A BI-CENTENNIAL OBSERVATION (from the bulletin at St. Joseph's Rosemount)

In the land of the free, circa 1882, these were instructions to new teachers in Dakota Territory.

1 Teachers will fill lamps. Clean chimneys and trim wicks each day.

2 Make your pens carefully. You may whittle nibs for individual tastes of children.

3 Each teacher will bring a scuttle of coal and a bucket of water for the day's use.

4 Men teachers may take one evening each week for courting purposes, or two evenings a week if they go the church regularly.

5 After 10 hours in school, the teacher should spend the remaining time reading the Bible or other good books.

6 Women teachers who marry or engage in other unseemly conduct will be dismissed.

7 Every teacher should lay aside from his pay a goodly sum for his declining years so that he will not become a burden on society.

8 Any teacher who smokes, uses liquor in any form, frequents a pool or public hall or gets shaved in a barber ship will have good reason for suspecting his worth, intentions, integrity and honesty.

9 The teacher who performs his labors faithfully and without fault for five years will be given an increase of 25 cents a week in his pay, providing the board of education approves.