10
CROOK COUNTY JOURNAL'S ANNUAL NUMBER.
dustry, and thus add largely to our wealth
producing elements. It will also be seen
that the culture of this plant is destined to
materially change the p.esent aspect of the
county in regard to population. For, with
twenty acres of land set to alfalfa, yielding
annually 100 tons of the very best quality
of hay, with a reasonable amount of out
lying pasture land, no man of ordinary in
dustry and care can help but sustain him
self and family. When the vast amount of
available lands are considered which are
adapted to the raising of alfalfa within
the limits of Crook county, it is apparent
that this once sparsely settled region is
soon destined to sustain a heavy population.
With a population doubled and trebled,
comes the necessity of one or more rail
roads. With the railroads, come the mod
ernized ideas of living and trade, quicker
and smaller profits, a .more ready yielding
to the regulations and conventional ties of
society, cheaper living and lower wages
on the whole, a new era, a changed lot. Is
it for the best? Yes, in the aggregate. No,
for those who were first here.
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PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Crook County is divided into foity school
districts. Each district is under the con
trol of a school board consisting of three
directors and a clerk chosen by the pat
rons and taxpayers of the district, the di
rectors to serve three years and the clerk
one year. A director and a clerk are
chosen each year.
These school boards are under the super
vision of the county school superintendent.
The revenue for school purposes is de
rived from the following sources:
1. From the irreducible state fund.
I
HAWKINS BROTHERS' SAWMILL.
which is kept up by the sale of school
land.
2. From a tax of 5 mills on all taxable
property in the county.
3. A special tax may be voted by the
taxpayers in a district upon the real and
personal property in that district.
The school funds are apportioned to the
districts on the first Monday of January,
April, July and October of each year, ac-
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cording to the number of children drawing
school money in each district. There are
1068 children drawing school money at
present in this county.
The schools of this county are now be
ing graded, or classified, according to the
course of study issued by the state board
of education -.Prineville, the county seat,
has an excellent graded school of 105 pu
pils, which is now under the management
of Prof. F. M. Mitchell and three assistants.
The schools are all very well supplied
with apparatus and a number have started
libraries, consisting of books of reference
and supplementary reading.
Crook County has 42 teachers, nine of
which hold state certificates or diplomas.
A more progressive band of workers could
hardly be found in any part of the state.
They, as well as the majority of Oregon,
are striving to place their state in a posi
tion second to none in educational work in
the West.
The teachers of Crook County receive
better salaries than ever before. In 1897
the average salary paid a male teacher was
$34.25; a female teacher, $25.15; in 1898
we find this raised to $38.40 and $33.50;
in 1899, to $41.65 and $34.60, and in 1900
to $42.20 and $38.66. This, shows that an
interest is being taken in educational mat
ters, and that the people of this county ap
preciate the work of good teachers.
An annual institute for teachers is held
each year, and a great interest is also be
ing manifested in local institute work.
ASSESSMENTS AND TAXATION.
CLINE FALLS.
An examination of the bcoks of the treas
urer of this county shows lhat there are
warrants outstanding not called in to the
amount of about $8000, and it Is estimated
that there remains on the delinquent rolls
about $2000 that is collectible and that
will be collected. The rate of taxation for
the year 1899 was for state purposes 6 3-10
mills. The year previous it was 5 7-10 mills,
(