Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-06
PLEAD FOR UPL|FT.
Speakers Outline the Needs oil
Mountain People.
SCHOOLS FOR CHILDREN
Addresses at Meeting Of Southern
Industrial Educational Associa-
tion-Annual Report Made.

Drawing vivid illustrations of the un-
developed resources of the southern
mountains and the latent strength Of tue
mountain people, speakers before the
Southern Industrial Educational Associa-
ton last night at the Arlington Hotel
seemed to touch a responsive chord when
they appealed to the country to give the
mountaineers fighting chance
Representative Martin w. Littleton of
New York, Or. Philander p. Claxton.
United States commissioner of education,
and Chief Justice Seth Shepard of the
Court of Appeals Of the District of Co.
lumbia, president Of the association. out
lined q general educational movement for
the mountain people along strictly in
dustrial lines. declaring that their con-
dition is mot the illiteracy of the de-
generate. but simply Of the unstarted.' .
Other speakers were Mrs. Susan Wet
more of Christ School. Arden, N. c., and
Rev. Edgar Tufts Of the boys school at
Banner Elk, N. c.. who gave interesting
descriptions Of the work being donel oy
the mountain boys and girls in the
schools under their management.
Presidents Annual Report.
Chief Justice Shepard. in his annual re-
port, said the association is now ready
to look for a proper site for the new in
dustrial school 1t will establish in some
section of the southern mountains. which
will be selected this summer. For this
purpose 5000 has been promised by D.
G. Amber, a resident OF Florida, and
other, subscriptions have been received.
This Sschool will be conducted strictly
along the industrial lines advanced by the
association and the schools which the as
ISOLATION helps to support.
The needs of industrial education among
the people were strongly brought out.
which he declared are greater than else
where in the southern mountain region.
where over 100000 people live. the con-
ditions OF whose lives are hard and
pitiable.
The object OF our association" he said,
ais not to fit these children to take employ
ment at labor away from home. but to ut
them to remain in their home; to develop
the resources within their reach; to i'm
prove the conditions Of home life. and to fit
them to become useful citizens. Substan-
tial progress has been made and public
its effect in directing the attention Of
state authorities to the Improvement Of
the systems Of public education"
Praise of Mountain People.
Representative Littleton vigorously de-
Tended the mountain people, whom e
characterized as having the 'purest An
gio-Saxon blood in the United States.
and drew a parallel between their c6ndi-
lions and the conditions of thousands in
the slums of the big cities. Reared
among the Tennessee mountaineers. Rep
resentative Littleton was able to give
some first-hand information regarding the
mountain children and declared indus
trial education to be the only means to
bring out this latent strength which as
yet has not been developed.
He pointed out the great dangers
threatening the mountains by the tend
ency to consumption, which he declared
to be as rampant there as In the pest
infested cities, all because the mountain
eer has not been taught the first rules of
sanitation 49,. -
idea of federal aid in education among
the mountaineers, for the simple reason
that the mountain people would vote
against 1t themselves. They have never
known, he said. what 1t means to receive
aid of any kind from the government.
Of Puritan Stock.
Dr. Claxton vigorously declared that
the mountain people by their Inheritance
Of blood and history are the richest in
the country: that there are among them
more descendants Of the revolution and
early Puritan fathers than there are in
New England; that less than l per cent
of the mountain population Is Of foreign
birth or mixture. AS a government OFF,
cial of education, he advocated teaching
them industrial trades, and pointed out
the great resources going to waste In the
mountains because the people have not
been taught anything but to scratch q
little in the ground and live a hand-tO-
mouth existence. He urged their uplift
as a duty Of the nation. and only little
spark from that other world would stir
up the whole community and save for
the country the best foundation for its
liberty and its future development. "A
higher degree of general and technical
education is sadly needed DR.. Clax-
ton declared.
Literature and mountain articles were
distributed by a committee consisting of
Miss Margaret L. Parker. the NJ .sses
Fletcher, Miss Lucille Hollerigh. Miss
Totten, Miss Baggett, Miss Mildred F..
Wilson and Miss Louise Williams, while
the sales of "Old Andy, the Moonshiner.' :
by Mrs. Martha 8. Gielow. founder and
records.
Bristol School to Entertain.
Announcement was made that the Bris-
toll School will present 1.-The Mountain
Pageant" by Mrs. Gielow, the evening
of April IL for the benefit of the asso-
citation and that the list of patronesses
will include the wives Of the southern
members of Congress, headed by Mrs.
Champ Clark.
At the sixth annual business meeting of
the association, held in the afternoon at
the rooms Of the Southern Industrial Edu-
cational Association in the Southern
building, reports of the officers showed
the finances to be in 1ourishing condi-
ton.
LIFE IN QUAKER CITY.