The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-07-17
SNAR-R-R! QUIT SNORING
AND WAKE UP, RIP. DYE HEAR?
I'm! For What? Education, Old Man. Pm Awake
Said the State and Rose to its
Feet Towering.

KNOWN III history DIS III" van w llhle,
made himself famous by taking a
nap. 1 guess 1 know some of the
Wrinkle family. They are church
people-not pillars by any means, but
first-class sleepers. History does not
inform us what caused old Rip to
take that long nap, but it is safe to
conclude it was for the lack Of some
thing to keep him awake; not being
able to read the news. Another thlng
upon which history is silent, is: did
he snore? My experience is, that,
when one snores he will sooner or
later, rise to the dignity Of a snort;
and that, a first-class snort will wake
any live man. / think, therefore, that,
jnasmuch as his slumberS were
greatly prolonged, the old gentleman
lay perfectly quiet, and would nave
made just such a roommate as Wouid
suit some people. | know IN these
days, who pretend like they can
sleep in a room where one els exercIs-
ing the God-given right of making
melody in the midst of his slumpers.
But. be that as it may, his sleep
caused him to get badly behind with
the news; for, when at last ne aWoke,
and came to consciousness, there had
been such marvellous changes, ne
neither knew the people, nor under
stood the questions they were discuss
ing: and. they were travelling at such
a rate it made him dizzy to look al
them.
In his youth before he fell asleep
people were not in a hurry; NOBODY
caring when he got there, so he got
there Time was plentiful, SO were
bread and meat and what need was
there for hurrying, under SUCH cir
cumstanceS?
North Carolina. in some things, has
been compared to Rip Van Wrinkle.
One of the things over which she has
been accused of nodding, is ,Educa-
ton, and, inasmuch as many of her
sister States have outstripped her in
the matter of schools, we are forced
to admit that "Winkeism" had some-
thing to do in shaping her education
al policy, in the years gone by.
The first permanent settlement in
North Carolina was in 1860, forty
years after the settlement of the Pill
grims at Plymouth Rock. Two hun
dred and forty-four years have pass
ed, therefore, since that time; and yet
the State, because of it's lethargy, has
a large per cent of uneducated citi-
zens. Historians tell us the reason
why 30 little attention was given to ed
ucation in the early days of the
State was, because. it required just
about all the peoples time to provide
for the wants of the body and protect
themselves against the savageS with
which they were surrounded.
OF course they had some schools !.
but they were few and very far apart
affording opportunity to only such as
could pay the tuition to send their
children.
The first official allusion to the
need of educational facilities was
made by Gov. Johnston, in 1886, sew
enty-sx years after the people began
to settle the State. Doubtless the peo-
pie talked the matter over among
themselves, but l have seen no ac-
count in history that the matter had
been alluded to by any Governor prior
to Gov. Johnston.
In 1850, fourteen years later, the
first printing press was set up in the
state. To us, living in an age of
newspapers: who read the morning
and the evening dailies.f and get the
news from all parts of the world
some of 1t ten or twelve hours before
it happens: and are RECALLED daily
with accounts of murders, shipwrecks,
railroad smash-ups, war news, poll
tics. marriages, deaths, divorces
lynchings and such like to say moth
ing of the Society columns" on Sun
day morning, which enlighten us as
10 the sayings and doings of the dear
women, i'm their whist euchre and
reception parties-(the very ones
they read on the Sabbath)-I say, to
us, enjoying such rare and numerous
advantages, it seems strange how our
forefathers as well as our foremothers
got along without newspapers. No
wonder having nothing to read, the
State, like Van Wrinkle went to sleep.
In 1862, one hundred and two years
after the first settlements. an act was
passed bv the Legislature providing
for the building of a school house in
the town of NewsBern. That was in
tended for the benefit of the rich,
mems children: nevertheless, it was a
move in the right direction; and while
but few children. comparatively,
could attend the New Bern school, it,
directly or indirectly benefited the
whole State.
AS evidence of that we are tols
that, in the Halifax Convention, held
in 1775, it was solemnly ordained:
THAT a school or schools shall be es-
tablished by the Legislature for the
convenient instruction of youth with
such salaries to the masters, paid by
the public. as may enable them to
instruct at low prices; and all useful
learning shall be encouraged in one
or more universities"
The schools "for the convenient in
struction of youth" seem to have been
overlooked, by the Legislature; but
in 1888, fourteen years after the adop-
ton of the ordinance 1.-The University"
was established. Not until 1925, fifty
years after the adoption of said ordi-
nance, did the Legislature address it.
self to the task of establishing those
schools for the convenient instruc-
ton of YOUTH In that year, 1925.
an act was passed to create fund for
the establishment of common schools
Nine. years before, that is, in 1916,
Hon. Archibald d. Murphy, of Or
ange,, made an effort to get the Legis-
lature to carry out the will of the peo-
pie as expressed in the Convention of
1875; but somehow or somehow else
the matter went over until finally
acted upon by the Legislature of 1925
when Hon. Bartlett Yancey, of Cas-
we'll drew up, and introduced into the
a bill for the establish
ment of common schools. To him
therefore, is due the distinction OF
setting in motion the machinery that
finally wrought out the great educa-
tional system of this day and time.
But, that school convenient for the
education of youth" promised to the
noonIo fiftv wears before at Halifax