niel organized the North
Highlands School in the factory district. Of this school he says: "It is
not made to conform, either in course of study or hours, to the other
schools of similar rank in the system, for the board desires to meet the
conditions and convenience of the people for whom the school was
established. Classroom work begins in the morning at 8 o'clock and
continues until 11 o'clock, with a recess of 10 minutes at 9:30. The
afternoon session begins at 1 o'clock, and the school closes for the day
at 3:30 o'clock."

The long intermission in the middle of the day is given in order to
allow the children to take hot lunches to parents, brothers, and sisters
who are working in the mill. Many of the mills are located at some
distance from the school. Some of the children are called upon to walk
as much as two miles during the noon hour, in order to carry the
lunches. These "dinner toters," when carrying lunch baskets for persons
outside of the family, receive 25 cents per week per basket. In case
several baskets are carried, the income thus earned is considerable.

The school thus organized on the basis of local needs is further
specialized in a way that will appeal to the needs of the mill operative
group. The academic courses are similar to the courses offered in the
other schools, except that more emphasis is laid upon the "three R's."
Superintendent Daniel says that the time is very limited in which these
children will attend school, and more attention is given as to what may
be regarded as fundamental. "While the prescribed course contemplates
seven years, few continue after the fifth or sixth year, so strong is
the call of the mills. Not more than 1 per cent finish this school and
pursue their studies further."

The three morning hours and the first hour in the afternoon are devoted
to academic studies, while the last hour and a half of the day is given
to practical work. The boys are required to take elementary courses in
woodwork and gardening, alternating these two branches on alternate
days. The girls are given work in basketry, sewing, cooking, poultry
raising, and gardening.

The results of the introduction of this applied work are summed up by
Superintendent Daniel in this way,--"In all of these lines of work it is
now the hope of the school only to better living conditions a little
among the people for whom it was especially organized. The
transformation is necessarily slow. In the beginning, no