The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-03-08
WHERE THERE'S A WAY

| is one or the most lnuuentlal school pa
pers in this country, and it should be a
| matter of pride to the teachers of North
Carolina that one of their number is
| given such merited praise. Says the
| Journal:
| There is a teacher down in Iredell
| county, North Carolina who is made of
the right sort of stuff. Not only is his
example going to-help Iredell county,
| kut the story of what he is doing, and
| therefore what can be done where there's
will, is speeding a good many miles
| beyond the borders Of his State. The
young man, according to the Raleigh
| News and Observer, is Franklin Erwin,
and he teaches in District No s, of
Iredcll county. While country teachers
| generally are complaining of the short
| terms, the small salaries, and the hard
work of the country school, Mr. Erwin is
busy improving conditions in his neigh
| borhood. He began his work as teach
err after completing his college course,
in a three months school, at a salary OF
| $40 a month.
HE was not satisfied however, that
| the children should have such meager
| opportunities as were offered in his dis
| trict BY eanvassing the neighborhood
| he secured voluntary subscriptions suf-
| ficient to maintain d nine months school
| free to ALL The house soon proved too
small and again he canvassed the neigh
| borhood to build a better one. The peo-
! pie contributed of what they had; some
| subscribed money, some gave lumber,
others promised labor Pine trees
standing in the woods were gratefully
accepted.
During the afternoons and Saturdays,
the teacher with his own hands cut the
trees into saw-mill logs, hauled them to
the mill and the lumber from the mill to
| the grounds. He sawed the framing and
other timber ready for the building.
HE could do no more. He needed a
carpenter who knew how to build house
and to direct the labor that had been
promised. He needed money to buy the
| windows, hardware, ETC. After stating
| the case to the board he was asked
how much would be necessary to finish
| the work. He said it could be done with
| SIPS. and the board, without hesitation,
ordered that amount paid him at such
! time and in such sums as might be
| needed.
MANY young teacher dreams of bet
| ter positions, signs for finer school,
and laments the fate that has placed
| him where he is, who might open mines
| of happiness for himself and his school
community by availing himself of the
opportunities near at hand. teacher
| like Mr. Erwin exerts an influence for
| good upon his time which will bless
whole generations"
Where there's a will there's way. Mr..
Erwin has proved the truth of the old
adage by what he has done. other noble
| teachers in North Carolina have proved
! it. But the number is too few. There
are literally hundreds of our teachers
who are teaching under conditions no
worse, and even better, than Mr. Erwin,
and who are waiting for their opportu-
mites instead of taking advantage of or
making the opportunities Opportunities
| are very sensitive. Sighted once they
may not return. Sighted often they go
forever. He who grasps the opportunity
at hand does we'll; but he who creates
an opportunity does much better The
former makes two blades of grass grow
where one grew before; the latter makes
] two blades grow where none grew be-
fore. Mr.. Erwin and those like him be-
long TO the latter class.
It is often said that the people of a
| community are indifferent about good
schools; and it is often true. But how
| ferent with teachers of the determination
and enthusiasm of Mr.. Erwin? Nothing
so touches the hearts of the people as
deep interest shown by the teachers in
the welfare of their children. They will
| respond to appeals for the children when
nothing else will move them. They can
not always give money; nor is money
always the greatest need. If the school
| grounds need identifying 1t is interest,
not money, that is needed. The grounds
| can be leveled up and cleaned trees
and flowers can be planted, and fence
| built without asking for a cent of money.
| II more room is needed much of the
lumber and labor can be had without
money. And even If money is needed it
will be forthcoming in the large ma
iority of cases if the parents see that
the teacher has exhausted every other
resource and will not be denied.
| And so we commend to the teachers of
the State the work done by Mr.. Erwin.
| The Invest coal to set on fire the in
terest in the neighborhood school should
| be the teacher of that neighborhood
Surely if there is a cause that should
| enlist the unconquerable zeal of the
teachers, it is the cause of the little
ones who come to the school-room with
| patient faces and innocent eyes and
make silent appeal for those opportuni-
ties of development which cannot come
| by the right of might, but which must
come, if they come at all, by the might
| of right.