The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1911-04-05
Patrons Day Biggest Success
In History of Big Stone
Gap High School.
Hon. William Hodges Mann,
Governor Of Virginia, and
Other Distinguished
Visitors Present.
Morning Session.

March thirty first, nineteen
+ hundred and eleven, will Ger
s tainly be pleasantly remember
ed as red letter day in the
history of Big Stone Gap, and
( Prof. II. Ii. Young has Just
3 cause TO feel proud of the sue
cess of this open meeting of
patrons aud pupils, visitors and
friends of the school, for the
good of which ne has worked
SO faithfully and untiringly
since he came to the Gap.
Though the weather was not
all that could be desired, yet
interested groups of patrons
and visitors were seen early on
the we'll kept school grounds
and on the different floors
moving from room to room
examining the neat work of the
pupils which was displayed in
the different grades, and ex-
pressing their interest and
pleasure in complimentary
terms. The tenchers had made
an effort to display their pupils
papers attractively, and the
appearance Of the rooms more
than repaid them for their
trouble.
The signal for assembling ia
the auditorium was given about
ten thirty, and Principal Ii. III.
Young made short address.
giving n review of what the
teachers had been able to &C
cOmplish and what they hoped
TO accomplish. He thanked the
patriotic citizens who had come
forward and generously sup
piled the necessary funds to run
the school another month, when
otherwise it would have closed
at the end Of eight months; and
and he spoke Of the faithful
work of his assistants and the
earnest need of heartfelt CO
operation between parent and
teacher at all times.
Professor Young deserves no
faint praise for he has indeed
accomplished wonders this year
by his untiring energy, his
devotion to the school and his
perseverance in the face of
discouragements. AS we re
marked when Prof Young first
came TO the Gap, though he ia n
small man physically, vet in
every other way he is a worthy
successor to that other little
man who yet was the biggest
school proposition we ever
handled Prof. r.. II. Sheppe.
OF honored memory
In closing his introductory
remarks, Prof Young Introduced
another of our big school men
q man who, as Rev. j. b. Craft
was overheard to remark. made
all natives of the good old
county of Scott feel like the
biggest people in the audience
Or. j. Z. Mcconnell, a native
OF Scott county, and for several
years Professor Of History and
Economics in Emory and Henry
College. DIR. Mcconnell has an
agreeable delivery, and as he
always has something to say
worth listening to, he held the
undivided attention of the au-
uience throughout his address.
Dr. Mcconnell said among
other good things, that the
strength of q nation ia in the
heads of its people, and that the
public school should not be re-
8arded as the prigaegc but as the
''ght OF every American boy and
girl He said the High School
was notthe Poor Man College,
nut the Peoples College, and
should be regarded as such. He
spoke OF the Conservation of
haw Material, and said our
greatest waste of raw material
was the waste of our boys and
girls, and that we should devote
more OF our time and thought
ana money TO training them to
DC good citizens and good livers.
After DR.. Mcconnell brought
ms remarks to close, two OF
Mss Blake's music pupils
Misses Margaret Petit and
mary Skeen-played an instru-
mental mental. duet, Sonata II, by