The Natchitoches enterprise., 1913-09-18
A Good Idea.


was started in Athens Georgia for
encouraging IN each county the
study of local facts and conditions. |
The census reports. tax and church
records newspaper files, libraries
ect., furnished the means for the
members to study the growth and
history of their locality and COM
pare present and past local condl-
lions with those of counties sur
rounding them. The movement
attracted so much interest among
students and professors in the
State Normal School that now 1t
has affiliated organizations IN l46
counties in the state.
How much good it has done for
the people Of the county to learn
the truth about their own COM
munity is shown in the following
instance, given by the originator
Of this movement, Mr.. E. Q.
Brauson. head of the State Normal
School, in Bulletin % of the
United States Bureau of Educa-
ton:
Sometime ago one of the
uperior court judges in Geor-
Ola wrote for the report upon
his own county. He was SO
amazed and alarmed by it that
he had it published at once In
his home newspaper. tie
found that during the last cen
sus period his county had lost
| II per cent, in horses, 27 per
cent. in hogs, 81 per cent, IN
sheep. % per cent, in corn,
and So per cent, in wheat &C
reage; that the average yield
of corn per acre was only
twelve bushels, a loss of IL
per cent IN ten years; that his
county had suffered decrease
of 25 per cent in the number
of farms cultivated by owners;
and that the number of ILL
terate white children in the
county was 100, an increase
of Al per cent in five years.
He has since been stirring up
the people in his end of the
state UPON matters of econo-
mic and SOCIAL import. The
counties in his district are be-
ing organized into Helpers
associations, their purpose be-
ing TO stir into activity the
preachers and church authori-'
ties, the teachers and school
authorities, the physicians and
business men,"
| Mr.. Branson believes that the
universities of every state might
we'll maintain departments devoted
to thu home state, its history
geogra ply, physiography. china
ltnlngx. its soils and other sources
, wealth; their location, nature ano
value. and the economic and socia
causes OF progress or decay.
He suggests that after gather
ing all the available facts abou
the part of the state 10 which thea
live, the students who form thes
, classes or clubs will be ready t
find answers to such questions a
these:
2
E Why is my county gain
ing or losing in home owner
ship, crop averages, church
e and school advantages, or in
illiteracv and crime9
Why does my county rank
= first or fortieth or one hun
' dred and fortieth in this or
S that item of comparison!
: What becomes of the money
;. from our crops from year to
! year9
What has farm tenacy to do
i with the slow gain of total
) wealth IN the country?
it Why are fewer farms cul-
a tivated from year to year by
n owners2
"a Why cannot Natchitoches start
Club OF this kind right now? Sure
y no parish in the State is richer
history, geography, soil, physiograpf
location, ETC., and their explottir
r. will do US much good in eve
way particularly in letting US ST
II how we can improve the few como
, tions that need it.
g Now is the accepted time.
:. Will the movement start at Il
!. Normal or in one OF our high schCo
- or among the progressive citizel
y either in Natchitoches or In any
81 the smaller towns?