The new enterprise. (Madison, Fla.) 1901-1908, 1902-10-02
BILL ARP'S LETTER
Excitement and Activity Mark
Opening Of Schools.
OLD AND NEW REGIME IS COMPARED
William Likes Curriculum CT "Auld
Lang syne" When the Rod Was
an Important AdIunet.-some
"reminiscences.

What commotion. The public
schools have opened the winter SEES
sion. Hundreds of children are going
to and fro and every family Is excited
for their own. The books have been
hunted up, the faces washed and hair
brushed. The boys have a new suit
and the girls new school dresses, and
1t looks like everything and everybody
Is working for the children. Mer-
chants mechanics, doctors, lawyers,
preachers and farmers seem TO be
busy in their trades and professions,
but behind them all Is the welfare and
happiness of their children. We have
but one scholar nova sweet grand
child, who has risen to a higher grade
and has to strain her young mind to
solve the mazes and mysteries of Lat
In and algebra, but she will do 1t. Our
schools have good teachers, and with
help at home the willing pupil will
keep up with the foremost. Yes, help
at home. I wish that every child had
II. In grade of thirty or forty pupils
1t is impossible for the teacher to give
more than few minutes TO each one,
but l sometimes give az hour to our
little girl at night. That is what an
old grandpa is good for. But 1t Is
hard for even me to fall into line with
new books and master them. The first
Latin book l read was simple little
one called "Historiae Sacra," and the
first line was Deus creavlt caelam ct
terrain intra sex dies" God created
the heavens and the earth in six
days" know the whole chapter now,
but that book is out OF print and
don't know the new ones. Just so
with algebra Old jeremiah Day Is
dead and now there is a new book and
new rules, and they are harder to me.
How we old men do love to talk over
the good old ways of fifty and sixty
years agol
Captain Calhoun was telling yester-
day how old Beman mauled knowledge
into the brain through the shanks and
posteriors Of rebellious hoys. haven't
forgot some of the lickings that good
old John Norton gave me, for
was full Of mischief. Professor Ron
aid Johnston is here now on a visit.
He taught here many years and most
all OF these young married men carry
his marks, for he is a Scotchman and
has a Scotchman's faith In Solomon
and the rod. In 1861 he Joined the
confederate army, and when the war
was over resumed his school and has
now been teaching over fifty years, He
Is a At successor to Beman and Isham
and Touchie, but has gentlcd down a
good DEAL and loves to pet his grand
children.
was Illuminating about these school
books and their cost. 1t took 81 to buy
four little books for the new grade
and l know 1t is too much, and | re-
joice to see that a company has been
formed to publish southern school
books In a southern city and keep our
money at home. rejoice that DR.. I,
William Jones has published a school
history Of the United States that is
acceptable to our people He is a
grand old gentleman without fear and
I. without reproach, and has done more
to preserve our good name and our rec
ord than any other man. His biography
of Jefferson Davis and Of Robert e.
Lee should be In every household.
Even Teddy, who claims to be histo-
rian, ought to read that Of Mr.. Davis
and repent and retract and apologize
before he is set down as an arch ca
lumnitaor Of true patriot and mo-
BILE man. This reminds me of that
brave girl Laura Talbert Gait who
refused to Sing Marching Through
Georgia" in the Louisville public
school, Blessings on her; she ought
to be adopted as the successor to Win
uie Davis. the Daughter of the Confed
eracy. My good friend, Joe Brown,
has written a parody on that song, and
the last line to every verse Is:
"As We went thieying through Geor-
gla."
have lost some Of my respect for
the city Of Louisville as a southern
city since that Infamous song is al
lowed to be sung IN their public
schools
But | am comforted everv day with
letters of inquiry about the roster
that Georgia is going to make end
about Judge Waiter ClarlS's books and