I found this article in the Texas Farm and Industrial News published in Sugar Land in November 1919. The paper was a weekly publication that offered national, state, and local news. Here's an interesting sample of the latter.
The Mustang School had just organized a literary society. The school's principal, a Miss Stewart, sponsored the group and submitted two essays to the newspaper for publication. One was a fairy story written by Miss Daisy Fischer, a 10-year old 5th grader. Preston Renfrow, a 10th grader, wrote the other. His theme was "Popular Prejudices Against Higher Education," which was very topical.
Texas schools at the time were poorly funded. There was a state law capping school taxes, and some communities had to 'pass the hat' to fund their schools adequately. I think there were two referendums, one in 1919 and 1920, to revise the law and increase school funding.
One other thing I'm not sure of: Preston may have been a senior. I don't recall when Texas officially added an 11th year to graduation requirements. I know the state added a 12th year in the mid 1940s.
I've posted images of the article, but they are very difficult to read. Here is a transcription. A few places were so illegible I couldn't make out the text, so I inserted question marks.
A Literary Society Is Organized Friday
Mustang School At Fresno Is Working With A Hum
A Fairy Story and An Apt Discussion of Higher Education Written by Pupils
Miss Mary Lee Stewart, principal of the Mustang School at Fresno, has her work well in hand as may be seen from the news items received from there this week.
Besides having organized a literary society, Miss Stewart has her classes busy at composition. Little Miss Daisy Fischer, aged 10 years in the 5th grade, sends in a splendid fairy story and Preston Renfrow in the 10th Grade sends in a fine composition on "Popular Prejudices Against Higher Education." Preston's penmanship is superb. His theme is timely just now in view of the momentous election in this State next Tuesday on the very question he is discussing. I hope he keeps pushing till he has equipped himself with the best (?) education to be had in the world. He can get a (?) to the goal right here in Texas if the amendment passes and if it doesn't, then some other way will be found. I also hope Daisy will keep on till she is thoroughly educated. She has a fine start and when Texas girls are properly educated, they are the most brilliant girls in the world.
I also hope Miss Stewart will send in more of the work of her pupils and that other teachers will take notice and follow her example.
A Fairy Story by Daisy Fisher, age 10 years and in the 5th Grade, Fresno, Texas
There was a little boy had to go around in ragged clothes but always had clean clothes because his mother and father were poor.
He had to go around this way for a pretty long time but one day some fairies came to see the poor boy.
They felt sorry for him and one day when the boy was playing, something happened. His clothes changed so they weren't ragged any more.
At first he didn't know what happened. But in a little while he thought of the fairies.
The fairies kept on being nice to the little boy and whenever he would be thinking of something he wanted, the fairies would give it to him.
When he got old enough they made him president.
After he did this he became rich.
By and by a little girl was born. He (sic) had so much money that he didn't have to worry about not having a good time.
One day while she was out playing she saw the rainbow. She thought it was the home of the fairies.
She thought she would go and get some beautiful things from the fairies. So she started to go.
She went and went but still the rainbow looked as far as it ever did. It led her away off into the woods and she became frightened. She looked around to find out how to get home, but she didn't know which way was south, which way was west, which way was east or north. She knew she was lost.
After a little while her father and mother found out she was gone. They began calling and calling, but they could hear no answer.
Then they sent out people to look for her. They went calling and calling, and finally the girl heard them calling, but she thought that it might be some Indians that knew her name. So she hid behind a log.
One man got close to the log she was hiding by and called and called.
The girl looked up from where she was hiding and saw it was a man that she knew. So she jumped up and everybody was delighted to know they had found her. They went home right away with the girl.
After that the little girl never did try to go to the home of the fairies and the fairies never did come to see the little girl again. That was her punishment for being selfish.
Popular Prejudices Against Higher Education
By Preston Renfrow, 10th Grade, Fresno
Education has been developed wonderfully in the last three centuries. The American colonists were interested in education, therefore it had a good start.
In 1647 the Massachusetts General Court passed a law providing that every town of fifty or more families should establish a primary school, the expenses of maintaining same was to be met by the parents of the settlers in general. It was also ordered that every town of 100 families or more should maintain a grammar school which should fit the student for college.
At the present time we have a large number of colleges located in nearly all countries. Harvard College open in 1638 and graduated its first calls in 1642. Yale College was founded in 1701, Williams in 1755 and Dartmouth in 1769.
The majority of the people think that a person does not need higher education than the high schools teach, which generally is the case that the person never had any high education and says he gets along all right.
There are quite a few families who have no children to send to school, therefore they think it is wrong for them to have to pay the school tax to send other people's children to school. There is also a class of people who employ private teachers for their children who do not like to pay common school tax. They think the rich should be educated better than the poor. They think a poor man would always be a bum, even if he has a good education. Some think after a student finishes high school and goes to college, what they learn there unfits them for useful labor. The poorer class think it is just a waste of time as they could be using their children. Some people think that the school system is not being run right, according to their ideas, therefore they do not like it. A man that has gotten a high reputation over the country may boast of his prosperity without a good education.
There is a large number leaving school every year thinking they know it all, while if they had taken a course in some good college they would have been better fit to enter the world.
The need of higher education is great, especially in our country.
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The Mustang School Literary Society was organized Friday and the following officers were elected: Preston Renfrow, president; Essa Lepley, vice president; Ofis Fischer, secretary; Miss Stewart, critic; Miss Raab, sgt. at arms. Leslie Raab, Floyd Renfrow and Bessie Fenn constitute the program committee.
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