TIIE SUNDAY OREGOMAN, PORTLAND, SEPTEMBER 18, 1910-
44i
BT ANNA READ
i GOOD-BYE. (if at: mind the
I teacher!" Tour mother said It;
all of our mothers said It. aa
we started to school, that wonderful
flrat time, away back In the misty
long ago.
It max be that our way lay along
the country road to the Uttie one
reomed building where brawny, awk
ward youth and round, wonderful-eyed
hlldhood sat and worked together; or
perhaps It lay along a Tillage or a
Ity street, and your destination waa
that vast barracks the ward school.
Whichever It was. and whether your
hand was held by the protecting one of
his; brother, or sister, or friendly
neighboring; child; whether you h
no one to lead you. or mother herself
snatched a few minutes from the mul
tiplicity of household duties, and took
yon to the door. I am sure, as she
kissed you rood -bye. In a suspiciously
choky voice aha admonlahed you to
"mind the teacher."
Times and method have chang-ed.
but the expressions of mother love
and anxiety are Immutable. So I doubt
not. that of the hundreds of Portland
mothers whose f-year-olds, last lion
day started on the long-, long;, atony
road that leads to knowledge. tew
there ware who ltd not strain "Little
Man" or "Glrlle-Dear" to their bosoms
with that fierce suddenness understood
only by mothers, and whisper the old
admonition.
"My Innocent baby!" may hare been
Inwardly breathed, which was Inez
pueaoie, seems; tnat there was a sor
row larking In it somewhore.
e
No danger to Portland from race sul
side, evidently. By thousands they
fame, Hf blase grammar-grade boys
and girls; the boys jostling, pushing,
crowding, excitedly talking bf track
and team In the husky or the squeaky
tones of adolescence; the girls, coolly
appropriating the pavement's width,
walking with arms Interlocked, reply
ing to the request of the hurrying pe
destrian In the rear to "Please let me
pass." with a hearty "Sure!" followed
by the Inevitable schoolgirl giggle and
a quick resumption of the conversation
In which "he" and "him" already
largely fig-are. Swarms of decorously
moving little "Intermediates." too.
earnestly talking of "deportment
cards." of the Idiosyncrasies of teach
re past, and the possibilities of teach
ars to come.
Pathetic little figures In this hurry
ing school-ward tide of humanity aro
the "beginners" In the vernacular.
Strange that the little feet should
lag now, strange that tha Utile voices,
which have all Summer ohatterlngly
proclaimed to all who would listen.
"N September I am a-goin to school:"
'should be so silent now.
Notice that boy. over there, the one
with the particularly well-groomed
appearance. To his home circle that
boy Is tha Center of tha Universe and
he knows It- For weeks past, to his
t friends, tha car conductor, tha pollce
ftnaa on tha corner, the firemen loung
log In front of the engine-house, has
he swaggerlngly announced his educa
tional Intentions.
Ordinarily Impatient of tha guiding
hand of his mother on his own. today
as they walk toward tha building,
.which they reack all too soon, ha has
forgotten to withdraw It. Ha doesn't
even resent tha obvious reference to
his modish clothes In the "Hullo.
Slaey!" of the freckled-faced boy In
overalls, who lounges, hatefully at
home, against the building. Later, next
week, perhaps, ha may take op the
matter personally with rreckle race,
but Just now his sola desire la llfe'ls
to efface himself completely.
Through the corridors, to that place
of Inquisition known as tha principal's
office, they are taken, these scared bits
- of humanity. Tha experienced stay In
basement and yard awaiting tha gong. ,
in miraculous obedience to which, every
yell and scuffle, every hen-like twitter
of little girl, will die and petrify, and
orderly lines appear where but a mo
ment before chaos reigned.
In the office a process of assorting,
labeling and assigning la going on. and
presently the two or three primary
rooms are each filled with 40 or mora
youngsters, who. If they are not by
this time totally bereft of their senses;
are so abjectly miserable that nothing
really matters.
Exigencies of the seating situation
may require that a little girl be led to
a seat already occupied by a little boy.
This is accepted without resentment
by the girL In her world, that is
perfectly permissible proceeding. Later,
countless, say when she reaches the
third trrade. she will learn that little
boys are very Improper persons, and
only to be mentioned In undertones.
The preliminaries, consisting mainly of
too distribution of census forms and book
lists, are likely to be Interrupted by th
belated arrival of tha Both child In tow
of an excitable and mora or leae
herent mother Who baa ootu personalty
to lay before the teacher a com pi ate
resume of her offspring's Ufa and to com
mend his needs to her particular atten
don.
The composed (If she be expert need)
teacher, mindful of tha just but less as
sertlve claims of tha other 49, with eye
on tha clock and aar attuned to catch
the sound of the dlsmisaal gong, delicately
Interrupts tha anxious mother's harangue
with tha assurance that her child's needs
will be heavily on tha teacher's mind and
will duty receive tha attention their Im
portance claims.
Passing through the aisles, pausing now
and then to pat reassuringly a bobbed
head or a curly one. the teacher knows
by experience that the one agonising de
sire of these llttla ones Is that they be
not noticed or addressed. Ah. if they
could only look up they would see that
she is smiling lovingly and that, after
all. she doesn't look so very different
from mamma, whom they left ages ago
The expected gong sounds, tha children,
most of whom seem firmly rooted to their
seats, are some way pried loose and mar-
ahcJe-d out into the old. familiar world.
and. under the Influence of Its sights and
sounds, galvanised Into life and activity
again.
The next day proves the screnuoslty
of the primary teachers' work. Through
the united efforts of principal, teachers
and Janitors, the straying beginners ara
rounded up In the basement, the girls in
one section, the boys In another. At the
sound of the gong, the roll of the drum
starts the long lines and tha march to tha
room begins.
Such pathetically wobbly lines, thinks
the teacher, as with watohful eyes sha
anticipates tha desperate rush of tha
leaders into the first open doorway.
But she takes courage as sha sees a
squad of small boys come swinging
along in perfect time, glancing at tha
newcomers in lofty condescension. Her
own beginners last February I Come to
think of it, now, those February boys
didn't poiwss half tha marching possi
bilities of these September boys.
That room ward march or running
the gauntlet is almost ended when a
something occurs that brings back yes
terday's terrors.
A man suddenly appears and stands
In critical review of tha panorama of
disappearing lines. Surely, surely.
that must be he, tha "PTineerpuV
rumors of whose authority and prowess
had filtered Into their llttla world
through tha conversation of boys who
knew.
To ba sura, tha less timid, gathering
courage to lift tnelr eyes, see a mas
who looks much like papa when ha Is
wearing his best elotbes and who ac
tually appears to ba smiling at tha for
lorn, straggling line of newcomers.
But then you have heard that there
is no knowing which way a cat mar
ump. so why ba too oock-rure of a
VrtTff A.
liitil I Every Portland Parent Will I jp B-, I Alffci
mlfem I Rognizethe Scenes and Recall I VA V
yy the EmotionsWhen He or I
I' l; t s. i f ': f VrCJ t A flllll 1 1 , V n.t . ff f- :a VV.Tv?! JJ"' 1 -Kt, fr7MVSZr . '-AW I mtZMtM&lin I IVk Tssw U ?(I8 t
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princlpul! And it were well to be wary.
Turning suddenly, that principal dis
covers a tall boy In a magnificent state
of relaxation, and, keeping time to the
drum's music, he turns, seises the
aforesaid and surprised tall boy by the
coat collar, thrusts him into tho outer
darkness represented by the Office.
Shuddering, the line passes into the
welcoming' shelter of the room indicat
ed by the teacher tha room which but
yesterday seemed to shut them out
from everything they knew, everyone
they loved.
see
To be In possession of a seat and a
shiny yellow desk all your own; to be
shown how to arranfre tha books papa
brought home last night in your desk,
the books in tha left, the paint box
with Its wonder possibilities in the
right, would drive the ache out of the
heart of any (-year-old.
The Three Bears and Llttla Red Rid
ing Hood presently appear under the
mellowing influence engendered by the
knowledge that these are mutual ac
quaintances, llttla tongues begin to re
lax and husky whispers- or explosive
shouts take the place of yesterday's
stony silence. Things are beginning
to look encouraging in the primary
room. Suddenly a wall smites tha air. A
little girl desperately makes a frank
revelation of physical needs, and is
hurriedly led basement wards by an ef
ficient maiden of seven Summers, who,
having failed to pass last term, is
technically known as a "Left-over."
The little boys look conscious,' tha
little girls sit with burning cheeks and
averted eyes. Mamma has prepared
for this catastrophe by saying that dire
necessity must be whispered in the
teacher's ear.
Presently number is delicately intro
duced, while standing around a coun
ter table whereon are heaps of new
pink and blue gunwads, whloh one mo
ment ara made to masquerade as lively
members of the animal kingdom and
the next to throw off the disguise and
appear as luscious fruit or succulent
vegetables.
A play period in which one may
stand in the aisles, pick up great hand
fuls of snow and hurl them in balls at
the teacher and the next moment with
a magnificent disregard for consistency
reach up, up, and pick Imaginary fruit
from imaginary trees wonderfully
rests little bodies which have yet 'to
learn restraint.
Later, under the name of gymnastics,
these exercises become mora formal,
and the teacher la likely to look very
sober. Indeed, if, on the occasion of
tha physical director's monthly visit,
ha notes a lack of proficiency In their
performance.
A rudimentary reading lesson in
Which chalk ably abets the teacher by
"talking" on the board is none the less
Instructive because the children believe
it only another fascinating game.
Oh, they are learning, those little,
little ones! And some things It were
as well not to learn, thinks the teacher,
as she seems not to see a boy In the
back row slyly pinoh a boy in front.
The boy In front endures it now, with
a lump in his throat. But something
in his appearance leads the teacher to
think that soon, say about next week
education and courage will have ad
vanced him to the point where he can
look straight ahead In rapt attention,
the while he kicks unerringly In the
rear.
The gong sounds the Imminence of
recess. Capably assisted by the afore
mentioned maiden of . seven summers
and three or four associate "Left
overs," the teacher hustles the child
ren out of their seats, and the march
to the basement begins, little girls
streaking off In one direction, littl
boys in another. Decorously they file,
those lines of bigger boys and girls,
until thev reach aa evidently ire
scribed spot; then with leap and yell
and squeal they hurl themselves into
the general surge.
Not so our little friends. In pro
tectlng- nooks they gather, watching in
fascinated awe the mad riot. One with
momentary boldness ventures near the
arena and is presently pounced upon
by a little bully from an intermediate
grade. A big boy, wearing a ball mitt,
seeing his distress, advances toward
the bully with menacing eye and truc
ulent tone. His authoritative "Aw, cut
it out. kid!" effects the speedy relief
of the frightened one.
WASCO COUNTY AGRICULTURAL EXHIBITS AMAZE EVElf OLD-TIMERS.
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h " ' ifi til ' : ? i i ufr
k- - t til. h ' .J, ?f f I 4 : ' ' 1 I -li -5 I
T""-i lii'tsii" 4 . t- ' " h v "et ' :' - $ :. 1 J I $Y i .
J..--w?.,i'ja-''aW- k ' . . .. '
tfiv,,iss-'rt' -l-.K1-' -v t- - - - -
mODCCTJ OF SOIL attai.x record dime.xsio.xs.
THH rALLBS. Or., Sept. 17. Op eel aj.) The Business Men's Association building at the O. B. & N. depot
contains fruit, vegetable and grain exhibits raised in Waeco County this year.
Many of tha articles exhibited are amazing, even to old-timers here, such as corn stalks 14 feet high,
with ears of corn, fully matured, 14 Inches long; oats seven feet high and threshing 7 bushels an acre;
Kaffir corn, broom corn, sunflowers 16 feet high, wheat six feet high, with heads six Inches long: beets
weighing five pounds, radishes 14 inches long, pure alfalfa honey, ripe strawberries, rhubarb stalks two
feet long and four Inches in circumference, gooseberries as large as marbles, currants, millet and orchard
grass, dry land alfalfa four feet high, peaches 11 Inches around and weighing 12 ounces, apples measuring
14 inches, pears weighing tS ounces, onions weighing 2Vs pounds, 128 cherries on a limb six Inches long,
grapes weighing five pounds to the bunch, watermelon weighing 47 pounds, muskmelons weighing 10 H
pounds, potatoes weighing four pounds, timothy five feet high with heads eight Inches long, turnips weighing-
eiv pounds, string beans nine Inches long and boxes of apples as fine as grown anywhere.
The growers have taken a great interest in this work, and they keep It well supplied with different
fruits, etc
Again the industrious gong, again the
magical formation of lines. Over in
the girl's section, a tiny maiden still
etandlng apart a rapt spectator be
comes suddenly agonizingly 'conscious
that something Is wrong with her.
Those hundreds of eyes bore her accus
ingly. Their wordless jeers sear her
like hot irons. What, in Heaven's dear
name, do they want her to do? Merci
fully a teacher, seeing her, tweaks her
into line, and the march, march, march
ing begins again. This trip, the
principal Is evidently being detained
elsewhere, so the braver spirits crane
their necks to watch the tall drummer
boy, who industriously chewing gum,
beats the drum with a nonchalant dex
terlty most beautiful to behold.
Safe in the room again. The door
opens, and the Janitor, grinning, leads
in a sobbing little boy. No need to
explain. The teacher knows that In
the general exodus from the basement
he has been overlooked. Finding him
self alone, and most evidently lost, he
has lifted up his voice to high Heaven
in a vociferous protest which speedily
brought the Janitor to his rescue.
"A "painting lesson" the teacher
rightly Judges will bring back the
warm light to little eyes that are be
ginning to look a bit tired. "Just
bit of red" to give the requisite rosi
ness to the apple they are to deplcit,
are tney instructed to use. little
Jennie, recklessly disobeying orders,
has riotously UBed all the colors; these,
blending, have produced a nondescript
something which causes the culprit to
hang her head at the approach of the
teacher looking moat eatably pretty.
the while.
But not for long does Jennia hang
her head. Inspiration has come. Can
it be that there is a glint of mischief In
the sweet eyes that she raises, while she
softly explains that bers is a picture of
a rotten apple?
"Apples" they proudly call them. Just
little, round, smeary slashes of red and
yellow to you. But mothers carefully
put .them away, to be taken out later. It
may be, and gazed at with eyes from
which bitter tears are falling because of
the little ones who didn't go to school
very long.
Before the week passes the fire drill
and the medical inspector's visit may be
ccompll9hed. Ah, that Are drill! Stern
ly necessary though it be, it Is so bard
to 'convince hysterical little children that
it Is only a play fire.
Reassuringly the doctor smiles, as with
arms bared to dimpled elbows they file
past him. With practiced eye he scans
each one, alert to detect signs of disease
or neglect. Some he detains a little
longer as he looks closely at the soft
hair clustering around the little ears. He
nods to tha teacher to make written note
and she unconsciously scratches her head.
And so those first few days pass, with
the stern meaning of school hidden un
der song and story and game. There have
been some tears, but many smiles. The
Course of Study has not been consulted
so often as has that Imprinted lore which
helps one to understand the heart of a
little child. Tha aid of the principal has
not been Invoked so often as has that
of tha Great Teacher, for there is always
tha danger of offense to these little ones.
Ta tha tnexserleoced aha deficiencies of
these beglnnrs, taken in conjunction with
the progress laid down by the Course of
Study, is appalling. Yet some way the
teacher who has been through It all many
times is not appalled not even discour
aged. She may even be heard to reply
to the principal's query as to the class's
capabilities: "It's a lovely one the bright
est I ever had."
(The author of the forefolng story
flrat-grada teachar in the Ookley Green
8chool, Portland.)
The Horse Still With Cs.
Now York Times.
We are glad that the noble horse is
with us still, and that his kind persists.
The proprietor of a large busgy com
pany of Indiana has been moved by our
comments upon a Cincinnati man's re
solve to keep his string of four horses
purely as "pets" to respond with ample
statistics showing that the animals ara
not yet reduced to the restricted station
of cats, poll parrots and fat parlor span
iels. From the year book of the Federal
Department of Agriculture our corre
spondent has compiled this statement:
Number of horses in the United States
January 1, 1900, nearly 14,000,000.
Number of horses in the United States
January 1, 1909, nearly 30,000.000.
Increase in horse population last 10
years, over 100 per cent.
Average value of horse In the United
States, 1900, 244.61.
Average value of horse in the United
States, 1909, 295.64.
Increase in value per head last 1C
years, over 100 per cent.
Total worth of horses In the United
States, 1900, nearly 21.000,000,000.
Total worth of horses in the United
States, 1909, nearly 23:000,000,000.
Increase in value of horse population
last 10 years, 200 per cent.
"Is there any reason," he asks, "ta
doubt that the horse is here to stay?"
Not, certainly from these figures. But
a little cheaper means of mechanical pro
pulsion, such as is promised in the grad
ual perfection of the storage battery,
may yet persuade the buggy manufac
turers to begin making them without
thills.
A Surrender Forty Years Ago.
New York Sun.
Forty years ago General Da Wimpffen
performed his hard duty of surrender
ing to the Prussians MacMahon's army,
after the defeat at Sedan, and Na
poleon Ill's empire came to an end.
That event, left its mark on Europe as
none had since Waterloo; the Immedi
ate results of the surrender were the
establishment of the present French
republic and the entry of the Italian
army into Rome, commemorated in the
Rue 4 Septembre at Paris and the Via
Venti Septembre at Rome, followed a
few months later by the creation of a
new German empire at Versailles with
the Prussian Hohenzollerns at Its head.
The republic has lasted, weathering
internal and external storms, and
France is again strong and powerful.
Germany, become a nation, though with
a Prussian tinge, has assumed the
hegemony of the European stateti, and
directs their policy so far as any sin
gle state does. The peace of Europe,
an armed peace to be sure, has been
preserved, and national rivalry has
been transferred to the field of commerce.
Caution for Marriage Witches.
London Telegraph.
"All women of whatever age. rank,
profession or degree, whether virgins,
maids or widows, that shall from after
the passing of this act, impose upon
and betray into matrimony any of his
majesty's male subjects - by scents.
paints, cosmetics, washes, artificial
teeth, false hair, Spanish wool. Iron
stays, hoops, high heeled shoes or bols
tered hips, shall Incur the penalty of
the laws now In force against witch
craft, sorcery and such like misde
meanors, and that the marriage, upon
conviction shall stand null and void."
An act of Parliament in the reign of
Charles II.
Moving Pictures on Horseback.
Kansas City Journal.
An attachment for moving - picture
cameras that will permit them to ba
carried and used by an operator on
horseback has been perfected.
Xar of the Schoolboy.
Chlcag-o Tribune,
small the amoke of burning leaves
Tha air is strangely cool.
A vagus depression sickens ma
I think it must be acnooi.
X smell the musty slate rag, toe;
it makes me acne witn woe.
For something seems to say to me.
To acnooi 1 soon must go
I smell the newly-varnished desk.
I near tna whispered buss.
dread the bell that sounds tha kneU
Of bappy daya tliat was.
I hate to go for mother's sake
I m sure tnat she win cry:
And yet she doesn't seem to fret
One-halt as much aa L
My mother seems to stand It wall;
But wait! You bet she'll see
Her spank and kiss she soon will tnlsa
Also my company.
And yet I can't help wondering
How sha ran hid her grief.
She smiles and laughs exactly like
bne xeitt a great reuex.
It hurts my feelings very much
TO ee ner act so giaa;
wish that she would cry a bit
To show that sha Is sad.
But O, alas! Alas once mora.
No sorrow seems to reach hr.
She bands ma ever to some ua
Apprecianve tea oner.
4