The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1910-09-13

! pie OF this community are proud OF
their school. They are regarding ii
more and more as centre for the social
as we'll as the educational life of the
! community, and I confidently predict
that this section will increase in pros
perity and intelligence and become one
of the best in Pickens county.
Two Movements in South Carolina.
Any one who travels over the State
can not fail to be impressed with two
movements which are now in progress.
South Carolina is now enjoying pc
riod of prosperity second to none in
her history. The soil is producing
bountifully, the cotton crop is bring
ing good prices; there is decided
movement for the diversifcation of
crops and the farmers are learning
more and more to produce at home
the food supply Of the farm. 1t is
getting to be the exception for far
mer to be burdened with debt. Most
Of them have money in the banks. The
farm house is becoming more comfor-
table, and the farms are supplied with
better machinery. Farm lands. have
doubled and trebled in value within
the last few years and the apprecia-
ton still goes on. The day Of the
farmer has come in South Carolina,
and at the present rate of progress,
all the best parts of the State will
within the next fifteen years be chang
ed into veritable gardens. In spite of
this prosperity there are rich commu-
mites in our State which the white
owners are gradually deserting and
leaving to be farmed by white and
negro tenants There are other Sec
tions of the State in which the soil is
no more productive to which there is
a. constant influx of white population.
Instances of these two opposing move
ments might be multiplied. have
taken the trouble to inquire into the
causes which underlie these tenden-
cies. AS rule, I have found that the
people are moving away from the Sec
tions where there are no good schools,
and that the community which has
provided itself with good school is
constantly attracting new residents of
the most desirable class.
AS long as the farmers of South
Carolina were ground down in poverty
to leave the farm was impossible.
With returning prosperity, however,
has come the ability and the desire TO
give the children better educational
advantages. This can come in one or
two ways; the farmer can move to the
town where the good school has been
developed, and in doing so leaves the
farm to tenants, or the community can
develop in it's midst the type of school
which is demanded Invariably the
community which chooses the latter
alternative is progressive and pros
porous, and it's people are happy and
contented. In this community land
values are increasing more rapidly,
and there is a constant accession OF
desirable residents. The community Of
the other type continually shows a
tendency to lose it's better class OF
citizens. Through tenant labor the
soil is depleted, and in some cases the
land itself falls into the hands of negro
owners. Material prosperity alone
will insure permanent contentment in
any people. At heart we are not as
materialistic as We are supposed to
be. The people of South Carolina will
not dwell contented in any commu-
nifty where there is not good church
and a good school.
Changing Idead of the School.
Our idea of what it takes to consti-
tute a good school is gradually
changing. A community is no longer
content with the small, poorly equip
ped, poorly kept one-room school
building, which is so common in South
Carolina. There are many localities
in our State where it is not possible
to have the consolidated community,
and the one-room school will exist un-
til the population is materially in
creased. In most cases, however, the
people recognize it as inefficient. In
it there can be no proper gradation of
pupils. The great number of recita-
tons per day makes it impossible to
give to any child the time necessary
to satisfactory progress. There are
not enough pupils of like advance
ment in studies to furnish the stimu-