The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1908-11-26
RURAL IMPROVEMENT.

IIuIy IhiS 10 O He" "SN Iva
try lite. In material way the
truth seems to need no proof. The
facilities for quick communication
IN the use of the telephone, in the
daily delivery of mail and in the
trolley line, put the farm or rural
districts into close touch with the
whole world.
What does this wonderful i'm
provement mean to the business
man of the rural districts? These
new methods of communication
mean just this: no longer is the
farmer commpelled to roam over
half township in his efforts to Sc
cure extra help for his threShing or
harvesting. A few minutes at the
telephone will arrange all the details
for swapping work. y
The past quarter of century has
witnessed great development in all
things relating to the farm. 1t is
almost too marvellous to believe that
in the short space of twenty-five
years so many wonderful Improve
rents could have been made. Why
a look at the wonderful improve
ment of machinery for all working
purposes will readily 60 to prove that
science at last is working for and
with the farmer.
have given you just few of the
wonderful improvements made along
other lines in rural districts. Now
we will stop and look to the school.
building in the district and neigh
'sborhood. What do you see there!
e Can We point to it with pride and
say: "There is our school-build-
ing?" tits sad to relate that all of
us cannot, In many, manY..districts
Nwe'have only to glance at the school
Sn;.iiding to see the need of School
Improvement Associations. This
place where coming manhood is
nodded, where our girls whose lives
mean so much to humanity are
trained and shaped in character 50
that each in its way will mean much
good or harm to our county.
Look well to each building. Do
YOU see there the improvements, the
comforts, the conveniences that We
zee in other lines in rural districts
of less Importance? For what could
be more important than the training
of our boys and girls: They who
are to lead in our government, who
are to hold offices of trust, who are
to teach and elevate others. Then
should we be content with any little
log nut or rude plank building with
no comforts, no ccnyeniences and To-
Gated in an 'out-of-the-way" place
of the neighborhood,a spot of ground
that is ugly and unsightly to teach
er and children with nothing about
it to broaden the miLd of pupil;
nothing to suggest the beautiful
side of life; agloomy, wierd- looking
spot: All We can say of some OF
our sehool-buildings is that they
have four sides and roof and some
times just half roof. Many are
not even ceiled and there are cracks
in the floor you could put your two
fingers through. Why, | have In
mind now house that was called a
school building. 1t is a house about
ten by fifteen feet with five small
windows in it, and, would you be-
lieve it? there were sixteen panes Of
glass broken out. Those dear little
children had to sit in that house
five hours each day with the win
dows in that condition. think
good plan for the teacher of that
school would have been for her tc
have invited the patrons to come tc
school one day and let the children
stay at home and l don't believe the
glass would have stayed out long