Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 79, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 May 1904 — Well, That’s Walking Some. [ARTICLE]

Well, That’s Walking Some.

Some one has figured out how far a farmer has to walk to attend to forty acres of corn. To plow the ground with a sixteen inch plow he walls 350 miles, to harrow it thoroughly, fifty miles more, and to cultivate it afterwards, fifty miles making a total of 450 miles in addition to husking it, when he will walk 150 miles more.

Lagrange county has tried the plan of centralizing their country schools. Thirty-eight country schools were abandoned and the children carried to school in hacks. The cost of conveyance for the pupils amounted to $6,176.86, but the saving in teachers’ salary', fuel, etc., amounted to $12,911.60, making a net saving of $6,524.74, for the year. Resides the pupils were given the benefit of gradedjwork instead of country schools, better teachers, eto. 85 per cent of the patrons have become favorable to the centralization plan.