The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1893-09-21
MARIETTA GA, THURSDAY MORNING, SEPT d. 1898

cipiency. They were told that that only
referred to the Circle, and that they
could put anything they wanted on the
house in reference to the school, but
they would hear to nothing, threatened
to have an officer take it down; and to
preventSa disturbance on such an occa-
sion l calmly consented, without the
consent of my young men friends) for
them to take it down, and was happy
that day to have been able to do so much
for such unprecedentedly ungrateful
men. The prominent young men of the
Circle were greatly incensed, and came
to me declaring they wonld put it up
again, but for the sake of peace, / asked
them not to do so. And that is why the
name wouldn't stick up there"
(4-Hear them again: ''The school
patrons held meeting to build school
house. andaWill sent a request in writing
to us, as ing to put in what they had
with us, as they did not have enough to
build, &c."i
Answer: Those men knew when they
wrote those words, that the meeting they
refer to, was held away back in the Fall
of 81, and that the whole thing fell
through about year before the last
movement that built the Hall and
therefore had no conneefhn whatever
with it. They knew, too; that the meet
ing they referred to, was held after a
building movement had been originated
by me and Endorsed by an enthusiastic
meeting of the Circle held in my room.
Our petition to the parents was first read
that night by that noble old cripple,
"Uncle Fayette'' effries, of SMYRNA.
The school patrons led by two or three.
of. these same men, refused to build with
the Circle on or near the church proper
ty here because, as Mr.. Petree publicly
said "The protracted meetings for a
week or ten days in the summer, will
Illustrate the minds of the children, and
get them off of their lessons" Such a
spirit ruled. The school tried to build
by themselves, but the whole movement
fell to pieces How wrong for them to
use such statement to mislead the peo-
pie ! Nearly a year later the Circle de-
termined to build a much needed Hall
for themselves anyhow without the
school. At a large entertainment on
Aug. 18th. '92, | made a little talk an
nouncing the movement. Col X. n. Hol-
land (bless his noble hearty made a
beautiful speech, starting the subscrip-
ton and amid much enthusiasm about
$1S8 were subscribed, (more than $50 of
which have never been paid). Not a
word was said from the stand about rails
ing money for school house.
Then | got on my wire swing and went
away from home seeking subscriptions
for our Hall, and the people opened their
generous hearts and purses in response.
We were ready to order the lumber, and
learning that some of the school patrons
wanted to come in with us, we, anxious
to favor them and not hurt The Circle.
gave them the opportunity, but told
them we were going right on and build
anyhow, if they did not. We have their
names to paper, agreeing to pay the
amounts annexed, for the purpose of
coming in and sharing the blessings of
the proposed Hall with us.
Later, at a meeting in my room, in the
presence of many witnesses, Mr.. Petree
said : eve can't get the other patrons to
60 in with us, and can t raise the $50 or
5000 we had hoped to. Will you all still
let us in for the little we have p And
we replied, Because others fail to do
their duty, we will not shut you all out :"
They accepted, and called us generous
then.
(5.)-Listen again "The community
hauled everything but the name chat
wouldn't stick or the house"
Answer Mr.. James E. Babb, the
present President of the Circle with two
loads by other members) hauled several
loads of lumber, and they know it.
(6.)-Only listen: "rhe collections
VIII took up was for the school and Cir
Gle together the head of the list will
show it, and | have heard several say all
that they gave was for the school"
Answer The ''head of the list does
not show it, and if they had looked at it,
they would have known it does not. [
do not know what some have since said,
but have the original subscription list
mo school mentioned), and their names
show that they subscribed their money
for Literary Hall alone. One lawyer in
Marietta subscribed $3.50 for the Hall.
and said he would double. it if the school
should be allowed to come in. He af-
forwards did this but another who had
given s. reduced it to $3.50 on learning
that the school had been allowed to come
in. We lost other money on this account.
SO it may be truthfully said that every
dollar L raised was given to the Circle.
Except few nails, paid for every dol
lars worth of material that went into the
building, the paint that went on it, and
even the stove their children warmed by.
Here are the figures: Amount collected
by me Gncluding my own subscription of
$50 for McBeath Literary Circle, 1928 5
Amount paid out by me for Circle on
Hail., furniture and Library, $3.50. 80
OF this amount L borrowed, Gncluding
my own subscription and still owe to
friends and the bank in Marietta $3.50.
| never received dollar for my time,
labor, railroad fare and necessary tray
cling expenses. A careful review reduces
my present Indebtedness a few dollars
less than l recently announced; and also
increases the Circles interest in the en-
terprise more than | thought
Now here is all that came from the
school patrons in money and work, ex-
cept the greater part of the hauling
d. ID. Babb, $25; r. Dobbs, SIS; w. j.
Davis, SO; j. A. Hunter, So: g. NJ. Me-
reath, 81, making S57. And the old
school house sold for S15, making in all
s72. OF this amount, so went to Mr..
Dobbs to pay, l suppose, for extra work
and hauling, which cuts the amount paid
by them down to S62, really less than /