The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1911-05-17


people are becoming more interested
than previously, and rightly they
should be, for no county can have a
democratic government while the
masses of the people are in ignorance.
| Every voting man Is a part of the ma
ton and he must know how to play
his part.
| The most wonderful Improvement
that the intelligent people of Laurens
County is doing, is the establishment
of high schools over the different sec
tions of tho county. We now have
eight high schools, located at Cross
Hill, Laurens, Clinton, Mountville, Wa
terloo, Gray Court, Shiloh and Trini-
ty-Ridge.
These schools are all doing good
work and each one is power for ed
ucation in it's community. Each high
school seems to be the center of at
tractiveness I'm it's community, for the
people realize that their growth and
power depend on their school.
Last year these schools organized
a declaimers contest, which was held
at Laurens on April 22nd. Mr.. Barnie
Parrott of the Cross Hill high school
won first prize, Il beautiful gold medal.
| Although Mr.. Parrott won first prize
| he was not the only one that receiv-
ed praise and honor, but each of the
competitors distinguished himself by
rendering his defamation i'm an en-
cellent manner.
These eight high schools realizing
from this coming together, have or
ganized, elected officers, adopted
code Of bylaws, and the contest will
be an annual event.
The name of our association is "The
Laurens County Division of the State
Oratorical and Athletic Association"
James Todd of the Laurens high school
is president. Douglas Featherstone of
the Laurens school, vice president;
Jack Little, of the Clinton school, sec
retary and Ernest White, of the Gray
Court school, treasurer.
The athletic feature has also been
added Perhaps the boys that will
not be interested in oratory will have
an interest in athletics. Athletics GER
tainly is a part of an education for a
young man must not be developed
mentally only, but physically also.
The organization of these schools
will be great factor in holding them
closer together and encouraging the
boys to complete the high school
course thing which we hope every
one will do.
We are especially proud of the pro-
gress we have made in our mill schools
a large per cent. of the mill children
are in school. There are five mills
in the county, two at Clinton, two at
Laurens and one at Goldville. All of
these mills have snug school houses.
which are nicely furnished. The en-
rollment Of these schools has more
than doubled within the past two years
Especially has the Watts Mill school
grown. TWO years ago the enroll |
mcmt was only As with two teachers. |
Now there are 200 pupils enrolled, |
with teaching force OF four. We
should be proud of this but we should |
not stop until we get every one in
school.
We have &C school districts and SS
schools for white children, with a |
teaching force of 1873 and an enroll
ment of 4,457. The average salary |
of men teachers is $4,000 per month |
and that of women $500. The total |
fund received for the support of the
schools is something like $54337OO |
annually
More than two thirds of the &C dis |
trcts have levied a special school tax
ranging from two to ten mills. By so
doing the county receives annually |
from the special tax levy $21,92000. /
We are satisfied with nothing but !
the best of teachers. OF these 90 per
cent are college graduates This
should create great desire and am
bition, on the part of the high school
pupils, to attend college and it is
their duty that they should, and join
the great modern crusade against IL
literacy.
The average length of the school
term is seven months. This shows a
considerable Improvement over form
er years. We are also doing away
with the old buildings and erecting
modern school houses and furnishing
them as an ideal school building
should be.