Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1913-11-14

Sam Keeton, colored, Of Blooming.
ton. this county, left Sunday morning
for the Mount Sterling market, with
$4,000 or $4,000 worth OF cattle. He
was forced to take the stock away on
account of the scarcity of water,
which, we are told, threatened fam
inc In his neighborhood until the sit
uation was relieved by Sunday after
moons showers.
Sam Keeton is one of the most
widely known cattle kings" Of east
ern Kentucky. He is farmer, but
the major portion of his wealth has
been realized through cattle dealing.
Like other successful "punchers," he
takes the saddle" and rides from
county to county, and as regular as
clockwork he is at Mount Sterling on
each court day with several thousand
dollars worth of bovines. Should Sam
Keeton, "the Magoffin county niger,
fail to be on the market yards the
big white gem'men wct1d flee
through superstition like An actor
when dog trots across the stage.
Sam Keeton was born. reared and
(not) educated at Bloomington. in the
northern end of Magoffin county. He
don't know a letter in the book
using his own words, and neither can
he figure" In short, he is absolute
ly illiterate. But his wife Is we'll edu-
Gated. and they are educating their
~ oF no1pn1otinn
is simple, unique and remarkable.
This is how he does it: For dollar
he makes long mark; for half a dol
lar he makes half mark; for a
quarter he makes little" mark; for
a dime he makes dot.
He married a daughter of Green
Gardner, and the union has been
blessed with seven children. six OF
whom are living. He is still in the
prime of life, being only forty-one or
forty-two years old: -Salyersville (ky)
Correspondence to N Y. Sun.
Georgia is to lay more stress upon
teaching Negro children in the coun-
try districts practical subjects rather
than those which will be of no use to
says:
Prof George D. GODDARD will doubt,
less find no other part Of his work as
state supervisor of rural elementary
schools more interesting or important
than that of carrying out plans for
changing the system of instruction in
the colored schools. 1t is understood
that the plan provides for paying
more attention to teaching colored pu-
pills to use their hands and less to fill
ing their heads with a lot Of i'll d.
gested learning that would be of little
value to them.
Industrial and manual training is
infinitely Of more value to the average
Negro than such an education as he
would be likely to get by studying
grammar and geography and the like
in the schools. The Negro who Is a
trained workman is more likely to be
happier, steadier and better citizen
than if he were given the kind of edu
cation that would make him look upon
honest work as beneath him.
THE contemplated changes in the
rural colored schools should tend to
make Negroes more contented on the
farm and to keep them from f1ockine
to the cities to spend most of their
time in idleness, which is the first
step toward crime. The loafing Negro
is a heavy burden on the taxpayers
The hard working Negro is good citi
zen"
The dignity and usefulness Of prof
liable labor underlie the teachings Of
Hampton institute and Tuskegee in
stitute, highly successful schools fol
training Negroes