County. We lived on a farm northwest of town. Laura Brome of Norfolk was our next teacher.

In the spring of 1883, we moved to a farm north of Meadow Grove until a schoolhouse was built in the town. The town school had two rooms. I went in the higher room. Had never had English or Language. The class was diagramming sentences. I thought those marks they were making sure looked pretty but I did not know a noun from a verb.

In the spring of 1892, Mr. Will Whitla was the teacher. He said to two or three other girls and to myself, "There's going to be a teacher's examination at Tilden tomorrow, Saturday, why don't some of you girls go up and take it?" I had never dreamed of teaching school. Could hardly get home fast enough to tell my folks, but it took all evening for me to get up courage to ask my father for the necessary fee of $1.00.

It was then too late to tell any of the girls I could go, but very early the next morning I went across the railroad track to tell Viretta Ervin, another one of the girls, that I had the money and could go and take the examination. Mr. Ervin (Viretta's brother) came to the door. I showed him the dollar and told him I could go and take the examination. He said he'd get the folks up and after they had their breakfast he would take Viretta and me up in the lumber wagon. In the examination I got 98% in Theory and Art of Teaching. Mr. Whitla was a very good teacher and I answered the questions in the light of his teaching. In a very short time I got my certificate. Mr. Whitla then secured a school for me in the Ray District about halfway between Battle Creek and Norfolk. On Saturday he sent me down there to get my contract. I rode down to Battle Creek on the train. It was pouring down rain. My oldest brother, Tom, was working for F. J. Hale, who was a big stock raiser at Battle Creek. Mr. Hale let him take the buggy and ponies and he took me over there to get my contract.

The Ray brothers, John and Louis, laughed when I told them my business. They said they never gave a teacher a contract in their lives. She always came and taught and when school was out they paid her. So I went and taught and when school was out the two brothers and Mrs. Ray went with me to Norfolk and they gave me $75.00. I was to pay Mrs. Ray $30.00 for room and board but she only charged me $24.00 since I was so good to help her. I was richer then than I have ever been since.

That summer I went to Teachers Institute at Madison, Nebraska. I was hired to teach the same school for three months again in the fall. There was a large number of pupils. Since they had no more school in the district until spring I secured a school southwest of Meadow

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