The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-07-30
4 .sCnooL q N-nEELs."

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..SCHOOL on WHEELS"
Years ago the Central Railroad, or rath-
er those chen in charge OF IT, set about
to beauty the depot grounds along its
lines. Under the care or skllful hands
pretty little parks. some Of them contain
ing fountains and all of them roses and
shrubbery took the places of what had
before been unsighuy piles Of odds and
ends Of rubbish around the dcpots. These
little beauty-spots were cases Ia desert
of dreariness along the IInc OF the road.
Thcy were a delight 20 the eye OF the tray
eler as well as Of the railroad operative.
But finally there came a change OF man
agemcut of the road, and with it a change
OF policy respecting the little parks. They
were neglected aud permitted to so to de-
cay About all that is left Of them now
Is an unkempt parklet al NIeidrlm and pos
sib3v some ovorsrown park trees and re
miudors of flower beds at one or two other
stations. 1t is but just to say, however.
that the work of beautfying the line Of
road was dropped before the present man
agement came mo authority.
good thing 10y the Central, however is
simply predatory to noucmg that another
railroad. the Seaboard Air Line. has I'M
dertaken to beauufy and make attractive
its lines by a similar scheme; and 1t Is
making most gratifying progress. North
Carolina and Virginia are now reaping
the benefits of the companys progressive
policy. Local Improvement companies have
been formed in the various towns and vii
lagos touched by the Seaboard's lines, and
these, under the guidance of railroad
official selected for the purpose, are max
ing the grounds in and around the rail
road yards and depots beautiful with
greens and flowers. Streets and parks al
so receive the attention of the roads rep
resentative, with the result that the pas
senger who goes through is charmed WITH
the vista, and wishes to repeat the trip
In connection with its Improvement
scheme the Seaboard operates a SCHOOL
train" of twelve cars, which stops at all
stations for a greater or less length of
time, as occasion may require On this
train there is about everything that one
can think of in the way of apparatus and
appliances with which to instruct the peo-
pie along the line in various money-mak-
ing. productive industries. There are
fruit driers, road building machinery, a
dairy in operation, an exhibition Of how
to prepare and can fruit, and dozens of
other things. The instructions given even
include how to make bread. Lessons are
also given in the use of fertilizers, ger
micides and disinfectants. On each car is
an instructor, and the twelve instructors
of this school on wheels, spread broad
cast the progress which true railroad de-
veopment should mean. From the train
Is distributed reading matter giving use
full recipes and information. One circu-
lar extolls whitewash, requests that
houses and fences along the line be white
washed and tells how to prepare the most
durable of that great civilizing agent. The
result of the Seaboard's missionary work
is to be seen wherever its lines extenu.
Tt is a great work, and should be adopted
by every railroad company in the South,
as matter of self-interest. Beauufying
the lines of road and teaching the people
to be more progressive Is unquestionably
a matter of benefit to the roads them
selves.
A few of such schools on wheels In
Georgia would be good thing for the
state. They would in all probability turn
a few thousand of the men who are now
wanting a county office, or the pay of a
legislator, or the slow-coming fees of a
poor doctor or lawyer. to more lucrative
pursuits. They would no doubt change
many an idler, who spends his time
whiting sticks and bewailing his hard
fate, into prosperous dairyman, truck
er, Gamer or fruit grower. The little de-
pot gardens would tend to convince many
a loafer that cleanliness and order are
better than slovenliness, and that the
smell of a rose is far preferable to that
of pop-sknll whisky.
The Central of Georgia, the Florida Cen
trail and Peuinsular and the Georgia and
Alabama railways could do the civilzing
and enlightening work of a thousand mis-
sionaries if they would each select and
| appoint some frst-class man to take hold
Of organize and push work along the
companys lines after the plan adopted by
the Seaboard Air Line. and referred to
in the foregoing. To the roads, this
would be in the way of an Investment
and there is every reason to think if
would be a well paying one. BY teaching
and aiding the people to become produc-
! ers, by assisting the people to become
prosperous, the roads would be building
for themselves a greater business in both
freights and passengers.