The Columbus weekly dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 1902-1905, 1904-03-03
Rural Hill Items.

last appeared in your columns,
but here we come again, and we
have something that we think
will be Of interest to you and to
the readers of your valuable pa
per- Interesting because it IS
one Of the history making events
of our community The teach
ers and pupils of Rural Hill
school gave an exhibition at the
school building this evening.
The board Of trustees, the pa
irons and many young ladies ana
gentlemen were IN attendance
The crowd began to gather about
80 o'clock and by 1:30. at
which time the exercises begun,
the old school building, which. by
the way, has seen many years Of
service and needs replacing with
a new one. was crowded to its
utmost capacity. The bell tap
ped at 1 80 and the whole school
joined in singing America, :"
and how they did open their
mouths aud sing. As we sat
and listened to the voices of 50
many boys and girls. large and
small, singing My Country,
IT'S of Thee" we thought like
Washington, THE liberties of
our country are safe" Master
Brooks StinsOn then stepped to
the front Of the rostrum and de
livered in a mastery way the
Greeting. Sweet little Irene
Hull recited Most Lady Now, >"
and left the rostrum amid the
cheers Of the audience. 'Acrost-
ic Washington" was rendered by
a class Of the bright little boys
and girls in a manner that re
! hected much credit upon Miss
Ellis. their teacher. Miss Lille
Kinds recited Good Old Times. .
Uncle Tom and the Hornets. a
humorous reading, was ably de-
livered by Mr.. Lee Shackleford.
Lee has developed quite a talent
for impersOnating the humorist.
The Old Black Cat" was sung
by a chorus of girls whose
voices charmed the audience.
Master Davis Franks recited
with much energy and enthusi-
asm Our Flag, and those who
listened went away still more
loyal to the Stars and Stripes.
The Blue and the Grey" was
recited by Miss Ola Jewell. In
announcing the title of this piece
Principal 3. G.. Hull gave a brief
history of its origin. The poem
is one of peculiar interest to the
people of.this section, since its
history is so intimately connect
ed with the people of COlum bus.
His statement was in substance
this: Two years after the close
of the civil war the ladies of Col
umbus. Miss, decorated the
graves Of the Confederate and
the Federal soldiers alike, and a
Mr.. Finch, of Ithica, n. Y, being
much impressed with the kindli-
ness of this act, wrote The
Blue and the Grey"
Following this Miss Eva
Howard gave US Gettysburg. F"
Keeping the Birthday" a dia-
logue between Mrs. Colum bia
and Mr.. Ninteenth Century, was
successfully played by Miss Lilly
Lock and Mr.. Wood Eubanks.
Mr.. George Harris brought the
house down with An Experience
with a Refractory Cow" The
people laughed until their sides
hurt, and all would like to hear
George again.
Mr.. Hunter Eubanks as The
Old Fashioned Teacher" with his
classes OF A B C's, spelling and
geography brought on another
good laugh, and if any of your
readers are in doubt as to the
correct pronunciation of the
word frog" Joe Franks can tell
them all about it.
The school then sang Nearer
My God TO Thee" after which
the faculty made their report to
the trustees. In this report
Prof. Hull spoke briefly of the
xrOrlx accom- Mi shed 6urinCY the /