davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-13

general interest. The "Cld-field school,
debating society was valuable chiefly
because it gave opportunity for Such
discussion and was the means of dis
Semlnating much information about
matters of public concern. II the adult
population in every community were
to meet as the boys in the last gener-
alton did, and as they still do i'm some
communities. and debate public ques-
lions. ii would result in a wonderful
intellectual quickening in our state.
would suggest the following timely
topic
L. Resolved that new legislation is
needed to improve the jury system:
Conservative people would naturally
take the negative side and maintain
that with all it's evils it would be bet
ter Ito suffer present ills than fly to
those we know not of" while
the radical and progressively inclined
would line up behind the proposition
that nothing human is so good that
it cannot be improved and would sug-
gest various changes. For instance
they ght advocate the system adopt
iuries from other states of importing
juries from her counties than those
in which the cases are tried. McCue
at Charlottesville, Va, was convicted
not by q jury selected from his own
county, but by jury selected from IL
distant county 1t is possible that not
member of that jury had ever seen
McCue before the trial. Moreover, IL
would be argued that is is much more
difficult to tamper with a jury select
ed in this way and that paying the
travelling expenses Of jurors Wonld
cost less than continuing cases or re-
moving them to other counties.
"a proposition involving the fol-
lowing question would bring out an in
teresting discussion:
Ought there to be new legislation
I'm regard to assessing property for
taxation? Ought the assessment TO
he made by residents of the county
where the property lies or ought the
state to make the assessments for the
sake of uniformity in levying state
taxes? Or would 1t be better TO have
one assessment for state purposes and
an independent assessment for local
purposes, as is the custom in some
states?
Under our present system we all
know of property assessed for less
than one-third of its actual cash value.
This sometimes results because the To-
The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-13

munity asking for the agitation of the
question of loca! taxation ard CONSOLE
dation, and to communities in which
an election on the question of local
taxation for better public schools was
pending
1T would be difficult to measure
the beneficial results and the far
reaching and lasting influence OF tins
campaign. Perhaps 10 one factor has
been more potent in the accomplish
ment of whatever educational progress
may have been made during the past
two years.
$50 far as it has been participated
in by speakers other than the Gov
ernor and the State superintendent of
Public Instruction this campaign has
been made possible through the gem
erous aid of the Southern Education
Board in providing funds for the
payment of the expenses of the speak
ers The direction of the campaign
has been absolutely under the con-
troll of the State superintendent and
the committee named above, no con-
dition of any sort having been attach
ed to the appropriation of the money
for expenses by the Southern Educa>
ton Board. When it is SO manifesty
the purpose of this board simply to
help us help ourselves without inter
ference or dictation from them, I feel
that | can speak for every real broad
gauge friend of public education when
I return sincere thanks for such time
ly assistance to this board and to it's
District Director, De-. Charles D. Nc
liver, whose wise counsel and en-
thusiastic cooperation in every move
ment for the promotion of public edu-
cation have been Invaluable"
The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-13
THE CITIZEN AS A TEACHER
Every Good Citizen Ought Be a Student of Legisla
ton and Civic Teacher of His
Fellow Citizens
BY CHARLES ID. McIVER.

cal assessors of a county claim that if
they should place its real estate on
the tax books for it's cash value the
county would pay more than it's fair
share of the support of the state gov
eminent, since in their opinion, the
assessors of property in other counties
would not assess their property for its
real value.
The many methods of assessing pro-
perry in the various states Of the Uni
ted States would be brought out in this
discussion. Illinois, for some reason,
assesses property at its real value and
then places it on the tax books for
twenty per cent of that value.
3. Resolved tl1at there ought to be
no relation between the tax OH prop
erty and the tax on polls
BY our constitution the tax on polls
must be equal to the tax on three
hundred dollars of property. The fact
that in no other state in the Union is
there any such relation between prop
erty and poll tax shows that there are
TWO sides for a debate on this queS-
ton.
4. Resolved that every County in
North Carolina ought to issue bonds
for tie building of good public roads
and public school houses.
Unquestionably the era of better
public roads and better public schools
has come in North Carolina. Guilford,
CASTOR and other counties have re-
Gently issued bonds for building pub
lie roads and all those counties which
are borrowing form the Loan Fund in
the hands of the State Board Of Edu-
The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-13

to cleanliness within the
school house wall, therefore We urge
the teachers to have supply OF soap,
towels, combs and water to supply
the demand OF those who come to
school in need of them.
Fourth. To cultivate a love for the
beautiful that is implanted within
very child that comes into the world,
giving it Il chance to grow into the
pest of which he or she is capable.
None of them are responsible for the
surroundings into which they have
been born, or the conditions that are
'orced upon them. Therefore, the
Betterment' would reach the lowliest
home and put brightness and sunshine
INTO lives enveloped in gloom and
;ause them to put forth tendrils that
will reach out and take hold of high
er civilization. We know of no better
way to accomplish this than through
the public school. 1t is an avenue
that reaches into every home, there
fore we plead for loving interest on
the part of all women; the hearty CO.
operation of our educators. and there
will be brighter day for the children
Of North Carolina.
MRS. w. r. HOLLOWELL,
Pres. Women's Association.
GOldSbOrO N c.
The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-13

been removed and the grounds raked
off and given tidy appearance. On
the interior windows have been wash
ed, floors scrubbed. and the desks ar
ranged to make the light better. Pic
lures have been hung upon many OF
the walls and flowers placed on the
teachers desk, thus giving the school
room a home-like appearance. Iherc
have been several libraries establish
ed and a number enlarged"
Another western county sends the
following report: "Since the organi-
cation of the county association we
have organized five local associations
These report having thoroughly clean
ed the school houses and grounds prior
to the opening of school. AL thfee
of these places flowers and trees nave
been planted. Many other teachers
improved their school premises and
thus secured the set or pictures gwen
by the Youths Companion. There was
more work done in our county last
winter than had ever been done be-
fore. We have our full quota of State
libraries. In addition to these we
have secured the donation of one
hundred dollars worth of books to be
divided into libraries of tWenty-seYeh
volumes each. They are to be placed
i'm public school districts that raise
ten dollars to buy books from the
State list. This gives us twenty-five
stationary and one travelling library
besides the several hundred maya
zines distributed among the schools.
One of the mountainous counties re-
ports: Every woman teacher in the
county has done something toward
identifying her school. Several en-
tertainments have been given. At
one the sum of thirty-six dollars was
cleared and this will go toward beau>
The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-13
Educational Progress Of Education North Carolina

So, leads the State; but in the per
centage of its districts under local
taxation, Dare rs considerably ahead.
OF every county in North Carolina.
having local taxation in every district
except one-Dare With Is, Guilford
with 35, and Mecklenburg with Is,
lead the State.
The total amount of money raised
by local taxation in 1903 was 1921,
1896; in 1904, $3S5,875.G5, making
a total of $56G,989.30 during the two
years, an increase Of $104, 1852 in the
amount raised from this source in one
year, and an increase Of $390,0S1.49 in
the amount raised fl ON local taxation
during the preceding two years.
In his last report to the Governor,
superintendent Joyner makes the fol-
lowing comment on the growth Of
this source of revenue for education
when We remember that in 1900
there were only 80 local tax districts
in the entire State. that during the
The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-13

tifying the house and grounds. Every
report speaks of the pictures on the
wall. the flowers in the room, and
the enthusiasm of the children in aid
ing the teacher in keeping things neat
and clean. Plans are being made fOA
our association TO have monthly meet
ings in which we mean to study every
phase of the work.
The president of another mountain
county sent in the reports that the
teachers sent her. One of these re.
ports says: I'VE have raised ten dol
lars for a library, two dollars for
improvements, thus making a total OIL
siXty-tWo dollars for the betterment
of the school Fifteen pictures, one
of them framed, have been hung. Lit
tie has been done to the yard but next
wear we plan to fence it to keep OUT
the stock. Then we will SOW grass
and plant shrubbery. We have made
a walk from the public road to the
school house.
From a county where most of the
school houses are good and many OF
them are new, come these reports:
when | entered my school room
found that the floor was covered about
six inches deep with sawdust, shaw
ings etc. There was not a stove.
desk, black board or even a bench III
the house. / went to one of the pa
irons and asked him to bring the pipes
and desks from the old school build
ing about "A mile from the new one
and a new stove. / also managed TO
get a black board. / provided d map
Of North Carolina and one of the
United States. had a basin and
Continued on Page Nineteen)
The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-13
THE CHILD ALL IMPORTANT.
WOman's Work for Public Schools
The Woman's Association in West
ern North Carolina.

Southern people are rather conser-
vative. Profession after profession
is being opened to woman. We find
her doing many things and doing
them we'll, but, true to her spirit of
conservatism and her wQmanly in
stincts most Of ner work centerS about
the child. lii the home or in the
school the child is the all-important
thing. 1t is for the child. its physi-
cal, spiritual and mental development,
that the woman gives her energy and
her life. In the olden days woman S
work was confined to the home; now
she goes with the little one to the
school room.
The great educators of the past have
been men. PeStalozZi and FrOebel did
the world IN inestimable service when
they gave their lives and brains to
the study of the child-heart and mind.
But the womanly woman seems to
understand such things by instinct and
thus is better fitted to train children
than the man, however earnest he may
be. In these days there are many
things to attract men away from the
teaching profession, and thus the man.
teacher is gradually giving place TO
the woman-teacher TO a certain ex>
tent this is as it should be for the
woman is the natural person TO train
the child
In North Carolina up to the pres
ent era our people have been poor
They have had TO struggle to regain
what they lost during the war. There
has been comparatively little money
for the schools. We all know the
consequences, the teachers poorly paid
are poorly equipped, many of the
houses in which they teach are dirty
ana dllapldated to an extent past be-
lief to those who have not seen them.
TO improve this deplorable condi-
ton the Woman's Association for the
Betterment of Public School Houses
was organized in 1902. 1t is composed
The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-13
WHAT WOMEN ARE DOING
FOR SCHOOL RETIREMENT
Story BY Leading Women Of Progress Made by thu
Womans Association For the Betterment Of
Public School Houses.

of teachers, mothers, housewives, all
classes of women interested in the
welfare Of their children. It's work
has been in various sections or the
State. About fifty counties, some IN
the East some in the West, some in
the North and some in the South Oh
the State have formed county branch
eS of this association.
1t is the work in the counties west
of Greensboro that | wish to consider
most particularly. About half the
counties have organized and it has
been my privilege to visit some OF
these counties this summer. In some
respects the western counties are IN
advance of the eastern counties III
educational matters. Their teachers
are better equipped and their houses
are better than III the same KIND or
localities in the east. But the Wo-
mans Association is needed in these
counties as in all others.
Here and there all over the State
we find the school house that is but a
wooden box, poorly lighted, poorly
ventilated, and dreadfully dirty. The
desks are home made and much too
high for the little fellows who, as a
consequence, have to stand to write.
There is perhaps an old stove, rusty
and dirty, but no wood box. no desk
for the teacher, very little black board.
40 maps, no pictures, no flowers, moth
ing in fact to make it attractive. Is
it any wonder that the child finds lit
tie pleasure in staying there eight OF
nine hours out of the day? If he
spends much of his time in this bare,
harsh room, it is likely that his ma
ture will lack some of the sweetness
and love of the beautiful that is every
childs God-giVen Inheritance.
In one county that l visited there
is an organization of two years stand
ing. The countyis one of the garden
spots of the State It's lands are fer"
tile and its people are unusually IN
teligent, hospitable, and prosperous.
In driving over the county nowhere
did l see signs of squalid poverty. The
poor-house is almost empty. Crime
Is ram, a woman can ride over
the county alone without fear. / did
not see 4 single home that did not
have flowers in the yard The chill.
dren were clean and had bright, at,
tractive faces. Yet there is not i
school house in that county that does
not need much done to it, In such 4
county there should not be a single
school house like the one previously
described but there are many such
But in speaking of the work of the
Womans Association has already done
in the county one of the members
said: I'm many places stumps have
The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-13

Ii Makes the School House the Centre
of the Social Life of the
Community.

To the Editor: Organizations like
prophets are not without honor save
in their own country, WAS proven at
the Teachers Assembly when DR..
Hughes. of Canada, and Mr. Stetson.
of Maine, said of the Women's Asso-
citation for the Betterment of Public
School Houses in North Carolina: I'm
All the States we have visited we have
seen nothing equal to it, everywhere
just such work is needed. 1t is get
ting down to the root of things that
have long been neglected" etc. Such
words of appreciation from leading
educators should make our organiza-
ton grow.
We are four years old. and have
thus far organized forty-five counties
out of ninety-SeVen. Another year.
we trust. with the cooperation of
county superinteHdentS TO make
better showing.
What have you done? is a ques-
ton frequently asked. Had there
been time at the Assembly to have
had the reports read. when there was
nothing else doing, many of the edu-
Gators OF our State would have been
surprised at the amount of work that
had been done.
School houses have been painted.
sometimes by the teachers and pu-
pils). floors. have been scrubbed, win
dOW5 washed, Dlack-DOardS multiplied
benches have been replaced by desks
stoves have been polished shades
added to the windows. pictures placed
upon the school walls. The grounds
have been beautified by the removal
of stumps, the planting of trees and
f1oWers-all without the expenditure
of a single dollar of the public money.
OF course an organization that only
improved the house would fall short
of it's privilege. The schools have
been improved by the giving of enter
tainments to raise money to purchase
libraries; magazines and papers have
been sent into homes where the coun-
ty newspaper was formerly the only
reading matter obtafnable. In 4 few
counties scholarships have been offer
ed the teacher making th e greatest i'm
proVement in school house and
grounds. In CumberlaL county two
such prizes We're offered. l wish the
count superintendent in every or
ganiZed county would see TO it that
scholarships, or attendance at Teach
ers' Assembly was awarded next year
to the teacher maxim the greatest
gain in Improvement. From Wilkes
county the report made by the sue
oessful contestant showed the payment
of expenses to the Teachers Assem-
bly, had been bravely won by honest,
hard work.
1t is the purpose of the Association
The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-13

past four years there has been an in
crease of 1913 .(Since this was written
there has been an increase of 261-
Editor) and during the past two
years an increase of $50, that most of
these districts have been established
in distinctly rural communities, that
they are scattered from the mountains
to the sea, that every district estab-
lished under favorable conditions will
become a standing object lesson for
the establishment Of others. there
would seem to be much reason to
hope for such a multiplication of local
tax districts within the next few years
as will make possible a good school in
every district of reasonable size in the
State
No little of the credit for this great
work is due to the Southern Education
Board and TO it's campaign committee
for North Carolina. This committee
as first organized was composed of
State Superintendent j. Y. Joyner, DR..
Charles ID. McIver and Governor
Charles Il. Aycock with Mr.. f. G.
Brooks as Secretary. Upon the resign
alton of Mr.. Brooks last October, Mr..
K. -. w. Conner was appointed sec
rotary OF the committee TO which Gov.
ernor r. b. Glenn has lately been
added Commenting upon the work
of the campaign committee, Supern'
tendent Joyner in his last report used
these words:
Seventy EIGHT counties have been
covered by this campaign. large
number of speakers have taken part
in it, among them representative
teachers, editors, lawyers, preachers,
business men, public officials and 9TH
ers. In addition to the campaign car
ried on through the summer months,
we have endeavored throughout the
wear to send speakers to every com,
The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-13

to interest the patrons of the pubic
school in the condition of the house
in which their children spend go much
OF their time making it comfortable
and attractive, place where the chill
dren love to so.
Second. To make the school house
the centre of social life in the COM
munity in which it is located. This
can be done by having entertainments
which brings the neighbors in closer
contact and making them better ac-
quainted with the capabilities of the
children as they necessarily are the
entertainers.
Third. To make the school house
the model of cleanliness and beauty
for each home that is represented
there. Many children have their first
The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-13


best teachers of children-in the
home and in the schools They viii
ever furnish the chief inspiration to
ambitious youth and from their ranks
will come most of the teachers who
will teach in the schools. But until re-
Gently there has been no organized
way i'm which women could unite for
the systematic betterment of public
schools. Four years ago that need
was supplied in the organization OF
the WOman'S Association for the Bet
terment OF Public Schools. 1t has done
a quick and useful work under the
leadership of talented women of de-
Votion to public education, and what
IT has accomplished is but an earnest
effort of what it will achieve. it
meets annually, usually with the
Teachers Assembly and tine sessions OF
the County superintendent, and the
organization is in close touch and
perfect harmony with the State Su-
perintendent and the various county
superintendent. The officers are:
President, Mrs. VIM. II. Hollowell
Goldsboro. n. c.: vice-president, Mrs.
F,.CE. Mofit Raleigh, n. c.; treasurer,
Mrs. NJ. c.. Stanback, Sanford, n. c.;
corresponding secretary. Miss Mary II.
Moore, Greensboro, n. c.: recording
secretary. Miss Mary X. Applewhite,
Scotland Neck, n. C.
By request of the editor. the ladies
who have been selected for leadership
i'm this noble work, have contributed
articles telling of the work they have
sought to do and the plans for the
future. These articles are as follows:
FORTY-FIVE COUNTIES
The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-13

A tramp orks about rs hard trying
to find work as he would if he found
il.
The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-13
What is a Citizen?

The best brief definition of an ideal
citizen that | know was given in Civ
les examination paper by a young wo-
man while a student at the State Nor
NAL and Industrial College. She said:
HE is a man who works and earns
a support for himself and for those
dependent upon him; he obeys the
laws with view to helping to improve
them; he pays his taxes promptly and
cheerfully; he must love his country
and be willing to give his life for it in
time Of war; and, in time of peace
he must not complain if he is called
upon occasionally to contribute a
quarter to a light procession or
a free barbecue"
A striking clause in this definition
calls attention to the fact that every
good citizen ought to be a student of
legislation and a civic teacher of his
fellow citizens. Lyceums, Civic Clubs.
and local societies of various kinds
ought to be organized everywhere to
discuss questions relating to public
improvements and other matters Of
The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-13
NORTH CAROLINA A MODEL FOR THE STATES

Public Spirited Women, Teachers and
Scholars, Helped by State and
County Superintendent, are AdOrn.
ing the Public School Buildings and
Grounds. and Making The Rural
Schools More Attractive 10 the Chill
dreA. They are Doing a Great
Work
The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-13

In response to your request for an
article on THE Teacher as a Citizen
ask to substitute d few observations
on 1.-The Citizen as a Teacher" If |
We're writing for an educational jour
nal or if / were addressing a conVen-
ton of teachers, / should gladly dis
cuss the subject you suggested, but the
overwhelming majority of your read
ers represent other callings than that
of the teacher
Devils Lake inter-ocean and Devils Lake free press. (Devils Lake, Ramsey County, N.D.) 1905-1909, 1905-12-29
)B0D0 D0B0U D000D0 0D0@0 enc
CITY IN BRIEF

Miss Florence Connolly is
spending a few days with friends
in Minneapolis.
A jury has been called for the
term of the district court which
convenes January 9th.
George Meikeljohn has sold
five quarters of land in Webster
township to Byron D. Steward.
John Christofferson has gone
to Cuba to look over, the pros
poets of investments in that re-
gion.
Hans Rustom has sold the old
I Saunders farm consisting of
three quarters to John Thelin
1 for SIG, 500
County Superintendent Norton
+ and Miss Mary Noston are at
S tending the state Educationa