The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-05-21
EXCELLENT WORK OF
FEsSENDEN ACADEMY
school that Is Doing a Great Service
to Colored Boys and Girls

TO Colored Boys and Girls
The people Of this section Of the
state know and appreciate the good
practical work that Is being done at
Fessenden Academy and Industrial
School, school for coIored children Of
Florida. located at Fessenden, SIX miles
north of OcaIa and operated under the
regulations and partially supported by
the Marion county school board.
This school gives the colored youth
of the country the education and train
ing that they need TO make good citi-
zens, to live in harmony with the
white race and to be self supporting
and benefit and uplifting factor
of their own race. When boy or girl
lis graduated from Fessenden. as the
writer recently saw three of them. he
or she is not merely stuffed with a lit
tie book "larnin " that they may or
may not forget or fail to put to any
practical use. but if the pupil be man.
he is good farmer. a dairyman. a
stockman, a good carpenter, a black
| smith, a cabinet maker, a forester, and
can do many other practical things Of
| life and do them we'll. And If the grad
uate be woman, she can teach in any
state, she can keep her own or an
others house in frst-class condition.
she can cook, wash. do fancy or plain
sewing and most Of the other useful
things SO unnecessary about the house
AS Principal Wiley said of the grad
uating class, three young negro men
i strong, well developed, capable look
ing: They could go out into the
world and make a living, wherever YOU
/ place him. and in whatever surround
Iings. They would turn their hands 10
F, many different things and do them
well. They had the confidence and re-
.pect of every white farmer and bust
ness man in the vicinity Of the college
4 where they had been under their eyes
as it were, for a number of years
These big white farmers know these
boys are reliable and capable"
! Prof. Wiley, who has spent almost
/ twenty years in charge of the school
/ has built it up from very small be-
ginning to one of the foremost indus
trial schools for colored students in
the South. The school is only now in
position to reap the best benefits Of the
years Of careful la Dor on the part OF
it's principal and the Star prophesies
that it's next few years will see many
II splendid improvements In the school
its equipment and efficiency.
4 At the graduating exercises a few
days since many distinguished white
visitors were present and paid the
closest attention to the exercises. The
4 program was carefully selected and
we'll rendered throughout. Absolute
II perfect order is maintained in this
school at all times. The conduct of the
Il children is one of the things that at
tracts the visitors attention at once
In the school room on or the campus
the utmost respect to others and goOC
behavior among themselves prevails.
H OF the three young men graduates
F. D. Macon, McDuffy Ward and B. F
Brown, each of whom delivered hi:
long. most interesting and we'll pre-
pared Grafton with good delivery, easy
and graceful gestures and with nevel
a hesitation or a word forgotten. tn,
Star desires to publish the one tina
would appeal to the people of this sec
ton, from its name, "Florida." TIL,
others in their way were just as gooc
and just as well delivered.