The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-11-06
FIFTH ANNUAL FAIR
WORK OF BLACK BELT IMPROVE
MENT SOCIETY.
The Pupils of Two Negro Schools in
wilcox County Have Prohita-
BILE Meeting.
Snow Hill, Ala. Nov. 2, 1908


Snow Hill. Ala, Nov. 2. 1905.
The fifth annual fair of the Black
belt Improvement Society was held at
Snow Hill Normal and Industrial
School today. On account Of funeral
| in the immediate community, the at
tendence was not large as on former
occasions. But in respect to exhibits
the fair was the best in the history
of the society, the academic and indus
trial departments of the Snow Hill
Normal and Industrial School and the
Millers Ferry Normal and Industrial
School were especially creditable, while
the farm products were splendid. the
society in order to arouse interest and
encourage competition always awards
prizes for the best farm produce, the
best academic display, the best indus
trial exhibits. the best kept house, as
we'll as the best kept back yard.
Some of those winning prizes are as
follows: For the best horse. one
bride, Rev. H. c. Chapman Oak Hill.
Ala; for cooking, one coffee mill, COOK
ing department Snow Hill Institute; the
prize for the best potatoes. garden
vegetables as well as corn, were won
by the Snow Hill Institute farm; the
prize for best sugarcane was won by
Mrs. Lettie Young. an old woman near
sixty years old. Prizes were also won
by the printing and carpentry depart
ments of the Snow Hill Institute. The
best fancy sewing was exhibited py
Millers Ferry Mission, while the plain
sewing was won by Snow Hill 1nsti-
tute. The first. second and third
grades OF the primary departments OF
the MilIers Mission were awarded three
books as were also the third and fourth
grades of Snow Hill Institute. The
premium a geographic globe for the
best general primary work was won by
the primary department of the Snow
Hill Institute. An academic dictionary
was awarded the Snow Hill Institute for
the best academic exhibits in general.
At Q O'Clock the audience assembled
in the chapel where a program was car
ried out. Principal Edwards. who is
president of the Society made brief
address, in the course of which he said
the object of the Black Belt Improve
ment Society is. to help the communi-
ty people in more direct way than can
be done in the school room. The
society is composed of teachers. preach
ers and farmers. They meet twice
each month and in plain. simple, home
like conversation try to help one
another improve and by these talks ana
experiences related at these bi-monthly
meetings the people are stimulated to
contribute to mutual growth of the
communities. Principal Edwards said
of the Black Belt Improvement Society
that the people in this and adjoining
communities have bought so much land
within the past few years. Nearly four
thousand acres have been bought, and
since the last annual fair. one member
has built a residence valued at $1,000
There are several cabinet committees
of this society. The object Of these
committees may be inferred
f.-%f hnf follows.
al Roads and Good Yard Committee;
fi.ness Committee; Education Com
wee; Committee on Social ana
cnomies; Committee on Religion and
1rals; Good Government Committee;
luse Keeping Committee and Commit
on Common Labor.
Mr. H. A. Barnes, chairman of the
business Committee, made an address
touching on business transaction as at
fects the colored people of the South.
A portion of the address follows:
president Roosevelt in addressing an
audience of colored people during his
recent tour through the South along
with other things emphasized the i'm
portance of our building up morally and
materially. Though the attention Of
the negro has been called to these con-
ditions time and again by those in
terested in his well being. coming again
from the chief executive of a great ma
ton Is considered timely and should be
given serious attention. Considered
from every point of view 1t is to us as
a race, what wholesome food Is to
half nourished body. 1t is not our
purpose, however. to treat but a part
of his remarks and that in a very limit
ed way. and that bearing on the Of
fee of the Business Committee of the
Black Belt Improvement Society for
we firmly believe that building up
materially will go a long way in build
ing UP morally In this statement,
we see tire philosophy of Booker T.
Washington who says. 1T is a pretty
hard matter to make good Christian.
out of a hungry man.
In this county the blacks out num-
Der the whites seven to one. and sta
tistics will show that the white man
owns by far the greater portion of its
wealth. How is this, that these few