Submitted by:
Robert L. Haddock
Marlin Daily Democrat
January 13, 1918
FALLS COUNTY COUNTY SCHOOL NOTES
By G. A. Pringle
GRADY
The Grady school, nine miles
east of Marlin, is a two-teacher school, with Miss Lola Belle Wilson as
principal and Miss Willie Mae Adams as primary teacher.
Both teachers are doing their
second year’s work here and, with last year’s work as a basis, they are doing
very satisfactory work. The primary teacher has been sick for a few days and her
sister, Miss Gertrude Adams, is doing substitute work during her illness.
The trustees have put in
nice, new single desks in both rooms and the children are being urged to keep
them nice and clean. The school has two basketball courts and they are planning
to have some playground apparatus installed.
STRANGER
This is one of the first
communities settled in the county and has always maintained a good school. The school has turned out some very
prominent men in the past and many of the young men and women of right recent
years are making good, and, with proper encouragement and co-operation, many of
the boys and girls in school there today will hold prominent positions and
become valuable citizens in the communities where they may live twenty years
from now.
The building is large and
commodious. In fact, someone said there was sufficent material in it to build a
modern new building, which will probably be done within the next few years.
The school has three
teachers, R. C. Meads, principal; Miss Una Cornelison, intermediate; and Miss
Myrtle Warren, primary teacher.
The school is moving along
very nicely, however, the principal was called a few days on account of having
to appear before the local exemption board at his home, Bryan, Texas, but
although he may have to give up his work in the spring, very likely the board
will grant him deferred classification and permit him to finish his contract
with the school.
We understand that several of
the young men principals are asking for deferred classification on account of
the almost impossibility, just now, of getting someone to take their places.
The assistants are doing
their first year’s work in the school, but each having had several years of
successful experience in other schools of the county, are getting good results.
Miss Myrtle Hair is
substituting for the principal during his temporary absence, and all who know
Miss Hair knows that she is doing the work thoroughly satisfactory to the
pupils, board and patrons.
BLUE RIDGE
The Blue Ridge school, four
miles southwest of Stranger and eleven miles east of Marlin, is another old
settlement which has maintained a good school for several years past.
The faculty this year
consists of new teachers altogether, with L. E. Cowling as principal, Miss
Rachel Shelton as intermediate, and Miss Bessie Willis as primary teacher.
The principal being a normal
graduate and both assistants holding first grade certificates from the state
normal, make it a strong faculty, and with the full co-operation of the trustees
and patrons, we feel sure they will give the community one of the best schools
they have ever had.
ROSEDALE
This was originally the Hog
Island district No. 33, and it still retains the number, although the school has
been rechristened Rosedale since the people of the district last year voted
three thousand dollars in bonds for the purpose of building and equipping a new
modern, up-to-date school building, which was located about a mile north of the
old building on two acres of ground donated to the school by Isaac Smith, who
lives in the Blue Ridge district No. 31, but who owns about nine hundred acres
of land in No. 33, and who was very much in favor of the bond issue, which would
give to the children of his tenants better school conditions and help them to
become better educated and more useful citizens.
Heretofore, the school has
been taught by one teacher, but now it is a progressive, two-teacher school,
with Miss Ruth Hays as principal and Miss Mary Cornelison as primary teacher.
These are girls who have
prepared themselves as teachers, each having the vim and ambition to succeed,
and as they richly deserve the encouragement and co-operation of their patrons,
we bespeak for them continued success in their school work, which they have so
well begun and which we feel assured they will improve upon.
LAGUNA
This school is about ten
miles northwest of Marlin on an air line, about twelve miles by the nearest
traveled road, as we have to cross the river at the Belton bridge, and just west
of the Stallworth store the road turns north and runs almost straight through
the Sanger farm to the town of Laguna, situated six miles northeast of Chilton,
on the S. A. & A. P. railway.
Three years ago the district
voted $3,600 in school bonds, with which they purchased a site and erected a
modern building, thoroughly equipped with first-class equipment, such as single
desks, teachers desks and chairs, sanitary bubbling drinking fountain, a school
piano, Waterbury heating system, concrete walks approaching the building,
playground apparatus consisting of horizontal bars, see-saws, giant stride and
others.
The faculty consists of J. O.
Jolly, principal; Miss Martha Barth, intermediate department; and Miss Alma
Holland, the primary department.
The attendance since the
holidays has been somewhat decreased on account of measles in the community, but
as it seems to be a light form of measles, we hope the attendance will be back
to normal in a few days.
Each of the teachers is
working hard for the advancement of the school, and they are getting good
results.
GOLINDO
This is a county line school,
part of the district lying in McLennan county, but the greater part being in
Falls county, and the school house being located on the Falls county part, comes
within the jurisdiction of the Falls county superintendent. The school has two teachers, Miss Bettie
Madole, principal; and Miss Ollie Stewman, primary teacher.
The seventh grade arithmetic
class in the principal’s room solved several problems in the list of
miscellaneous problems, placing the work on the board in analytical order.
The primary room which is on
the second floor of the building is neat and attractive, and the class is
reading in the Art Literature Book. One read their lesson very nicely and copied
the poem about Baby Stuart. Both teachers are doing their first year’s work in
this school, but having made good preparation and having had several years
experience in other schools, they are giving excellent satisfaction to their
patrons.
NORTH PRAIRIE
This school is four miles
northwest of Chilton on the Waco road, and Miss Annie H. Peevey, who is serving
her third year as principal, is ably assisted by Miss Nettie Polley, who is
making an excellent record as a primary teacher.
The school ground has been
nicely cleaned up and both rooms are kept neat and clean. The order in both
rooms was excellent and the pupils moved to and from recitations quietly and
orderly.
The people of this district
are discussing the advisability of making some substantial improvements in their
school conditions, and if the prospects are good next spring they will very
likely take the necessary steps to secure more grounds and build and equip a
modern school plant that will be in keeping with the fine country surrounding
it.
The principal is a tireless
worker and is constantly on the lookout for something that will improve her
school, and believes that her school children are entitled to just as good
conditions as any children in the country, and will do all within her power to
secure them.