The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1899-12-20

sippi, redeemable in sums of five
| dollars-dated 1888; also a 81
note of the Bank of Port Gibson,
dated 1899.
Those We're the flush times OF
| Mississippi. There were finan-
ciers in those days, and they
bored with million dollar augurs.
AS if this writer we're not al
ready amply occupied, it has in
some way, fal en- to his lot to
| read the ploof sheets of the pro-
ceedings of the State Teachers
| Association that met in jackson
in April last. and the several adj
dresses and papers read on that
occasion. The pamphlet is be-
ing printed by the State Printer,
and the Secretary of State, as a
member of the board of public
contracts has the privileged mo-
nopoly Of reading all the proof
sheets Of all the department re-
ports. laws and journals, and all
printing required by the state;
and hence the teachers doings
come under his notice. All this
ight be considered a "white
mans s BURDEN were it not that
the practical experience Of two
score years along that line makes
proof-reading as easy a thing as
rolling off log.
| There are so many bright things
in the addresses and papers APP
pearing in this pamph ct, that it
is quite relief TO lay down the
proofs ofthe Land Commissioners
report, which deals with things
earthy-with its sections, town
ship and ranges-and read dis
cussious that relate to mind and
soul, and culture, and intellectu-
al and social progress. Indeed,
we found it a labor Of love to
read the papers submitted at the
last meeting of the State Teach
ers' Association. They are sup
to date, and richly worth the
few dollars it may cost to print
and thus preserve them.
The opening address Of Presi-
dent j. G. Hardy, "Our Public
School System-Its Past and Flu
ture, was splendid introduce
tion to the three days program.
We have only space now to copy
two paragraphs that pay tribute
to two of Mississippi's most eff
cient and most popular educators,
in the address Of Prof. Hardy,
himself star Of no small magni-
tude:
! During all these years the
public schools were at a very low
ebb and the public schools were
very unpopular. Even within
my memory, men have made the
race for the Legislature and been
elected upon platform opposed
to the public schools. 1t is to Mr..
Preston that the credit is due of
giving to Mississippi a public
schoo! system in keeping with the
dignity Of great state and free
people. 1t was under his admin
istration that the people saw for
the first time what a school sys-
tenn meant for state. 1t is due
to him that our school law is
equal to that Of any state in the
! Union. 1t was under his able
administration that the separate
| school districts were organized,
which has given birth to our
! splendid system OF graded schools
in almost every town in the state.
| 1t is due to him more than to any
other man that we have a class Of
professional teachers in the state
fully abreast of the times. 1t was
! his uniform state examinations
that put the teachers to studying
and gave them scholarship, with
, out which no true progress can
be made. He gave ten years Of
hard work to the educational sys-
tenn OF Mississippi, and raised
our standard equal to the very
/ highest. The life of j. r.. Pres
ton cannot be lost from our state,
| for it has gone into every home
and fireside Of Mississippi. He
must die, and his name may be
n forgotten, but the work he did
for TIE schools of our state will
| live and continue to live @'untilI
the stars grow old, and the sun
4 grows cold, and the leaves Of the
judgment book unfold"
1 Mr. Preston was succeeded by
/ Mr.. A.. A. Kincannon in 1895,
who kept the standard fully up 10
the mark by securing the adop-
!. tion Of some valuable additions
to the school law He was al
4 lowed more money for the en-.
ployment OF help id the clerical
ldaDartment nf his office Taol