The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-10-18
Facts and Figures Regarding New
and Great Work in
Virginia.
DEMONSTRATIONS THAT TELL
All State Fair Visitors Agree That
Girls Canning Clubs Were Strictly
In Jt-Thc Real Feature OF the
Fair.
IN MISS Ella G. AGNEw.


tive features Of the fair OF 1914. II the
comment To be heard on the grounds
and voiced elsewhere is an indication
OF tho impression produced by what the
visitors saw and OF the background OF
work at their homes, there should be
no difficulty next year in securing local
cooperation in every county in Vir-
ginia
Every canning club. girl will un-
,doubtcdly say without hesitation that
the crop year now ending is one that
they will never forget. Everybody
knows that the entire State has been
the victim of the severcst drought in
the memory of generation. The lack
Of rain made tho task just as difficult
for the girls striving TO make start
in the world as ii was for the farmers,
many OF whom suffered woefully be-
cause the floods would not descend.
IN SPITE OF uNFAvORABLE
CONDITIONS, THEY WE'RE THERE
II is this fact that makes the show
ing at the State Fair truly wonderful.
When one thinks OF the disadvantages.
one marvels al the results. II such
things can be done under such cir
cumstances. it is easily to be seen that
in an ordinary season the clubs will
demonstrate to all thh people that the
money put into their organization and
their maintenance is about the best in
Tcstmcnt that could lie made of the
wonder that President I1ggleston, OF
the Virginia Polytechnic INSTITUTES, who
is now the actual head Of farm demon
stration work in this State. by virtue
of an act of Congress, looks with such
favor on the work among girls that
he plans an extension of endeavor I'm
the near future
IT seems indeed u far cry from the
piles of tempting fruit and vegetables
at the fair. and the demonstration of
H canning done just outside the exhibit
building. all bearing evidence Of the
fact that the lesson that work well
done is the outward and visible sign
of active spiritual realities" was we'll
learned, to the time when for the girls
on the small farms and on no farms
nj All there was no ray of light on
any pathway looking toward economic
Independence or toward part in the
worlds activities. That such results
have been crowded into a few short
years is almost uncomfortable.
Some of the visitors were privileged
to hear the stories Of the county work
ers who have gone in and out among
the people. and who have witnessed
The awakening to n new life in count
less fnstances-thc modern miracle Of
the birth of human souls.
Az INTERESTING CASE
cgS5-nY: WAY OF ILI.USrRA TION
Through the long weeks. of ,the past
w
never come, n girl might have been
seen toiling up the side of noun
tain in the Blue Ridge, carrying buckets
of water. y child in "a large family,
which had but the barest necessities
of existence. She was found by n county
worker, and heard of the possibili-
ties that lay before her. She deter
mined to lit herself To be a teacher,
but before her rose the mighty OBJ
stacles OF q high school course and
n nal Z - of,,sr I 70 ~,
land to give her. but a man was found
tsome one is always found) who al
lowed her to use tenth of an acre Of
his ground on the mountain top, fa.
above her home. She planted her to-
matoes, and watched them daily for
they meant to her chance in the
world. The rain would not come, and
so, day after day, she toiled up the
mountain with buckets Of water, and
on some days she made as maAy as
twcnty-five of these painful climbs,
with her vision before her
The rest OF her high school educa-
ton is now assured. and no one doubts
THAT with such power Of purpose she
will find the way TO secure her train
ing in q state normal school.
Thcn the observant visitor ut the
fair might hear Of the girl who al
ready has work--of the most wearing
and disagreeablc sort She sees op7,
portunities OF usefulness. and feels
that she must hc doing something else
something that will give strength
and growth to the newly awakened
soul. So she plants and waters and
preserves.
One might have heard also of the
child who taught group OF mature
people--some of them old-to can to-
matoeS with Il machine. purchased as n
result of a public entertainment She
watched the work and refused to al
low the use of imperfect specimens
And those men and women. past the
prime of life, followed willingly where
a little child led.
SOME VERY NOTABLE PRIZE
WINNERS WORTHY OF MENTION
ofEcourse there are prizes. 1t is an
interesting fact that three girls--AIar-
garet Hall, of Nottoway; Della Terry.
of halifax, and Louise Osborne, Of
Henrico-havc done such splendid
work. and have eNcellcd TO such u de-
gree that they had habit of CARRYING
oifamost of the prizes during the past
three years. So they were put in ii
class by themselves, competing against
each other, so as to open tho lists 10
others. OF these three, Miss Terry is
The winner of the prize Of SEA for this
year.
Here, are some OF tho girls who were
rewarded with trips TO the fair for
good work: Alhcmarle County, Violet
AfahaHis; Campbell. Mabel Caldwell:
Chesterfield. Grace Floyd; Charles City.
Emma Mast; Clarke. sIartha Hemsley;
lDinwiddie. Clara Atkinson: Halifax,
Anna Quarles; New Kent, Edna May
Wilkin6on: Nottoway. Winnie Harper:
Prince William, Helen Thornton Rock
ingham, Ellen Webster; Goochland
Elsie Spotswood. and three girls from
Spofsy1vaEia. Other counties in tho
work which had exhibits, but which
were not represented by girls. arc Gull
pepper. James City, Tazewcll and York
iIfnrico sent in six girls for demon
stration purposes.
Sss OF 1.-The counties at work for two
years or more. Chesterfield won FRS,
place for ali-ronnd exhibit: New Kent,
second, and Prince William, third In
the group working for the first year,
Warwick won first; Isle of Wight. sec
ond. and Culpepcr. third.
or the girls exhibiting for The sec
ond years work Mary Davis, of Hen
rico. came first: of the first yeah girls.
Ruby Dickenson, of Chesterfield. came
out ahead.
iys Tie End in Sight.
- 2N.hSHINGTOS. p &, October Noodav
morning the Interstate Commerce tnturi..