The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1902-09-18
BILL ARP'S LAST LETTER.
lie Talks About the School
Children and School Books.

lie Talks About the School
Children and School Books.
Atlanta Constitution.
What a commotion. The public
schools have opened the winter session
Hundred of children arc going to and
1ro and every family 10 excited fol
their own. The books have been
hunted up, the faces washed and hail
brushed. The boys have new suits
and the gills new school dresses, and
II lool.s like everything and everybody
Is working for the children. Mlcr-
chants, mechanics, doctors, lawyers,
preachers and farmers scom to be busy
IN their trades and professions, but be-
hind them all ls the welfare and happi-
ness OF their children. We have but
one scholar nova sweet grandchild,
VINO has risen toa higher grade and
has to strain her young mind to solve
the mazes and mysteries of Latin and
algebra, but she will do it. Our
schools havo good teachers, and with
help at home the willing pupil will keep
up with tho foremost. Yes, help at
home. l wish that every child had it..
In grade of thirty or forty pupils it
Is impossible for the teacher to give
more than few minutes to each one,
but sometimes give an hour to our
little girl at night. That is what an
Old grandpa is good for. But it is
hard for even me to fall into line with
new books and master thom. The
I
little one called IIistoriao Sacra,"
and the first limo was "Dcus croavit
caclam CT terrain intra sex dies, -
God created the heavens and the
earth III six days" l know the whole
chapter now, but that book is out of
print and don't know the now ones.
Just so with algebra. Old jeremiah
Day is dead and now there is new
book and new rules, and they are
harder to me. How VIC old men do
love TO talk over the good old ways of
fifty and sixty years ago.
Captain Calhoun was telling yester-
day how old Bcman maulcd knowledge
into the brain through the shanks and
posteriors of rebelllous boys. 1 haven't
forgotten some of the licklngs that
good old John Norton gave me, for L
was full OF mischief. Professor Ronald
Johnston Is here now on visit. He
taught here many years and most all
these young married men carry his
marks, for he is ScOtchman and has
a Scutchman's faith III Solomon and
the rod. In 1861 he joined the Con-
fodcratc army, and when The war was
pI I,
been teaching over fifty years. He Is
fiL successor to Benian and Isham
and Touchie, but has gontled down a
good deal, and loves TO pet his grand
| children.
was rum:nating about these school
| books and their cost. 1t took 81 to
| buy four little books for the new grade
and l know it is too much, and | re,
joicc TO see that company has been
| formed TO publish Southern school
books in Southern city and keep our
money at home. l rejoice that DR.. j.
William Jones has published school
history of the United States that is ac
ceptable TO our people. Ho is grand
old gentleman, without fear and with
on. reproach, and has done more tc
preserve our good namo and our re.
cord than any other man. His bio
yraphy Of Jefferson Davis and of
Robert e. Lee should be in every
household. Even Teddy, who claims
to be historian, ought to read that OF
Mr.. Davis and repent and rctract
and apologize before he is SCI
down as an arch calumniator of tru,
patriot and noblo man. This remind
me OF that brave girl, Laura Talber
Gait, who refused to sing a" Marchin.
Through Georgia" IN the Louisville
public school. Blessings On Ecr; sh
ought to be adopted as the succcsso
to Winnie Davis, the Daughter of tn
Ccnfederacy. My good friend, 10
} Brown, has written a parody on tha
song, and the last line to every vcrs
, is:
} /" AS we went thieving throug
, Georgia."
/ l have lost somo of my respect fo
the city of Louisville as a Souther
+ city, since that Infamous song Is al
lowed to be lang in their publ
schools.
3 But | am comfortcd every day wit
3 letters of inquiry about the roster tha
l Georgia is going to make, and abou
A Judge Walter Clark's books and no,
@ to get them. Here is beautiful lettC
G from Hon. 2. Il. TURNKEY, mayor {
: the city of Highland Park, Ills. lie
8 81 years old, but does not look it in h
!. handsome photograph. lie was Dor
j and reared in Tennessee and gradua
G cd at West Point in 1916. Stonewa
It Jackson was his room mate; Genera
&c ID. II. Jones and William Montgomcl
G. Gardner his classmates. That ia &C
ID ting pretty close to US, for d. r.. Jon
~ was our brigadior for while, al
p. Gardner was our colonel. Mr.. Tur
~ ley wants those books, and 1 wish
cu aau hero that Tho books must he nrdf