The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-10
THINKS WE'LL OF SOUTH.
FrOefssOr Sheath of Yale, Talks of His
 Recent Southern Trip.


 New Haven Register.
 The trip of Prof. F. Hershey Sheath of Yale, to all the Southern States be- tween Maryland and Texas, came to a close yesterday morning early, when Professor Sheath arrived home in time to spend Christmas with his family. He has been away for three weeks and he travelled from Waco, Texas, night and day, making and missing close con nections, delayed and left behind at functions, and finally arriving here half day late, but in time to enjoy the greatest holiday of the year at home. His trip was most notable one, both in scope and results, as far as is ap- parent. It was a sort of conquest of the South by Yale and for Yale, but Professor Sheath admitted last night that as far as he was concerned it seemed to be a conquest of Yale by the South He came back, he admitted, dofing his hat to Southern loyalty to high ideals and to devotion to the es- tablishment of a worthy educational system under stubborn dif1culties and handicaps. He paid a tribute to South ern hospitality, to the generous and inspiring men and women he met in his tour of the Southland, and he con fessed to a glow of pride at the high esteem in which Yale Is held in every State he visited. No loftier tribute could be paid the South by Yale than the recommendation that Professor Sheath voices when he suggests that a worthy field for the funds of North ern capitalists is among the illiterate whites of the South, to educate whom is one of the most pressing of the ed- ucational problems of that region Pro- lessor Sheath explained in detail his mission and the experiences as follows to a Register representative last even- ing:
 My aims in making the trip were three: First, to get a birds-eye view of educational conditions there prepar- atory to a more thorough study later; second, to get into close touch with those in charge of public instruction and to secure their cooperation in the Yale summer school movement; and, third, in a general way, to do what I l could in the interest of the univer- sity.
 ITO this end I made 1t a point to call on the superintendent of public in- struction in nearly every State in the South.
 q also called on the City Superin- | tendents of Schools in Baltimore, Wash ington, Richmond, Raleigh, Columbia, Charleston, Savannah, Augusta, At IeillIdy 4NNW VI Lar las and Waco. Texas.
 'I called on the principals of the high schools of these cities and made 1t plan to be introduced to the teach CTS.
 Another part of the plan was to call on the college presidents so far as these were in the line of my itinerary
 Some of the impressions carried home have been as follows: fFyt--
 amined 1t in the various States was a light. I was amazed to note the pro- gress of the South in this direction The progress Is simply remarkable when we recall the fact that the South had really no public school system till some time after the Civil War.
 Then, with much of her property destroyed her rich men made poor the very flower of her manhood cut down and with her hopes defeated on the wreck and ruin of the war, she has built up public school system in every State worthy of high commendation, both from the standpoint of organiza- tion and instruction. They have &C., complished this in the midst of diff- culties other than those which I have just mentioned. They have contended with inherited prejudices with refer ence to public school education.
 Prior to the war the private teach CT and the private school were the main sources of education, and 1t was difficult for the proud spirit of the South to take a cordial attitude toward such a democratic movement as was involved in this public school system of instruction.
 Then came the race problem. one who has. not mingled with the South