to lease, not sell, the lands upon long terms, the rent to be payable in cash in advance and the rate to be on a valuation established every five years, all the lease incomes to go to the schools of the state the same as the interest from the same fund is now applied." He further said: "We are now marching right into trouble and wasting as we go. In one year the gain in value of school lands is worth five years of interest. The lands that are to be sold in March will make even a greater gain. The leasing system would be fair to the lessee and would yield a steadily increasing income." He severely criticised the state law which obliged and permitted the land commissioner to sell the school lands as soon as he could do so over the $10 limit.

Other prominent men of the state, among them the commissioner, still took views somewhat different from those of General Beadle concerning the disposal of the school lands. They argued that the United States gave South Dakota about three million acres of school land with which to create a fund and not to maintain an accumulation of land. This fund was required to be kept forever intact, and only the revenue could be used by the state. This was the law of the country. The revenue was to be used for the payment of teachers and for no other purpose. The land could not be sold for less than $10 an acre, and hence the fund in the end was bound to be at least $30,000,000. As it was already being sold for an average of considerably over $10, the fund in the end would no doubt reach $40,000,000 at least. At this date 6 per cent was the minimum rate of interest for which the fund could be loaned. This would give finally an annual income for school purposes of approximately $2,400,000, a sum larger, it was thought at this time, than would ever be required to pay the teachers. Therefore it was argued that the theory of the state school management should be that, as long as the revenue from the fund created by the sale of school lands at the minimum price would ultimately exceed the uses which could be made of it, efforts to realize the full intent of the law by disposing of the land at the earliest possible moment should be made. That is, while there was no possibility of de- tracting from the rights of posterity, why not benefit the present generation at once by selling the land? There was now going on the sale of a small portion of the land and that too without harm to future generations or to the fund or the land in any way. In 1890 the revenue received from the fund created by the sale of the land amounted to 52 cents for every pupil in the state, and in 1892 the commissioner expected to turn over to the various counties a pro rata of $1 for every child attending school. Statistics at this time showed that the average cost for tuition in the common schools was about one dollar and thirty-five cents for every pupil; therefore the school authorities of the state hoped by the same judicious management to be able soon to pay at least enough to cover the full amount of each county required for teachers' salaries.

General Beadle replied to this view in March, 1892. He stated that he was not attacking the school land authorities, but was simply opposing the system of

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selling the lands instead of leasing them. He admitted that it would require an amendment to the constitution to effect a change from selling to leasing. He called attention to the fact that Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin had operated under a law much the same as the one in South Dakota, and that under such law all the school lands had been sold too low, so that the school funds of those states now amounted to nothing comparatively. He sincerely hoped that an amend- ment to the constitution to prevent the sales of land would be adopted. He insisted that the demands of the settlers should be fully considered by the author- ities. He expressed the opinion that the schools in the cities were improving, but in the rural districts were not and were very poor. In Illinois the great question was how to improve the common schools-the rural schools. That was the one great, vital question yet prevailing everywhere. The reason, he believed, was because the rural schools did not have a sufficient state fund, and therefore were compelled to levy a tax to cover expenses, or do without the schools and the latter they too often did. The whole result was to deprive the rural children of adequate education. In Illinois the school law of 1883 provided for the sale of school lands at $1.25 an acre. Later the rate was increased to $2.50. In Northwestern Iowa within the last thirty years school lands were sold in a sim- ilar reckless fashion. One generation had seen the school lands advance to $15 an acre and the price would soon double again. South Dakota was bound to grow and would soon be thickly populated. School lands would be worth large sums of money. Already better schools were demanded for the country, but where was the fund? Soon in the country manual training would be required, libraries would be provided, the schools would be graded, and the houses would be large and well equipped. All this could be accomplished, of course, with the interest from the $40,000,000 fund, but where could the fund be loaned? The rates would have to be reduced. The fund could be stolen, but if the land was kept it could be leased and would be safe, because it could not be stolen. Who would give security for the $40,000,000 to be loaned out? The leasing system was far less difficult and much safer to handle. The big fund of $40,000,000 was difficult to handle, and was almost certain, sooner or later, to become involved and a part at least lost. He did not believe the lands if sold now or soon, would bring $40,000,000. He believed that a system of selling leases would be the wisest step. Everywhere speculators were buying state lands to hold for the increase in value. Why not hold the school lands and get the increase? This was now the important state issue, General Beadle declared, whether to lease or sell the school lands. He said finally, "The trust is too sacred, the interest too vast and the dangers and waste are too imminent to keep silent, while the reasons for a change are 'whistled down the wind.'"

Deputy Commissioner S. W. Bowman in the spring of 1892 believed that a part of the school lands should be sold now-perhaps 10 per cent within five years. This would yield a sufficient fund with which to educate the pioneer or rural children. Thereafter he thought it wise to sell an additional 10 per cent every ten years; thus the school fund could be operated under both the selling and the leasing propositions. The small amounts received in cash could be loaned, because it came in slowly, one-fourth down. The money was needed throughout the state to pay off school bonds in scores of districts. The latitude of loaning should be widened and the rate perhaps lowered. The state constitu-

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tion provided that 7 per cent interest would be charged on school fund loans. This was too high. Farmers and school districts would not pay it. In addition the sum loaned, it was provided, should not exceed one-half the appraised value of the farmer's land. Already schemes were afloat in different counties so to control the public sales that the lands could be secured by purchasers at very low prices. Many counties were unable to loan the school money and returned it to the state treasury, because farmers and others did not want it at 7 per cent interest. But later in 1892 it was noted by the commissioner that farmers in all parts of the state were paying from seven to ten per cent interest on money, when they could secure adequate loans at 6 per cent from the state school fund.

In March, 1892, State Superintendent Salmon announced that two conven- tions of county superintendents, instead of one for the whole state, would be held that year in order to save the heavy expense to those officials. One was ordered held at Spearfish for the entire Black Hills region during the meeting of the Black Hills Educational Association. The other was ordered held east of the Missouri River, probably at Huron, in May. A special session was ordered held in Stanley County. The primary object of these meetings was to arrange the practical details of the work connected with the course of study and to make that work as nearly uniform as possible throughout the state. At this time a test case was taken to the Supreme Court to see whether the expenses of the teachers' institutes could be paid from the school fund. The court decided that the fund could not be used for that purpose. The state superintendent, in the spring of 1892, named the following instructors to conduct two institutes each that season : Professors A. M. Rowe of Sioux Falls, L. A. Stout of Mitchell, J. S. Frazee of Vermillion, C. M. Young of Tyndall, W. H. C. Newington of Watertown, O. H. Taylor of Pierre, M. L. Abbott of Rapid City, W. H. Dempster of Madison, Edwin Dukes of Parker, N. C. Titus of Madison, R. M. Jester of Crow Creek, E. J. Vert of Miller, W. H. Morrison of Wolsey, B. F. Hood of Huron, J. A. Shannon of DeSmet, J. Jones, Jr., of Chamberlain, and W. W. Girton of Vilas; also the following additional instructors: Professors R. E. Friers of Mitchell, R. B. McClennon of Sioux Falls, S. L. Brown of Sioux Falls, C. B. Isham of Canton, Charles Winchester of Gayville, A. N. Van Camp of Highmore, M. A. Taylor of Alexandria, A. G. Cross of Plankinton, B. Fink of Elk Point, M. A. Robinson of Brookings, J. W. Whiting of Scotland; also Mrs. Flora Jester of Bowdle, Miss Esther A. Clark of Yankton, Miss Anna Emerson of Sioux Falls, Miss Belle Anderson of Huron, Miss Josephine Harrison of Huron; also for primary work Miss Clara Cressy of Huron, and Miss Flora M. Wilson of Sioux Falls.

The following persons were appointed county school institute conductors for 1893: E. J. Vert, Milbank; Edwin Dukes, Parker; W: W. Girton, Vilas ; J. A. Shannon, DeSmet; W. H. C. Newington, Watertown; J. Jones, Jr., Chamber- lain ; R. M. Jester, Crow Creek ; A. G. Savage, Kimball; W. H. Dempster, Madi- son; L. A. Stout, Mitchell, R. E. Friars, Mitchell; J. S. Frazee, Vermillion ; George M. Smith, Vermillion; C. M. Young, Vermillion; B. F. Hood, Huron ; A. M. Rowe, Sioux Falls; R. B. McLennon, Sioux Falls; S. L. Brown, Sioux Falls; Lewis McLouth, Brookings; M. A. Robinson, Brookings; Miss Esther A. Clark, Yankton; Mrs. Alice LaDue, Britton ; Mrs. Ella B. Chassell, Sundance, Wyoming. Also the following assistant instructors were employed : J. M. Whit- ing, Scotland; A. N. Van Camp, Highmore; S. K. Clark, Tyndall; Alexander

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Hinckley, Centerville; D. B. Flickinger, Webster; G. J. Schellenger, Bangor ; Charles E. Prather, Madison; Mrs. Flora Jester, Crow Creek; Miss Fannie A. Foster, Yankton; Miss Dell Noble, Yankton; Mrs. W. H. Newington, Water- town; Miss Anna Emerson, Sioux Falls; Miss Clara Cressy, Sioux Falls; Miss Flora A. Wilson, Sioux Falls; Mrs. Hattie T. Hood; Miss Belle Anderson, Huron; Miss Hattie S. Grant, Huron; the latter five being special instructors in primary branches and physical culture.

It should be noted that in early times as well as later times, the patrons of rural schools were not usually consulted as to what they wanted taught in their districts. The views of higher educational advocates were always employed to determine what studies should be pursued in the schools of the rural districts as well as in all the schools of the state. Thus the farmer had little or nothing to say as to what studies his children should pursue. He submitted or acquiesced because he thought the school authorities knew what was best. This was the one conspicuous weakness of the rural school plans. It resulted in lack of interest in the rural schools, because the studies required were generally not what was wanted and were thought to be useless. The whole plan was so to shape the rural schools that the pupils thereof could step at once into the high schools of the towns and cities. Thus the country pupil was required to take studies that were of no use to him, because he was expected to attend the high schools. It was not figured by the authorities that 95 per cent of the rural pupils never go higher than their home schools. Thus they planned the rural school studies for the 5 per cent that might attend the town and city high schools. Apparently it had not yet come to the understanding of the school authorities that the educa- tion of farmers' boys and girls should be along the line of their requirements in after life. In the high schools the education of the child was shaped for general culture, or for some useful occupation such as teaching, the practice of law or medicine, merchandising, engineering, surveying, etc., but the child of the farmer was not given the instruction needed by him on the farm. Every effort of the educational authorities thus contributed to the movement to take the child from the farm and from farming and place him in the city permanently. It remains for a later period to develop the studies that the great mass of children should take to make them successful on the farm; to develop an education suited to the wants of the rural districts, a problem that can be and should be solved in a month's time by the right educational authorities.

The school fund distributed or apportioned among the counties in 1892 amounted to $78,108.64. This amount was derived from the interest on the school money loaned and from the leases of school land. It was a comparatively small sum, but it was a good start. Not much of the school land had yet been leased, mainly because range land was yet abundant and thus grazing land could be obtained for little or nothing. It required time before the school lands in the western part of the state could be leased at good rates. Cattlemen and farmers refused to lease the land when they could use it free without leasing. At this time many school bonds were out all over the state drawing from seven to ten per cent interest, while at the same time large amounts of the school fund could be obtained at 6 per cent. These facts were not generally known. A little later the fund had no trouble to find investment at the legal rate.

The state university in June, 1892, showed a total attendance of 251. This was a decline of one-third as compared with that of 1891. The loss was be- Vol. III-52

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lieved to be due to the discontinuance of the normal and delsarte instruction and to the embarrassment resulting from almost a complete change of faculty in the spring of 1891. The regents recommended many repairs and improvements to buildings and made other important observations. At the Agricultural College the attendance for the year 1891-92 was 279. There were three full four-year courses and study : Agriculture, domestic economy, mechanic arts. There was also a two-year course in pharmacy. The regents recommended important im- provements to the buildings and generally an extension of all facilities. The School of Mines was small, which fact was mainly due to its technical character, but already it was doing important work. The normal schools were in excellent condition. The pedagogical studies were fully prescribed and were pursued with enthusiasm by a comparatively large attendance. In the Training School at Spearfish were 218 pupils, and in the Normal School proper were 161. The attendance at the Madison Normal was 180.

The report of the trustees of the state university in November, 1892, showed to what extent that institution had been handicapped and circumscribed by lack of funds and unnecessary restrictions. The trustees upon taking charge in July, 1891, proceeded to reorganize the faculty, which was accomplished by September, the old faculty having been retired in June. The trustees found that the funds were inadequate to defray the necessary expenses, and, accord- ingly, in order to keep in operation throughout the year and at the same time meet expenses, left two of the leading chairs vacant, and all assistants and instructors were dismissed though greatly needed. The chairs of geology and mineralogy and of political science and history were left vacant. In the spring of 1902 Clark M. Young was appointed to the chair of political science and history, and James E. Todd to the chair of geology and mineralogy. The board stated that the university had suffered seriously from the limited appropriations made by the last Legislature. The buildings were sadly in need of repairs, the campus should be graded and fenced; the chemical department needed a separate room or building; the science department required additional room; a department of civil engineering was wanted ; the library was wholly inadequate for the demands of the institution; a secretary was needed, and appropriate salaries were asked for those who were employed. Owing to the reduced number of professors and assistants, the faculty was compelled to cut down the elective and post graduate courses. The normal and delsarte departments were wholly eliminated. The military department was efficient owing to the liberal considerations of the Government.

President Mauck in November, 1892, called to the attention of the regents the following needs of the university: (1) Equipments for the laboratories, cabinets and libraries; (2) facilities for field work in the state by the physical science department ; (3) laying out the university grounds; (4) ampler funds for repairs; (5) assistants in mathematics and Latin; (6) provision for the regulation of office hours in the business office; (7) elimination of distinctive tuition without reducing the local revenue; (8) reasonable appropriation for representing the university at the World's Columbian Exposition; (9) an addi- tional building that would guard against destruction by fire of the library, laboratories and cabinets.

The president of the Agricultural College in the fall of 1892 stated that the total enrollment for the year 1890-91 was 271, of which number 182 were

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pursuing college studies and 89 were in the preparatory class. The enrollment for 1891-2 was 279, of which number 190 were pursuing college studies and 89 were in the preparatory class. At the close of the year 1891, 23 students were graduated, 12 in agriculture, 6 in domestic economy, 2 in mechanic arts and 3 in pharmacy. At the close of 1892, 18 students were graduated, 9 in agriculture, 6 in domestic economy, 2 in mechanic arts and I in pharmacy. The work of the students in every department was satisfactory. Few changes in the courses of study had been made. The annual farmer's institute was omitted in 1892, its place being taken by a series of farmer's institutes in various parts of the state. Such institutes were held in Moody, Turner, Grant and other counties. Few changes had taken place in the faculty. The last Legislature had appropriated $2,000 for a dairy building and for a dairy school. The building was erected and the school set in operation. In 1891 a small building for practical work in entomology and experiments in bee keeping was erected from experiment funds. A small astronomical observatory was likewise built. Repairs were made in 1892 to the two dormitories. A considerable sum under the first pay- ment of the Morrill act was used to purchase apparatus for the departments of agriculture, horticulture, dairy science, mechanic arts, natural history, chemistry, physics, astronomy and domestic economy. The library at t he close of 1902 contained 2,886 bound volumes and about 5,000 pamphlets. The Morrill act was signed by the President of the United States August 30, 1890. This act provided for a first payment of $15,000 to the Agricultural College and there- after for ten successive years an additional sum of $1,000 over the amount for the preceding year, after which the annual amount was to be $25,000. This appropriation, the act stated, was "to be applied only to instruction in agriculture and the mechanic arts, the English language and the various branches of mathe- matical, physical, natural and economic science, with special reference to their applications to the industries of life and to the facilities for such instruction." The expression "facilities for such instruction" was construed to mean not build- ings or ordinary furniture or fuel, but the special apparatus, books and material used in giving instruction. At this time, as shown by Thomas H. Ruth, com- missioner of school and public lands, about ninety thousand acres of agricultural college lands had been selected in the following counties: Potter, Faulk, Coding- ton, Clark, Day, Fall River, McPherson, Edmunds, Walworth, Meade and Hard- ing. The president reported that the finances of the Agricultural College were in good shape and that the institution as a whole was prosperous. A few of the needs of the institution were as follows: Repairs for the buildings; a pure and proper water supply ; buildings to accommodate the chemical and physical labora- tories and for the shops; a greater supply of fuel. He said that in view of the fact that under the Morrill act no money appropriated by the Government could be used for the payment of salaries the Legislature should include in the appropriation the salaries of assistant instructors who were imperatively needed but were not otherwise provided for. .

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History of Dakota Territory, volume III, Part 114

Author: Kingsbury, George Washington, 1837-; Smith, George Martin, 1847-1920 Publication date: 1915 Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : S.J. Clarke Publishing Company Number of Pages: 1146

Author: Kingsbury, George Washington, 1837-; Smith, George Martin, 1847-1920
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : S.J. Clarke Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1146