for them all, often numbering more than one hundred, all under the watchful eye of one of the 'professors.'

Be that as it may, they were given practical instruction in the problems dealing particularly with life in the farm, knowledge that served them all through their lives. They paid their own tuition; their transportation was their own two legs; their lunch was carried in their pockets. What a long way boys and girls have come! Today they have free tuition, as far as the individual child is concerned; a bus picks him up at his door, takes him to school in the morning and home again in the evening; he has a hot lunch served him at noon; a nurse to guard his health; the advantages of athletics, industrial arts, music and dramatics, besides the required schedule of classes.

The first formal 'commencement' was held in June 1886, at which time a class of eight young men and women received their diplomas. In the intervening years, almost 430 young people have completed the required course of study, and become alumni of Ossian high school. (As of 1950) Many have continued into higher institutions of learning and have taken their places in the fields of higher education, theology, medicine, the arts, sciences and industry.

A few interesting facts gleaned from the old records reveal that the total cost of operation in the year 1875—1876 was $1,182.90. This included the salaries of the two teachers, and 'good, dry, hard wood' for the heating stoves. Not much else was needed.

At the annual election in March I876, the voters expressed their desire to have the German language taught in the school. It seems that this was never carried out.

In 1875 the school house was insured for $4,000, at a cost of $41. In 1885 the building and contents were insured for $3,000 for five years for a premium of $50.

In 1884 the board ruled that the teachers be required to collect tuition from non-resident pupils monthly, in advance, and in case of failure to do so, the amount was to be deducted from their salary.

The school building was destroyed by fire in March of I896. Insurance collected was $3,000 and the district was bonded for $5,000 and with this $8,000 to rebuild, the records show that when the building was completed there remained a balance in the building fund of $166.80. (The contract was let to Ranker & Schuler at a figure of $6,430 with a target date for completion in September. Evidently this deadline was met, as we find school board secretary, I. H. DeGraff, advertising for applicants to the position of janitor at the new school that fall. The duties of this job included sawing and splitting ten cords of stove wood.) This new schoolhouse is the present building. However, it was remodeled in 1915 and again in 1937. At the present time, (1950) a gymnasium-auditorium is under construction.

(Old items reveal that during construction of the schoolhouse, classes were held in the Ossian City Hall and the Universalist Church building.)

We hear a great deal now-a-days about teachers' salaries. The records we have show that in 1875 the principal received $65 per month and the primary teacher was paid $20. Besides their teaching duties, each was required to build the necessary fires in his department and to do the sweeping, but not during school hours. There was little future for a teacher as far as salary was concerned, so we must assume that they were in the profession because of their desire to be of service to the children of the community. We note that salaries advanced very slowly, for in 1900 the salary of the principal was $60 and the grade teachers only $30. It was not until 1915 that the principal received as much as $100 a month, high school teachers received $65 and grade teachers $55* ( A letter to the editor, in the June 9>

1898 edition of the Ossian Bee, complains that Ossian school teachers' salary has been reduced from $30 a month to $25, while West Decorah, a much smaller school, has raised their teachers to $32.50. The writer suggests that the local school board be replaced. She signs the letter, " A Winneshiek county school teacher." However this was prior to the days of ERA and public employee unions. We note that the dedicated teacher, Sarah Owens, was not hired by the board in 1899* We can only speculate whether the choice of employment was her's or the board's.)