The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-10
LETTERS TO EDITOR
The Alabama School Book Syster


To the Editor of The Age Herald:
] have not yet seen the list of text
books selected by the book commits
sion, but / hope that none of the
grand, standard up -to-date educational
efforts of our many professional wind
TANNERS will be left off the list. l
don't remember ever having used an
oath in my life, but when l get to
looking at the worthless trash put out
by some of our publishing houses, I
am tempted to write the aforesaid pub
fishers letter or so, setting forth
my views in language more forcible
than dignified, and ] might do so,
but for fear of setting fire to the
mails.
Now in lieu of the old Blue Back
speller, Quackenboss readers and gram
mars, Robinsons arithmetic and other
we'll known standbys of ye olden time
j would suggest a list of books suit
able for the modern public school. and
I hope the book commission will act
wisely and adopt this list as the best
means of securing the repeal of the
most outrageous law that was ever i'm
posed on an innocent public. AS kind
of starter I will take history. and sug-
gest Colonel Braggs' Forty seven
Great Families of Alabama. Including
My own" Major Trotaway's Nine
teen Great Battles in Which / (the
Major) Saved the Day for Our Army"
In literature I suggest Miss Sophia
Gushs choice Selection of Prose and
Poetry by Unknown Authors this to
be read by refractory students as
punishment in lieu of the usual flog-
gings. one treatment being sufficient
for cure.
A few other books I will mention
include Professor Pinfeather's great
work on BIRDS, Animals, Bugs, Bull
Bats and Bees. With a Supplementary
Treatise on Angle Worms, \ Glow
Worms, Grub Worms, Garter Snakes.
Chicken Snakes and Many other In
kects."
Nor should 1 overlook DR.. Quack's
treatise in seven volumes on "Inher-
tied Diseases, Habits, Estates, Debts
and Poor Relations. and How to Get
Rid of Them by Change of Climate"
Also DIR. Cooks Seven Different Ways
to Dress a Chicken with preliminary
remarks by Mrs. Seeright and a sup
plement by Judge Lane and Chief Bod
eker. l must not forget Professor
loud great WOTk OIL ATt as Sne Is,
and as She Ought TO Be-" with frontis-
piece entitled "A Rush Coming Down
the Stairway
As it makes very little difference as
to what readers, spoilers, Biographies,
grammars and arithmetics are select
ed, will not make any suggestion, as
these are little used any way but |
would suggest that the publishers be
required to glue the dog gond things
together so they will last at least
three days without having to be tied
together with a string, causing the kids
any amount of worry trying to keep
the leaves in the right place and fire.
quently causing them to lose track OF
the baseball leagues standing.
And right here i wish to say that l
can buy far better book, better print
and better paper for 25 cents than /
can buy for SO cents of any of the
standard school books as adopted. by
the state. And furthermore, I don't
have to buy the 25-cent book If don't
want tn but am forced to paw the
price as fixed by the book trust for
school books, or take my children out
OF school. l am sick of this talk about
trust busting" when the state joins
hands with the rottenest, most dispic-
able, dastardly of all trusts--the school
book trust, and lets them rob the peo-
pie of the state of hundreds of thous.
ands of dollars every year.
JOHN E. BRADY.
Bessemer, June ., 1913