In view of the wonderful results below referred to the following table of progress becomes a vital,
living tabulation of important and now existent activities, rather thdn mere dry statistics:
- - -.- ■ " ' " - —
Value of public school property....
Value of new school buildings ereoted during year.
Number of new school buildings erected during year.
Average value for each new school building ....
Annual expenditures for school purposes.
Balance on baud at close of year.
Number of teachers employed...
Average annual salary paid teachers.
Pupils In dally attendance (average for year)...
Length of school term (average for state)..
For Year Btotfln* For Ye*r finding
June 30, 1908. Juno 30, 1913. increase.
- ■ ■>'■■■ —— --*•
$ 4,856,856 $10,914,128 $6,057,272
504,710 1,019,133 614,417
307 346 39
1,644 2,945 1,301
2,637,122 4,279,478 1,742,356
1,166,887 1,480,274 314,387
8,297 10,234 x 1,937
244 330 86
232.670 278,929 46,259
94 days 127 days » 33 days
The increase in school attendance aud in the length of school term Tor 1913, over that for 1908, is equivalent
to the complete common school education of 12,146 children.
M*~ ARVKLOIJS, even start
ling, Is tlw> progress made
by the public schools In
__Arkansas during the past
five years. The State De
partment of Public In
struction has prepared a scries of
I tables and charts which tell a story
l of unequaled advancement.
Hive years ago, when State Superin
tendent Cook talked of ‘‘consolidated
rural schools and transportation of
pupils’* ho had to stop to define these
terms and carefully explain. Now
these things are accomplished facts.
I^aBt year one hundred weak rural
school districts combined into larger,
practical working units and a score
of wagonettes aro daily hauling pupils
to and from modern schools located
i in a number of the erstwhile “back
l vroodB” districts.
With the consolidated, graded rural
schools has come on awakening for
* good roads. Wagonettes loaded with
children cannot make schedule time
to and from school through quagmire
and raln-gullled roads. In Poinsett
county the boys in the rural sohools
are having a contest with priv.es to
bt» awarded those schools wiucn nave
the most successfully •'split-log drag
, ed’’ road passing the school.
The Boys’ Corn Club and Cotton
i Clubs and Girls Canning and Poultry
■ Clubs have covered the state and the
already visible returns are beyond cal
, eula on. The first corn club move
j ment wns started In the office of the
i state superintendent in 1908. The
literature was written there and the
reporta came to the state superiu
| tendeut. In 1909 Superintendent Geo.
, B. Cook, personally, wrote the first
prise list offered to boy corn growers
In Arkansas and he arranged with the
Arkansas State Pair of 1909 for the
first corn show. This was the begiu
, nlng but the end Is not yet.
When Mr. Cook took charge of the
educational department of the state In
1908, the office force consisted of one
deputy and clerk. He became a Moses
tor the educational interests of Arkan
sas and smote the rock of foreign capi
tal. with the result that he has boon
able to administer for the good of the
public schools no less than 1100,000
and he has thus been able to support
for the state a state high school in
apeotor, two rural school supervisors
and a state organ tier of school Im
provement associations.
I The definite beginning was made
probably by the organlaatlon of the
Arkansas Education Commission, fi
nanced without cost to the state. This
commission conducted a state-wide
publicity campaign. The school needs
were set forth, tlie state awoke, pulpit
and preBS took up the cry; and the
Legislature of 1911 responded by pass
ing a series of constructive, progres
sive educational statutes that will
cause that General Assembly to live
In history. A stake Board of Hkluoatlou
was created; State Aid to high acbools
wus granted; consolidation of weak
schools and transportation of pupils
were authorised; the county supertn
tendency law was clarified; compulsory
school attendance was extended as far
as practicable; an art was passed for
the standard Italian of colleges.
Results followed quickly, and axe
continuing to follow at an ever in
creasing ratio—a ratio that will soon
give Arkansas the place she deserves
high in the galaxy of honor in the
sisterhood of states. It can bo safely
stated that Arkansas is progressing
more rapidly than any other state in
the union, but the gseat campaign that
Is now to be waged is that for Increas
ed school revenues.
This school progress has not been
at hazard, showing here and there,
but it has been a consistent logical
muth »lih definite nnruosn of
building up a strong state school sys
tem and giving a “square deal" to the
boys and girls in rural communities.
The course of study for elementary
and high schools has been revised.
Agriculture has been made a required
subject, also hygiene, and tho teach
ing of these subjects has been made
personal, practical and definite. The
trend of the entire school system has
been, to a marked degree, toward the
practical, to make of all the youth,
trained useful citizens health, happi
ness and helpfulness are displacing
the three K's.
Outside the few larger cities, the f
high schools were found to be few. ;
weak and without standard, some were
labeled high schools, others academies, j
colleges or even universities, many
were prifately maintained. Fewer than
five thousand were attending all these !
secondary schools. State aid was ap
plied In 1911-12, ninety-three schools
were aided, last year aid was given
116 schools and this year aid is being
extended 143 schools. The high school
has become the "Peoples’ College.” The
attendance has increased three hun
dred per cent. During the two fears
of state aid. 3.392 pupils from rural
districts attended the state-aid schools,
agriculture was taught to 4,080 pupils
and those preparing to teach number
ed 2,645 and there Is a still greater at
tendance for the current year.
Making the rural schools practical
is not a theory any more, but a fact.
More than fifty county and school
fairs in the state this fall showed ex
hibits from the rural and village
schools, not only of drawings and
literary work, but sewing, cooking,
carpentry and iron work; records of
crops raised, compositions on personal
hygiene, community sanitation, disease
prevention, and many practical phases
of home economics and husbandry,
based on observation and personal ex
perience. "Rural School Graduation
Day” Is observed in many counties.
Yet. this is but the beginning.
MADE EFFECTIVE CAROM SHOT.
Remarkable Feat of Marksmanship
That Is Credited to a Texan
of Kentucky Decent.
Shooting to kill Is notoriously a fine
art both lu Kentucky and Texas. No
wonder, then, that the best shot of
that sort on record should have been
made by a Texan of Kentucky decent.
\Ye may call him Hank. His enemieB,
however, had other names for htm. It
was, In fact, because a particular one
of these enemies, commonly known as
Tnrm hnH inin thia mat.
ter of nomenclature that Hank had
extra-oiled his six-shooters and gone
out to take a walk in the cool of the
evening.
Torm was warned, and with his six
shooters also extra-oiled, entrenched
himself behind one of the solid
brick pillars of the courthouse porch.
It was past dusk and the swinging
kerosene lamp in the porch failed to
illuminate the gloom of the village
street whsre Hank was with his bat
tery, while it made an easy target of
a human head poked from behind the
pillar, as it must be if the owner were
to do any effective shooting on his
own account. Torm wisely stuck be
hind the pillar. Hank maneuvered in
vain. Wherever he stood, the pillar
was between him and every bit of
Torm. At last he gave vent to his
disgust in tkeee words, distinctly over
hoard by the listeners well under
cover across the road:
"I see I've got to try a carom shot
or 1*11 never get the coyote.”
He carefully selected his position,
took aim at a certain spot, on the brick
wall behind the pillar, and pulled the
trigger. The bullet went true to the
mark, ricocheted, caught Torm in the
side of the head, and killed him where
he stood.
The story is vouched for by a mem
ber of the Republican party in Texas.
—New York Evening Post.
FARM NOTES.
Spraying is insurance.
Use care in setting plants.
Spray the orchard thoroughly
Alfafa makes a fair grade of silage.
The gardener Is no better than his
toold.
Overworking will make butter look
Hke lard.
It lways takes pounds of feed to
make pounds of butter-fat.
A weed is a plaut out of place. Too
thick sowing make* weeds.
Sweep up every particle of silage In
the chute and alleyway and give it to
the cows at every feeding.
The corn belt has its champions,
aud so. too, have the cotton and the
wneat belts, but the leather belt Is
universally popular in the good old
summer time.
It is the clean wool that brings the I
best prices. There is nothing to be j
gained by handling anything but first
class wool. If dirty, it pays to clean it.
Has the seed corn 90 per coat or
better germinationt
A half pint of carbolic acid in two I
gallons of water makes a good disin- |
fectant for any purpose.
Fine rotten manure from the stables I
may be applied with great benefit '
to grass if spread early.
Try a few moth balls in the nesting
material of setting hens and the ver
min will be less troublesome.
The digestive powers of the heg are
the feeder's foundation of success.
Work in the potato patch may be
gin as soon as planting is fUuahwd.
use the harrow first.
Bad Teeth And Tuberculosis- 1
By Theodora Carter, President <
Society of Good Cheer. I
Bad teeth and tuberculosis go
hand in hand; gathering a har- 1
vest yearly that is appalling. So i
true is the above statement that I
if fhe facts were fully realized <
every child in our country would 1
he compelled to submit to a den
tal examination before being ac
cepted as a pupil.
It is estimated along scientific <
investigated lines that theie aie
upward of 9,000,000 children
with bad teeth in the public
schools, and only a portion of
them receive treatment or at
tention.
Now, just listen to S. Adol
phus Knopf, M. D„ in New
York Medical Journal: “Impair
ed digestion is often one of the
first symptoms of tuberculosis,
and this impaired digestion is
not infrequently due to a bad
condition of the teeth.
Ulcerated teeth may give en
trance into the bones to tuber
or ingested, or as a result of sec
ondary infection- It is almost
impossible to cure tuberculosis
patients with no teeth or with
bad teeth.
The lack of dental care in
childhood has often brought a
bout a general malnutrition, ane
mia and chlorvanenia, malform
ation of the maximillary bones
resulting from the loss of teeth,
enlarged and suppurating cervi
cal glands and many other ail
ments.
Bad teeth, decayed teeth, or
the loss of teeth during child
hood, its concomitant discomfort
pain, depression of spirit and
lack of appetite produce that
physiological poverty which ren
ders the delicate system of the
child not only more prone to tu
berculosis, to the invasion of
the germs of serious, acute con
tagious diseases such as meas
les, diphtheria, scarlet fever,
but also susceptib'j to nervous
afflictions such as hysteria, cho
rea and St. Vitus dance.”
Dr. Knopf has nothing to
gain in telling you this— you
could not employ him if you de
sired. He is one of the unchar
tered Good Cheer men that
spend time, money, and a ripe
medical knowledge to assist the
masses free.
You can readily realize that
good teeth in childhood means
freedom from many diseases
and a longer life. Wise mothers
are giving increased attention
to the teeth of youngsters.
Prizes For Compositions
Written by Public School Pupils
on “Why I Like Farm Life.”
State Superintendent Cook an
nounces that he will give four
prizes for the best compositions
on “Why I Like Farm Life.” The
compositions are to be written
by girls and boys in the common
..chool grades and to be read dur
ing the Agriculture and Rural
Life Day program at the School
Friday, December 5th.
Each composition should con
tain from 200 to 300 words. Af
ter the paper has been read dur
ing the program, it must be giv
en to the teacher, who will mail
it to Geo. B. Cook, State Super
intendent of Public Instruction,
Little Rock. The name and ad
dress of the pupil who wrote the
composition must not appear on
the manuscript which shall be
numbered and this number
written opposite the name of the
pupil and sealed in a separate en
velope, which will not be open
ed until the papers have been
graded.
In grading the papers, the use
of English, grammatical con
struction, spelling, punctuation
and neatness will be considered
as well as the logic and age and
grade of the writer.
The teacher should also send
a statement that the composi
tion is sent just as written by
he pupil and the pupil read it
luring the Rural Life Day Pro
gram.
Two dollars will be given to
he girl Having the best compo
lition and two dollars to the boy
laving the best and one dollar
sach to the boy and girl having
he second best papers.
Entertain New Pastor.
Little Rock, Nov. 30.—On Fri
lay evening the members of the
Pulaski Heights Baptist church
;endered a reception to its new
Dastorand his wife, the Rev. and
Mrs. E. P. J. Garrott- E. A.
Kingsley was master of cere
monies, and after giving briefly
i history of the organization of
the church he introduced the
Rev. Dr. Christian, secretary of
the State Mission Board, who in
a very able manner, welcomed
the coming of the pastor and
gave words of encouragement to
dim and to the congregation.
Dr. Christian was followed by
the Rev- Sam Campbell of the
Second Baptist church, who
spoke on behalf of the other
Baptist churches of the city.
His address was helpful and ap
preciative. To* these addresses
af welcome J. 0. Johnson, who
is chairman of the Board of Dea
cons of the Pulaski Heights
r.n,nvVi wVin rpsnnnded. assured
those present of the apprecia
tion of the kind words of en
couragement and uplift.
The pastor, the last speaker
of the evening, pledged his loyal
support to the work, and ex
pressed his thanks for the court
esies which have been shown
him and for the assurance of the
hearty co-operation which had
been expressed by those pres
ent- After the singing of a
hymn the audience retired to the
church parlors, where refresh
ments were served. The Rev.
and Mrs. Garrott are now locat
ed in their new home at 224
North Pine Street.
Why Buy At Home.
Almost anyone can give one or
more good and sufficient reasons
for buying what he wants and
can pay for at home, and from
his local merchants, but it is not
often that one can recall as many
reasons, and state them as suc
cintly and cogently, as did a gen
tleman in a neighboring city,
who, when asked his reason for
buying at home said:
“I buy at home—
“Because my interests are
here.
“Because the community that
is good enough for me to live in
is good enough for me to buy
in.
“Because I believe in transact
ing business with my friends.
“Because I want to see the
goods.
“Because I want to get what I
buy when I pay for it.
“Because every dollar I spend
at home stays at home, and
works for the welfare of the
town.
“Because the man I buy from
stands back of the goods.
“Because I sell what I produce
here at home.
“Because the man I buy from
pays his part of the town, coun
ty and state taxes.
“Because the man I buy from
gives value received always.
“Because the man I buy from
helps support my church, my
lodge, my home.
Because when ill-luck, mis
fortune or bereavement comes,
the man I buy from is here with
his kindly greeting, his words of
cheer, and his pocketbook, if
need be.”
In other words, and leaving all
other considerations aside, en
lightened selfishness, the iden
tical enlightened selfishness that
causes a public official to give
his best and most assiduous ser
vices to his constituents, should
cause a man to buy at home, be
cause his neighbors are his con
stituents and patrons in the lar
ger sense. When ^7®
Wh0 he,P us we PuteitHB
PT’' 10 h‘I?) us ell a ■
T ty1'. l,*» toward*
so. We receive but J ®
lmproMd
Washington, J) r 7^®
Every five yMr3 ’“*■
Suites Iti-tKiri f'
!C roady t!>kes a censAl
,c road "d'«,ee 8n„ «m
tares m the v„rions sta J|
first census v. as taken >1
the second. in 1909, and ■
next one is soon to ^ I
!t 1 ’'Suits of this®
vestigatom will attract 1
wide attention. atB
As a result of the 1909 ceil
it was shown that twenty®
states of the [ nion had!
than 5 per cent of their rj
improved and among thi/j
ber was Arkansas. There!
in Arkansas at that time 1
445 miles of public roads.
Of the total mileage for i<
170 miles were reported surfa
with stone, 537.25 with grai
and 378 miles with sand-cl
making a total of 1,085.25 mi
of improved ”oads. There«
no sand-clay roads reported
1904. The total mileage of!
proved roads reported in 1!
was 236, which shows a gain]
849.25 miles for the 5 year pel
oci between 1904-1909. |g|.
It appears from these fignrB
that 2.97 per cent of the roaH
in Arkansas were improved®!
the close of 1909, while ini!
only 0.64 per cent were repo!
ed improved, which indica I
gain of 2.33 percent for this pi
Forty-five counties report!
no improved roads. 22 counti|
reported less than 10 per ce|
improved roads, 6 counties rl
ported between 10 and 19 pi
cent improved, while one corn®
ty, Craighead, reported 22.®
per cent improved, and oil
county, Pulaski, reported 61®
per cent improved roads. 9
While the Department h®
frequently pointed out the ben®
ficial effect of good roads on till
value of land, the hauling ol
crops and school and church a®
tendance, improved roads arl
igan, the population decrease®
on population. 1
In 25 counties selected at ran!
dom, in Alabama, Arkansas!
Mississippi, Missouri, Illinois
Indiana, Iowa, Maine and Mich
gan, the population decrease!
from 1890 to 1900 at the rati
of 31,120 per county, or a total
for the 25 counties of 786,823
These same counties showed an
average of 65 per cent im
proved roads. In 25 other coun
ties selected in the same states,
an increase in population was
shown for the same period of
time of 778,383, an average of
31,905 for each county. Forty
per cent of the roads of thfcse
counties were improved.
Milk-Fed Chickens. ■
Special to Independent. H
Little Rock, Dec. l.-LitM
Rock will feast on milk e ■
chicken after the first of th ■
year, the Arkansas Produce ■
Company having sent a repre-Bj
sentative to Michigan t°. I
the methods used there in a ■
tening chickens on milk. tt ^ |
been demonstrated that e ■
style of forcing food into 1
craw of chickens, stuffing 1
so full that they would sleep I
day in the dark cellars in wh I
they were kept, is a failure, I
the milk fed chicken is the ■
iest fad. The local company * I
put in sanitary coops J I
have a double bottom, o
a light screen, sufficient
ten two cars of chw^® who
time. The representative
has gone north will ■ak y
the methods of packing ^
the large poultry houses,
der that the chicken
from Little Rock may bring
prices.