Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-11-25
A SCHOOL THAT SCHOOLS.
It Not Only Trains the Mind and
the Hand But Develops Self-Reliance.

It Not Only Trains the Mind and
the Hand But Develops Self-Reliance.
With the boys won 10 her plan'
Martha Berry set about building out
OF nothing a school which today has
no superior among the agricultural col
leges OF the country for the practi-
cal efficiency OF the work 1t does
She secured a schOOltraineI farmer
to take charge OF the out of door WORK.
while she and Miss brewster planned
that indoors. They regulated the
work of the boys by the clock. and
and divided II into periods. They pro
yided that two divisions of two hours
each mus, be spent in the classroom
and one division in the field; Tor IL
cost 800 year to keep and teach a
boy, and each one must earn IN thiS
, two hours day the fifty dollars
worth not covered by his tril ion. AS
a matter OF fact. only half OF the
, boys paid anything at all. and the rest
earned their entire keep. or an equiVa
, lent, working at odd hours upon the
farm or about the buildings.
Six years have elapsed since the
/ first opening of the school in the
woods. and the school now numbers
$50 pupils Today. in an open and
carefully kept grove stand more than
half score of handsome buildings.
al, but the poorest Of them erected.
under a carpenters guidance. by these
boys, most OF whom have before com
ing here seen nothing more pre-
tentious than log cabin.
Out beyond the grove. reached by
fine macadam rOads--alsO built by
the sboJs itstretch some hundreds OF
acres Of well-tillei fields. all old
abandoned cotton lands. which. when
taken by the school, produced less
than half bale of cotton year. On
these the farm instructor and tn"
boys are practising that careful cul-
tivation which Is necessary to the
preservation of our soil values. and.
by means which are entirely possible
for the mOuntainside farmer, are
bringing them rapidly 10 the point
where they produce two bales to the
acreacre. \ good large dairy barn, and
a milk-housc, both built by the boys.
shelter a herd OF ordinary cows and
fineblOoded Jersey bull-an outflt
which at the same time provides
profit from its operation and proves
a school in stOck-raising. Steadily
improving the grade OF the stock. ana
Keeping careful record OF the quaint
ty and quality of each cows milk and
the cost of her keep. the boys learn
the difference between profitable ana
Improbable cattle.
,ol, orhn
unknown to the mountain country
spreading peach and apple orchards.
q canning factory. now being enlarged.
for taking care OF the surplus pro-
duct.on Of summer fruit, a woodwork
ing shop and manual training school,
a steam laundry operated by the boys
all these are among the enter
prises on the edge Of the woods: and
out In front. facing the entrance. are
the lecture halls. the dOrmitOries. and.
In front Of all. a big white-coumned
recitation and library building with
weil-selectei stock OF books.
All this represents an investment
of 500, 900 besides what has gone for
running expenses. And the story OF
that 100000 is wonderful as the tai"
of the school itself.-John L. Mathews,
|. Power from the Pits Mouth.
The power engineer is trying to
realize a new vision. For years he
has been watching the long trains OF
coal cars which rattle over the country,
carrying the raw materials Of power
to a million distant fire-boxes: ne
has seen the great three horse coal
wagons, which block the city streets
and scatter powdered carbon over
pedestrians; he has looked up to see
a million chimneys. belching SCOT ana
smoke into the sky. pOlluttng the air
men breathe. blackening the grass
and trees, doing damage incalculabie
to health and property. half shutting
ont the sun. He has noticed the triai
OF ashes and cinders left by the creak-
ing refuse carts on their way 10 the
unsightly dumps.
And he has dreamed of future
cts, As active. as powerful as this
first, but a city Of clean and uHob-
structed streets Tapped IN an ocean
of fresh pure air. where tall ana
ficurishing trees rise in the stead OF
smoking STACKS and where grass and
flowers and little children may bloom
in the clear colors which nature give
them
Out in Colorado. for the first time.
he has made his dreams come true.
There at the mouths o! the coal miEes
owned by the Northern Colorado Pow
er Company Of Lafayette. great pow
er houses have been built and the
coal. once loaded into cars by the
miners shovels In the lower levels OF
the pits is transformed without
further handling into electric power.
which supplies already nearly score
Of towns and cities. strung on $50
mile loop of wire like jewels on
necklace Power from the Pit :