The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-04-15
THE MULTIPLE LIST
A GREAT BUGBEAR
Myriad Of Book Agents Infest
the Rural Dis
tricts.
tSpe cial to The Times Dispatch.)

Especial to The Times ispatch)
CHESTER, VA, April 1.-THE commit
tee appointed to select the school text
books for tho next four years for Chess
terrified county will meet at Chester at
tho public school house next Monday
morning. The adoption OF the multiple
list by the State board has entailed on
the members Of school book committees,
as well as the publishers listed. q heavy
burden and considerable loss Of time, and
the counties have been SO flooded with
agents and the distribution of school
books that 1t Is impossible for the ordl-
nary trustee and teacher to give more
than casual hearing to the agents and
partial examination OF the books.
II the like condition obtains every
where. these committees will meet with
only a confused and Indefinite idea Of
the merits OF the different books. and
can only select IN haphazard sort Of
way, except with practical Idea of
those books that have been used for the
past six years.
Every agent that comes can tell one
at "fingers' end the merits OF his books
over other competitors, SO that, to take
them as criterions, ''the last Is better
than the first" and the first than the
last, and the Judgment of many Is that
it would have been better had the State
board, or the Legislature. appointed
committee of the most experienced edu-
Gators. given them ample time to criti-
cally examine the whole list. and let them
prepare single list for the whole State,
and dispensed with the local committees.
who will by no means be able to arrive
at classical decision.
The only redeeming fea ture OF the null
tiple list is that by the Introduction and
adoption OF different books IN the az
ferent counties the superintendents Will
be better prepared before another selec-
ton to bring out the superior merits
OF particular books over others; but as
"the making OF many books, there is
no end" who knows What Will be the
superior merits of new books four years
to come? The morale Of the whole OF
this seems to be. patronize homemade
books, II not patiently Inferior because IN
doing this home people and home enter
prises are helped and encouraged. and
the books are always at hand, and, on
home topics. sound.
A great deal hangs on the Chester
field selection. being the first. or among
the first to decide in the State.
The home OF Mary Lee. the colored
woman who suddenly dropped dead while
sitting up with Marcella Gregory, short
while ago, was burned to the ground
49, - 80
dren homeless.
There will be no session Of the public
school here on Monday next. owing to the
sitting OF the school book committee.
Misses Eunice and Mira Gregory, from
Richmond. are visiting Mrs. r. H. Bruce.
OF this place.
Mr.. J, w. Nunnally has just completed
additions and remodeling OF his dwelling
here, whichis another ornament and i'm
provement OF this town,
Mrs. ". L. Cherry. who recently moved
here from Richmond on account OF her
health. is still in poor health. though
improved In general way:
Mr.. D. T. Hatcher living on James
River, is Improved in, health, and buslly
engaged on his beautiful farm.
Mr., r. G. Hatcher is still suffering
from burns received lately While trying
to suhdue the flames which DESTROYED
his residence. A man Of seventy-seven
years, yeteran-llke, he managed alone to
put a ladder to his house and ascended
three stories to the roof and fought the
fire until he was burned out, and came
down on a burning ladder I