Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1902-07-16
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has increased about 20 per cent, the number OF
teachers has been doubled, the value OF school prop
eTty has been quadrupled; but the average number
OF days OF attendance has increased only from SO to
no. and the average annual pay of the teachers has
actually decreased from sl7S in 1875 to $15S.75 in
1900. The amount Of money expended per capita
has Increased from 81 cents to S1.34. Nothing
could be more humiliating to us than these figures.
OF course we can plead desOlatiOn OF the war and
the blight OF reconstruction After the the South
was for many years an impoverished section. But
this excuse cannot be pleaded much longer, and it
is our duty to face the facts, and attempt remedy
The South is largely an agricultural section, and
1t ls desirable that the farmer should be an intelli
gent aud well-educated man. The school term in
the country should be extended The haphazard
way OF conducting them should be abandoned. The
teachers should be better paid and thus a better
class OF teachers secured. Not only that, but the
standards of education should be raised Mississippi
is naturally one of the richest States in the Union,
but her resources remain largely undevelOped and
the mserly amount of money spent on common
school education is a reprOach. In this State the
average days salary paid teacher is a sum less
than is paid an unskilled negro labUrer.
Professor Heiprin, of Philadelphia, who has Just
returned from careful study of the crater of Mont
Pelee and OF the terrible destruction and devasta
tiOn caused by the explosion of the volcano Oh May
8, is not yet prepared to give his theory of the
cause of the eruption. He thinks it is fully estab
lshed, however, that 'the destTutOn was causes by
explosive gases the nature of which is not yet deter
mined" The instantaneous death Of the Inflated
inhabitants Of st. Pierre resulted, he thinks, from
gaseous asphyxiatiOn, and possibly from removal
OF the oxygen from the atmosphere, besides intense
heat" The professor said his observation had no
bearing upon the theory of molten mass or seethng
sea OF fire in the interior of the earth but he is posi-
tive that the recent Outbrerk twas caused by expO
sive gases, not by superheated steam" Does not
this conclusion taken in connection with the absence
of lava or other products Of fire, tend to support
the theory that the forces which caused this remen
deus explosion were purely chemicali To sustain
'fre" in the heart Of vOcanic mountain there
must be oxygen, and how could this gas, essential
to combustion find its way into that colossal chin
neyf The secrets Of natures great labOrtories in
the interior Of the earth are not we'll known; bat
when one thinks of the reservoirs OF oil and of snat
uTal gas OF the deposits of COAL sulphur salt,
asphalt and other materials for the formation of
gases Of incOnceivable explosive force, underlying
the crust OF the EARTH the unparalleled catas
rophy on Martinique may not unreasonably be attri
to some such agency.
The art daughter should surely be cultivated; in
fact all and everything that leads to iOy The
wish to be happy, the love OF gladness and beauty
is am sure, thing to be desired; consequently, il
is worth little cultivation. Play is as essential
factor in mems lives work. Philosophers tell Us
that no man lives his own life until he plays. Work
comes from the exigencies Of life, from the 'mucts
of this world, which often push men along very
different paths 70 those they would choose to travel
from inclination or capacity. Play is, however,,
his recreation, and here at his leasuTe time comes
out his whole soul; his power Of and choice OF play
his greater lesser necessity Of it. to recuperate
mind and body rom the strain Of daily work.