History of Buffalo County Wisconsin 10847607, Part 30

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Criticism, then, is a habit, and sometimes it is very thought- lessly applied. The system of town superintendency had a good many faults, one of which I have already hinted on. Another was the local pressure which could so easily be brought to bear upon a neighbor if he refused a certificate to a favorite school ma'am. Then, of course, it was a post of honor, hence without pay, and naturally more of an annoyance to the possessor than

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officers. To analyze the work of each, to praise or to blame, can hardly be expected of me, for of the number all but two are still residents of this county, and probably all of them are yet alive. Having had the longest terms of all, I may be excused from crit- icising myself and my predecessors and successors. Like every- thing else education had some beginning in this county bnt it did not grow so very fast at first. The reasons for this delay I indi- cated above. Inquiries at the office of the State Superintendent showed:

1. That there was no report for 1855.

2. That the first report was made for 1856. In brief it was:

Number of districts 3.

" children, male 102 ..

female 88.

Total 190. The districts were distributed as follows:

Belvidere 2; one whole and one joint district. Buffalo 1.

The location of the joint-district does not clearly appear, but it being reported for the town of Belvidere, the school house must have been in that town. After this beginning school districts multiplied rapidly and the report for 1866 is as follows:

Number of districts 52. " children, male 1,300. 66 female 1,145.

Total 2,445.

It appears from this that during the ten intervening years 49 new districts had been formed or almost 5, on an average, each year.

Ten years later; 1876, the report is: Number of districts 74.

" teachers required 81.

" male children 2966.

" female « 2899. Total number of children 5865.

Of these 3753 were registered as attending school, which is 62.2 per cent. of the whole number.

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Comparing the school population of 1866 with that of 1876 we find that it increased very nearly 140 per cent during the ten years or nearly 14 per cent. in every year. This decade marks the greatest increase in the school population although in the general aggregate of the population the increase was but 13 per cent. per annum for the first, and only 6 per cent. per annum for the sec- ond half of the decade from 1865 to 1875. This may seem para- doxical, but it may be satisfactorily explained by reference to the tables given under the chapter of "Population." To do this here I think rather unimportune, and leave it to those who are fonder of statistics than most of my readers. The statistics of our schools for 1885 are as follows:

Number of districts 82.

66 " teachers required 92.

" male children ... 3,145.

" female ... 3,032.

Total number of children 6,177,

The reported attendance for this year was 3,798 or 61.4 per cent. of the whole number.

For 1886 the statistics are as follows:

Number of districts 82.

teachers required 92.

"' male children. .. 3,240.

" female "

.... .3,111.

Total number of children 6,351.

Reported attendance 3,977 or 63.9 per cent.

Comparing the school population of 1876 with that of 1886 we find an increase of only 485, or but little over 8 per cent. for the whole decade. There was, however a period in it when for three, and perhaps four years, the school population decreased.

Most people will understand that the difference between the number of school districts, and the number of teachers required to teach the schools arises from the fact of there being a number of graded schools. I can not tell exactly how many, if any, graded schools were established in 1866. But in 1872, at my first visit to the schools as County Superintendent there were only two, one in Fountain City, with two teachers, and one in Alma, with

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the same number. But in 1876 we find that it required six teach- ers more than the number of districts.

I think the division of these six teachers was as follows:

Alma one district. 3 teachers.

Fountain City one dist .. 3

Mondovi one dist ... 2

Waumandee dist. No. 2 2

4 districts 10 teachers.

I state that from memory and may be, though not necessarily, mistaken. In 1885 and 1886 the number of teachers required ex- ceeds that of school districts by 10, of which the distribution is as follows:

Alma, one district .... .. 5 teachers.

Fountain City, one dist .. 4

Mondovi, one dist .... .. 3

Waumandee, Dist. No. 2 2

4 Districts 14 teachers.

For the ensuing year 1887-88 the number of teachers will re- main the same, but the distribution will be as follows:

Alma 6 teachers.

Fountain City 4 «

Mondovi 3

3 Districts 13 teachers.

District No. 2 Waumandee has, I understand, temporarily abandoned the practice of employing two teachers during the win- ter term.

The foregoing explanations show the advances made towards a higher grade of schools, according to the requirements of the in- crease in the school population and the elevation of the popular standard of education.

A school needs a house, at least in our climate, and the school- house is in fact the first visible effort at education in most districts. Every reader remembers some one or more of the primitive schoolhouses in our county. The schoolhouses were somewhat in keeping with the other houses of the period, and no one will blame the builders of either class of houses, for we know why they were no better, and we also know, that that generation felt as happy in

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the whole afternoon, the only reduction occurring at recess. Of ventilation we will say nothing, we will not waste our breath about what never had any existence in most schoolhouses, not- withstanding the stereotyped report of numerous townclerks that all their schoolhouses were properly ventilated. But as I said, I do not wish to be too severe in my judgment upon schools and their surroundings as I found them. I do not, however, feel so lenient, when I remember the struggles I had with some of the district boards in trying to do my duty in advising and urging im- provements. It is impossible to go into particulars, and it would be useless to cite cases of that kind by town and number, but I remember one district which had pre-eminently the meanest schoolhouse in the whole county, and which had been threatened with condemnation of the same by my predecessor. That district begged and hesitated, expostulated and prevaricated during six long years, until finally, just as I went out of office, the new schoolhouse was up, but not yet ready to be used.

I would not be fair to the people of this county, if I would not state, that, although during the period of three consecutive terms, or six years, I had never actually attempted to secure the condem- nation of any schoolhouse for being unfit for its purpose, I yet had the satisfaction of seeing many new schoolhouses built and others greatly improved. My successor had two schoolhouses con- demned, the only instance on record of such proceedings. At present, after a period of 15 years, there is but one old and one new building constructed of logs used for school purposes. As a matter of history I will mention, that the city or rather school dis- trict, of Alma has this year built a new schoolhouse according to the best known model, with furnaces and ventilation according to the Ruttan System. That a new schoolhouse was needed hardly any one will deny. Years ago, in 1882. it was found necessary to employ a fifth teacher. As there was no chance to construct a fifth room in the old schoolhouse, the little Singers' Hall was bought, and the primary department instituted therein. But that room was entirely too small, and for no more than 48 pupils seats could be provided in it, in which I actually counted at one of my visits 74 pupils, there being in the neighborhood of 100 on the register. The cost of the new schoolhouse and all its arrangements I might easily state, but I will leave that to be ascertained by

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those, who can not value anything except by dollars and cents. A high school department has been introduced and six teachers are now employed at the school.

The schoolhouse at Fountain City too has some years ago been greatly improved, both as to light and ventilation.

Another fight was that for the introduction of better furniture. Patent furniture was indeed in earlier times so high in price, that the objection to its purchase was excusable. But it was not long so.

Regarding books there was some trouble to effect a uniformity in some districts, mostly because of the carelessness of the district boards, but such cases were so rare, as not to be particularly re- membered.

Maps, blackboards and other apparatus were sometimes want- ing at other times defective and in most cases neglected. There isa curious experience in regard to such matters, and it shows, how little most school-officers are capable of discriminating in their purchases. Some times maps, charts and other things are sold by agents in almost every district, even regardless of price, then again it is almost impossible to sell anything of the kind. One instance of a prodigious sale of such a character deserves to be mentioned Some time in 1872 or 73 an agent went around with tablets of arithmetical formulas issued by one Wood, pretending to teach arithmetic perfectly by their use. There were some thirty or more tablets mounted on pasteboard, both sides, and at some places they were sold for $30.00 at others for less. The double tablet, if the formulas had been reliable would have been worth about 25 cents, but as this condition was not observed the whole of them were not worth even that.

As a remarkable instance of a formula from these tables I give the following:

To find the area of a piece of land:

Multiply the length by the width and divide the product by 160.

Every one knows that this is true only when the measure- ments have been taken and expressed by rods, in all other cases it is false, and even when rod measure has been used, the division by 160 will only give the acreage and not the area of a piece in general.

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But it is useless to say more about it, and it is only mentioned to show the gullibility of some schoolboards, and their readiness to throw away money at useless things, while they are but too often short of funds, when competent authority recommends im- provements.

In this connection I may mention school libraries, of which we find a few, the only ones of some importance being at Foun- tain City and Alma. While the library at Fountain City and the mineral and other collections attached thereto have been growing in number and value every year, the one in Alma has almost dis- appeared and the books in it are few and neglected. In connec- tion with collections at Fountain City I think that many valuable specimens in the same have been donated by Mr. William A. Finkelnburg, Attorney at Law, now at Winona, Minn., but form- erly a pupil of the school at Fountain City, his birthplace. On the whole it is a credit to the schoolboard and the successive principals of the school to find the library in such good order and completeness. Let others take an example. Besides houses, furniture and other requisites, schools need teachers. In fact the other paraphernalia might be accidentally absent, and a teacher, one who deserves the name, present, a school would be in oper- ation as soon as the teacher would meet pupils. This, however must not be contorted into the assertion that a good teacher is all that is wanted, on the contrary the best teacher, though capable of working effectively with the least arrangements and apparatus and other auxiliaries, is well aware of their usefulness, and always eager to have, and to use the best of them.

Not only in the history of new settlements, but everywhere we find that mankind makes use of the material on hand much rather than look for better. This applies very forcibly to the em- ployment of the first teachers in our county and certainly in any new county. The school teacher, who in such places does not have more than three or four months of employment during the year, and poor pay for that time, can not be expected to represent the highest type of the profession, if, indeed, a professional teacher happens to lose himself into such a place. But schools are to be taught, and so the person who offers to teach, is usually employed without asking many perplexing questions. Most of the town superintendents were equally innocent of any intention of bother-

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cent for full third grade certificates, and 80 per cent in common, or third grade branches, for either second or first grade certificates, besides the extra branches demanded for the higher grades. This created at first a sort of panic among applicants, but the jus- tice of the demand was finally acknowledged and the standard so fixed has been retained ever since. This enabled the superin- tendent also to fix a minimum standard for limited certificates, which was equal to the old standard for full grade, at 50 per cent.

Although I set my face from the beginning against private examinations, it took some years until people understood, that such would not be granted if they could be refused, (and in most cases they should and could be refused), and applications for such became fewer, and at last nearly ceased. Whatever may have been the intention of the law in creating third grade certificates, it must be confessed that the permission of a difference in these, some being limited, made this class r grade the general standard. In fact there were but very few schools in this county, in which a teacher was required to teach any of the branches in which he had to be examined for a second grade certificate, and it was of superior im- portance to have teachers well qualified to teach the common branches. A significant example of how a teacher with a second grade certificate might prove incompetent in teaching these com- mon branches, I had in a gentleman holding such a certificate when I went into office, and to whom at first I granted one of the same grade myself, but was finally compelled to refuse any certificate on account of his flagrant deficiency in orthography and gram- mar. It is not necessary to give his name, but some of the older teachers will know him from this description. The legislature of 1885 passed a law requiring physiology and hygiene to be taught in every school, with especial reference to the effects of stimulants and narcotics upon the human body. This law, injudicious as I consider it, required an examination in these two branches, which, however, as very closely connected, I considered as one and the same. This is the present status of examinations as far as quan- tity is concerned. My own views of examinations in general I have so often laid down in the Educational Column of the "Journal" and the "Republikaner" that it will be sufficient to mention them here but very briefly. Examinations are necessary, and they have under existing conditions been the means of elevat.

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ing the standard of scholarship among teachers, and in turn of the schools. That they are as efficient or sufficient for all purposes as they should be, I doubt, but I do not therefore agree with the crude and antiquated notions of those, who think that a minimum of scholarship with a knack of governing a school, is all that should be demanded of a teacher, insinuating thereby, that a high grade of scholarship is rather unfitting a teacher for his duties. My maxim is, and always has been, that no one can teach any- thing which he has not learned, and that a more perfect knowledge enables any person to teach more perfectly.

Without flattering, or without intending to detract from the merits of teachers of other counties, I think I am justified in say- ing that the teachers of this county are at present as well fitted for their duties as those of any adjoining counties, and that even the pupils of some Normal Schools might find their match among them. We have some among them too, who have been at the Normal School at River Falls in this state.

As everywhere in this country we have a number of persons among our teachers, who do not intend to make teaching a pro- fession, and for whom it does not pay to spend much more money in the preparation for their duties as teachers than it will cost to furnish them a thorough common school education. This is per- haps to be deplored, though it has some redeeming features, espe- cially in preventing the profession from becoming too pedagogical or rather pedantic, and in furnishing a number of young people a valuable experience. Applicants for certificates, aud also for situa- tions as teachers, were always numerous enough, usually about 120, but in 1886 there were 139 in spring, and every year about 60 in the fall. In the spring examination there were always some pupils of the common schools, who did not so much desire to re- ceive certificates, than to see what they were able to do towards earning such. Admitting that this has sometimes been rather an- noying to the superintendent, especially as some crowded in who had no business to come, it was encouraged as a means of emula- tion. In connection with teachers and the improvement in their attainments we must mention the Teachers' Institute. The law organizing the county superintendency requires every superinten- dent to hold at least one Teachers' Institute during each year. I have heard of but one short institute having been held previous

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to 1871. The great impediment to these institutes was that neither superintendents nor teachers in the new western counties had much of an idea what was to be done. It was found neces- cary to assign the lead in the institutes to some persons who had been practically engaged at normal school work.

In 1871, in the first institute I ever attended, and which was held at the schoolhouse at Fountain City, Prof. Charles Allen was the conductor. The attendance was, notwithstanding the location not being very central, still considerable.

The following year Prof. Allen was again assigned to our county, but, owing to his pending removal to California, did not come, and I had to shift for myself. The institute remained in session for about three days when it disbanded.

In 1873 Prof. D. McGregor, then as now of Platteville Normal School, was our leader; in 1874 Prof A. O. Wright, now Secretary of the State Board of Charities. During the ensuing three years Prof. Albert Earthman, then of River Falls Normal School, was the conductor of our institute. During the first year of Mr. Rathbun's administration of the office Prof. J. B. Thayer, then of River Falls Normal School, conducted the institute. The following year Prof. Troining was the conductor and State Superintendent Whitford delivered a lecture. I think Prof. Thayer came again the two years afterwards, as also in 1882 and 1883. In 1884 Prof. Barker, formerly county superintendent of Pepin County, con- ducted the institute. He was followed the next year by Prof. C. H. Keyes, who was then principal of the public schools at River Falls, and in 1886 Prof. Thayer came again. Mr. Rathbun had introduced institutes of two weeks duration, but under my next administration we returned to those of one week for the reason that the attendance, though perhaps not more numerous, was more regular, so that probably as much efficient work was done as would have been accomplished in two weeks.

The attendance at the institute was not uniform as to num- bers. It was sometimes held at inconvenient dates, during har- vest, or when teachers were prevented by other occupation during vacation months. The highest number was reached in 1884 when the ladies expected to be entertained free of charge by the citizens of Alma, an expectation largely realized for some years. This prac- tice being finally abandoned, the attendance declined to little more

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1861 above referred to, but simply that he should "visit and in- spect schools." I wonder whether the legislature thought he could inspect without visiting them! In practice, however, it was the reverse, the superintendent was expected to visit, but not to in- spect the schools. At least he ought not to show any marks of his inspection; though he might praise, he was not expected to criticise. Some schoolboards who were so ready to resent the shaking of a finger at their school and its fixtures, were almost as sensitive at the most casual neglect to visit their district. It has before been remarked that the powers of the superintendent were not adequate to the enforcement of the laws in their apparent strictness. He soon found that the people were applying the law against himself, much more punctiliously, than they were tolerant to his application of the laws as the same were directed against the carelessness, negligence and obstinacy of some school boards.

But the law was probably obeyed by every superintendent according to his estimate of the necessity of the visits. It was no easy task to visit from 76 to 93 schools during a winter term, and to the latter number had the schools grown in 1882, considering that the visits had to be made during the months of December, January and February. Winter schools, graded ones excepted, began about the first of November or later. Giving the teacher about one month to get his school into working condition, would put the beginning of visitation to about December 1st, which would leave three weeks in that month, since vacation was as sure as holidays. To delay beyond the 1st of March would often make travel dangerous if not impossible. To merely look in at the schoolroom, without observing or having time to observe, any great part of the work going on, might be a visit, but certainly no inspection or visitation, and would amount to scarcely more than nothing .. To spend more than half a day or the better part of it in any school was out of the question, since, even with the greatest caution and diligence not more than eight schools per week on an average could be visited, allowing for interruption by impassable roads or extremely cold weather. Summer schools were usually between 50 and 60 in number and travel easy enough, if not al- ways delightful. The short terms and the scattered situations of the schools very often prevented a visit to all, and might have ex- cused occasional slights. The question whether the official visits

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of the County Superintendent were of any considerable benefit to schools and teachers, must be answered affirmatively, although now and then they were time and trouble wasted. I introduced a system of term reports, not to be made monthly, but delivered to the Superintendent at the time of his visit, and by him com- pleted, criticised, accepted or rejected. A copy being usually left with the teacher and by him or directly by the Superintendent delivered to the district board, served at once as a notice of the visit and its result, and as an admonition for desirable improve- ments. Though partially abandoned by Mr. Rathbun (78 to 82) it has found favor with the people as an honest attempt of giving them the desired information. We have seen from the foregoing that in 1856 there were but three districts, one of them a joint dis- trict. I have diligently inquired into the location of that joint district, and found that even the first chairman of the town of Bel- videre from which the said district was reported, could not en- lighten me on the subject. So we have only two authentical dis- tricts, in which school has been taught during the winter term of 1855-56. The district in the town of Buffalo had its schoolhouse in Fountain City. The following were the teachers before 1861:

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History of Buffalo County Wisconsin 10847607, Part 30

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