Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-08-22
THE SCHOOL and HOME.
Bethel People Working for General
Uplift.
IMPROVEMENT MEETING aWEDAEsDlY.

Interesting Inquiry into Neiahborhood
Problems, and Practical Suggestions
Looking to Much to be Desired Re-
suits.
There was quite an enjoyable meet
ling Of the Bethel Improvement asso-
citation at the school house last We'd
nesday afternoon, DR.. T. N. Dulin pre-
siding. The leading feature of the
meeting was the reading Of two excel
lent papers, one by Miss Margaret
Query on the subject of Conditions
In Bethel township forty years ago and
now" and the other by Mr.. Hamilton
Johnstone, on" Cooperation for Better
Schools in Bethel Township Miss
Querry,s paper was discussed by Miss
Ollie Adams, and Mr.. Johnstone's pa
per was discussed by DR.. Dulin.
= Miss ouerrys Paper.
It may seem sheer folly for me to
attempt to tell you anything about
Conditions. that existed forty years ago
inasmuch as some Of you yourselves
| experienced them and since I cannot
assume to describe them with the ac-
curacy of an eye witness, but In my
| disconnected remarks will attempt to
conform to the truth In regard to gen.
eral matters, though 1t may differ In
detail. .,,.
In the half century that has pass
ed, many. many changes and Improve
ments have been effected In every de-
partment of life all over the United
States. This being true, II would be
against all natural laws that Bethel
should have stood still-should have
made no development. This then Is
the purpose of our discussion-to see
along what lines Innovations have been
made, whether the change was for the
better; in what things we have been
too conservative, and while stating
present conditions to suggest possible
improvements. 80
We are all familiar with the fact
that at the time of the close Of the
| Civil war, our mothers or our grand
mothers, as the case may be. We're not
blessed with such labor-saving devices
as sewing machines or in many In
stances with cooking stoves. They
fought that pest, the housefiy without
the aid OF wire screens or tanglefoot.
They almost invariably carried all
their water from spring up NIL.
They did their own spinning, weaving,
knitting and sewing. When we con-
slider that all of this has been made
easier, when we note that formerly
much time and exhausting labor were
consumed in spinning thread, weaving
Il into cloth and bleaching Ii to q re-
quired whiteness, whereas now cloth
that will serve the same purpose may
be bought for a few cents q yard, 4 say
when we compare the two, the first
thought Is that women have very
..fi mi trT INF In
ner we must compare the simple gar
ments worn in the earlier days. made
usually by the same pattern and last
| ing for years, with the great variety OF
dresses Of the present day made by In
tricate patterns, and of q style and ia
brio that can be worn hardly one sea-
son, and I think we can scarcely say
that woman's task Is lighter than II
formerly was. BY this DO not mean
ness Of such inventions as are to be
found in the homes, but rather to bring
to your mind the fact that the work OF
the house-the woman's work-has not
been lightened and made easier In our
community to the same degree that
the mans has. There are wonderfully
constructed machines for the farmers
work, mowers, threshers, self-binders,
shredders, cornhuskers, gasoline en-
gines and 80 on; devices which the
farmer Of forty years ago had not
dreamed of, and we all rejoice to see
these helpful implements; but on the
other hand the farmers wife must still
do heavy churning by hand, work her
butter with a paddle, draw and carry
water, and sweep with the same kind
of broom her grandmother used, and
added to all the work of her grand
mother, she has the burden OF much
extra cooking of prs and cakes, pickles
and salads as well as an Increased
amount Of sewing. Now II our farmer
can afford to fit his farm with expen-
sive machinery, he can also afford to
give his wife equipment for tightening
her work. In many cases the arrange
ment of the Kitchen, poorly ventilated
and ill-lighted, has much. to, do with
the work and this might easily be rem
edied. Sometimes new range. fre-
less cooker, or an oil stove would mean
much to the cook, and the improve
ment which the women would prob
ably welcome most is the system OF
water works which a few Of our COM
munity have already installed.
y Now a glance at social conditions.
In former days when the heads OF
family felt desire for social pleasures
at about eight thirty a. m, they betook
themselves without warning to neigh
boris house. BY going early You see,
they gave the hostess ample time to
run down" the chicken-and the whole
day was spent enjoyably At that time
fancy patchwork quilts were both
fashionable and necessary, and the
easiest and most pleasant way to guilt
was to invite number of neighbors,
give them a good dinner and stitch and
gossip till the quilt was finished. A
"shucking". or "house-raising pro-
yided the same social intercourse for
the men, but we no longer have these
pleasant ways of accomplishing work,
and entertaining has become so ex-
trayagant and complex that spending
the day" with a neighbor Is, about to
get out of style; and 1t may be that
none of this is suited to the present
age, but there must be some opportu-
nifty for social meeting which shall In
clude both old and young. II the moth
ers and fathers Of Bethel community
would remain young in mind and heart
there must be some outlet Tor pleas
Ure.
One great force which leads many Of
our families, and especially the women,
to desire to leave the country Is the
isolation and loneliness of these wo-
men, who for days and days see only
the faces of their families. and who
90 through the same routine or work,
week after week. Then the lack OF
common interest separates and es-
tranges the women. In some places
rural clubs have been formed, neigh
borhood exhibits similar to county
fairs are held, demonstrations are CIV
en-. Why could these things not be
done In Bethel? Why could not flow
er shows be held here as we'll as In the
towns? The need for some such gener-
al meeting is obviously greater for us
women Of the country than TOR our
town sisters. The good results cannot
be over estimated we would be in
cited to emulation, our lives ordinarily
bounded by the four walls OF our
homes would be broadened and by con-
tact with others our selfish tendencies
would be removed.
The country population OF the Unit
ed States is its greatest resource. Is
really the backbone Of the nation. SO
It Is an essential Of national welfare
that we put heart and soul into the
moving tide of progress in our local
ity.
Mr.. Hamilton Johnson's Paper.
have one sincere regret In connec-
ton with this Bethel Improvement