The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1906-05-10

see how much splendid material we
have sent out here that you Kentuc-
ky girls are having all to yourselves
in these fine young menl
"And now ] am going to say what
DR.. Frost said l was put up here to
say. am very much interested in
the schools of Virginia, particularly
the rural schools. We are trying to
do exactly what you are doing here,
and that is the reason / am hereto
receive and carry back some inspira-
ton that will help us in our work in
Richmond, which is my own city,
and the rural schools throughout
Virginia. We have been trying to
get public opinion focused upon our
public schools-the same problem
that you are meeting here; TO make
people feel that there is no rallying
point for the whole country of such
Importance as the public schools;
that child is the most precious
thing in the country and that we
have got to get our children into the
schools Some one tells the story of
a man travelling in the mountains Of
Tennessee who stopped at a little
cabin, and as they sat down to the
table his bost said to him, Brother,
eff We set handy, tex some. IF ye
don't set handy, reich. And eff we
caynt reich, holler'
"That's our position on the school.
house matter. We have tried to
take some and TO reach over into
the next school, and if we can't reach
over, TO 'holler. And we women
have found that if we 'holler' long
enough the men will rise up and do
something to stop that 'hollering'!
"And another thing we want is
enthusiasm. We want money of
course and the money is going to
come sooner or later; but in order to
get the money, we have got TO have
enthusiasm and we want splendid en-
thusiasm. We don't want the wishy
washy kind We want the kind that
makes you get up and do something!
That reminds me of another story,
the story Of an old preacher praying
for rain in time Of drouth. Oh, Lord,
send us rain. Not one Of these little
thin sprinkles but a real old fashion
ed gulley washer. We want rain to
make the corn long in the ear, sidney
in the grain and big in the butt. Oh,
Lord, Thou kncwest there's nothing
thy servant does despise like these
burned little nubbins!
Zone thing we have found out in
Virginia that | think you have found
out here: if we are going to have
good schools we must get the people
interested in the things that are
right about them; to stop talking
about the things that are afar of and
get interested in the things right at
our door-in the trees and the plants
about us, the forests around us, the
splendid home industries of which
you have so many here, and the Cos
pei of work-we have got to get these
things into our schools. If we can
only get ourselves TO the point where
we are able to see the Divine in the
things that lies right at our doors we
will be able to look around upon the
things of nature and upon the little
children in the spirit in which the
Lord looked out over the world after
the Creation, He looked and behold
it was good"
A very pleasant little speech was
made by Mr.. SchieiTelin, and this was
followed by remarks by Professor
Claxton ami President Race, each
bringing his tribute to the work of
the College and to the work that is
being done in other places for the
masses and the people Of the noun
tain districts of the south in particu-
lar Professor Claxton speaks un.
derstandingly OF this matter as he
has been in nearly every mountain
county in Kentucky, Tennessee, Ala
bama, Georgia and Virginia. Presi-
dent Race has also good opportun-
ity TO study the educational question,
the institution of which he is presi
dent having a wide patronage among
the people who live in the vicinity of
the city Of Chattanooga. He has
just received for his University gift
of $4,000 from DIR. Pearsons. The
meeting closed at what is late hour
for Berea, 1000 O'Clock, and all who
attended it went home with an en-
larged hope for the work of educa-
tion i'm the south.