The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-07-07
D. C.
FROM TENNESSEE.
Macon and the SuT0andings-CTops, Schools,
dc, DC.
Macon, FAYETTE Co., Tenn,

MACON, FAYETTE Co., Tenn,
June IT, 1859.
10 he Editor Of the National Era
Macon is situated on gentle slope, or rise
Of ground. and Is said to be the most ier'iie
sDo9 aud most desirable for farming purposes
In Fayette county. M,
The soil Is for the most part alluvial- The
bottoms are clay, mixed with some black SAND
and mould the uplands are chiefly clay, with
= small mkt are Of light sand, though IN many
places abundance of sand of good quality Is
found by digging down FIVE or SIX feet.
The low lands are subject to sudden and OF
Ten overAows, which soon disappear, however,
AZ the cessation of rain and the continuance OF
sunshine.
Limestone is hardly to be found here, and
springs are scarcely TO be met with. O~lng 70
the want of proper fixtures, the labor OF draw
ina. water Is very severe IN.
The wheat crop already harvested Is haroiy
Al. avprage-no more. at most-whlle corn is
5o;ng rather poorly. and the oat crop is blight
ed with sort of rust, which has destroyed "oS''
md rendered the rest almost worthless.
However garden vegetables, Irish potatoes,
s,zeet ,otatoes aud the fruit crops, save peach-
.. appear quite promising. Cotton, also, the
rrreat staple. though short, is well set, ana
promises an excellent crop for this portion Oh
Ibe cotton-growing region-an average, perhaps,
of 240 lbs. per acre. Wild fruits, blackberrles,
&c, are very abundant.
There are three churches at Macon, w: the
PRESBYTERIAN. 4 O. 5. :; the Baptist, d. D y ano
the Methodist, 5. f. , with about SIX hundred
attendants. ] might mention the Coioreo
church, also A.
ore a female. the other male institution. The
latter Is IN a much more hSurishlng condition
than the former.
Some Of your readers may not be we'll &C
ouaiuted with the school management IN len
asssee. In the first place, there is no pubic
school system here and, as a consequence
III the schools are formed by the citizens, o
gotten up by private enterprise. Mixed SGn0ou
are abolished and separate ones establishes
for male and female. The female schools, es
oeciallv. nav exceedingly well; e. g., NAL
teacher procures the services OF two lady teacL
ers. and establishes a Female College ID
mas 100 pupils, at least, who pay HIM So,OO
per annum, sometimes, and almost AWAY
p OO0. He paws his assistants $500 eacl
and realizes to himself $4,000, which IS equ'
70 the salary of a member of Congress.
Now. that is all well enough. Teachers, VIII
DO their duty. should be well, yes, ceTy zoe
9ald. But. but! that is not the whole OF 1t
neither the worst of il. Their time, with the
fathers moaey. is generally thrown away. III
female schools are mere money shops II
same. too. might be said Of the male school
only not so much so. A planter can more e
silr educate eight boys than FIVE girls Beside
that. male education IS very much neglected.
Some one will ask, 4" Do the teachers
their duty? II so, how is this = Well, s.
most of the teachers DO then dnty. The ia1
lies partly in the want Of system and super1
tendence. and chiefly in the want of ener
and appliance on the part Of the pupils.
youth, from infancy. have been unaccus'%t
TO help themselves IN any and all thl2/ a
TO depend altogether upon the serviGStmn
ers; and consequently, wheIr theEu ~ Or
school, they expect Of the teacEZ liGI t
stances, to do all the teaching 1ie Ho0ie
ton Of the studying and labX ca I
ever, rejoice to say that /o 81 Iuliu u. 6
exceptions among both 40 'he poor are '
Tennessee has an '
the wealthy do noJ D. B. HOWARD l
too proud to use XATTON