The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1897-08-10
A Visit Home,

county, writing In front Of a blazing
pine wood fire at 10 o'clock in the day.
Why should anyone desire or care to 20
to the mountains whom such weather
can be found right here ut our doors?
Quilts and blankets were in demand
last night and l am rogrctting that !
have not an Overcoat with me. But
then you know this part of Greenwood
was, until recently, in the grand old
county of Edgeileld.
am at the old home. 1t Is pleasant
to get back there occasionally. I be-
liere 1t is right and proper that the
boys and girls should make frequent
pllgrimages to the paternal roof as
long as 1t remains. Fortunate are
those who have the old home unbroken
to visit. The father and mother are
always glad to see you and the off
spring to the third generation are
mover too numerous to find room ut the
old home.
We Sio nearly all hore. If nothing
prevents we hope to have full re-
union next week. The family in many
respects has been greatly blessed. We
oil have life and health, the greatest of
earthly blessings. Only two deaths in
a period stretching over AZ years. For
these blessingo we return grateful
thanks to the Giver of all good.
The crops in this section arc good
the best at this time that they have had
in years.
We had with us last night the Rev
w. A. Belts of the Methodist church,
He is a cultured and scholarly gen
tleman, and Is the pastor of the Ninety
Six Circuit.
! a period OF twenty years since first
LETT the parental roof tree to enter COL
icge at Newberry has made many
changes. Those who at that time wore
young men in the full yigor of man
hood are now the old men, and the old
men OF that time are nearly all gone
passed over the river to join the great
majority. Uncle VIM. Haltiwanger, n
| prominent man in the community, is
gone. The Rev. Jones Coleman, q pa
triarch in the Baptist church, is no
more. One, however, remains-Mr.
Jc1f Burnett, an old man 25 years ago,
Is still an old man, but no older appar-
| emily than he was quarter of q cen
tury ago. My friend for the past 20
years and associate of former days, Mr.
Jesse Coleman, Is still here and still Al,
bachelor. He should long ago have
taken unto himself helpmeet. am
afraid now that he has lived beyond
his day of grace. In those days we had
II fine school at the academy near by,
taught by Geo. D. Haltiwanger.
| have tried to find some OF the school
mates, but they, too, have nearly all
| gone. Sidney Haltiwanger i, still
here farming on the old homo place
Jake Haltiwanger is Auditor of Edge
field County. Jno. Hipp has moved
down to Ncwberry and is prospering.
The rest, where are they? This was
then a large school. Yes. Will Cooper
and Bill Hill and Burr Kinard are
farming, not far from here I had an
other teacher up here-the first one
after we came from Ncwberry-.Mr. f..
a. Townsend. He was an old man %
years ago, and q good teacher. I
walked three miles to the school he
taught. lie is still living, ain told,
and L would be delighted to see him.
These old school teach ors, can never
forget them, for the training that has
| been most useful to me was the train
Ing got In the country schools. There
the foundations were laid, and I was
fortunate in having good teachers, and
whatever faults and defects | may have
cannot be laid at the door of these dear
| old teachers. The methods now are
| somewhat different, but doubt If the
results arc much better. In the towns
it takes boy about fifteen years to get
through school, going ten months in
the year.
In the country we worked about half
the time in the fold or in the mill and
got through just about as soon, and
many of the country boys are just as
we'll educated as those who spend SO
much time in the school room.
But my hobby is for better prepara-
tory schools in the country districts
and good teachers for them. 1t is the
great need Of our educational system.
There is an awakening along this line.
The schools in the country districts are
running longer and the parents are
getting more careful as to the charac-
ter and competency of their teachers.
1t Is fortunate that it is so. 10 have
good schools VIC must have first-class
teachers. In order to have these YOU
must pay them fair salaries.
In the matter of teachers and schools
and the pay Ncwberry is coming right
along to the front. Anyone who has
read The Herald and News for the past
month or two must have been impressed
with this fact, for nearly every school
IN the county has been advertising for
teachers, and all want first-class teach
crs and many of them pay fair salaries.