Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1891-07-02
For the Ellsworth American.
Negroes Of the Black Belt"

Various religious denominations, as is
well-known, have opened schools for the
coiored In different parts of the South.
Some Of these were established soon
after the war and all have been doing a
grandly noble and much needed work.
But these schools are mainly in the cities
and larger towns, and in many sections are
large country populations who cannot
reach them. While it has been great OBJ
ject of the denominations to educate men
and women who shall 60 out into these
more sparsely settled districts to teach
and uplift Others of their own race, and
while the influence of these schools has
been far-reaching for good, it is not reach.
ing out as IL would were the negroes them.
selves less selfish. Like many white peo-
pie they prefer to go where wages are the
most remunerative or surroundings most
agreeable, and this is not in the country
districts. The result is that teachers who
themselves are fearfully ignorant are en-
pioyed In these country public schools for
the colored, and boys and girls are attend
ing them year after year and growing up
without knowing how to read or write.
In my school the past year had more
than sixty pupils enrolled In all there
were seventy-five boys and girls of whose
requirements | had personal knowledge
These were Of ages ranging, judged
(out few know their ages from six to
twenty years. Most of them answered
promptly "ben ter school, yes mum. !"
Many OF them. as learned, had been at
tending the public school for several wears.
Of this number but three could read in
"Appletons Third reader with any de-
gree of ease. Six could read in the Sec
ond reader with considerable ease, and
four more in the First reader OF the re-
mander, some knew the alphabet but six
ty-two or about SO per cent would have
to be called wholly illiterate. OF the sew.
enty-fve only about half dozen had any
knowledge whatever of figures, and this
was mostly confined to adding easy col
umns of figures. Geography, grammar
and history were likewise unknown. Yet
these boys and girls when books were Oh
tanned and lessons assigned took hold of
their work with an interest and deter.
mination that in my four years experience
in teaching in the North have not seen
anything like. Even the smaller ones
studied As If their very lives depended up
on how much they could learn during the
term From early morning till late even
ing they were to be seen with books and
states beside their open iires-for lamps
they seldom have-and though slow TO
learn and with parents who could render
them no assistance except In few in
stances } their extreme diligence brought
ITS sure reward; their progress was quite
pleasing.
number of men who worked through
the day came to the evening school some
of them walking long distances 1t was
really ptifu TO see them laboring painful
'y over the little examples in simple num-
berS, or trying with their fingers stifened
by hard work to initiate the copies set for
them Often failing they would yet pa
.iently try again" and when their oft re-
oeated efforts had met with something like
success, or when the dawning intelligence
within had grasped and comprehended
some hitherto unknown principle. light
Illuminate even their ebony faces. One
Young man used to walk four miles after
his hard days work. | used To hear his
essons, look over his written exercises,
pointing out mistakes, then assign new
essous and he would leave TO come back
IN few evenings with it all carefully pre-
pared, and often much more than had been
assigned. He must have sat up till mid
light every night to get so much done
Neither wind nor rain prevented his com
ne when he had gone a. far as he could
without help. Another young man who
attended Mrs. Steele's school at McNeills
the past spring has been diligently work
ing and saving his small earnings for some
time hoping to collect enough to git
little learnin'." At last $50, the result of
sir years hard work and close economy,
was boarded and he came to McNeills to
carry out his long cherished dreams. As
might be expected he went to work with
his whole heart and soul in his books and
has been making rapid progress.
Did time and space permit, many other
might be given of indefati-
gable toll and exertlon among these peo-
pie in their efforts to come themselves or
to get their children to the school. Consld-
cradle sacrifice must be made in order to
save from their meagre earnings that which
had to be paid for the support o. the
school, but they did it gladly-yes, Mank-
fmly. Americans are proud and justly Of
the excellent system of public schools in
most parts of our land, but it does not be-
come US to do very much boasting while
the condition of the negroes and poor
whites" in many parts of the South remains
as it is, Il dark, ugly blot upon our civilza-
tion.