The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1913-02-06

With fpverish haste ] made ready Tor
my departure. Packing up few
things and putting my writing mate
rails iu my grip where ! could the
more easily get at them. ! started for
my's country.
As I sped south the possibilities OF a
brilliant future arose before me. When
/ reached baltimore | looked down
from the window OF the ear and re-
called the scenes enacted there. when
my father was one OF those stoned
while on their way to the defense OF
their country. The day grew rapidly
on. and a. the train pulled into Wash
ington the lofty dome of the capitol.
bathed In the fresh light OF an April
morning. dispelled my resentful
thoughts and led them back to the
beautiful scenes which were always
uppermost in my fathers memory
whenever he talked of the south and
of the friends he had made there after
the bitter days of the campaign were
over. After leaving Washington every
was no detail from which did not
draw some moral had determined TO
pierce the border states and seek for
the information desired from the
land where the palmetto. the pine and
the live oak live side by side. The
and through them came the bracing
winds from the Blue Ridge. and could
catch occasionally the strange minor
notes OF the negroes at work In the
fields | was alive TO every impress
sion. and ! took out my notebook to
ing scenes
That evening I finished my first let
ter and mailed II from the train
When ! reached Atlanta ! made In
CURRY as TO the best means OF reach
ting some of the outlying counties.
where ! could study the social and
educational conditions Of this people
out Of the beaten tracks and away
from the thriving centers through
which ! had passed. and which. &C
cording to my precouceived opinions.
were the result Of northern capital Or
New England energy. remained In
the vicinity of this city for several
days. making Journeys into the coun'
try and taking notes of the beld ha nds
and making inquiry as to the wages
paid and the amount of labor perform
ed by the average band Ny zeal was
l Ia. q
putting all my figures into letter
when my ~Hthusiasm reviewed % check
that came B~ar causiHg me- to throw
up my assignment. which ! would have
done without bsSitatiun had | not fear
ed II wssilh mean summary dismis
sal from tiss- jsaIer as well. On com
Ing in from the factory district one aft.
ernoon I foind n letter from the man.
aging .siif0r u said
We want facts Your letter mailed on
he train found useless and has been
thrown In the wastebasket II true II
was q very good editorial but we do not
want editorials from you II you still
have my order read II over and you will
md In u not hing about the racial CUES
ton or political problems STUDY the
tho old regime. and bear In mind always
that whatever you write win be COPIED
there Your letters. therefore. should os
lust and truthful. whatever else there
may be n you were an artist with the
brush l should say paint a picture OF some
old colonial homestesds ana snteb-llum
plantations Since you can't paint. wfiis
Of them al they are Bring the scenes In
Georgia wildly before the people of Hos
ton They can draw their own conclu
sions Let your pictures be OF people ana
places only as you see them
That was all. nut u was sufficient TO
shn tier my hopes ana discourage ali
further attempts TO make SURE of thr
electoral vote OF New England. his
consoiat. ana with u vague sense al
my own ignoraDce. ! b.mrd.d irnin
that night bnund somewhere ~ n
southerly direction ! did not kn"w
and ! did not care where
When I awoke the next morning the
odor whirh tiils-i ever, crrvnr al ih-
car told M. that ! hnd entered IN" pine
belt Oi ':eorria during INV Sleep
threw uI' my window ana lnhai'd great
Traits OF fresh air . frii InvIgOrnt
I'd and ready 10 carry ont "a, assign