Sioux County Herald

News articles by the County Superintendent Aupperlee, reporting about the condition of the schools, student attendance, and teacher performance.

School Visiting by the County Superintendent.

          From the Sioux County Herald of Jan 31, 1884

             Domestic interest and custom causes too many of our school patrons to drift along unconscious of what is being done in our public schools.  In some instances members of school districts do not know who is teaching in their district, and in many cases teachers do not know who is teaching in the adjoining district. 

             With hope of creating a greater interest on the part of patrons and school officers, I (the editor) shall publish from time to time, a report of schools visited, names of teachers, when school began, length of term, grade of certificate of the teacher, wages paid, number of pupils enrolled, number present when the school was visited, the condition of buildings, apparatus, etc., and such comments, criticisms and suggestions, as in my judgment, will tend to better the condition of our schools.

             With malice toward none and charity for all engaged in our work, I shall commend where I can justly do so, but shall criticize where the welfare of the work demands it.  Those who find their work criticized will please remember that this is not done for personal reasons, nor with any intention to discourage, but to induce them and others to more earnest and better work. 

             School officers may in some instances find hints, perhaps suggestions, relative to the condition of buildings, etc.  Those are made in the interest of the schools under their supervision.  I find some of our officials very dilatory in the discharge of their duties.  This should not be, and I hope to see a step taken in the right direction in this matter.

             The HERALD, having the largest circulation of all the papers in our county, I have made arrangements with the editors for space – without expense to the county – and as aforesaid shall make public such items as I think will be beneficial and of interest to the public. 

             Reports from a few schools will be found below, the reports are signed by D. W. Aupperle, county school superintendent:

          Sioux Center School – West Branch Township

West Branch Township, Miss Alice Davis, Teacher, began November 5th.  Term five months.  Grade of certificate – 1st Class.  Wages $35. Per month.  Number of pupils enrolled 29; number present when visited, 23.  This is the second term Miss Davis has had charge of this school, and she is doing very acceptable work. 

District number 3.  West Branch Township, Miss Henrietta van de Steeg, Teacher, began October 22nd.  Term, five months,  Grade of certificate, 3rd class.  Wages $30 per month.  Number enrolled, 19, present, 18.  Miss van de Steeg is energetic and much interested in her work, and as a consequence her pupils are interested.  Methods good, and order good.  In this school the supply of apparatus is very limited, there being neither charts, globe nor maps; seats and desks are of an ancient, inferior and uncomfortable style.  The anti-room has been reduced to a mere shed; the doors and one side having taken their departure from thence.  Coal house also in need of some repair.  School has been visited once by director Punt.

District number 2, Reading township,  Miss Alice Dorton, Teacher, began November 19th.  Term four months.  Grade of certificate, 1st class. Wages $35. Per month.  Number enrolled, 22; present, 20. Order in this school was fair; methods rather antiquated.  Patrons of this school should see their children arrive a little earlier in the morning.  This school house also has neither a globe, maps nor charts.  The register has the appearance of having for several terms been used in a manner which leaves it in a condition not akin to godliness.  The seats are nearly all loose from the floor.  School has been visited by Mr. Jno. Dorton , director. 

District number 3, (Ireton school), Reading township, Geo. M. Harding teacher,  began December 3rd.  Term three months.  Grade of certificate, 2nd class.  Wages $35 per month.  Number enrolled, 21: present 16.  Was disappointed in finding so small a school, but found the teacher and pupils doing good work.  Here also I find neither maps nor charts.  Director L. M. Black has taken the pains and interest to make himself acquainted with the working of the school.

District number1, Buncombe township, Miss Emma Sargent, teacher, began October 15.  Term five months.  Grade of certificate, 3rd Class.  Wages $25. Per month.  Number enrolled, 13, present 10.  Miss Sargent  is very much interested in her work, and is having quite good success.  Director M. Sargent  has visited the school.

“Six Mile” school, Buncombe township,  F. E. Lahman,  teacher, began October 15.  Term, five months.  Grade of certificate, 2nd class.  Wages $35. Per month.  Number enrolled 8, present 8.  This is Mr. Lahman’s first term.  Methods are not quite up to the standard.  The study of some good work on methods would help him to success.  In this house I find but two windows, and the  condition of those is such that boards and charts must be substituted for glass.  To those in that vicinity who wish a target for rifle practice, I would suggest that you build one and discontinue using the old school house for that purpose.  The expense of building a target as large as the house would be trifling.  If the practice of ‘plugging’ this old school house is not discontinued, I shall be obliged to request the board of directors to investigate the case.  This house supports a lightning rod but has no dictionary, no coal house, and the out-house has neither door nor roof.  Director Sargent has not visited this school. 

Hawarden school, Mrs. N. P. Martin, teacher, began December 18.  Term five months.  Grade of certificate, 2nd class.  Wages $50, including janitor’s fees.  Number enrolled, 52; present, 47.  There being too much work in this school for one teacher, Mrs. Martin’s mother Mrs. Burlingame,  volunteered to assist in the good work; giving her time and able assistance free of charge.  A visit to this school will satisfy anyone of the good work done by these ladies.  I wish to ask the good people of Hawarden to give these ladies the encouragement which only patrons can give.  I should criticize the order a little.  

Calliope Public School, upper room, Miss Lizzie Kennedy, teacher, began September 10.  Term, five months.  Grade of certificate, 2nd class.  Wages $65 per month.  Number enrolled, 24; present, 22.  The beginning of a new term in the Academy, after the holiday’s, afforded better advantages, and induced many to leave the public school.  Miss Kennedy’s school room discipline is quite good and she is doing pretty good work.   Lower room, Miss Flannigen, teacher, began September 10.  Term, five months.  Grade of certificate, 3rd class.  Wages $50 per month.  Number enrolled, 54; present, 42.  There are too many pupils in this room for one teacher to produce good results.  Discipline not very good.  Methods pretty good.  This room is sadly in need of repairs, and it is to be hoped that the board of directors will have its condition bettered before another term begins. 

District No. --, West Branch Township,  Miss Mary A. Buckley, Teacher, began November 5, Term, five months.  Grade of Certificate, 2nd class.  Wages, $25 per month.  Number enrolled, 35; present, 20.  This is Miss Buckley’s second term in this school, and she is doing good work. 

District No. --, West Branch Township,  Miss Alice Coffee, Teacher, began December 4th.  Term, four months.  Grade of Certificate, 3rd class.  Wages, $30 per month.  Number enrolled, 9, present, 8.  This is Miss Coffee’s first term, and she is doing well for a beginner.  The school house needs banking and the school needs chalk. 

Educational

School Visiting by the County Superintendent

From the Sioux County Herald of February 7, 1884

District No. 1. Reading Township -  D. A. Dealy, Teacher.  Began December 2; term 3 months.  Grade of certificate, 3rd class.  Wages $30 per month.  Number enrolled, 13, present 10.  Discipline good; methods fair.  Teacher a little abrupt in his addresses. 

District No. 6, Reading township -  Miss Mary Griffin teacher.  Began November 26; term 4 months.  Grade of certificate, 2nd class; wages $35.  Number enrolled 13; present 10.  Teacher and school doing quite good work.  Should criticize the order a little.

District No. 5, Reading township  - Miss Fannie Richardson teacher.  Began November 19; term 4 months.  Grade of certificate, 2nd class; wages, $35.  Number enrolled, 8; present 4.  Miss Richardson is an earnest and conscientious worker and her efforts bring forth good fruits.  Order and methods good.  The present is her third term in this school.

District No. 6, Reading township -  D. A. Wheeler Teacher.  Grade of certificate 1st class; wages $35 per month.  Number enrolled, 5; present 7.  Began December 3rd; term 4 months.  Mr. Wheeler is in his own peculiar way doing excellent work.   He understand throughout the subjects which he teaches and covers more ground in presenting the same to his classes than any other teacher I have yet visited.

Buncombe Township.  --  Miss Cora Peebles, Teacher.  Began October 15th; term five months.  Grade of certificate 3rd class. Wages $35.  Number enrolled, 13; present, 12.  Order fair, methods pretty good.  Reading exercises not quite up to the standard.  This school is so fortunate as to possess a good globe and a reasonable good blackboard.  It has more ventilation by way of broken window lights than is absolutely necessary or agreeable.  The door-latch is broken and the coal scuttle or other articles of that nature must be substituted.  The house is sadly in need of banking.

District No. --- , Buncombe township.  Miss Carrie Hartfield,  teacher.  Began October 15th; term five months.  Grade of certificate, 2nd class; wages $35.  Number enrolled, 9 present, 3.  Weather being quite severe interfered with attendance.  Methods and work good.  This school has neither register, dictionary, globe, maps, nor blackboard.  The ante-room of this school house, (new house), is used as a coal house.  Desks are not fastened to the floor.

District No. --, Buncombe township.   Miss Teresa Dunn, teacher.  Began November 19th; term 4 months. Grade of certificate, 2nd class; wages $35.  Number enrolled, 12; present 6.  Very cold day.  Order quite good; exercises satisfactory except in reading.  School house not properly banked, and desks not fastened to the floor.  School house quite frequently used for a dance hall. 

District No. --- , Buncombe township.  A. H. Sannders, teacher.  Began December 24th; term 4 months.  Grade of certificate, 3rd class; wages $35.  Number enrolled 6; present 6.  This is Mr. S’s first term but he is doing very good work.  This school also has neither register, dictionary, globe and etc.  A number of window lights are broken and need replacing.  The desks of this school house are also not fastened to the floor.

Center Township --,  Miss H. E. Everhart, Teacher.  Began December 3rd: term five months.  Grade of certificate, 2nd class; wages $30.  Number enrolled, 15; present 12.   Circumstances were such that I could spend but little time in Miss Everhart’s school, but judge by what I did see that she is doing good work.  She has taught two terms before this in the same school. 

Center Township ---,  J. Wessley Brown, teacher.  Began November 14th; term four month.  Grade of certificate, 2nd class; wages $30.  Number enrolled, 20; present 16.  Mr. Brown has had twenty-five terms experience in teaching.  He is the first and only teacher I have found who has a written program of his classes.  Some of his methods are good; others too ancient.  Upon the whole I think he teaches too much by rule rather than practical methods. 

~D. W. Aupperle, County Superintendent 

Educational

School Visiting by the County Superintendent

District No. 6, Holland Township,  -  Miss Jennie Hunt,  teacher.  Began October 15th; term five months.  Grade of certificate, 1st class; wages $30.  Number enrolled, 17; present 13.  This school is destitute of apparatus.  The seats are rather low for the larger pupils; otherwise the house is quite comfortable.  Miss Hunt’s methods are good; discipline and success fair. 

District No. 2, Holland township, -- Miss Sarah Byl, teacher.  Began November 12; term five months.  Grade of certificate, 2nd class; wages $35.  Number enrolled, 15; present, 13.  This house is in good comfortable condition, and has a good blackboard – something but few of our schools have;  has neither map nor globe.  Miss Byl has good discipline, fair methods, and fair success.  Director John van Oordt has visited the school. 

District No. 3, Holland Township, --  Miss Anna Byl, Teacher.  Began December 5th; term four months.  Grade of certificate, 2nd class; wages $35.  Number enrolled, 34; present, 29.  In this school I found a larger number present than in any other rural school I have visited.  The school room is crowded.  Discipline, a little below the standard; methods, quite good.  This school in in need of maps, charts and globe. 

District No. 2, East Orange Township, -  I. F. Spinden, teacher.  Began December 2nd; term four months.  Grade of certificate, 2nd class; wages, $33. Number enrolled, 17; present, 16.  The good people of East Orange Township deserve and shall have credit for furnishing  their school with a few maps and charts.  If they will add globes, and few desks and a little more blackboard to each house they will add greatly to the advantages of their schools.  Mr. Spinden is doing very good work. 

District No. 1, East Orange township, -- Miss Joanna Dunn, teacher. Began October 1st; term five months.  Grade of certificate 2nd class; wages $33.  Number enrolled, 12; present 12.  This is Miss Dunn’s third term in this school and she is doing good work.  There are not desks enough in this house to properly accommodate even so limited a number of pupils as are in the school.  

District No. 1,  Nassau township, -- Miss Mary Corkery, teacher.  Began November 26; term seventeen weeks.  Grade of certificate 2nd class; wages $25.  Number enrolled, 32; present 23.  Miss Corkery is finishing the school terms begun by Miss Griffin who was obliged to give up the school on account of sickness in her family.  The apparatus of this school is a minus quality.  The house is small and quite crowded.

District No. __, Nassau township, -- Miss Mary Fitzpatrick teacher.  Began September 24th; term six months.  Grade of certificate 3rd class; wages $30.  Number enrolled, 19; present, 16.  This is Miss Fitzpatrick’s third term in this school and the condition of the school speaks well for her as a teacher.  This school possesses a map of the United States which is used to good advantage by the teacher.  If patrons well visit the school they will be able to see the advantage of having suitable apparatus. 

District No. 4,  Sheridan township, -- Jno. Cornforth, teacher.  Began November 5th; term five months.  Grade of certificate, 2nd class; wages $31.  This school has three good maps; a map of the hemispheres, a map of Europe, and a map of the United States.  If these were added a few more maps, a globe, primary charts, and last, but by no means least, a dictionary, the school would be pretty well equipped. Mr. C. has good order, but fair methods, he has not all the modern improvements.   He has fair success.

No district mentioned , (presumed to be Sheridan Township) -- Miss Ifie Espey, teacher.  Began October 22nd; term four months.  Grade of certificate, 3rd class; wages $29.  Number enrolled 18; present 14.  This is Miss Espey’s first term and she is doing quite good work for a beginner.  She seems much interested in her work.  This school has several good maps; also the wreck of a once good globe.  A new coal scuttle and fire shovel with a stove to match, would add greatly to the convenience and appearance of the school. 

Pattersonville School. – Miss Paulina Rutledge, principal and teacher in ‘A’ room.  Began September 19th; Term five months.  Grade of certificate,  1st class; wages $50.  Number enrolled, 49; present, 17.   The prevalence of scarlet fever in the early part of the winter very seriously interfered with the school.  The school was closed for four weeks and the attendance since has not been so good, and consequently the interest has not been so great.  Miss Rutledge has good discipline and considering the circumstances, appears to have quite good success.   The school is poorly furnished with apparatus.

Primary Department, -- Miss Cromer, teacher.   Began September 19th; term five months.  Grade of certificate, 1st class;  wages $35.  Number enrolled, 56, present 17.   This room is more seriously affected by prevailing sickness than the other.  The attendance since the reopening of the school has been quite small.  The primary work is new to Miss Cromer and as a natural consequence her methods and success are not quite so good as may reasonably be expected of those who have had much experience.  This room is not so well furnished with apparatus as it should be. 

 Educational

School Visiting  by the County Superintendent

  From the Sioux County Herald of February 21, 1884

District No. 8, Lincoln township – Miss Cornelia Chapin,  teacher.  Began November 12th; Term four months. Grade of certificate, 1st Class; wages $35.  Number enrolled, 19; present 14.  This school has a larger attendance this term than for the past two or three years.  Miss Chapin has good discipline.  Methods are fair.  The pupils seem interested in their work.  The school house is comfortable and has a good black board and one map. 

District No. 7, Lincoln township, -- Mrs. Lucinda Ray, teacher.  Began January 28th;  term nine weeks.  Grade of certificate, 2nd class; wages $28.  Number enrolled, 18, present 14.  Mrs. Ray is finishing the unexpired term begun by Mr. Wilber Coffee.  The school was closed on account of scarlet fever, in the early part of the winter.  It being uncertain when school might again begin, Mr. Coffee and director Barth, by mutual consent, cancelled their contract and Mr. C. took a school in West Branch township. 

District No. 7, Sheridan Township, -- Miss Allie Newton,  teacher.   Began October 22nd; term four months.  Grade of certificate, 2nd class; wages $32.  Number enrolled, 37; present 15.  Miss Newton has the largest enrollment of all the rural schools I have so far visited.  The school was closed three weeks, owing to the prevalence of scarlet fever.  The attendance at present is small.  Miss Newton has good discipline, quite good methods and very good success.  The school house is in a dilapidated condition; but the director is, to some extent, excusable as it is the intention of the district to build a new house in the spring.  However, a door-latch and several window lights would add greatly to the convenience and comfort of the school and would cost but a trifle. 

District No. 1,  Sheridan Township, -- M. B. Bennett,  teacher.  Began December 15th; term three months.  Grade of certificate, 2nd class; wages $31.  Number enrolled, 10; present, 8.  Mr. Bennett is doing good work. The school house is in good, comfortable condition and is pretty well furnished.  They have four good maps. 

District No. 2, Sheridan Township, -- Miss Maria Laughlin,  Teacher.  Began December 3rd; term three months.  Grade of certificate, 2nd class; wages $31.  Number enrolled, 17; present 9.  Miss Laughlin has pretty good order; methods are not quite up to the standard. 

District No. 1,  Settler Township,  - Miss Lilly Paxton, teacher.  Began December 3rd; term three months.  Grade of certificate, 2nd class; wages $35.  Number enrolled, 10; present 8.  There being no school house in this district, Mr. Herman Kindly offered a good, comfortable room in his private residence for school purposes.  Miss Paxton has quite good methods and good success.  Director N. C. Shove has not visited the school.

District No. 6,  Settler Township, -- There has been no school in this district this winter.  Children are all small so it was decided to have three months summer school and a three months fall term and no winter school.  Director A. C. Abell has his school house in splendid condition. 

District No. 2,  Settler Township, -- Miss May Weld, teacher.  Began December 3rd; term four months.  Grade of certification, 2nd class; wages $35.  Number enrolled 9;  present, 7.   Miss Weld has good methods and good success.  The school house is in need of door steps and banking.  The coal house needs some repairs.  Mr. Weld, director.

District No. 4,  Settler township, -- N. J. Skewer, teacher.  Began January 22nd; term two months.  Number enrolled 13; present 9.  Mr. Skewer is finishing the term begun by Mr. Alva Hill.  Discipline a little below par;  methods pretty good.  Director S. O. Groth has visited the school. Coal house door is broken and should be repaired.

District No. 5, Settler Township, -- Miss Jessie L. Stage, teacher.  Began January 2nd; term three months.  Grade of certificate, 2nd class; wages $35.  Number of enrolled, 18;  present, 9.  Miss Stage has good discipline and methods.  This school has a good, large, old-fashioned wood stove and wood for fuel.  This is the first word stove I have found in the schools, and it brought fond recollections of early school days in Wisconsin. 

District No. 7, Settler township, -- O. H. Avery, teacher.  Began September 17th; term five months.   Grade of certification, 1st class;  wages $40.  Number enrolled, 10; present, 5.  Mr. Avery has taught his school seventeen months and the condition of the school is a good argument in favor of securing a good teacher paying good wages and retaining the teacher as long as possible.  Mr. Orlando Waldorf, director, has visited the school. 

District No. 8, Settler township, --  L. M. Hollingsworth, teacher.  Began September 17th; term seven months.  Grade of certificate 1st class; wages $40. Number enrolled 15; present, 13.  This is the first term of school in this district.  Mr. Hollingsworth has good discipline, good methods and good success. Mr. O. Waldorf, director.

District No. __, Settler township. – Miss Lizzie Robison, teacher.  Began February 4th; term four weeks; wages $35.  Number enrolled, 4; present 4.  Miss Robison ha a very small school.  She has good methods and her pupils are doing well. 

And now I have a good word for the school officials and patrons of Settler township.  They have the best school house; keep them in better condition; have more apparatus; and with one exception pay better wages than any other township I have yet visited.  The consequence is, by the exercise of good judgment on the part of the directors.  They experience but little trouble in securing good teachers, and consequently have good schools.  Other townships can do as well if they try. 

                 Educational

                   School Visiting by the County Superintendent

                  From the Sioux County Herald of March 13, 1884

District No. 5, Sheridan Township, -- Mrs. Shope, teacher.  Began January 7; term three months. Grade of certificate 2nd class; wages $31.  Number enrolled, 12; present 7.  Mrs. Shope has good order and quite good methods; some of her pupils are quite well advanced.  The school house needs banking and the school is in need of a dictionary.

District No. 9,  Boyden School, Sheridan Township, -- Miss Anna Grenolds, teacher.  Began November 5th; term five months.  Grade of certificate 1st class; wages $34. Number enrolled, 34, present 31.  Miss Grenolds has splendid methods and good success in instructing, but there is a lack of discipline; and I am inclined to believe that in this particular some of the patrons are more at fault than the teacher. I do not mean to say nor even insinuate that all in the district are at fault; it may be that only a few, and it may be that none are at fault; it may be the fault of circumstances, and even if the fault were traced home to some of the patrons it might prove to have originated from a misapprehension of their relation to their teacher.  There are many in every district, who do not understand how much influence they wield over the condition of the school, either for good or evil by the instructions they give their children at home.  I will give, in connection with this, a letter from “A School Teacher.” On the Parents Influence.   (There follows an article on the parents influence on student behavior at school.  The submitter has chosen not to include this article at this time as in does not related directly to the school visiting.  It is obvious that Miss Grenolds in the Boyden school had some issues with discipline of students stemming from home influence.)

                         Educational

                                School Visiting by the County Superintendent

                                   From the March 20, 1884  Sioux County Herald

District No. 2, Lincoln township – Miss Georgiann Forbes teacher.  Began November 19; term four months.  Grade of certificate, 3rd class; wages $26.  Number enrolled, 18, present 9.  Miss F. has fair methods and quite good order. She lacks self-confidence and seems slightly discouraged in her work; having lost four weeks time on account of ill health, and two weeks on account of the prevalence of scarlet fever in this town ship, which broke up the term badly.  The school house is in fair condition and has a respectable amount of apparatus.  Mr. Julius Seegar, director. 

District No. __, Lincoln township – Miss Mary Donnan teacher.  Began January 28th; term three months.  Grade of certificate,  3r class; wages $26.  Number enrolled, 7 present 5.   Miss D. is going quite good work.  The school house is in a very dilapidated condition.  It has been “moved” no less than three times, so I am informed, and is much the worse for wear; and to make a bad matter worse, there has been no director in this district this winter to look after its interest.  Mr. Frank Doty has been elected director in the sub-district, and we have good reasons to hope for a better condition of things in the future.

Center School,  Welcome Township – T. W. Latta, teacher.  Began November 9th; term, five months.  Grade of Certificate, 2nd class; wages $32.  Number enrolled, 11; present 4.  Mr. L. has quite good methods, and a good deal of instructive ability.  The school is destitute of apparatus; otherwise in good condition.  Director J. A. Auperlee has not visited the school.

District No. __ Vande Berg School Welcome township – C. N. Sawyer, teacher.  Began October 22; term six months.  Grade of certificate 2nd class; wages $33.5.  Number enrolled, 18, present 8.  Mr. S. has had a good deal of experience in teaching in this county, and seems to have quite good success.  This school is also destitute of apparatus.  It is to be hoped that Welcome township will supply her school as soon as she can afford to.  John Vande Berg, director, has visited the school twice. 

District No. 2, Rock Township, was closed for the term when I called consequently can make not report.

Independent District of Rock Valley – Geo. W. Harris, principal.  Began September 24; term, six months.  Grade of certificate, 1st Class;  wages $55. Number enrolled 36; present 26.  Mr. Harris uses the latest methods of instruction and meets with success in the work.  He gives a good deal of attention to industrial work in the school.  Upon the whole, Mr. H. is doing very good work.  

Primary Department – Miss Viola Coutts, teacher.  Began September 24; term six months.  Grade of certificate, 3rd class;  wages $40.  Number enrolled 46; present 31.  Miss Coutts is only a beginner in the primary work, but works with a will and energy that will bring with it success.  She has quite good methods and good discipline.  Rock Valley justly prides herself in having as good a school house as there is in the county.  It is well arranged for convenience and comfort; but that color, boys, to use a slang phrase, “gives it away.” The school is, as yet, poorly provided with apparatus. 

‘South Ward” school, Independent district of Rock Valley -  Miss Emma E. Laudie, teacher.  Began  January 13; term, three months.  Grade of certificate, 3rd class; wages $35.  Number enrolled, 5 present 5.  There being no school house in this part of the district, Mr. Roberts offered the use of a room in his dwelling house for school purposes.  This is Miss Lundie’s first experience in teaching; but she is doing very good work.  Her school has neither dictionary, maps or globe.

District No. 4, township of Rock – C. W. Kent, teacher.  Began December 3rd; term four months.  Grade of certificate, 1st class; wages $30. Number enrolled, 20; present, 7.  Mr. K. is one of the ‘pioneer’ teachers of Sioux County and has won a good reputation was a teacher.  He is doing good work although some of his methods are not quite up with the times; he has natural tact and originality to make up for the deficiencies.  The school is properly supplied with apparatus.  The district township of Rock support but two schools and pays $30 per month for first class teachers. 

            Educational

         School Visiting by the County Superintendent

                From the March 27, 1884  Sioux County Herald

District No. __, West Branch township – Miss Julia Forbes teacher.  Began October 22; term five and one-half months. Grade of certificate, 2nd class;  wages $35.  Number enrolled, 34; present 27.  Miss Forbes has very good methods and seems to have quite good success in her work.  The order was not quite perfect, but I judge surrounding circumstances have been conducive to those results.  The school house, though comparatively new, is a very cold one, and it was necessary for the scholar to gather about the stove to keep from freezing, and as a natural consequence the school contracted the habit of noisiness.

Independent District of Grant township; School No. 6 – Miss Mina Parker teacher. Began December 10th; term four months.  Grade of certificate, 1st class; wages $35.  Number enrolled, 20;  present, 12.   Miss Parker is very much interested in her work; has good methods, good discipline, and as a natural consequence has good success in her work.  The school house is well planned and constructed for convenience and comfort; it is one of the best country school houses in the county.  It is as yet not very well furnished with apparatus but it is to be hoped it soon will be.

School No. 6, Independent District of Grant township – Miss Flora Parker teacher.  Began November 27; term four months.  Grade of certificate, 1st class; wages $35. Number enrolled, 18; present, 13.  Miss Parker has taught several terms in this township and, like her sister, has won a good reputation as a teacher.  The school house needs a little repairing.  Nearly half the plastering has fallen off, and the plastering overhead is loose in places, making it dangerous for those in the room.  A few cloak-hooks would add greatly to the conveniences of the school.  The school has several good map; etc.

School No. 1, Independent District of Grant Township – E. J. Bishop, teacher.  Began November 26; term four months.  Grade of certificate, 2nd class; wages $30.  Number enrolled, 7; present, 5.  Mr. Bishop does not like the work, has become dissatisfied with himself as a teacher and discouraged with what seems to him his poor success.  The school house is one of the “pioneer’ houses, is small and not of the latest and most improved pattern, but it is not to be condemned for that.  It was as good a house as the “pioneers” could at the time build, and it has answered the purpose for which it was intended and with proper care will still do so for a time.  It is not well furnished with apparatus.   

School No. 2, Independent District of Grant township -  N. E. Williams teacher.  Began December 3rd; term four months.  Grade of certificate, 1st class; wages $35. Number enrolled, 17; present 10.  Mr. Williams has good methods, good discipline, and his success is far above the average.  But Mr. W., like other of our good teachers, is going away to follow some other vocation, because there isn’t enough money in teaching.  The house is in a very good and comfortable condition, but is also poorly supplied with apparatus.

School No. 4. Independent District of Grant Township – Miss Edith Bishop teacher.  Began December 3r; term four months.  Grade of certificate, 1st class; wages $35. Number enrolled, 21, present 16.  Miss Bishop has very good methods and seems to have very good success in instructing, but lacks a little in firmness and consequently the order is not perfect.  The school house is small and in a rather dilapidated condition but I understand a new one is soon to take its place.