The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1905-08-03
4 Word About the CoIored
People Of Henderson.
ny. J. Y. EATON.

The colored people of Henderson
are sober, law-abiding, Industrious
people who believe'more in doing than
in talking. In educational advance
ment they are unsurpassed by those OF
any town with equal school facilities
in the State and will compare favor
ably with those ofmany places where
they have long enjoyed superior ad-
vantaQes. 1t may be true that the
colored people of some other places
are more talked OF than those OF. Hen
derson, but | hardly think that this
is due to any superior merit on their
part, but rather to the fact that they
do more booming and advertising
than we do.
Our people, imbibing the dominant
spirit of Henderson, believe in exem-
plifying the maxim always strive to
be rather than to seem to be-" hence
we are not great advertisers. Meas
ured by results, which Is after all, the
true standard by which educational
advancement is determined, we are
doing we'll The masses are learning
more and more the gospel of econO-
my and the benefits of hygienic living
They are also rapidly learning the
Importance of applying business
methods in the administration of
their affairs
Financially they make fair show
ing; a large per cent. of them own
their homes and a number OF busi-
ness enterprises are owned and oper-
ated by them. The mechanics and
the best in town
Our young people who have had
opportunities in High Schools and
Colleges also give good account of
themselves. Among them are grad
yates from our best institutions,
many of whom, in different parts of
the country, are doing creditable
work in various professions, including
teachers, preachers, doctors, dentists,
and one is principal instructor in
harness-making and upholstery at
Tuskegee Institute, Booker Wash
ington's school)
In school facilities our town has
been backward as compared with
many towns of its rank in the State,
but happily the end of that condi-
tion is in sight, as the Board OF
Graded School Trustees have recent
ly purchased for the colored Central
School building a splendid and spa.
cious three-story brick building, well
located and surrounded by a four
acre campus. This building when ar.
ranged and furnished will equal any
Graded School building for colored
children in North Carolina and ii
will stand as a monument to the in.
terest which the people of Henderson
have shown in the education of the
masses as we'll as crOwning honor
to the wisdom and good business
Judgment of the Trustees.
The faculty of our Graded Schoo
as at present constituted consists o.
the writer for Principal with Misses
Sallie P. Eaton. Laura J. Merrimor
and Mrs A. NJ Miles, assistants fol
the Central School; Miss Lucy A
Eaton for Graystone school; Mrs. N
W. Durham for Nutbush school, al
of whom have been in service here fol
some time except Mrs. Miles who
comes to us well recommended. Be
sides the Graded School, we have 10
Gated here the Henderson Norma
and Industrial Institute, a schoo
owned and supported by the Mission
Board of the United Presbyterian
Church, with Rev. j. II. Cotton az
principal.
In church facilities the colored peo
pie here are well provided, having
three Baptist churches and one eacl
of Methodist, Presbyterian and Chris
tian churches, as follows: baptist
Shiloh, Rev. r. /. Walden, pastor
Union Temple, Rev. S. G. Gregg, pas
tor; Vaughan Street, Rev. b. Aston
pastor Methodist-Chesler's TEN
pie, Rev. A. NJ. Miles, pastor; Presby
terian church, Rev.. r. Cotton, pas
tor; Christian church, Rev. G. W
Drake, pastor. All have very goot
houses of worship and their service
are we'll attended.