Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1900-08-04
TOWN TRANSFORM
EFFECT Oe AVlLLAGE IMPROVEMENT
SOCIETY.
How the Negroes Of Texas Com
munity 8cttcrcd Their Condition.
Magical Result of United Effort For
Cannon Good.

Common Good.
Some ten years ago | read of the
work of the village Improvement socir-
ties of the north, writes Il. l.. Smith to
The Outlook. (AIr Smith is colorcd
man and member of the Texas lc@is-
IatureD was immediately impressed
with the immense cducative influence
of such an organization.
If the people of the north, who might
Justly be termed "thc heirs of all the
ages" felt the need of Improvement in
their home environment, how much
more necessary was something OF the
kind for people that had Just come
out of the house of bondage. the back
ground of whose lives was centuries of
savagery and oppression. There was
an Irresistible impulse to attc apt to
get the common negro to cnaGgc his
home life, to broaden his ideal. doing it
himself without outside aid and with
outside direction only. by utilizing the
resources and opportunities ut hand.
If this could be done, here was a dis
tinct gain for Christian civilization.
With this in view Il meeting was an
nounccd at the village church in Oak
land, Tex. where | had settled as a
teacher. \ village Improvement socie-
ty, the first of its kind among my race,
was organized with II members. This
was in December, 1889. We agreed to
stimulate our members who were
homeless to purchase homes and to
urge those already possessed of homes
to improve and bcautify thcm to pur-
chase those things that are absolutely
necessary for the comfort of our fami-
lies, to set our faces against and unite
our forces in fighting those evils which
debase our character and destroy our
homes, to repair our highways and
keep them in order. to refrain from
spending time and money upon foolish
and harmful projects. to plant suitable
shade trees and shrubbcry, and in gen
eral to bring up our homes and home
life to the highest American standard
compatible with our incomes.
We went to work with considerable
enthusiasm. Shade trees were set out,
roads repaired, roScbUShCs were plant
ed some few homes WhitrWaShrd; but
at the end of the year the financial CON
dition of the members was such as to
make the purchasing and Identifying
of homes ''the base. - fabric of Il
dream" and yet the need. for better
homes never appeared more pressing
than at the close of this first year of
practically resultlcSs effort.
This led me to study the causes
which made pcnury and want the nor
nal condition of the masses. | found
the chief obstacle to Improvement to
be the Infamous credit or crop mort
gage system, by which the poor people
of the south are almost as cnSlavcd as
they were ''bcfore the war" Credit
prices ranged anywhere from 30 per
cent to 800 per cent above cost. The
negro, improvident and thoughtlesS,
was in the hands OF a class that calcu-
lated almost to a pound his productive
capacity and then gave him credit up
to this estimate and occasionally be-
yond it. The small farmer of the race
did not as Il rule raise such supplies for
his own use as he could. and there was
no apprcciabe surplus of any product
for sale except watcrmclOns and cot
ton.
1t bccam" necessary, therefore, for
me to rcorganiZe the society, which /
did, substituting the name Farmers
Improvement Society For Village I'M
provement. because, as will be readily
seen, there could be little Improvement
without change of business methods.
Following is the platform adopted:
"First.--To abolish the credit system
completely or as much as lies in our
power. This object can he best ac-
complished by raising as far as pos3-
BILE all our supplies at home and by
| purchasing what cannot be so raised
for cash.
"SecOnu.-TO discuss topics of inter
est to farmers and thereby create, Ell
courage and foster an intelligent and
lively interest in improved methods of
farming; to practice economy; to OBJ
tain such information rs shall lead us
to improve an! diversity our crops.
The better to accomplish this purpose
prizes of money or other valuable con
sideration may be offered for the best
improved field and garden crop, dairy
products or 1--we stock.
"Third.-To cooperate In pure ChaSing
supplies and in selling our products
whenever desirable or practicable.
"Fourth.-To aid each other in sick
ness and in death, for which purpose n
/ fund raised by regular monthly dues
not to exceed 10 cents per month shall
be collected and held sacred, being
subject to expenditure for no other OBJ
/ ject whatsoever"
The object in having sick and
death benefit fund was to induce those
who could not be reached otherwise to
come over ana take the other four
/ planks along with this one. Results
have proved the wisdom of this course.
The effect of simple obedience to this
pledge was magical. In five years our
community was completely transform
ed. We erected two story school
house at cost of more than $1,000,
tasteful homes replaced the old shan
ties, wire fences gave place TO pickets,
commOdiOuS dwellings of from four to
eight rooms were built, plants for the
house and yard were secured, great at
tentiOn given to cducatiOn; SObriCty,
chastity and thrift became the rule. In
short. the community had become in
telligent, progressive and refined. We
| pnioycd an excellent local reputation.