The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-11-10
BY y. y. EGGLEsTON.
OF Public Instruction.

SI1neftntGn0Cu1
The following letter should prove oil
interest TO the people of Virginia II
was written to me by one OF the most
prominent and successful business incr
IN Richmond:
u am very much Interested in
agriculture In county, Va,
being the owner of eight farms
there. which has necessarily caused
great outlay of time and money.
NV ultimate object In getting the
above property was to locate good
foreign (outside, immigration. 1
succeeded In getting one family
this year. with three children. AL
most the first question asked me
was What about schools for my
eiltldren?' / replied that there
would be no trouble about this;
That our public schools in the state
Of Virginia were the very best.
Much Ia my surprise and disap-
pointinent received "a letter from
Tim to-day stating that he would
haze TO leave, there being no school
to educate his children.
IF you Will look UP the records
Won will see that ] am one of the
largest taxpayers in Virginia. l
have never awaited myself OF the
public schools to the extent of one
penny, being In position to send my
children to colleges, strictly Nir-
GINA colleges. i am glad to say
that have been no expense to my
State. but producer. Therefore /
feel that have the right to make
The request that school be opened
at once"
In connection with this letter there
are several observations ] desire to
submit to- the thoughtful people of the
state. Before making any remarks,
however, / wish to say that / am not
passing judgment upon the specific
complaint made in. the above letter. A.
great many complaints come TO the
depar tment: some OF them are just;
many of them are not. But however
Just or unjust this specific complaint
may DE. the following observations
seem TO me to be not out of place:
Need Better Rural schools.
First. Scores Of places in Nir-
ginia could be sold at good prices TO
satisfied purchasers If the country
sclipols near these places were good.
Men come to my office from the North
and West and tell me they would like
10 live in Virginia, but they cannot find
good schools near farms that would
otherwise be satisfactory. Some who
have purchased have told me they
would be compelled to sell and return
% their former homes, or go somewhere
Use to educate their children.
Last summer gentleman begged me
10 get a school for his neighborhood.
lie stated that he had recently bought
, farm: that he had several children,
md that the school in the neighbor-
.cod was not lit one, either as to the
.haracter of the building or as TO the
luGlity of the teaching, to which to
END children. He was from the North
vest where, he stated, his children
rad been near a frst-class school. He
expressed regret that he had purchased
,cfore looking into the matter of
but he had been told that the
schools Were good. Another man of
amily had recently come to the same
leighborhood with the intention of set
ling. but on taking look at the
school had decided TO return to the
There is not schoolhouse for white
children in that county that is nit to
send children to-be they white. black,
brown or red. IT would not be diff
cult 10 establish good schools in the
, ounty if the school levy, which is now
almost at the bottom, were raised to
I
fuse to raise the levy one cent. and
public opinion does not force it.
People Are Kept Away.
About month ago a gentleman
walked into my Office and talked to
me about his experience after being in
Virginia while. He was from WIS
cousin, is a man of family, has educa-
ton and refinement. and told me he
was very DESTROYS OF remaining in the
State. But" said he, Il fear can
not stay here. ! like the climate and
the soil and the people. 1 have been
trying TO get my brother and my son
to come here and settle on farms adj
joining mine.
But they have refused because there
il no good school in reach. And / now
fear shall have TO give up and go
back in order to give my children an
education" His,l disappointment was
keen. He said. THAT he had six times
the amount of land in Virginia that
ha-had in Wisconsin. and Yet the tax
on his Virginia land was very much
less than the tax on his Wisconsin
find Il would gladly pay double the
taN Just to get n good school," he
said. So eager was he for a school
HAT he had offered to contribute to
The building of a graded school five
Gniles away, where the location seemed
and had stated that he
would send his children TO 1t. But the
school was not built. He has since left
Virginia; fear, for good.
Could Bring Many Farmers.
Mr.. Miller, Of the State Department
tnf Agriculture, told me recently that
many farmers with families could be
located in Virginia il they could have
the benefit of good schools for their
.Ghildren. You would be astonished to
know how many people We fail to To-
cate on this account" he said. He
,sited an instance that had occurred
lust a short while before. farmer
With large family and with money
ip,lnc 0,,;cLIv