The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-08-21
GREAT PROGRESS
iN1T | SOUTHWEST 4
Educational Enthusiasm Not Ex-
cclled in Any Section Of
State.
EARNEST CAMPAIGN WAGED
Apostles Il Good Schools Are 4.
Given Cordial Re
ception. IA
EARNEST CAMPAIGN WAGED
Apostles qf Good Schools Are

Given Cordial Re
ception.
NY J. II. B1NFoRD.
Secretary Of the COOPERATIVE Educa-
< ton Assoctation.
What a great state Virginia Is! In
the early morning OF the hrst day OF
the month the writer left Richmond
All day long the train putred on, till-
Ing the day coach with cinders, and
when the shades OF night fell. only the
gateway Of the great Southwest had
been reached. The first night out was
spent at Blucfeld. w. Va. Inltrying to
wash from eyes. nose and ears the Gins
ders accumulated In the days travel,
there came to mind those words OF the
great Shakespeare" Can all great Nep-
tunes ocean wash" etc.? But good
nights sleep can produce wonderful
change. The next morning. after
hearty breakfast, we boarded train
OF the Clinch Valley Division OF tho
Norfolk and Western. which takes you
into the true Southwest. The road
winds In and out like the trail OF a
moccasin; the mountains are cleared to
=
grass; corn patches--long narrow strips
of corn-hang on the mountain sides
like strips OF green mating. We are
& in the land OF the coal mines and coke
ovens On the hillsidcs, built upon
cinder piles. may be seen the miserable
one and two-room shacks OF the min.
ers, many Of whom left their rude but
happy farm homes in the narrow VAL
leys to come and live on these cinder
- IN In, thn~ lxa Scr,
the coke ovens. What a sorry ex-
change! But at last we reach Norton.
where our educational campaign is to
Apostles of a Better World.
Near Norton crowd OF laborers
boarded the train. One, a native OF
Carroll county. sat beside me. and at
onco we arted a conversation. Have
you ever been 10 Richmond?" asked /.
mo, but have come near getting a
free trip down there several times"
was his reply. What Is your business.
stranger" asked the laborer. in.
formed him that I was a preacher and
an apostle OF better world, an advo-
cate OF good schools and better living.
There are several apostlestin our party.
May introduce them to you?
The organizer OF this educational
campaign Is Professor J. p. Mcconnell.
OF Emory and Henry College. Mdcon-
nell Is a big man In more ways than
one. Standing six feet and two. he
weighs about 220 pounds. His heart
and his brain are larger than his body,
and he Is typical "Southwes:erner."
Born here in the mountains. he knows
the people by name. and he loves them
all and Is working for their moral and
mental advancement. Every summer
Professor Mcconnell takes a group OF
"apostles'. out into the remote places.
FAR from the railroads, to preach the
better life.
No educational campaign would be
complete without that young apostle.
III. s. Thomas s, who Is in class all by
himsclf. Thomas Is a bluegrass boy.
He was born here in the mountains and
spent his boyhood days here. But he
now belongs to the whole State He
has preached education from Onancock
to Cumberland Gap, and has been SO
happy In It all that his friends are NUM-
bered by the hundreds. He Is one OF
our party-in fact. the star performer.
The other member Of the party Is
w. s.. Neighbors. president of Su1lins
College. DR.. Neighbors Is one Of the
greatest orator-preachers in this coun-
try. For years he has been one OF
the favorite speakers at the "old camp
meeting grounds" near Jonesville. in
Lee 4 county, and Ia known to every
man, woman and child In this section
OF the State. DR.. Neighbors is always
put last In the program in our meet
1ngs and his plea for moral educati ton.
for the Bible and for lofty Christian
ideals is one OF the most impr ssive
appeals the writer has ever heard.
v Norton. KS
But to get to our campaign. The
Arst meeting was held at Norton, In
+ Wise county. Superintendent ]. N.
Htllman preside at the meeting, which
q was held in the Methodist Church. We
will not tell OF the enthusiasm OF this
meeting, but wi II rather take the time
60 tell Of the wonderful progress In
educational matters In the rich county
! OF Wise. We get our information from
Hon. r. Tate Irvine. OF Big Stone Gap.
4 who delivered a fine address Attn e Nor
( ton meeting. According to Mr.. Irvine.
there are now seven high schools In
Wise; six years ago there was only one.
Ten years ago the school revenues OF
StheS county amounted TO- Il only IS. 900;
last year the county spent $50. 400 on
ITS schools. Wise was the first county
infVirginia to have maximum district
4 tax Of so cents. In the past five years
4 this magnificent county OF the South
west has expended 100000 for school
dlO NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
q bond issue OF $1,000 for God roads.
Match 1t Slf you can. Eastern Virginia!
Flat Woods Nv alley.
5si5 Our second meeting was held In Lee
" county, at the Flat " GODS bHigh School,
n ten! miles from Jonesville, the county
Il seat. IN The Flat Woods School contains
an ass rnbly hall 4 and six classrooms,
Tits situated.in a. beautiful vail ley. in-
Il habited by a Eprospe rous Sfarlni Dix OF
scotch-Irish extraction. They gathered
Il from every quarter to IN attend this
meeting and broug hit Inner WI thf them
sSHow refreshing tits to greet the use speo-
4 pie OF the great South Invest Tho writer
was greatly II In pressed with the ten
i tive hearing they. gave he 4 spea kera
ana with tn 81 nthusiasm they mani
\ tested. Out through the windows
II could be seen the cornAelds, the dis
! tant MOI MT aims. WI TIL the clouds 1loa tins
3 over them, and further still the blue
q OK heaven--as scene of remarkable
n bsauty & ct greater than the oun-
tains and the blue sky are the plain
4 people Of this grea sect on 10 lls.
II tened to- ofessor5 IA &C onnell ], TO ]. g,
hQnaa ana - ia slsQ SaAaa !, s. 81 n; ~
S M