The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1915-12-30
Vocational Column

Smltnlng VIII nave lTOm IL w ~
members.
Howard Harrison, a graduate OF
our Department Of Agriculture, last
June. leaves this week TO take charge
of the agricultural work at the
school at Oneida in Clay County. We
wish him success; and have large
hopes Of his possibilities.
The following speech was given by
our Vocational representative, Cecil
Mcclure, at the cornerstone laying
Of Kentucky Hall.
"John, the oldest son Of a family in
the mountains, comes to Berea. His
ideas begin to change. He sees the
possibilities Of greater service. He
sees the needs Of his community,
and his first step towards supplying
these needs was 10 send two Of his
brothers 10 Berca. Before complet-
ing his Agricultural course, he lays
plans for a series Of farmers chau-
tauquas. which he intends 60 carry
out in his home community the fol-
lowing summer. This he did. with
the result that the farmers Of his
community and his county, now see
the possibilities Of growing 30 bu. Of
corn, where 20 grew before. This
was not the only result Of his coming
to Bcrca. When he went home from
school. his home farm was in very
bad condition and instead Of follow
ing his old associates to the county
store for the purpose Of sitting on
goods boxes and cracking jokes, he
hunted up some lime. and old buck
ct, and brush. and after making
some whitewash, he applied himself
So vigorously 10 his task, that before
dark. the old barn had taken on quite
a different appearance. This was on
Saturday afternoon too. During the
weeks that followed. the fence re-
ceived some Of the same whitewash.
The fence corners were cleaned out,
the weeds and briars were moved
from the meadows. Young fruit trees
were set, the broken pickets in the
fence were repaired. The house was
repaired and painted. and many 9TH
or things were done. which OF
course changed very decidedly the
appearance Of the farm.
His sister. after taking course
in Domestic Science. went back
home and with her talents deyel-
opcd. was able 10 artistically decor
ate that home. on the same limited
means that she had previously had.
She could also go into the kitchen
and prepare a balanced meal for the
family with much less food, thereby
saving time and money. BY her tact
and skill. better pictures new books,
papers and magazines were intro
duced into the home, which greatly
added to the comfort Of the home
life. The young woman had taken n
course in nursing, and could go back
home and wage a campaign for SAM
tation and the eradication Of pre-
ventable diseases, by destroying the
places where they breed and multi
ply. thereby setting an example To
her home community.
4 neighbor boy Of Johns seeing
these things. decided to come TO Be
rea. 10 learn how % build better
house. Going back home, he put his
knowledge into practice on a new
house his father was building. Such
even matching and joining OF the
corners. the old heads OF the COM
munity had never seen. Before long
dozens OF boys and girls were flock
ing to Berea from this community.
Johns other brothers were also
working in the mountains at this
time. Bill had taken course in
blacksmithing and after he went
back home, il was not necessary to
take n half day 10 go TO the black
smithshop to get horse shod, or a
pillow sharpened, for he could do II
just as we'll at home. He could shoe
horse without trimming its hoof
until il bled. On rainy days he was
seen in the machine shop, repairing
the machinery OF the farm. All
these things saving time and money
for the farm.
Henry. the other brother, had gone
back home and organized and super
intended a Sunday School, where
many Of the old heads Of the com
munity said "lIe would never do IT,"
So successful was he, however, that
when he came back TO Berea there
were from sixty TO seventy-nve in
attendance, and plenty Of officers
and teachers TO carry on the work.
So you see these are the things
that Bereas Vocational Department
is doing and can do for many hun
dreds more, boys and girls of these
mountains, il they only give them a
chance TO come To Berea."