The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-09-14

What a commotion. The public schools
have opened the winter session. Hun
dreds 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
bows hays a new suit and the girls new
school dresses, and it looks like every
thing and everybody is working for the
children. Merchants, mechanics, doc.
tors, lawyers, preachers and farmers
seem to be very busy in their trades and
professions, but behind them all is the
welfare and happiness of their children
We have but one scohlar nova sweet
grandchild, who has risen to a 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
with help at home the willing pupil will
keep up with the foremost. Yes, help al
home. 1 wish that every child had it.
In grade of thirty or forty pupils il
is impossible for the teacher to give more
than few minutes to each one, but
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 new books
and master them. The first Latin book
l read was a simple little one called
"Historiae Sacra," and the first line was
Deus caelam ct terrain intra sex dies,
God created the heavens and the earth
in six days" l 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 new book and new rules.
and they are harder to me. How we ole
men do love to talk over the good old
ways of fifty and sixty years ago.
Captain Calhoun was telling yesterday
how old Beman mauled knowledge into
the brain through the shanks and poste-
riors of rebelIious boys. l haven't for
gotten some of the lickings that good old
John Norton gave me, for | was full OF
mischief. Professor Ronald Johnston is
here now on a visit. He taught here
many years and most all these young
married men carry his marks, for he is
a Scotchman and has Scotchmans talth
in Solomon and the rod. In 1861 he joined
the Confederate army, and when the wal
was over resumed his school and has now
been teaching over fifty years. He Is a
fit successor to Beman and Isham anc
Touchie, but has gentled down good
deal, and loves to pet his grandchildren
/ was Eliminating about these school
hooks and their cost. 1t took 81 to buy
four little books for the new grade and
know it is too much, and l rejoice to
see that a company has been formed tt
publish Southern school books in South
ern city and keep our money at home.
rejoice that DR.. j. William Jones has pub
lished a school history of the United
States that is acceptable to our people
He is a grand old gentleman without feai
and without reproach, and has done more
to preserve our good names and our rec
ord than any other man. His biography OF
Jefferson Davis and of Robert E. Lee
should be in every household. Even Ted
dy, who claims to be historian, ought te
read that of Mr. Davis and repent and
retract and apologize before he is SCI
down as an arch calumniator OF true
patriot and noble 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 Winnie Davis, the
Daughters of the Confederacy My good
friend. Joe Brown, has written a parody
on that song, and the last line to every
verse is:
"As we went thieving through Geor-
gia.''
| have lost some of my respect for the
city of Louisville as a Southern city since
that infamous song is allowed to be sung
in their public schools.
But / am comforted every day with
letters of inquiry about the roster that
Georgia is going to make and about Judge
Walter Clark's books and how to get
them. Here is beautiful letter from
Hon. p T. Turnkey, mayor of the city
of Highland Park, Ills. He is 81 years
old but does not look it in his hand
some photograph. He was born and
reared in Tennessee and graduated at
West Point in 1896 Stonewall Jackson
was his roommate; Generals d. r. Jones
and William Montgomery Gardner his
classmates. That is getting pretty close
to us, for D. R. Jones was our brigadier
for a while and Gardner was our colonel.
Mr.. Turnkey wants those books and / wish
to say here that the books must be order
ed from NJ o. Sheriff., State Librarian,
Raleigh, N. c. Send IS and they will be
sent by express. but not prepaid. And
here is a letter from G. w. Nichols. of
Jesup, Ca, who also sends his interesting
book. "a Soldiers Story of the Lawton
Gordon Evans Brigade" That's right. If
we can find one man in every regiment
who will write it's history we will soon
get our roster started on a North Caro-
Ira basis.
But l am not well and must forbear
for this time. BILL ARP.