Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-10-26
GOLDEN GOSSIP.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES


AT a meeting of the National Associa-
ton Of Colored Women held in Chicago |
not long ago, Mrs. Mary Terrell, the
president, closed her address with these
words: Seeking no favors because of I
our color, nor patronage because of our
needs, we knock at the bar of Justice
asking an equal chance
1t was our privilege to realize the
depth of meaning in these words while
sojourning for little time at Excelsior
Springs Mo. The town is small and
far from progressive, but its school
houses are especially noticeable in To-
cation and structure, fine large build |
sings, standing high on the hills sur
rounding the town. Inquiry revealed
the fact that throughout Missouri, in
education, the color line is distinctly
drawn, and that the child of dark skin
does not have an equal chance with the
white child in life's greatest gift-a
complete education.
Up rocky hillside one afternoon we
toiled. expecting to know the "colored
school at sight; but it was only after
many inquiries that we found dilapi-
dated old building and entered dingy,
smoke-stained roon. where were seated
twenty-seven colored pupils of all ages
and sizes. The teacher was an intellec-
tual, refined looking young colored man.
who must have heard ten or more reci-5
tations in the two hours of our visit.
His methods We're those of the old times
when children learned the alphabet and
found the letters on the charts arranged
before them. The beginners in arth
metic stood UP, first on one foot and
then on t'other, while the teacher held
before them a wooden frame strung
with wires, each wire holding ten large
beads. In ponderous tone he said, as
he showed the beads along on wire. If
I have one cent and find one cent how
many cents will / have?" An eager
| little brown face looked at the beads
and sang out, 1.-TWO cents" prove it,"
said the teacher. Because one cent
| plus mother cent equals two cents.
| The beads slid along and then came
| "crackerjack," as the boys would eX-
press it. IF have cents and find
cents, how many cents Will / have"
sturdy urchin called out Two nickels.
! How much is two nickels?" This was
! too much for the little fellow and he
wiggled and twisted until memory was.
| helped a little; then he had it to prove.
| One hand slid deep into a trouser peck
/ ct and valiantly he began -cause" -
/ the other hand reached into the oppo-
/ site pocket for inspiration and be-
cause" came forth bit less valiantly.
/ then wiggle and twist brought forth
/ the third ''be-cause and the teacher
sternly said Next The reading les
sons were faithfully plodded through,
the spelling lessons We're terrors. and
every misspelled word brought the PEN
/ atty of mo recess The advanced
classes We're interesting because the
children seemed to thoroughly under
stand and to enjoy their simple lessons.
At the close of school the teacher spoke
! proudly of his pupils and his work
telling us that the colored school tsuch
as it isl is supported by the taxpayers,
4 and that he must pass the same exam
4 nation as the white teacher. In an-
Iiswer to further questioning he regret
1 fully said, No these boys and girls
q lean not go to the high school. This is
, all the education they get unless their
parents have the means to send them
n away where there are high schools for
i colored children The doors Of the
4 high schools are not open to the coloretl
A boy whose father, If he owns property
must pay taxes like the white mar.
Talk of expansion. The white man can
fight for the darksr skinned races. but
his heart has never expanded enough
to make of the coored man brother.
In utter contrast to this humble, old-
time colpred school WAS the manual
4 training high school of Kansas City
where we spent a happy forenoon II
seems that there are two high schools
lin this progressive city. When pupil
has completed the grade school work ne
thas his choice-the manual training
thigh school or the high school proper
The former adds 10 the regular high
, school work mechanical drawing, a
wood turning shop, pattern making
shop woodworking shop. engine and
dynamo room. cooking and sewing.
After watching the boys CAREFUL.
make their drawings, we followed their
Ito the pattern-making shop. This was
a sunny room In the basement. On ons
side was a case of drawers to which
the bows went and drew therefrom 8
work apron, cap and set of tools, anc
then each che rushed to his worl
bench. The master called them to,
: gether and carefully demonstrated thu
{ lesson, explaining. as he worked, why
Accuracy must be secured. and tellins
1.-The name and all about the tools he wa!
lusing; then the boys went back to Their
benches and made in wood the patter1
they had drawn in the mechanical
, drawing room Many of the articles
, thus manufactured in the workshops
. are used in the different departments o
, school work To pass through thu
Woodworking rooms into the wood
Turning shop. where the buzz of ma
chinery drowned all sounds of th'
], voice, and see mere boys industrionsl,
r and happily learning to use the hand!
E las we'll as the brain was revelation IL
> school work Into the engine ard dy
/ |namo room we looked to see an enthu
! siastic man. minus coat, with shir
t sleeves rolled up, demonstrating TO
f class of bright faced boys the follow
e ing lesson written on the blackboard.
: Twelve by twelve cylinder.
: Initial pressure.
e Back pressure.
4 No compression.
o Next we visited the sewing room
e where some fifty or more young girl
t were mastering the rudiments of sew
4 ing. In beginning they are taught hoy
i. to sit correctly, how to hold the worl
and manage the needle and thimble
The second step is weaving in heay,
warn then comes a lesson in cuttinl