The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1915-10-22
'COL0RED
SCHOOL
Ut Martinsvine, Virgin
la in Deplorable
Condition
FORMERLY LOCATED IN
BASEMENT OF CHURCH
Moved From Under Ground al
Placed Up in the Air--Bearl
Should Build.

'"SN"'e. va. frtober lc.-Evou
though the school officials II tins plscs
''a," moved the colore,' graded school
from the basement of the High ~ Bap-
t-t church they have not betterrd con-
ton- very much because il he ben
moved ." the second floor Of the Richard
spencer bnilding and the condition /.
f'~de'i AMI there sr- lew iacilities for
''i'c'--sful ~chcol work.
II ~ "a fact 10 l~ r.-yr-tts.i that Alter
All iis-" years the I'ublic -rhooI and cisy
authorities are unwilling to give the poor
e. 'f'Ti children "A fair chance in their
ri"rt Ia -ssure "A common school e.iura-
'i"i'. The Tact that the roIore,i people
" 'hi- thriving city are heavy taxpayer
AMI have been supporting every state
'''''S anu district "nterprise for fifty
,'ar", even to the payment Of taxes for
"'f-i"ns Tor confederate yetersns- AMI
HAT th"y are without "A -chool building
" which their children may be taught
nn'i"r conditions conducatiye 10 rood
''"''i. The places in which the local
'i''"l have ls~n Taught for forty years
""'" poorly ventilated, un-anitary, crow
'f' and mt times damp and musty, yes
'''" c"l"rei people have been patient and
VAT II with the belief that the i,e.s think
NIX White people would finally - The
wisdom OF investing sl5.Oo0 in . build
'ng FOR tssnn after sbont $4,000 IA
"s-n spent ior a school building for vhinp
.hildren
The cDiorei people 10 not envy the
Ahit-- their handsome school buildin~
"'ih all modern improvements; they
u'ink q is right and proper that the
Whit" children should be taught in COM
"tal'ie and beautiful surroundings and
hey further think that their Children
should not i'e entirely overlooked and
"'sl"cte~i. The school funds for build
ng- all - To the whites and none 20 The
Nrgr"-, Yet the Negroes are told thss
t'r "hite people of this section are THAR
friends and Will deal fair with them.
IL may be- truthfully said that there 10
not another city in the state with an
quail Negro population where the Negro
- without some Kind of school building
or the accommodation Of their children.
blt in-tead OF that the colored school of
IN city has becn conducted for forty
years ia rented dwelling houses, old d.
iaI'i'iat'''l tObaccO fact,ries, church bsse-
"rnt- and any other old discarded ssruc.
ture that the board of education could
rent cheap and the Negro children have
'''n the sufferers from these insdequsts.
unlpsalthy quarters.
Iiirrc - mo- town IN which the Negro
population ha- been more loyal To thsir
Nhite friends than this. and the Negro
ia- tried D. i,etter his condition by buy
'ng " home, acquiring ~ome property,
tring good and peaceful citizens and
their children. such conduct
should 10 encouraged by the broad mind
p iii'e'ai white IeoTle by providing ad-
'qnate educational facilities for the -
faring Negro children.
: n'ier all tliese disadvantages the csI-
're'i people have -triven a. hest they
rould - eiucate their children By send
INK them t. the public schools, paying
tuitiOn At private srhools where condi-
ti0n- we're better. There are about go
cpiore'i children in Msrtinsville Of schooi
ar and the city iatber~ and educational
authorities should surely feel thas %
argr proportion Of the young people Of
t'Ie community should not he permitted
. face ti,e danger Of ignorance and die
r~-e i-'c~uSe Of Ps'or school quarters when
ii'e community = able 10 provide better
and not suiler A. the result
Tie story of the promise made the
Nexro<- Tor their vote % abolish the
saloon ~nd -ul~titute the dispensary in
e. steal = veil remembered, yss tbs
Negro voted to abolish the saloon and he
-I~nt much oi his money &C the dispsn-
ssry and not one-tenth Of the revenue
derived from tins source hss been spsns
Tor the e'iucatiOn Of the Negro youth and
none of u for q building for him.
II the city = At present without funds
o. build, her credit is good and che csn
borrow from tl'e state the money nss<1sd
o. erect a good school building for co,os-
ed people. Ia = hoped that the tims win
-oon come when the officers and srusouw
Of tine schools will sse the wisdom cf nv
ing Negro children . fair chance IN -
matter 81 securing an educasSon. a.
they VII Gao % DC marrow and -
gsrdly but ~ill recognize ~ faes -