The gold leaf., 1905-08-10
Public Education in Vance
County.
BY J. C, KITTRELL,

1t is difficult to estimate what any
will do. We can not Judge but by the
outward signs and even those must be
"boiled down and salted"
We shall not undertake to speculate
on what our schools will do but shall
state in a few words what the people in
Vance county have done in the past 4
years and let the public Judge.
Vance is very small county but it is
filed with good public spirited people,
and what has been done to improve the !
Public Schools has been done largely by |
these people encouraged by the Boarc OF
Education and the Committeeman Of the |,
several townships. Our people are slow
to awake but are power when once |
stirred.
We have few local tax districts because
the school fund has increased 100 per
cent. in the last four years, and our
| terms are now as long as the average
country child can attend.
| Four years ago the Board of Educa-
ton composed Of Maj. W. E. Gary, Hon.
Thos Taylor and Mr.. Robert Souther-
land realized that the schools OF Vance
county needed stirring up. They took
hold O: the situation with a. firm grip
which they never relexed Mr.. Souther
land, pressed by business, soon resign
ed, and Dr. r. J. Gill was elected to fill
the vacancy Messrs Taylor and Gary
resigned last December, one being elected
to the Legislature and the other county
treasurer, and Messrs. J. .. Fleming
and II. T. Shanks were elected to fill the
vacancies.
The new Board had seen the efforts of
the old Board and the educational move
l T., g ~; ri nd ard
In 1900 the school property OF the
81, 900 of which was in Henderson and
$4,000 in the rural district. Many OF the
houses were log aud many had no
houses at oil. Excluding Henderson
there was not library a black board or
q chair in the Public Schools OF the
county.
There was not a two room school
house, nor a painted school house in the
county.
With the exception of % patent desks
the entire school furniture OF the county
was not worth one hundred dollars.
The white teachers were paid $2o per
} month and but few Of the districts had
. 80 much as a AZ months term.
+ Though the time was short many
!, teachers could not make the legal aver
. attendance. All regarded the schools
with Indifference and the buildings were
allowed to stand open through the year
. | The damage done to them during sin
) ole wear being more than so per cent @
j. the value of the house.
r In 1905 the rural school property OF tn
# county is worth 81, 900 and Henderson Il
:, erecting a SEC, 900 Graded School build
- ing. Nearly half the schools are equip
. ped with the best patent desks and Hylo
y plate boards and the order is out t.
r: equip so per cent. of the remainder befor
II the opening in October.
le The log houses have disappeared ant
e. in their stead stand nice comfortabl
g. houses. Every white school IN the count
\, except three had good library last tern
~ supplemented by thousands OF magazine
~ and club books, given by the ladies
. Henderson.
le The number of school districts has bee
IL decreased II per cent. and the averae
attendance increased over 20 per cent
" MANY of the schools employ two or thre
no teachers and run 6 to 3 months.
~ White teachers are paid from $50 to VI
ol The buildings are being painted through
lS- out the county and the grounds enlarge
-. and better kept.
ed While consolidation has caused muc
al friction, every unbiased man who ha
ed watched it is convinced that it is the ga
yation of the Public Schools OF Mort
re Carolina.
The Board of Education and Comml
teemen work with zeal and we are &
Dy convinced that, 'It is better to rob
INK child's mite-box than to deprive MIN
re- his might-be."
lie, The Board of Education OF Van
ss- county ia constituted as follows:
DR.. r. J. Gill, Chairman, Henderson,
C:J. q. Fleming, Dabney; Fl, T. Shank
Williamsboro. J. C. Kittrell, Secreta
Gu and Superintendent OF Schools.
en- Following are the School Commltt'
the men of the different townships:
by p,rrRE1L
10 HIM. Hight, Bobbitt; E. T. Bobbi
MS Kittrell; H. E. Crews, Watkins.
SANDY CREEK.
Chas. W. Finch; Henderson,, W.
!" Currin, Henderson,; j. N. Tunstall, CoK
loo' MIDDLEBURG.
JK. Plummer, James Paschali, Ch'
~ A. Rose
O NUTBUsH.
pre- C.M. White, Manson.
w TOWNSVILLE.
Nv EO. TAYLOR, Townesville; J. A. DO.
Townsville; E. B. Brewer, Woodwor
WILLIAMSBURG.
aen IL. Wilson, J. L. Wilson, Wilh
Green, WILLIAMSBURG.
DABNEY.
and L.W. Burroughs. Dadhey; Ed. Eli
al. ton, Dabney, ]. D. Capps, Dabney