MY YEAR AT WHITE CLOUD

In writing about the year at White Cloud School, where I taught one year
while the second world war was on, I am going to take it season by season.
When the superintendent asked me to teach in this school, it was to be for
only one month. By that time he was sure that he could find a permanent
teacher to take over. Because of the war, he was finding it hard to keep
all of the schools open in his division. So many teachers had answered the
call of their country and gone overseas that teachers were hard to find.
Many schools had already been closed. Because it was to be for only a
short time, I agreed to help him out.
The distance from our farm to the school was about twelve miles by the
road. I was going to have to ride my horse, as the only vehicle we had was
a large grain truck which would be needed every day on the farm. I found
out that by taking another route, I could cut the distance to seven miles.
To do this, I followed another road for about a mile. I then cut through a
farmer’s pasture, followed a path through the woods, and galloped over open
prairie to the top of the river hill. I then wended my way down through
trees and shrubs, until I emerged near the river’s edge. Here the river was
shallow and my horse could wade right across to the other side. Then we
wound our way up the hill, following a cow path through the trees growing
on this steep river bank. Up on top we had open prairie again for a good
run to Mr. Babb’s pasture. Crossing the pasture we arrived at the school.
That autumn the ride was really beautiful. The trees were golden with
their coloured leaves, which crackled underfoot as we rode over the fallen
ones. Wild geese and cranes were honking their way south to warmer
climes. Other birds were gathering into flocks for their long migration. It
was a lonely ride, as no one lived between our place and the school. As I
did not follow a regular road, I saw no one, from when I left home, until I
reached the school. The only building I saw was an old tumbledown shack,
overgrown with trees, near the river’s edge. Someone had lived there long
ago.
The school had one classroom. An entryway and cloakroom was on the
front. There was a storage cupboard here for extra supplies. A large
stove stood in a back corner of the classroom to supply heat when the
weather grew cold. Some children had the job of coming early on cold
days and starting the fire. Another family brought clean drinking water.
There was a large playground for the children and a barn for the horses.
Playground equipment was a softball, some bats and a couple of larger
balls. There was no running water, no telephone, and two outhouses
served as toilets.
There were twenty-two children in the school, with all grades from two
to eight. The number of students didn’t seem too many to me, as I had been
teaching a class of forty plus for some years but there were more grades
here, which offered a challenge. It was my first experience in a country
school and I was looking forward to this new adventure. At recess all the
children, big and little, played softball. Other games such as kick the can,
run sheep run, and red light were popular games. I remember that someone
donated us an old mattress and I taught the children pyramid building.
Some of the children rode to school but most of them walked. They
gathered the autumn flowers and collected leaves as they walked along.
They always had interesting things to report – seen – heard or found on
their way to school and back. I was getting the work organized – the work
was going well. Everything was going nicely and soon the permanent
teacher would be here to take over. It didn’t work out that way. One night
the superintendent phoned me to say that he had not been able to find a
teacher and could I possibly stay another month. I said that I would stay.
Thanksgiving came with turkeys and pilgrims decorating the walls. The
days were chillier now and frost was on the ground some mornings. The
children had a Red Cross Club going. Every afternoon, knitting needles
were taken out. The children worked busily knitting wool into scarves for
the soldiers. Some of the children had older brothers in the forces.
Whenever a letter came to their family from these brothers, the news was
all relayed to school. The whole school looked on these young soldiers,
from their district, as their own heroes and the young brothers, who
brought the news, basked in reflected glory. Armistice Day was
celebrated with poppies and crosses. This day had a very real meaning to
these children this year with the world at war. Soon November was over
and December was here and I was still the teacher.
The days were getting very short. One little seven year old girl who
walked with her sister nearly four miles said to me one day, “It is dark
when I leave in the morning and it is dark when I get home.” I could have
said the same thing except that I was not just seven years old and I did
not walk. One morning when I reached the river, my horse put his foot
forward into what he thought was the water but his foot just clattered
down on the ice. The river had frozen over. It startled him and he reared up on
his hind legs. I was afraid to try to urge him on in case he would rear up
again so I just sat there trying to decide what to do. My horse just stood
there looking at the river and I guess he was also trying to make up his
mind for suddenly he picked up one front foot and brought it down with a
mighty crash, breaking the ice into the water. He then did the same with
the other foot and we crossed the river breaking the ice as we went. We
did this every day until one morning it wouldn’t break and we were able to
cross on the ice. My horse was well shod and he did not slip on the ice.
A CHRISTMAS CONCERT
One day, early in December, the children surrounded me with the
information, “We always have a Christmas Concert. Since you are still
here, we can have one.” I was quite taken aback, as I looked at these
eager, starry-eyed children. I had never really thought that I would still
be here for Christmas and concert had not entered my mind. They informed
me that it was a yearly event and very important and an event that the
whole district looked forward to. How could I refuse? “We will have a
concert,” I said. The children all cheered. From then on preparations went
ahead. Plays were picked out, Christmas music learned and the children
were turned into little actors and actresses. The parents held a meeting
to decide about lunch, treats and gifts. Costumes were made and the great
day drew near.
Then the day really was there and we were ready. The stage had been
built, curtains put up and the children let out at noon so they could go
home and get ready. Excitement reigned high. When evening came all was
in readiness. The curtain went up on schedule – the children did their
best. Parents clapped and even one boy who had absolutely refused to
learn a recitation about Christmas elves and fairies, and had been talked
into a compromise, stalked onto the stage, doing himself proud, dressed as
a terrible pirate and recited the Pirate Don Dirk of Dundee. Then Santa
arrived with gifts and candy bags for everyone. Lunch and treats were
served and the evening ended with a dance.
THE LOST WATCH
January arrived and a teacher had not been found. It was either close the
school or I should go on teaching. I just couldn’t let those children lose
out. I stayed. The world had changed over the Christmas holidays. The
snow was much deeper and the winds colder. The trees and shrubs were
covered with hoarfrost and snow. The prairie chickens had decided to
roost in the trees in the woods that I rode through. The first morning I
entered, they all flew down and away. After a few mornings they decided
that I was not a threat to them after all and they didn’t bother to fly away.
I quite looked forward to seeing them every morning as they turned their
little heads to watch me pass through. Coming home at night the owls
started to hoot. First, one, on one side of the river, would hoot. The owls
on the other side would answer. Back and forth, back and forth, they
called to each other, their hoots ringing over the valley. One morning the
temperature dropped to forty below zero and a wind was blowing. My
husband refused to let me go. The next morning was only thirty degrees
below and the wind had gone down so I donned my husband’s mackinaw, fur
hat, gloves and my felts and went. I could hardly move but I made the trip
all right. That night I rode over the fields to Treffry’s home, which was
not far and stayed all night. The weather warmed up over night so I rode
home again the next night. One day when I got to school, I found that I
didn’t have my watch. I didn’t know whether I had forgotten to put it on or
if I had lost it. If it was lost I had no idea just where, as I didn’t stick to
the same trails everyday – just let my horse pick whatever path suited
him. That day I just guessed at the time – had lunch when we were hungry
– had recess when we thought it was time and let school out when we
finished our lessons for the day. There was a clock in the school but it
had never worked since I had been there. That night I looked in the house
and barn, at home over and over but could not find my watch. It must be
somewhere on the way to White Cloud but it had snowed that day. I had
little hope of ever finding it. By the end of January we had completed a
lot of the year’s work. When the superintendent told me again that he had
not found a teacher I told him that I would finish the year out. After all
the weather would be getting warmer wouldn’t it? I also decided that if a
teacher did happen to be found at this late date it would just cause a lot
of adjustment for the children and since I had got through the worst part
of the winter I would finish the year out.
In April, sunnier days and soft snow underfoot caused my horse’s feet to
clog up with snow. I had to stop at the top of the river hill and clean them
out one day. The next day and every day until the snow was finally gone,
he just stopped and waited for me to do the same thing. One day on my
way home from school, I had just reached the top of the hill before going
down when he lost a shoe. I got off and picked it up. I then took him very
carefully down the hill. Across the river I was going quite carefully when
he lost a second shoe. I picked it up too and then I just let him trot
gently along as he seemed to be coping quite well. As I was going down
the trail I saw something flash right under the horse’s stomach. I checked
him quickly to prevent him stepping on it. There, lying just where some
snow had melted off it, was my watch! I couldn’t believe it. I wound it up
and it went. I still have it today. It is fifty years old.
February came and went with a Valentine’s party. The weather wasn’t too
cold and we were getting well along with our work. With February coming
to an end everybody was on the lookout for signs of spring. We still had
some pretty snowy days but we knew it would soon get better. Sometimes
the roads were quite icy, particularly one that went past the school. One
day I had just arrived at school when I saw a little girl coming down the
hill on this road, some distance from the school. Suddenly her pony
slipped and she was thrown headlong off her horse. The pony took off as
fast as she could run, down the road and then over a field and out of sight.
I rode quickly up the road to help the child who was crying and frightened
but didn’t seem to be badly hurt. I took her down to the school and leaving
her with some other children, went to look for her pony. I found her on the
other side of the bush where her bridle had caught on a tree and this had
stopped her from going any father. I led her back and put her in the barn
so the little girl would have her to ride home on.
A COUGAR IN THE DISTRICT
March was here now and spring was really on its way. About this time a
rumour went around the country. Some cattle had been missing and some
killed. A cougar had been sighted in the river valley and he was blamed for
the killing. This made me very nervous about crossing the valley every
day. I kept a sharp look-out but I never saw any signs of a cougar. I
started crossing the river valley in record time from then on. One morning
I had just crossed the river and was just about to start up the other side
when I heard a real commotion and realized that whole herd of cattle
was tearing down the hill, through the bushes, as if being chased by
something. I immediately thought, “COUGAR.” I pulled my horse into the
trees out of sight. I watched as the cattle plunged down the hill, out of
the trees and toward the river. Then to my intense relief, came a large
German Shepherd running behind them and chasing them for all he was
worth. Suddenly, he caught sight of me and turned and headed off down the
valley and out of sight. He was just out having fun I guess, as there was
no one with him.
The days were definitely longer now. The snow was starting to melt on
the hills. One morning a crow flew, cawing, across the valley, proclaiming
that spring was really just around the corner. More snow came, on and off,
but everything was a little warmer and we all knew it was just a matter
of time until we could put winter behind us for another year. St. Patrick’s
Day was observed with Irish hats, pipes and shamrocks being painted and
displayed on the walls. The children were always on the lookout for signs
of spring and sightings of gophers, and early returning birds were daily
reported. As the snow melted, little patches of grass appeared between
the patches and this led to an exciting event.
A PRAIRIE FIRE
One breezy day, school had been let out and the children sent on their way
home. I was still, luckily, in the school, doing some work, when the door
flew open and Elmo, eight years old, came rushing in shouting “The
prairie’s on fire – the prairie’s on fire and we can’t get it out, no matter
how hard we try.” He was as white as a sheet! I ran outside with him and
sure enough the smoke was pouring up into the sky over in some pasture
land. I sent Elmo back into the school and told him to stay there while I
went to see what had to be done. As I rode closer to the fire, I saw Elmo’s
twin brother running back and forth, to a little puddle, with an old tomato
can full of water, trying to put the fire out. Taking stock of the situation,
I sent Ernie back to the school and told him to stay with his brother until I
came back to the school later. The boys, it seems, had been lighting those
little patches of grass, every day, for some time, and the fire just ran a
little way before going out when it reached wetter grass or some snow.
Today, however, the warm, brisk winds had dried the grass and the boys
had a full scale fire going.
Taking stock of the situation, I saw that the fire was heading right toward
the Babb home and I knew that they were away in Edmonton and the fire
could also get to the school. I rode, as fast as I could, to the Vegso farm
and prayed that they would be home. They were. Mr. Vegso put barrels of
water on a stone boat and came hurrying to the fire. He and I fought fire
and we finally got it out. Mr. Vegso then told me to go on home and he
would watch it in case it started up again. I went back to the school to
send two frightened, repentant little boys home with a lecture on fire
safety and to confiscate a pocket full of matches from them.
A FAITHFUL FRIEND
About now, the same little girl that fell off her pony, on the icy road
earlier, had another problem. Her German shepherd dog started following
her to school every day. He was very protective of her, and the other
children could not go near her on the playground without him threatening
to bite them. This was bad enough but soon decided to come right into
the classroom and sit right beside her. He would not let me near her to
help her or mark her work. We were all afraid of him. I asked the parents
to tie him up until the girl got to school. As soon as he was turned loose,
he just arrived at school again and the problem was still there. It was
finally solved when the parents kept the dog in until the child would be on
her way home. He just hurried to meet her.
A SHORT CUT TO SCHOOL
Easter was here and a week’s holiday, after which I had a new little pupil
in Grade One. We were into our last term. I was pleased with the progress
the children had made. The ice on the river was beginning to melt. There
was some water on top of the ice but so far the ice was firm underneath.
One day on reaching the bank, I found that the river ice had gone out.
Blocks of ice were floating downstream. The river had risen and seemed
to be flowing very fast. I stopped at the river’s edge and just sat there
wondering if it was too deep to cross and if I should just go around the
twelve miles by road. Just then my horse made up his mind what to do.
He plunged right in and ahead – deeper and deeper the water came. About
the middle he lost his tooting and he was swimming – but only for a few
strokes and he touched bottom again and we were wading toward the shore and
dry ground. That night I had nightmares of surging rivers and blocks of ice
tearing along. The next day I rode the long way around and after school I
rode over to Mrs. Treffry’s house and stayed with her until the river went
down and I could wade through it again. This took about three weeks.
A HAIR RAISER
One day after school that spring, a little girl came running back and into
the school. She announced that a little boy was down the road with a gun
and was going to shoot her. I was sure that this couldn’t be and I told her
to go along home. She said she was afraid to go home alone as there was a
boy with a gun and he was really going to shoot her. I finally decided to go
part way home with her and see for myself what was going on. I got my
horse and we started down the road. We went quite a way but we didn’t
see any boy. Then she suddenly pointed over to some trees and sure enough
there was the boy! He had the gun! As he came running over, he was crying,
“I wasn’t really going to shoot her. I was just trying to scare her.” I took
the gun from him. It was a twenty-two and it was loaded. I told him to go
home as fast as he could and that I would be there to see his parents as
soon as I took the little girl home. When I reached the boy’s home and told
the mother what had happened she said that she had no idea that he had
taken the gun to school. She assured me that he would not get it again.
She then insisted that I come in for a cup of tea. She got out some cake
and seemed awfully glad to have company. I think she had rather a lonely
life. She got out pictures of her family. I finally persuaded her that I
really had to leave and be on my way home. When I did get back to the
river, it was to find my husband sitting on the other side waiting. He had
been worried when I hadn’t arrived home on time.
AN OLD FRIEND
The last month was finally here. Exams were prepared for and written.
One day the superintendent paid us a visit. He thanked me for keeping the
school running. I assured him that it had turned out to be a very
interesting year for me, one that I am very glad I had. As I look back at
that year at White Cloud, I feel it was a really great experience. The
children were wonderful. They are all grown up long ago and some have
remained my good friends through the years. Years afterwards, when my
own children were older, I went back teaching – this time in the
Wainwright School. There was a little boy in a classroom down the hall
from my room. I kept looking at him as he passed down the hall each day,
for he reminded me of someone – but I couldn’t think just whom. One day
he came running over and said, “My daddy asked me, to ask you, if you
remember the day he set the prairie on fire?” “Now, I know who you are,” I
said. “You are Ernie Myer’s little boy. You tell your daddy that I certainly
do remember the day he set the prairie on fire. You look just like him.”

My Year at White Cloud
Submitted by M. Winnifred Alexander

143-151

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Little Schools in the Parkland

MY YEAR AT WHITE CLOUD

A CHRISTMAS CONCERT

THE LOST WATCH

A COUGAR IN THE DISTRICT

A PRAIRIE FIRE

A FAITHFUL FRIEND

A SHORT CUT TO SCHOOL

A HAIR RAISER

AN OLD FRIEND