living in our county, consequently it is difficult to secure permanent ones. I have not held an institute because there are few who understand English, and none who desire to make teaching a profession, Two school houses are in process of erection, but are not yet finished. I have made a few visits to the schools, but have been unable to secure a regular attendance of the pupils. Most kinds of text books have been used in the schools, for the reason, as is stated, that money could not be spared to purchase new ones of one kind. I hope by lecturing and visiting the people to create an interest in the schools on the part of those who, destitute of learning, care very little whether their children are educated or not. I should like to pay more attention to the schools in this county, but my salary is so small, being only fifteen dollars per year, that I must devote most of my time to other duties to support myself and family, leaving but little for educational work. G. W. FORSELL, County Superintendent. COLUMBIA COUNTY. According to request I submit the following special report for the past year from Columbia county: I.--WORK PERFORMED. 1. School visitation-During the past year I have made over two hundred visits to schools, through all the twenty-one towns, and in nearly all the school districts of the county. 2. Examinations --I have held eighteen public meetings for the examination of teachers, at which four hundred and twelve candidates were ex amined, of whom three hundred and ten received certificates, viz: three of the first grade; five of the second grade; and three hundred and two of the third grade; one hundred and thirty five of these last being limited to less than one year. I consider the six months certificate a valuable educational incentive among our young teachers. 3. Private examinations.-Believing that properly conducted public examinations have a tendency to improve the teachers, and thereby the schools under their charge, I have avoided applications for private examinations except in cases of apparent necessity. Only thirty one certificates have been so issued, making a total of three hundred and forty one certificates granted during the year. 4. Improvements.-I have expended much time and labor in efforts to induce such districts as were backward in the matter to improve their school-houses out-houses, grounds, fences, &c., and to furnish comfortable healthy seats for the pupils, maps, charts and apparatus for purposes of instruction, and above all a sufficient amount of blackboard surface to meet the wants of all classes in the several schools, under improved systems of instruction. By letters, by circulars, by private personal effort, by consultations with district officers and building committees, by newspaper articles and by public meetings; by every means within my reach, I have sought to induce a public sentiment and co-operative action in this much neglected but vitally essential department of the great enterprise of universal popular education. II. TEACHERS. Teaching is no longer regarded as a mere pastime to be taken up for a short time, for lack of other employment, but as a regular occupation, an earnest work requiring careful and laborious preparation. There has been a marked improvement in the qualifications of teachers, and a gradual but real advance in the character and mode of instruction given in our schools. III. SCHOOL-HOUSES. The work of repairing, enlarging and re-arranging still goes on. A number of good and commodious houses are being built, on improved plans, and I cherish the hope of soon having in each town at least one model school-house from which neighboring districts may safely copy. I regret to say, however, that in most of our villages the primary departments, (the small children, who most of all need airy, healthy and comfortable quarters,) are cooped up in close, unhealthy and uncomfortable apartments, which are a disgrace to the good sense, and (on other subjects) energetic habits of our people. Especially is this the case in Poynette, Pardeeville, Kilbourn City, Fall River and Doylestown. IV. THE ANNUAL DISTRICT MEETINGS, Furnish the only occasion in the year, when the superintendent has an opportunity of communicating with, or delivering a message to the mass of the voters in their several districts. My message to the district meetIngs this fall, 1. (School law.) Recites the principal recent amendments to the code. 2. (Employment of teachers.) Recommends that teachers be employed by the year rather than by the single term. This plan has already been adopted in several districts. 3. (Division of school terms.) Proposes a revised school calendar. with three terms instead of two, leaving vacations at the dog-days and at the holidays, when the work of keeping school in session is very difficult, as well as comparatively profitless. 4. (Saturday schools.) Urges the small, backward districts to adopt. the rule prevalent in the larger and more enlightened neighborhoods, prohibiting Saturday schools altogether. 5. (School houses.) Proposes improved plans. 6. (Outhouses.) Quotes Mr. Pickard's true and forcible remarks on the subject of outhouses. 7. (School yards.) Suggests that school bouse grounds be inclosed with suitable fences. 8. (School books.) Reminds district boards of their duty to prescribe a uniform series of books for their several schools. 9 (Blackboards and maps.) Asks appropriations for blackboards and other school requisites. 10. (School registers.) Commends the action of those district clerks who have provided suitable registers. (The "Wisconsin Standard School Register," published at Milwaukee, is the best that I have seen.) With their certificates I have furnished teachers with suitable blanks which they fill and forward at the end of each month. I consider the monthly report, when properly adjusted to improved modes of instruction. and management, to be a valuable auxiliary in our work. VI.--NEEDED LEGISLATION. 1. The law should recognize the right of faithful, laborious district clerks to a partial pecuniary compensation for their services. 2. School district libraries should be provided for. 3. Saturday sessions of public schools should be prohibited. 4. Power should be given the county superintendent (with the concurrence of the county judge) to condemn and close school houses when found unfit to be occupied for school purposes. 5. The constitution should be amended so as (1.) To establish the school age of children from five to twenty one years of age, instead of from four to twenty. (2) To allow the apportionment of a part of the school fund according to attendance at school, instead of the present apportionment upon residence only. D. W. ROSENKRANS, County Superintendent. DANE. COUNTY. FIRST DISTRICT. The schools in this district during the past year have made commendable progress as a whole. I found them in the hands of energetic, and in the main, competent teachers. They showed that my predecessor had faithfully performed his duties in guarding the school room against the intru sion of indifferent and illiterate teachers. It has been my endeavor to keep up the standard of attainment fixed by him, and as far as possible to elevate it still higher. The want of our teachers is not so much a lack of intellectual training, though that is by no means in excess, as a knowledge of the best manner of teaching. They too readily fall into the old beaten tract and routine of teaching, ignoring entirely the improved methods which the experience of the past few years has shown to be of so great benefit. It is to be hoped that the establishment of schools for normal instruction, and an awakened interest on the part of teachers to attend them will soon remedy this defect. Another very grave difficulty in the way of the progress of our schools, I have found to be the great variety of text books used in the same school. It is found impossible to classify the scholars properly, and the teacher has no remedy. It is true the district board, in connection with the State Superintendent, has power over this matter. But it should be borne in mind that our district boards are not generally made up of educated men, and consequently are not easily made to understand the difficulties which a good teacher labors under in this matter. It seems to me that some remedy should be applied to this evil. There should be authority somewhere to compel a uniformity of text books in each school. It may be proper to suggest also that our schools could be made nore efficient, if each town should be required to elect an officer whose duty it should be to look after and visit the schools in his town. Many schools are badly managed, and the money squandered which is paid for their sup. port for want of a more vigilant oversight than it is possible for the county superintendent to bestow. He does not know their condition till near their close, when it is impossible to apply any remedy. The town district system, if it could be secured would best meet this difficulty, but if it can not, may it not be reached in some other way? During the year four new school houses have been erected in this district which are well constructed and confortable; and steps have been taken to construct an equal, if not larger number, the coming year. There will remain room for improvement even after these shall be built, and it is to be hoped other districts will be stimulated by these worthy examples to do likewise. I herewith transmit my annual report of the condition of the schools in this district, and in doing so it gives me pleasure to be able to say, that as a whole, they are making progress in the right direction. There are several schools in this district that may be regarded as models and are en titled to rank among the best in the state. Many school districts are re pairing their houses, enlarging their sites, and planting them with shade and ornamental trees. Considerable interest is also manifested, in many places, to have all the higher branches taught in school, and a teacher with a first or second grade certificate will command far higher wages than one with a third grade. It is also getting to be understood that to have a good school order and system must prevail in the school room. Want of punctuality on the part of scholars attending school is a great evil yet to be remedied. When the attention of parents is properly directed to this subject, and they understand the evil consequences that flow from this source, I am not without the hope that a remedy will be applied. LORENZO MERRILL, County Superintendent. DOOR COUNTY. Our schools, on the whole. are improving slowly. I think we shall have a graded school in this town by another year. It was proposed at the annual meeting in this district (No. 1), but as the upper story of the buildis to be finished off before it can be used, and the "Building Fund" being exhausted, it was determined to postpone the work until spring, when the treasury would be replenished by a part of the amount of the tax voted at the meeting The reports of the visits made by me, as appears by the 'Abstract," amount to 15, whereas I have made 31.. I have taken it for granted, that, if I visited a school three times during a term, or as many terms, it is the same school. As the blanks are arranged, they do not show the number of visits, but the number of schools visited. W. H. WARREN, County Superintendent. DUNN COUNTY. Owing to the fact that a large portion of the county is newly and sparsely settled, our schools have not attained that degree of perfection at which we hope to arrive. While in some towns we have good comfortable houses, which are a credit to the communities in which they are situated, in others, the school accommodations are of the poorest kind, and almost necessarily so, as the new settlers are eager to have some place in which their children may attend school, and without waiting the slow process of raising a tax for the purpose, they make a "bee," throw up a few logs, nail together rough boards for seats, and the school mistress is duly installed therein. My annual report shows that many of the school houses are not valued at a very high figure. Many of the districts have heretofore had but one term of school during |