The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-08-14
Experience in Fanquier County
That Could Be Duplicated
Elsewhere.
HIGH IDEALS ADHERED TO
The School Board Secures Good.
Results in the Face Of OBJ y
structions and Opposition.

MIC
House Bill No. liza, providing for state
saidsain establishing high schools in each
school district or In a combination OF.
school districts with the cooperation Oh
the residents therein, and for the main
tenance of departments of pedagogy,
where SUFFICIENT local support IS FURNISH
ed failed to become law at the last
session OF the General Assembly, and
while no help can DO looked for from this
source for the next two years, still the
great interest manifested by the peo-s
BIZ all over the state shows that there
arc few school districts In Virginia where
they would not have high schools II the
q citizens could see the way}to get them.
With the principal obstacle in the way OF
their desires, being a lack of necessary
funds.
The noble men and women In every
community OF the State, who are giving
tserious thought to the question of improv-75
4 Ing the high school facilities may IND
worthy or their consideration the story
81 OF how a community, where the major;
1! portion Of the residents live lin houses
that cost under s4o0 and where not half q
dozen Gifts most prosperous yf citizens
could Idly live on mn income from In
vested wealth; erected on PUBLIC school
81 property, by the side of a small, but
comfortable two room building, used for
Il the common school, a splendid new frame
building "a by 40 fes. III size, two twelve
feet stories Iii height. conf ortab BILE well
lighted and ventilated for high school pur-.
vi poses without one cent Of aid from state,
s county or district funds. The building Is
built throughout: the stone
foundations go below all danger OF. frost.
Y d sfeating of inch lumber lies beneath
{gthe weather boarding and the question
sG or strength, durability aud convenience
( In the minds OF the planners at every.
piece Of the work A spacious lobby, gem
\ erous cloak and coat rooms /, + pr the girls
and boys. two sets of5c,rster " fndows, Will
three four light and by s n. in size,
I Windows in each SET. on the first floor,
4 blackboard 10 feet wide, extending
almost around one room, a y porch hat
cost 500; these are some of the things
THAT testify TO the ,thoughtfulncss and
a give some idea of the labors of the lib,
8eral minded men and women who erected
3 this building. j5 III 5 $
335 SOME LOCAL HISTORY.
# Before relating how this building was
erected slight glance backward into
the history of the school Is necessary
Seven years ago Prof. c. III. Gilkeson, a
native OF Rockbridge county. Va. with ~
short experience as teachersfn the puD-5
lics school or Augusta county and q as
principal OF the huntsville "A academy. In
West Virginia, wishing to be nearer -
parents, " hose health was rapidly fall
ing, applied for situation in the public
schools Of Fauquer, where his parents
then resided. sS
,8 At that time the I,atronsso o. the Morris
vile common school appeared to take
~ n and hut
few of It's past instructors had given gen
eral Satisfaction there were private.
schools nca rby5t that reduced the numbers,
4 the most OF the pupils wei1 ba ckwaa.d in
Their studies and the larger ones would
walt until after Christmas before enter.
4 ing. The field was not very promising
to an educator whose last experience had
been that Of the principal OF an academy
/, Prof. Gikeson began with one assistant,
q and in a short time wrought wonders with
5sthe material at hand. In the same room
where many of his predecessors found
6 a difficulty in preserving order by a Wig
orous daily use of the rod over the should
crs OF the boys and IN occasional use OF
the :birches ons3thc backs Of the girls as
+ a variation OF thsSIheno,pny, he preserved
the best order, tndtin' seven years had adj
3 mInistered corporal punishment but once.
8s5& Under his care the school has flourish
he has built up high school that has
z been pronounced d model by some OF the
leading educators Of the State, who have
visited 1t and studied Prof Gilkcson's
methods. One of the students In reply
ing to Ia query as to theasecret of Prof,
Gilkeson's success In governing the school
with such apparent case where others had
found II Herculcan labor. replied:
when you are doing something that you
40 tlnplky
sou with those expressive eyes, 1t just
3 makes you squirm,8 @
Besides the mental training aud the
great natural abilities for the. work; the
sincere earnest unseliish life and the
3, high moral character inspire a respect
and loyalty among all The pupils and d
desire to initiate him. And along Wi.r
"a the scholastic training gained In Ibis
school tho students Will carry out int
the.world, so often careless and cynical
SO often tempting young feet from lii
paths Of truth and purity and so offer
destroying the high ideals and noble ipf
pulses Of youth, lofticr views OF life ant
duty--vlews that tend to cnnobie tho en-
tire race, as II result OF personal contac
with Prof. GiIkeson. In true charity, II
Kindness 10 the poor, In thong. .fulnes
for The sick, the unfortnnatc and tn
weaklings in lifG's battles; he stands with
OH a peer in this section.
THE PROFESSOR,
out OF respect for The man and III
work here, all grades of society Gnthus
,astically open their doors to him At
3@ notable reception last winter the societ
leader OF these parts introduced he
guests from a distance 10 "our Profcsso
GilkesonH as though she was cOnferrn
favor upon them. In one Of Morris
~ ,iles less pretensous houses the Wife
eyes swelled up With Tears and her vote
strenlblcd with emotion as she relal- b.
Kindness To her and hers. WITH her Illus
N band and all her children iii bed vii
a very contagious disease and evcryOn
else afraid 10 enter the house, Prof Gl
keson night after night and often /
company with Rev, Cover, would entt
The afflicted home IKE brothers, anu d
ali for them THAT inc best OF brothe!
could do. Under Prof GilkSsons mia,
~ agement the standard Of sliulesS vi
rapidly raised he school increased
numbers, patrons started those and
their care in earlier IN The session NJ
sent them more regularly By special /,
rangements with the County Schn
board the hightr branches were perm
ted ~ be taught gpon q payment Of
small fee. the school term MAJ extend
tl,ptf