Woodville Republican. (Woodville, Miss.) 185?-current, 1902-09-27
ARP'S EXAMINATIONS.
Bill Speaks Of the Opening Of the
School Year.
says Too Few Children Get Help II
Home-But He Finds 1t Hard to
Fall Into Line with New
Books.


Copyrighted by the Atlanta Constitution,
and reprinted by permission.1
What commotion. The public
schools have opened the winter ses-
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 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 hap
piness of their children. We have but
one scholar nova sweet grandchild,
who has risen to 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
have good teachers and will help at
home the willing pupil who will keep
up with the foremost. Yes, help at
home. wish that every child had it,
In grade of 30 or 40 pupils it is impos-
sible for the teacher to give more than
a few minutes to each one, but I some
times 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 some new
books and master them. The first
Latin book l read was simple little
one called "Historiae Sacra," and the
first line was "Deus creavit caelam ct
terrain intra sex dies" God created
the heavens and the earth in six days"
know thewhole 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 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 so and 60 years ago.
Capt. Calhoun was telling yesterday
how old Beman maUled knowledge into
the brains through the shanks and pos
teriors of rebellious boys. I haven't
forgotten some of the lickings that
good old John Norton gave me, for
was full of mischief. Prof. Ronald
Johnston is here now on a visit. He
taught here many years and most all
these young married men carried his
marks, for he is a Scotchman, and
has a Scotchman's faith in Solomon
and the rod. In 1861 he joined the con
federate army, and when the war was
over resumed his school and has now
been teaching over so years. He is q
fit successor to Beman and Isham and
Touchie, but has gentled down good
deal, and loves to pet his grandchil
dren.
Twas Illuminating about these school,
books and their cost. 1t took four dol
lars to buy four little books for the
new grade, and 1 know it is toe
much, and l rejoice to see thai
a company has been formed to pub
lish southern school books in a south
ern city, and keep our money at home
l rejoice that DR.. /. William Jones has
published a school history of the
United States that is acceptable to oul
people. He is grand old gentleman
without fear and without reproach
and has done more to preserve oul
good name and our record than any
other man. His biography of Jeffer
son Davis and of Robert E. Lee SHOULD
be in every household. Even Teddy
who claims to be a historian, ough
to read that of Mr.. Davis and repen
and retract and apologize before he il
set down as an arch columinator of
true patriot and noble man. Thi
reminds me of that brave girl
Laura Talbert Gait, who refused
to sing: Marching Through Geor
gia" in the Louisville public school
Blessings on her; she ought t,
be adopted as the successor t.
Winnie Davis, the Daughter of tn
Confederacy, My good friend, 10
Brown, has written parody on tina
song, and the last line to every vers
is:
"As we went thieving through Geol
gia."
Ihave lost some Of my respect for tn
city of Louisville as a southern cit
since that infamous song is allowed t
be sung in their public schools.
But am comforted every day wit
letters of inquiry about the rosie
that Georgia is going to make, an
about Judge Walter Clark's books an
how to get them. Here is beautifu
letter from Hon. P. I. TURNKEY, mayo
of the city of Highland Park, III. b
is 81 years old, but does not look
in his handsome photograph. He wa
born and reared in Tennessee, an
4 graduated at West Point in 1916. Ston,
4 wall Jackson was his roommate; Gen
D. r. Jones and William Montgomer
] Gardner his classmates. That is ge
1 ting pretty close to us, for D. R. Jont
1 was our brigadier for awhile, and Car
4 ner was his colonel. Mr.. TURNKEY wan
those books, and I wish to say hel
that the books must be ordered fro
M. o. Sheriff., state librarian, Raleig
N. C. Send five dollars and they wi
be sent by express, but not prepai
, And here is letter from G. w. Nichol
Of Jesup, Ca, who also sends his i
4 teresting book, "a Soldiers Story
the Lawton Gordon Evans Brigade
That's right. If we can find one ms