The Centerville Iowegian - Friday, April 9, 1915
Has Thriving Mining Industry
Has Been Considerable Growth in Coal Product
and in Number of Residents Recently
In Good Farming Section
The thriving city of Jerome has now reached a population of over 500 people and still growing. The town was laid out in the 50's and was named after a man of the name of Jerome Lyons, and the first postmaster was supposed to be Henry Wilson. The Milwaukee railroad was built through Jerome in 1887, and then in 1882 the Big Four coal mine was sunk, at which time there were about six houses. Now there are to be seen over 200 nice homes. Jerome is located in the north and east part of Lincoln township with a nice farming country lying all about it. Its industry is mostly mining, which gives employment to several hundred men and it is expected that by fall will be able to give employment to about 400 men as the Harkes Coal Co. will soon begin to sink another mine east of Jerome about one mile. This mine when finished will be one of the best in the county. The town has good schools, churches, lodges and a good band with
concerts every Saturday night through the summer season. Its business men are a wide-a-wake set of fellows, and its citizens are of the best. Several nice homes adorn the town, and several more are already under headway. Jerome is also located on the famous Waubonsie trail crossing the state east to west from Keokuk to Nebraska City. This is one of the best roads in the state for tourists as you always find it in the best of condition, and that is what the people of Lincoln township take much pride in.
Jerome Schools
One thing that Jerome takes much pride in is her public schools. The school is in the most prosperous condition that it has been for years under the management of Prof. C. D. Farrington, and his efficient corps of teachers. They have a nice school building, but it is not large enough to accommodate the children of Jerome and vicinity. It is a two story building with four rooms, which is crowded to its utmost as there are now 150 pupils enrolled.
Jerome Public School Building
The school board is composed of the following: F. R. Gable, Pres.; Robt. Hunter, W. A. Campbell, S. J. Owens and J. C. Graham, Frank McKim, Secy, and W. A. Hagan, Treas.
Prof. C. D. Farrington is a graduate of the Bloomfield high school and the Southern Iowa Normal. He has had nine years experience in the schools of Iowa and Nebraska. Was superintendent of schools at Cantril, Ia. two years and had charge of the schools at Rippey, Ia. before coming to Jerome.
Although the enrollment in the high school is not large, this department is doing excellent work and good interest is shown in every class. Almost fifty per cent of the students are non-resident pupils, attending high school on permits.
Until last year no work above the 9th grade was done in the school, but the people of the community were unwilling that their young folks should be deprived of an advantage which is coming more and more to be recognized as one of the fundamentals of a successful career, and perceiving that educating their children at home would be vastly preferable to sending them to other schools, they set to work with spirit and enthusiasm and determined to raise the Jerome school to the level of any school in this locality. Last year the 9th grade was added and approved by the state department. This year the school has been approved for 10 years work, and the demand for a better and larger school still continues. The people are not content with their present achievements in this line.
During the present school year nearly a hundred reference books have been added to the high school library, and as many more will be purchased before the first of September. The board has also insured the installation of a complete laboratory equipment for the use of the classes in physical geography and agriculture. A number of new maps and charts for use in the various departments have been procured during the past winter, and supplementary reading material has been added to the equipment of every grade.
Although the arrangement for installing necessary equipment for teaching of manual training and domestic science has not yet been completed, it is understood that these requirements will be fully met and provisions will be made for embodying the above named branches in the course of study before September, as required by a recent act of the general assembly.
The building now occupied jointly by the high school and the lower grades is crowded to the limit, and it is certain that some arrangements must be made before long whereby more room can be provided. It is not unlikely that the coming year will witness the erection of a new school building, or at least the remodeling and enlargement of the old.
The extension of the course of study to include another year's work is also being strongly advocated and may be accomplished in the near future.
The first graduating exercises will be held this spring, and the first diplomas ever issued by the Jerome school board will be presented. The senior class is composed of six young people, one young man and five young ladies. They are all bright, active, energetic young folks, and the present outlook is favorable for the honorable graduation of the entire class. The following are the names of the graduating class of 1915: Mildred Graham, Elsie White, Janet Gillispie, Mary Cathcart, Martha Sidle and Peter Sidles.
Mrs. C. D. Farrington completed the grades in Loveland, Colo. schools and is a graduate of the Southern Iowa Normal. She has had three years experience in the schools of Iowa, the last position she filled being the intermediate department of Atalissa, Ia. schools.
Mrs. Farrington, in charge of the 6th, 7th and 8th grades, is progressing very satisfactorily. The attendance has been exceptional throughout the entire year, there having been more absence during the past week, caused by sickness, than during any previous period of equal length.
The class in sewing, which was conducted during the first half of the year, had to be discontinued, owing to the change in the work necessitated by the addition of another teacher and the division of the grades at the beginning of the last semester.
The board would have liked to retain the services of Mr. and Mrs. Farrington another year, but they have decided to go elsewhere. The other teachers are all to remain, Miss Mabel Humphrey and Miss Ethel Ross, now completing their third year and Miss Priscilla Clark her first.
1st Intermediate Room
Miss Mabel Humphrey is a graduate of the Cincinnati high school, and has two terms work at Drake university at Des Moines.
She has charge of the 2nd and 3rd grades with an enrollment of 36.
Second-Grade Work
Reading, Aldine Second Reader, with supplementary readers, Elson's Primary School Reader, Book III. Progressive Road in Reading and Wheeler's Second Reader. Numbers, addition, subtraction and multiplication tables to five. Writing, exercises and letter forms. Drawing, twice a week. Language short stories and work in connection with reading lesson. Spelling, words from reading lesson. Phonic drill. Music, rote singing. General lessons in hygiene, nature study, words and manners.
Third Grade
Reading, Brooks 3rd Reader with supplementary readers, Elson's Primary School Reader Book III and Fairy Tales. Wentworth Smith's arithmetic and completing multiplication tables. Language in connection with reading lesson and short stories. Modern Spelling Book. Phonic Drill daily. Penmanship daily. Drawing twice a week. Music, Rote singing. General lessons in hygiene, nature study, morals and manners.
Second Intermediate Grade
Miss Priscilla Clark is the teacher of the 2nd intermediate grades. She is a graduate of the Mystic high school and has had special training in public school music and writing.
There are 28 pupils, 11 in the 5th grade and 17 in the 4th. The following is the daily program:
Twice a week, Monday and Friday, they have News morning from which the children learn a great many important and interesting doings of the day, and which they enjoy very much. After opening exercises, is reading. They have finished the Brook's readers and are now reading supplementary readers which they will finish by the end of the month.
In arithmetic, the 4th grade is working in denominate numbers and the 5th is receiving decimals.
Afternoon, twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, is music, and on Monday, Wednesday and Friday have writing.
In language the 5th grade have completed their book and are reviewing the parts of speech. The 4th is about half way through.
Geography is one of the 5th grades most interesting studies. They are now reviewing South America. The 5th grade have finished their physiology and are now learning "Things one should know in case of emergency." The 4th grade is two-thirds the way through and are doing fine.
Both grades are interested in their spelling and seem to be very anxious to be good spellers.
Primary Department
Miss Ethel Ross is a graduate of the Seymour high school and has taken primary work in the Iowa state teachers college at Cedar Falls. She has charge of the primary department. There are 15 pupils enrolled.
Reading Aldine Primer and First Reader with the supplementary books, Elson primary school readers, and short stories for little folks. Numbers, counting and combinations to 20s. Writing, letter forms. Language, stories connected with the reading lesson. Phonics daily. Music, singing of rote songs. Drawing, twice a week. Handwork, paper cutting. Lessons in nature study. Spelling, easy words taken from reading lessons.
Article Continued in Next Post
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This article was published in The Centerville Iowegian, Friday, 9 April 1915, and is transcribed with permission. A special thanks to Gary Craver, President of the Appanoose County Genealogical Society, for bringing this article to the attention of the editor.
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