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. EDUCATIONAL MEETINGS To fle Held it Woodstock During Fair Week There will be two important edu­ cational meetings held at Woodstock during the fair week under the auspices of the county superintend­ ent of schools. On Thursday, August 26, at 10:00 o'clock a. in., sharp, there will be a meeting of all rural teachers of Mc- Henry county at the court house. Miss Marie Byrnes of Freeport, 111., will give instructions pertaining to work in phonics, a new system for beginning reading, which will be in­ troduced for the first time in the rural schools in this county. The town schools for several years have used a phonetic system for teaching reading and an" attempt is being made for the first time this year to introduce it in the rural schools. Supplies for the year will also be given out. All rural teachers are ex­ pected to attend. The county super­ intendent will outline the ^ork for the year and plan a series of meet­ ings, which will be held from time to time. On Friday morning, August 27, at 10 o'clock a. m. there will be held in the city hall at Woodstock the pro­ motional exercises for the eighth grade pupils of McHenry county who were successful in earning this last year promotional certificates to high school. These certificates will be awarded by County Superintendent A. M. Shelton and an appropriate program has been prepared for the occasion. The new free high school act, which became effective July first of this year, giving free "tuition to eighth grade pupils of the cquntry schools to the city high school is entirely different from the one in force last year. This act will be gone over carefully by the county super­ intendent and all questions relative to the same will be considered at this meeting. An opportunity will be given all to ask questions concerning same. Parents and directors are in­ vited to attend this meeting that they may ascertain these changes. After the awarding of these cer­ tificates the county spelling contest, will be held. This contest is between the contestants who were winners in the township spelling contests last spring. There are over fifty contest­ ants and an opportunity will be giv­ en the public to see whether or not the children of today can spell as well as they could in early times. Last year after spelling the most difficult words on each page of the spelling book, which is used thruout the county, there were some ten or twelve pupils left standing on the floor. As good a showing is expect­ ed this year. A great deal of inter­ est has always been manifested when the champion speller of McHenry county is about to be determined. Suitable prizes have been selected. Thru the courtesy of the McHenry County Fair association complimen­ tary tickets will be given to all the pupils attending who have earned promotional certificates, or are con­ testants in the county spelling con­ test and also to the rural teachers in attendance. The exercises close at 12 o'clock in order that all may spend tile remainder of the day on the fair grounds. Come out and show your interest in rural school day and spend an enjoyable afternoon at the fair. Chicken feed at M. M. Niesen's. QUARTER OF A CENTURY Items Clipped From The Plaindealer ' Of Twenty-five Years Ago * The youngest child of the late "Bets" Herbes was buried in the Catholic cemetery on Sunday last. A social party will be given at Hel­ met's hall tomorrow evening, Old Settlers' day. Kline's orchestra will furnish the music. Tickets, 50 cts. The arrangements for the Old Set­ tlers' meeting tomorrow are all com­ pleted and with good weather a reg­ ular old fashioned time may be ex­ pected. Everybody and his wife will be here. Frank Rosing, who lived east of this village, died on Friday last of cancer, from which he has been a sufferer for a long time. His re­ mains were interred in the Johns- burgh cemetery on Sunday. We learn that a number of boys, for pure cussedness only, amused themselves a few evenings since by throwing stones, sticks, pumpkins, etc., into the yards and against the houses of some of our citizens, mu<*ft to their annoyance. Now these sinarties should bear this one fact in mind and that is that this thing will not be tolerated. They are known and a repetition of the act will lead to a punishment that will be a y arn­ ing to them ever after. About six o'clock on Thursday evening last our citizens were start­ led <again by that dread alarm of fire, which was found to be in the cold storage of John Evanson & Co. on the West Side. They had been can­ dling eggs and, it is supposed, left their light burning, which in some way ignited the straw and shavings, setting the building on fire. For­ tunately it was discovered in time and with the aid of one of the chem­ ical engines and the extra exertion of a lai>ge number of men, who were early on the spot, the fire was ex­ tinguished with a loss of only about $75. With the extreme dry weather had the fire happened in the night and got under full headway the west part of our village would have today been a smouldering ruin. The loss is, we believe, fully covered by insur­ ance. There will bo a Demorest merlal contest held at the city hall in this village Friday evening, August 22. Admission, 10 cents. Proceeds to be divided between the two Sabbath schools of this place. The following is the program, which will begin promptly at 7:30: - „ • Voluntary...... Mary L. Went worth Prayer Music Loyal Legion Reciiation---The Prohibition Cry Duet...Allie Smith and Grace Mead Recitation--The Two Fires Solo Lenora Stevens Recitation--The Ballot the Only Hope For Prohibition Solo Mrs. G. E. Dickenson Recitation--The New Declaration of Independence Duet.... Grace Stevens and Mattie - Smith Recitation--The New Fashioned Man Solo Maggie Osborne Recitation--The Barrel of Whiskey Duet.Mrs. C. T. and Archie Eldredge Recitation--The World on Fire Solo.... Mrs. E. J. Hanly Recitation--The Advertisement of an Honest Rumseller Instrumental Duet.... Myrtle BH11 and Mary L. Wentworth Presentation of Medals Music. ...............Male Quartet. This will be one of the most inter­ esting entertainments held in this village this season and it is hoped that the house will be well filled. St. Mary's Church Notes Pew rent in St. Mary's church it past due for the second half of lftlB, which ought to be paid in advance. Call at the parsonage week days be­ tween 9 and 12 in the morning, 7 and 8 in the evening and Sundays after services. Reservations for 1916 can be made by part payment in advance on or before the last Sunday in De­ cember. Sister Frederica, who succeeds Sister Alana, arrived in McHenry last Friday night. In company with the new teacher came Sister Mida, who will take charge of the domes­ tic department. New slate' blackboards will be in­ stalled in a few days for the fourth and fifth grades. Other improve­ ments are also under consideration for the accommodation and comfort of the school children. Saturday night of this week S. H. Freund will conduct the auction sale of an iron fence on St. Mary's school grounds. The iron is in good condi­ tion. Sale begins at 7 p. m. Pro­ ceeds will go to the cemetery, for which a stone or brick wall will he built in the course of time. • Tuesday, Aug. 24, St. Mail's school children will have a big pic­ nic. The Sisters and a^ committee are preparing games and contests of. all kinds. Grown up people, espe­ cially the parents, will participita. For the children the picnic is free.* is Six Years Old Last Monday little Adeline Par­ kins, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jas. 'i. Perkins, was six years old and in commemoration of the day she in­ vited a company friends to spend the alter noon with her. The little folks responded to the invitations extend­ ed them by appearing at the Perkins uome at an early hour and the after­ noon v,as most enjoyably spent by all present, games of various kinds be­ ing indulged in, while at an appro­ priate hour the little folks were served with dainty refreshments, which were served by the little host­ ess' motner. Little Adeline received numerous gifts from those present. Richmond Gazette installs Linotype The Richmond Gazette has just in­ stalled a new Model 15 Mergenthaler linotype machine, the same as used by The Plaindealer. The machine was installed last week and the type for the last issue of that neat journal was cast by the new machine. We congratulate Bro. Scott on his pro- gressiveness and can assure the read­ ers of his already newsy sheet that he will now give them a better paper then ever before. Seeks Relief From Asthma Theodore Schiessle, son of Mr. and Mrs. Theo. Schiessle, left Chicago by boat on Tuesday evening of this week for Washington Island, where he ex­ pects to remain about a month. He is making the trip in the hope that he may be relieved of asthma, with which he has been troubled for wne time past. McHenry ice cream has no com­ parison, because there is none as good,, pure and delicious. C. Unti, pro­ prietor. * Go to Petesch's and get what you want when you want it.