Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-04-30
RURAL CONDITIONS
IN SOUTH GEORGIA
BY
b. NJ. Zettler,
Kirkwood, Ga.

state school commissioner for suggestions
There is no vestibule or ante-room for
depositing dinner baskets, umbrellas,
cloaks and hats, and these are hung
against the walls in the school room-a
prolific source, the doctors tell US. of cons
tagious diseases. The stove fues which
was invariably suspended on ''stirrups%
as is required IN cities to guard against
fire, was in the center Of the room. neces~
stating a position for the stove that Sc
riously breaks into the orderly arrange>
ment of desks.
The teachers platform is at the farther
end OF the room and the children's backs
are towards the door. A partition across
the room six feet from the main entrance
with a passageway at each end would af-
ford vestibule or ante-room and at the
same time provide for the teachers plat
form between and near the two entrances
and require the desks to be so placed that
the pupils would face to the front A
cross partition to the right or left Of the
main door would give the girls private
ante-room where they could have a mir
ror, comb and brush and wash basin--as
indispensable requisites for girls as a ball
ground for the boys.
In many schools were new desks Of the
very best pattern and in two counties
the commissioners stated that the board
desks exclusively.
In the case of three new buildings the
attempt had been made to provide for two
teachers by making the building forty
five feet long, the idea being that both
teachers could use the same room, one
at each end; and in two of these build
ings a teacher and her assistant were
trying to do the work as the builders OF
the house intended But the needed
changes in buildings will come, but
when! o when! Will come the change of
running these schools on five and six
months credit?
Thirty-seven years ago Georgia came
under complete control of her own peo-
pie and the present public school system
was inaugurated with a three months
term on six months credit basis. We
have heightened the term to five and
half months, but in most of the counties
we have the same old plan of requiring
teachers 70 wait five or six months for
their pay after they have done their
work. All honor to the nineteen coun-
ties that by adopting local taxation and
the few others that without this, have
wiped this blot from their school sys-
TENS! And let south Georgia hold high
her head for majority Of these local tax
counties are in the southern half of the
state, and standing proudly among them
are three of Georgia's youngest, Tiff,
Crisp and Ben Hill. To them may be APP
piled Commissioner Pounds strong
words: THEY ART AWAKE; THEY
FACE THE EAST; THEY ARE NOV
ING WITH QUICKENED STEP!'
SCHOOL WALKS.
In the absence OF a better name the
term school walks" is given to a unique
improvement seen at one Of these wire
grass schools. Diverging from the school
house in four directions, were paths about
three feet wide and extending at least
one mile and as straight as II laid out
for a railroad. They were made with a
pillow and hoe and raised sufficiently to
render them comparatively dry after
rains To one familiar with this fiat coun-
try the advantage Of these walks in wet
weather or when dews are heavy, Is at
once apparent. They evinced a Thought
fulness and enterprise that are highly
cOmmendable.
Altogether this w1re-grass section ~
highly interesting, especially when
considered with reference to it's rural
conditions.