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About Willamette farmer. (Salem, Or.) 1869-1887 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 4, 1881)
ss. TS rt4rt.t iwv i a- -.... -i v. . WlLUMRlR PAhMteit. MfrfcAttb. 6itBo6N. htthfauAfty I. IbM. California wont to housekeeping In great state ami upon nn extravagant scaIc, so tlint whan the flood tido of golden -prosperity began to bb, her 'pJonlo found thomsotves toddled with an extravagant system and political hab ita that wcra aueh a burden that almost a rev olution was rcqnired to amend the Statu con atltution to atiit tlio limes, the very contrary wa the caio in Oregon. Salaries of State off! ialahere we almo.it too lowi Oovernor 61,600, Secretary of State $1,500, Judgos of Supremo and Circuit Court $2,000. .. The economical, Idea haa prerailcd, with few exceptions, from 'th'o beginning. The State ho licen liberal in caring for the insane, tie blind and ite mutea, and nearly half the State expense go for theso objocta, but the people keep a atiict wateh over 'their officiala nnd hold thcin to rigid account. It is probably true that tho State Government of Oregon is tlio most economical of all the Statoa in tho Unlou. We are liberal for schools, as tho fig ures wo give from thu biennial report of the State Superintendent will show. The same economical spirit is evident in Washington Territory, Acomnauie-. hy tho enmo lfWality in connection with bUte cluvritlea ami the cause of education. The SUto l'cnitvntiary has of late become in n great nirastirj clf-supportlhg, while in tlie .put it ha liccn a heavy tax. 11m peniten tiary building is a.solld structure, built At grout oost, and will lost for. aH tlmo. Cuuvict labor is utilised to fair advantage 9U tho farm aud in many workshop. Tho insane have hitherto been well kept by coutract, but flio lato session of the Legisla ture niad) provision fur tho erection of an asy lum aim purcnaso 01 suiuciesir mini to 00 cui tivatcd b the patient. The school T.ovma and valuation ok school rnorrjiTV. Number of sehool houaes previonsly erected .'. .- BS3 Number of school houses erected 'during t hoy car... w CI Total number of school house repor ted 034 Valneof school houaer. 1 . ,$330,465,00 vaiuo 01 school lurnfture 31,781,55 Valuo of apparatus, global, chaits, etc 3,030,60 2. Tho State not only received this groat There was a sharp cold pcll early in Decern tcnance will bo gi catty nuililihg I completed. ho cost of main- reduced when the Our member of the Legislature cot S3 a day. Wo run things rather too close, in (act, and there accins a nucd of moro libera expen diture, but tho lwoplo aro afraid to have tho. constitution tinkered with, and aro very jeal ous of their rights and privileges. SCHOOL SYSTEM OF OBEOOJT. Tho report of Hon, L.J. Powell, Sup't of common school for tlio State ol Oregon, inado ScptchiW 1st, gives much valuable in formation In tho form 0 tabic, that follow 1 Tho facts made known in his report aro sufQ cieut of themsolvcs to convince any reader that Oregon is alivo to tlie great necessity of publio education, and has a well perfected school system. Tlio same as true of Wsftldng ton Territory, and if wo aro not mistaken the school system of tho two aro very similar. school casing roiv 18S0. Whole nuroUcr of organized Districts. 1,007 Total numtcr of persons over 4 and under 0 years 69,818 Total nuinbcr'of pupils enrolled in tho pnblio schools during tho year 37,633 Total average dally attendance of pupils at the publio schools , 27,433 Numlicr of private schools. . 142 Number of pupils attending private schools. ...-. 4,211 Average numlicr of months of school per district 4,48 Wliolo numlier' of male teachers employed holding First Class Grade Certificate 373 Whole ntlmlx-r of fvmalo teachers em ployed holding First Undo Certifi cate 300 Wholonuinbcrofmalo teachers employ ed holding Second Orade Certificate 262 Whole numlicr of femalo teachers em ployed holding Second U rado Certifi- ca tea . . 37 3 TotaPnumlicr of teacher employed during ttjo year t 1,314 Average monthly salary paid male teachers 44 10 Average monthly salary paid female teachers.-. , , 33 38 Number of academic 15 Numlcr of collegiate schools 12 Number of teachers in private school 212 Number of grade schools, ,.,... 46 Number of teacher in publio graded schools, 156 Number of punlls' in publio evaded schools . . .- 7,814 uiSRL'ii.tEMc.vrs rou 1880. Amount paid to teachers $210,420,33 Amount paid for repairs on school houses and premises 7,076, 14 Amount paid for school furniture. . 6,443,83 Amount paid for fuel and otlier inci dentals 8,783,16 Amount paid for apparatus, globes, maps, etc...., 618,15 Amount paid for grounds, building and other purposes . . .'. 72,001,73 Total value of 'school property 607,803,05 Tit It rHK.1H.TT CONDITION AND FlUlOUIUS OP OUR HCHOOLS. On Uiis subject the superintendent remarks; Tho prvaont condition of our school whilo It is by no mean all that wo would Ilko to have it in a great many particulars though' the school houses are not v. hat they oughi to bo in the great majority of cases yot,- when we compare the schoala of the present with tlie school of the past, the former make a very creditablo showing. I might speak of Improve ment in the mode and methods of teaching in many respect. Iu particular, the text book are better) they are titght mors intelligently and with mors dlroct rolerenco to tho develop ment of the reasoning and perceptive faculties of ths children. Whilo there not only may be but aro, many iuaUnc where cramiiiim; i practloed, I regret to acknowledge it, yet the Instances are fewer than formerly. While inefllcioncy siti enthroned in in my school housos through the laud, yet wo have a far f;rcatcr rntrio of good teachers to-day than over icfore in tho history of tlsu Statu.' They aro doing better and liioroconscieiitioii work than has boon ilono heretofore, and tho tendency i upwards and tho teacher show a commenda ble zeal in thcfreUbrt to prepare themselves to discharge tlie responsible duties of their position hi a more etllcieiit manner. Of lato tho publio school of the Stats and tlie system of free Knular education in general have been subjected to a sharp, and not in every lnstanoo friendly, fusillade of criticism aud denunciation on tlio part of th. press of the Stateandundryoorrepondcnt. Yetasagen sntl thing when thesohool have beenputto the test, it has been clearly shown that th me thod and system of tbo schools of th present, while they are not what w could desirk in very respect, yot, when they are compared, specially with tho schools of the past, thoy made a favorable showing. So severely havs our schools boon criticised, and msrs sapeeia Uy th high sehnols and "the system' th "cramming processes" of ths schools of tho present time, that .at last an nual sehool meeting in tlie city of Portland, In order to. Investigate the charge and as certain whether they wera well grounded, a competent committee was appointed by ths school moetins and civen ample time to in vestigate tlie matter so far a ths city cf -Portland ws concerned, and after having devoted four month to tho subject and thoroughly examined all tho charge and criticism, they submitted tho following report at an adjourn ed school meeting, July 1 2th, I88O1 KkTOBT Or INVMTIOATINa COHMlTTI'A Your, committes respectfully submit the following report embodiod in statements and resolutionsi Tlio object assigned u were arranged under five distinct hood. In order to ol-tain. clear and definite view, each subject was sub-divided and a series of questions prepared and assigned to five ub-committeca, who were requested to examine every pcint named nnd mak . a special report. Kvcry member of the committee felt authorized to visit any or all of the departments, grades and cbuso of the publio school) and seek information from the school superintendent and teachers here and elsewhere, from citizens, from jurists and other Srofessional men, from published reviews and isciuuiou ef tho subjects in ether Vtatcs. In justice to ourselves and the object sought, wo must sav that tlio work has been far too great for tho time allowed u Or that wc could give to it. At ths ontset of this discussion three great facte meet nsi 1. That verv lark's rranta have been made by the national government for publio schools, amuuuung uuce me urjjiuwuu ui 1110 ier trust on till condition but by statute added a largo annual tax to support publio schools, with power also of local taxes for tlio same objoct. 3. Tho sentiment in favor of publio schools of improved quality and grodo gamed foreo by those national and State grants, so that anccessivo legislatures havo fixed by law tho least, but not tho highest courses of ttudy to bo," pursued in the publio schools. Without following tho report of tho com mlttco fnrther, wo sum up their conclusions! which wore, that though expoasivo and ao comnAnlcd bv cumbrous niachtnerv. ilia Mm. mlttco consider tho plan of publio school of , " lower bloomed hi all tho gardens from ilVTVIIIUV, Ml .11IWVI1. A4IA6 VUttr, ill JCCCII1LM.T, thoro was a cold term that lasted thiro day bor and navigation was impeded for n week. when tho warm south wind camo, nnd swept tho anow off tho great plains that extend to tho Ilocky mountains. We aro writing this upon Christinas day. Last night wo had a warm rain and thi morning wo liavc good weather for farmers to plow, and. indeed, our country exchanges bring us word tltat plows aro doing lively work, for a week or so post through tho wholu Willansetto valloy. After tho first of January wo do not oipect cold weather to bu'uxccssivo and tho experience of mAny years leads us to anticipate a mild winter from now on. In 1 872-3 them was not a aovoro frost all winter Portland both great and liberal. Tho school of this city aro a pride to tho Slate, and lianlly inferior to tho publio scho Is of New York or lloston in success and cHiclncy. Tho devotion of the citizens of our city and State to common schools is shown by the fact, that nearly all largo cities and towns levy, by popular vote, a tax of from thrco to four mills for maintenance of freo suhotlsi and tho wealthy district of Oregon. ouUido of thu (owns, have school upKirted by a direct tax as well as by their proportion of tho pub lic scltool fund. In All di-trict tho sehool house aro built by a tax of geueral subscrip tion. TMK STATK IVUVI'OtlTr. The superintendent says) Thi institution during the last two years has fully met tlio anticipation of its moat ar Ien frioudt. It has a healthful location in the midst of charming natural scenery. Tho building is substantial, commodious, well ar ranged nnd beautiful ill architectural design. It ha a numerous, able, and iluservoilly pop ular corp of instructors, is furnished with neiple clicui"-al, .philosophical and uiathcunb ical apparatus, and with a largo and Increas ing patronage from all portions of tho State, and is doingauoblo pmt in the genual edu cational work of the State, and should bo fostered and encouraged with a reasonably liberal hand. I had 1I10 pleasure of being present and witnessing tho closing oxereiie at the Uni versity su the 10th of Junu last. A class of 15 youiurcenUenieu and 5 youu? ladle gradu ated witti tho honor of tho institution, whoso grid uatiugoratiens and essays showotl thorough drill ahd an independence of thought rarely witnessed on alien occasions. THE STAT AOMCOLTfKAL COLLKOK. It was my privilege also to pay a visit to tlie State Agricultural CoMoge located at Cor vallls, and from personal obscratkin can say that ths school is doing excellent work and growing in fa or with the people. It being in tho Winter at the tinw of my .visit, I could not peak from observation of tlie work f the agrisulrurol department, but only of tho literary department. Thi was thorough and effective and with a most able and elll dent faculty. t lielative to the character of tho work thev aro doing for the State, I may any that judg ing from the character of tho instructor per forming their respective duties, I 1-olieve it is such as to commend it to thi favorable con sideration of every citizen of tho State and to bo looked upon with 'pride instead of dis couragement. Ho echoes tho sentiment of our people when ho saysi The fostering of a thorough system of pop ular education 0110 that as llancroft ha well (aid, would "take every child of thu common woilth from the State for hi future good con duct ami .useful aervioe," has ruhtly been doomed by every enlightened and patriotic statesman in tlio land, as tho first duty of a republican commonwealth, aud the keystone to the perpetuity of an independent form of popular govornmeut. STORMS ON THE K0RTHWE8T COAST. Tho prevailing wind of Summer, with u. are from the North, and their clfect is to tem per tho leaton ami give us cool and delightful iiights, even through Midsummer, so that scarce ever a night occur when a blanket i not needed for comfort. This insure a good dogreo of health through the hottest season make harvest "work lea oppressive on inau and beast, and odors tho sick better Grand total paidouttluringtheyev$307,03J,46 Cost per capita of all person of school ago... $5 16 Cost per capita ef all enrolled in school.... 8 18 Coat per capita of the av'go daily .................. 1. MUtUUIIMII l.V "V vigaiiiwuuM w Miw wt - . ji U4M1 MJVI MV.MlT WIU VllVta tV BIVSs IWt;i ritory of Oregon, August 14, 1848, to otio opportunity for convalescence than tho heated and one night tho mercury dropped for nu hour below zero, and within two days thu season was liko ipring-timo. There aro storm, of course, on tho Pacific; Ocean, but wo hoar of no such wreck as ttruw tho Atlantic, const, and tho tuid-ocv.au storms do not consifsn ship to tho depths as they n often do there. On land here, there never, since tho settlement of tho country, was ntij -thinr liko a huiricano known, until tho (ith of January 1880, when a storm swept up from the Ocean to tho Southwest and ploughed it way Not th-Kaatcrly to tho headwater of tho Columbia river in Montana. Much tim ber was levelod and sonio houses and bariiH were unroofed, and with that singlo oxceptiou no storm of maguitudo has been Known htiu in a half contury. Wo read of "blizzards" in Minnesota and dovnstating hurricanes in tho Southwest, and terriblo gales on tho Alantio coast, but inch aro actually unknown hero. Wo havo Winter storm when tho Southwest winds swell to a gale and bring In, our ear tho surf beat of tho Ocean, pcrhap a hundred mile away 1 somo tlmlwr may fall in thu mountains, and the farmer may quit woik for a fow day and havo time to read up hi news paper, but thoy are only storms that nro dis agreeable without being dangcrou. Our prevailing wind are off tho Ocean, from the louthwttt and tho northwest. Thoy are the regular trade win dof tho N01 th I'.icillc, which enable vessel to keep a good oiling, and when they grow into a storm tho tcmiiit bears no comjmraon to tho storms v. 0 rend of elsewhere. It may bo claimed, thin, that thu emigrant to the Columbian valley can havo faith that Nature hero in Summer, Winter and even in storms will show 110 vindictive moods. A thundor storm I a vory rare occurrence besw, o rare that many ktoii lioni and raised hero have littlo idea of thu tcrrillo character thoy have Kast It U possible, sometimes in Summer, and ociaiionally in Winter, that thunder is hoard, but it occur very seldom, and sharp lightning i a phenom enon almost beyond tho imagination ofn uativu of tho country. Tlie general hralthfulncs of tho country is of course promoted by tho uniformity of oca som and our freedom from tho great extreme and sharp viciaaitsdea known ilsuwheru nnd generally throughout the world, ami for tho same reason wo havo surer cniiaaud less care and expenie for wintering stovK. A country that may bo said to havo no sovcro storms poaese an equability of climate and temper ment that insures many practical benefit un known to most otlier countries. tract for an agricultural college and State University, Ths proceed of these three and onC'third millions of acres, and other lands,' A,.6l4a a A M iewi.l ABBtlA sTsleifll VAIa.I WiIaIu in public education. It is a sired trust, not'"? UP " A,ian coa.t from the Indian a fee simple to care of the State as trustee, I Ocean and curve down tho North American which pledged Congress on admission as a soy. j Coast with a broad aweep,carrying with them ereiira State, to Buard this fund safely and to the well known cliaraeteri-tict of the Uulf use all its increase for tho free education of all Stream, also help to modify oor N inters, and Bill Lands la Clackamas County. In our sketch of Clackamas county wo mat 3 particular mention of tho foot-hill lands nnd their prospective valuo, and tho following from the Silverton Appeal show what is being done there. It must bo remembered that thU region is only alwut 35 to 40 miles from Port land. A correspondent of tho Appeal, speak ing of a new place called Kussillvillo, saysi m lid settlement now contain about 25 amilie. I situated at tho foot of a spur of the Cascade; is Uiunded 011 tho north by lioaver Creek, ou thu south by tho M0l.1ll.-v The present site of Itussellvillu was used as a camp aud the surrounding country a a stock rango by William Huam II, a M.'lcr, after thu bum of '4U. which all old settler will re member. IiAter the tine cedar tlicrcalxiuU at tracted sl.iiiclo makers, who havo sinco aliout oxlnusted tlio supply. At tho prcacnt time thi settlement is a thriving community) laud haa been cleared, and a run, productive sod lias rewarded their labor, producing when Summir fallowed from 25 to 20 limiieU per ' acre. I If (mallullla ( akik MAnlis Af t lin at it luinitii Then again, tbo Sou Ui wind which , ir. Itoaull will carrv on nuite an ifttensivu prevail through tlio Winter, being warm air . dairy busine next year. An excellent ills- from that directiou, wbllo the en-can rurrenU ' tnet school is taught hero, with an attendancu State. thi Winter of GO scholars. Considerable at tention is being paid to sheep husbandry. As an illustration of tho fertility of tho soil, our informant was shown a turnip which v:u 3 feet 3 inches in circumference. There is still plenty of land to be liad of the our youth. Its acceptance as a trust imposed supply ths fogs and rain that create the much railroad and government, and tho Jtussellvillo upon tho State a moii, and possibly legal abused "Wcb-foof, climate of our coast re- community areglad to welcomeall iinmurrant obligation to prescrvo every dollar of the gion and Western valleys. It is true that wis who businees. Mr. W. ssy tho iiooi.lu principal, and to restore-every dollar wasted ocetaionally have sharp spells of winter, and , kind and hospitable, and aro v. ell and com- or lost The national grants for Miblio perhaps enoe in ten vear our river frees np fortably provide-l with the necewurien of life. schools and oellena also Imply a national edo- for a abort tin. November just passed was easiest, and place itbcycasd th owcc ol eJrAvdlrcjTei tMtess. tad showed Cyrw W, VUU tsftfor Cuius, oath lSili I ) ssmsssi seas ussisaiis bsh esreis. !, r; V I -v ,a,.l.rJiS
