The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1907-03-02
new COLORED SCHOOL
HOUSE OPENED BY CITY
Building Costing s., 900 Was Formally Dedicat-
ed With Appropriate Ceremony ON Friday Af-
ternoen- The Only Public City School Of Its
Kind in Mississippi


school building with an industrial farm
and manual training department.. Nc
other town in Mississippi has done as
much for It's colored residents.
On Friday afternoon, February 22nd,
Washington's birthday, marked the for
NAL occupancy of this building. Two
years ago G. w. Brown, young col :
ored man, we'll versed in the science of
teaching, was assigned to the principal
ship of the Colored Public School of
Bay ST. Louis. School was then being
taught in the Old Folks Benevolent Hall
in Washington street where it had been
domiciled for many years. In an inter-
view with Principal Brown after the ce-
LIBERATION last Friday, to The Echo he
said: eve saw the needs, the inconve-
fences and depriyations incident the sur
roundings. We organized into Color
ed Citizens Progressive League and
made our wants known to Prof. It. L.
Trawick, our then city superintendent
of schools, than who there is not to be
found a broader, brighter, better and
more ready-to-help friend of the poor
and ignorant Negro. This magnanimous
man contrived the plan and made known
to us that if we would raise 1000 in
cash the city would give $4,000 and thus
place us in a $1,000 school home set a.
part for the use of the colored children. !"
"How long did it take the colored peo-
pie of Bay ST, Louis to raise the money!"
queried The Echo.
"In IS days the 81 900 was raised by
the colored people and paid over to the
city authorities.''
Stupendous stride! There is song:
Everybody Works at My House But
My Old Man." butin this instance it ap-
pears everybody worked, sold man" and
all. Postmaster J. L. Piernas was a
prime worker in the cause, giving la
visbly of his time between office hours,
and literally of his private means to the
Citizens League. The formal opening
of the new school house was marked
with fitting ceremonies. Hon. John K.
mayor of the city, had been
invited to make the opening address, but
was unavo dably detained away and
could not be present.
Prof. w. w. Stockstill, county su-
perintendent of Education, was first to
speak, and in the course of his remarks
on the "Influence of Honest Toll In Fix
ing Character" said many things VIII ich
will do the colored boy and girl good and
make them grow UP into useful citizens,
if needed.
Next came Prof. T. L. Trawlck, of the
New Orleans Boys High School. At
the very mention of his name the or
chestra struck up lively air; boys toss
ed their hats aloft and girls and the au-
dience generally applauded to the very
echo. Prof. Trawick pictured on the
school grounds, which consists of seven
acres of land, various industrial build
ings, in which the hum of the machine
and the sound of the hammer would tell
that the colored boy and girl in Bay st.
Louis was learning to DO SOMETHING.
Prof. Leon E. Bell, superintendent of
city schools, Immediately upon his ar
rival from the Washington celebration
at the white school, was called to speak
upon the Value of Education.' Prof.
Bell has been here only this year and
the three times he had previously ad-
dressed the colored people publicly, his
and timely remarks had always
been source of much pleasure and ap-
probation. Although the audience had
listened to Prof. Stockstill for an half
hour, and to Prof. Trawick an hour and
a half, they insisted on hearing Prof.
Bell, who asked to dispense with the
speech. Acqu;esing to the demand, he
spoke enthusiastically for over an half
hour on the advantages of education;
that men and women of all races realize
what is the highest and best in life. His
address was we'll received.
Resolutions of thanks by Rev. Jesse
E. Holmes, pastor of ST. Paul's Metho-
dist Episcopal church, of Bay ST. Louis,
was introduced. These resolutions of
thanks were offered to Mayor Edwards,
to the Board of Aldermen, Board OF
Trustees, County and City Superinten-
dents Stockstill and Bell, and the public
generally; also to the various orders and
benevolent organizations, the newspa-
pers of the city and to "Prof. Tio's Or
chestra," all of which agencies had com
bined to bring about the fruitful results.
Rev. Holmes was at his best in the pre-
sentation of these resolutions. After
the reading of the resolutions the school
classes sang a selection and the first
event in the new school passed into his
tory. The resolutions are as follows:
Whereas, the Honorable Mayor and
Board of Alderman, Prof. TraWlck and
Board of Trustees, County Superinten-
dent and public generally, including the
different individuals and orders, Prof'
Tio's Orchestra, have stood by us SO
nobly in our struggle for school build
ing: and whereas neither time, talent
nor money have been spared in this
struggle; and whereas, we now have a
building that we may claim as the Col
ored Public School Building of the city
Bay ST. Louis, Miss; and whereas, a
colored school building dedicated to and
occupied exclusively by the colored