expenses. All of the above until one year ago belonged to No. I. No. I now has one school building, at Sundance, of four rooms, two of which are occupied with the public and one with the kindergarten school. * The idea in all districts is a longer term. JOHN N. HOFFER, County Superintendent. CONVERSE COUNTY. Within the two years past three new school districts have been organized and three schoolhouses built. Some of the schoolhouses have been furnished with more convenient desks and seats, with new maps and blackboards, and improved charts for use in primary work. Our Teachers' Institutes have been well attended and nearly all the teachers are subscribers to one or more educational papers. The reports from the clerks of the various districts show a better attendance of pupils during the school year that has just closed. With increasing prosperity we hope to be able to have more apparatus for the use of teachers and pupils, school libraries, and longer terms of school. I have the honor to remain, Very respectfully, MRS. M. J. GOODWIN, County Superintendent. FREMONT COUNTY. Fremont County is a very large expanse of country, extending from Sweetwater County on the south to the Montana State line on the north. The county consists of 29 school districts, with over 400 pupils. Considering the age of the county the educational growth is quite marked. Especially during the last two years the schools of this county have made a pronounced improvement, both in enrollment and progress. We have as a class a higher grade of teachers, notwithstanding wages are steadily on the decline. The people of the county take a higher pride, a deeper interest, and work with more zeal for the educational interests of our schools than has heretofore been manifested. The aim of the people seems to be, to furnish comfortable, commodious and pleasant school buildings where the youth of the country are being educated. Most or a part of the school houses are furnished with all necessary apparatus, such as globes, maps, charts, etc., and ample blackboards are provided. The buildings are well ventilated-in most cases have clear, pure mountain streams running at a convenient distance-in fact, everything conducive to the health of the pupils. Lander, the county seat of Fremont County, has a fine graded school. It has opened the fall term with a full attendance of eager pupils. The building itself is a fine structure. Built of stone and fitted to grace any town of older growth, it was built at a cost of $4,500. Originally it consisted of but two departments, but during this fall it has been so reconstructed as to admit of three rooms or departments--a principal, intermediate, and primary rooms. These departments are managed by a board of three competent and thoroughly able teachers. As the school has been lately graded, and a thorough course of study arranged, great results may be looked for. The people of the pleasant Lander valley may well look with pride upon their educational buildings which give promise of so much. Where but a very few years ago the Indian chased the buffalo over the length of this fair "valley of the Rockies," now pleasant school houses dotted here and there are seen. The central schools are composed of districts Nos. 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 19, 21 and 28, all within a radius of ten miles around Lander. These schools are mostly new districts with the exception of the first four mentioned, being formed within the last four years. All have good comfortable and attractive school houses. No. 2 has a fine brick school house at a cost of $610, all furnished with patent seats and desks and other modern conveniences. The pupils are eager and energetic and will surely make their mark. The winter terms have opened in nearly all of these schools, or will by the first of November. Districts No. 5, 14 and 15 are situated to the south of Lander. No. 5, near the celebrated oil wells, is situated on the Popo Agie River in a very pleasant spot. Nos. 15 and 14 are situated above and below No. 5, on the same pleas ant stream. Still further to the south, in the heart of the grand old mountains within the mining district, nestle the pleasant little schools of Atlantic and South Pass, and still farther on to the west are the schools of the New Fork district. There are three school districts, Nos. 17, 23 and 24. They are in a little world of their own, as one might say, surrounded by those tall mountains with their great lakes and wonderful mountain streams. Still to the extreme southern part of the county, situated one at the mouth and one at the head of the Cottonwood stream--a branch of the Sweetwater River-are two small schools. One district, No. 9, has been formed since 1884-the other formed but recently. The northern schools of the county consist of all the districts north of the Indian Reservation line. Embar (district No. 11) is the first school we come to in this direction. It is situated on the banks of the Owl Creek, in a picturesque spot surrounded by tall cottonwood trees, with which this stream is lined. The school is small but progressive, with an intelligent class of people as patrons. Fifty miles farther north we come to the schools of the Grey Bull River, which consist of districts No. 3, 18, 25 and 26. Said schools are dispersed in various places from the mouth of Grey Bull River to the foothills near its source. District No. 25, situated at the mouth of the Grey Bull where it empties into the great Big Horn, is a new district of but 2 terms of school with but 8 scholars. No. 26, next in order, formed at the town of Otto, is a new district, but in a flourishing condition. No. 18, still farther up the stream, is a district of older date, with but few scholars but a very intelligent class of people. Still fifty miles up the stream is the Meeteetse school (district No. 3) which owing to the negligence of the inhabitants has not made much progress of late years; they have no established school house as yet. We expect better results from them this coming season. Two new districts, formed last year and this--Nos. 27 and 29—are situated beyond, on the Stinking Water River. No. 27 held their first term this summer. No. 29, at Marquette, has been but lately formed. Has had no school as yet, but will hold school this winter term with a goodly number of pupils. This includes all of the districts of the county which are actively engaged in the work of education, there being two districts in which (the inhabitants having deserted) the schools are discontinued. They are re spectively No. 13 on Beaver Creek and No. 20 on the Big Horn River. There is, I am sorry to say, a deserted school house on Beaver Creek, but both districts may yet be in a flourishing condition at some future day. I think with an increased school fund the schools of Fremont County would be second to none in this State. The objective point is scarcity of school funds, which greatly interferes with the length of school terms. At no greatly distant day Wyoming may be proud to class the schools of Fremont among the first of the State. Although the county is but young yet there is great encouragement ahead. For the best interests of the public schools of Wyoming, I am Most respectfully yours, (Mrs.) MARY A. MASON, County Superintendent of Schools, JOHNSON COUNTY. In attempting to make out a report of the Johnson County schools, I am obliged to fall back upon my deep intereŝt in, and general knowledge of, the educational work of the county for the few years past, rather than upon any special data which I have at hand. As you know, the office of County Superintendent of Schools has recently been left vacant by the death of Judge N. L. Andrews. For nearly four years he has been connected with this work, and few people in the State have been more interested in everything pertaining to educational matters than he has been during his whole residence in Wyoming. During the illness of nearly a year which ended |