The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1901-02-28
BILL ARP HELPS THE YOUNG.
They Are Asking Questions and
He Takes the Place of Books.

| feel pleased and honorcd TO re-
ccive letters every day from young
girls and boys over the South asking
for information on some subject or
for help in a school debate or for a
start in a composition~-just start.
These young people are generally from
the country, where books are scarce
and their cagcrncss for knowledge and
mental improvement is very gratify-
ing. wish that was three or four
men SO that could respond to all
their letters and comply with their
requests. | reply to as many as l can,
but | cannot take time to write COM
positions, even if it was right to do so.
One boy begs me to write him a
speech, humorous speech, and winds
up by asking me please to write two,
go that he may take choice.
We see that some Of the good ladies
Of the Atlanta Woman's Club are moy-
ing to supply country schools with
small libraries Of good books and the
Southern Railway has donated II at
book cases tor them. This, of course,
is for Fulton County, but. it is a move
III the right direction and will, no
doubt, stimulate the ladies of other
towns to do the same thing. 1t is the
very best thing l have heard of wo-
mans club doing. The desire for
books to read is aim ost universal among
the young people of the rural dis
tricts, and they should be encouraged.
Books are cheaper than ever before
known, and cheap bookcases can be
had for few dollars each. I am not
at all intimate with Mr.. Carnegie, but
if was l would whisper in his philan-
thropic ear and suggest that he turn
his attention for awhile to the towns
and villages and let the big cities alone.
Our Carlersvillc Woman's Club is
struggling hard to keep up their little
library, but are not encouraged by the
men of the town. Their books ara out
all the time, and are read and re. read
by many of the children whose fathers
do not give dollar to help maintain
the library. This may be thoughtlcss-
ness, and so | have suggested that the
ladies go around and see who will give
80 cents or 25 cents, or even 10 cents
month to keep up the supply and pay
their room rent and incidental cXpcn-
sCS. VI COlllSC Cllc CllaldCtCl VI lHc
books must be thoroughly considered.
Nothing sectional or trashy or scnsa-
tional but only those that "point a
moral or adorn tale" Every public
school should have a burning coulmit-
tee, such as they have as Forsyth, Ga.
A bright boy from Alabama writes
that his name ls John Jones, and
wants to know when and how he got
it says his father and grandfather had
the same name, but they died without
telling where they got it. He says his
schoolmate is named Will IIigginboth-
am and he, too, wants to know where
his name came from. ! admire their
eager curiosity, for our ia nc is our
slgnboard and every boy ought to
know who put it up and what it reads.
OF course it is too big thing to tell
! much about names IN letter like this
but l must tell Jack and Bill about
| theirs.
John is as old as the Christian era
/ and means " Whom Jehovah loves
| knew man very well who lived
near Rome, and his four sons were
named Matthew, Mark, Luke and
, John, anil his two daughters were
named Mary and Martha. These goot
old-timc people had great reverence foI
the Bible and Bible names. Ono OF my