The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1902-10-16
JOHN
WATERGRASS AND Elk
TENTED TERN.

IEN IED IEhM.
| Hickory Grove. MISS, Sept. 80.
1902. Dear Mr.. Editor: / see that
the people are writing you all over
the Free State of Rankin, so I
thought I would sot down and drop
you few lines to let you know that
we are all we'll, except one of our lit
tie children, who has been going to
this extended free school and is now
sick from eating too many persim-
mons, and swallowing the seed. His
mother is very uneasy about him, and
has given him half pint of castor oil
and thinks that will do him great
deal of good, if it succeeds in remov-
ing the seed | think he will be all
right for the extended free term for
three months and then we will have
to have him at hcme. You know we
poor folks are not able to send Ito the
free school more than three or four
months. / noticed a letter in your
valuable paper written from Leake
county advocating the extension of the
free school terms, said he once taught
in Rankin and I believe if Rankin
would extend the free school term ten
or twelve months that he would be in
duced to return to Rankin. I also
read letter from north Rankin say.
ing let the good work go on l
1 ho1s rrfk DicIo
near Goshen, and one reading his let
ter would think if he were to die that
he would take wings and fly to that
unknown country where there would
be no expense for fuel and lights and
a free school forever and ever with
large salaries.
Now Mr.. Editor, find that all the
school teachers and negroes are in
favor of an eight to ten monts free
school. Now don't think that the
majority Of tax payers favor Lit-they
talk of the big delinquent tax list.
You know that for some years people
have been talking about dividing the
taxes, that is give our colored brothers
what they pay in and the white what
they pay. But Brother Galloway
knocks that out, assisted by Brother
Lowery, who thought he would not let
Brother Galloway turn him down.
Now I do not know why these divines
axe the stand that they do, unless it
was the educated niggers that put
them up to it. It seems hard for one
class to have to send the other class
to school and bear the expenses, but
it seems as time rolls on people
change. It now looks like in a few
years some politician, if he thought
there was anything in his pocket
would advocate mixed schools and
| then the next step social rights.
Where are we drifting to, H or the
D.?
! s'Now lay down de pillow an de hoe,
an we poor darkeys will tax de white
folks and let them make de brothers
corn, taters and rice, the chickens,
too, and with later in our pocket go
to Whitfeld's months school; we 60
and don't you forget it. -
Mr.. Whitfield spoke all over the
state advocating an 8 months school;
said let the old folks stay at home and
do the work. That seems a little
hard on them to have to do all the
work That's all right for those
that don't care much for father and
mother. It is all that a great many
in Rankin can do to sendstheir child
rem to school four months, and they
are as good people as live in the state.
Owing to the scarcity Of labor they
are bound to keep their children at
home s months to help them make an
honest living.
/ see Mr.. Lowther, Of Stems
Greek, voted nay. I do hope the good
people Of Stems Greek will send him
back.
P. S..-Good news Since COM
msncing this letter my little boy is