The farmer and mechanic., 1915-06-08
Successful Pioneers
In County Work
BY E. E. WITHERSPOON
BY E. E. WITHERSPOON

The history Of pioneers is the his |
tory Of the world. Pioneer thought
and pioneer action have combined to
make all the events that have shaped
The affairs OF men, whether in the vir-
Gin forest of the untamed Wilds. the
laboratory of the scientist where dis
ease meets it's conQuerer in the mind
If the chemist or in the realm of
education. where the greatest foe Of
The pioneer mind, the Goliath Of ig-
norance, finds it's David.
The fathers, mothers and children
of Wake county are fortunate today
10 have at their call the services Of
two Of North Caro,ina'S pioneers who
have won their stakes thus far in
their fight to place the citizens of the
state upon higher intellectual plains
About fifteen years ago a fat, good
natured boy, with just as many ounces
pf grit and determination as of avoir-
dupois packed his trunk in the good
old state of Mcdowell and boarded a
train for the Athens Of the State,
which may be determined by a circu-
lar line drawn around Raleigh about
as far out as the circumference Of
the old city-state Of the ancient
Greeks. Trinity took a whack at him,
and everything coming his way stuck
Then the young student took a trip
kVer 10 Chapel Hill and ended up his
college career in the University Of
the state. He was good mixer. a
good athlete, a participant in every
phase of student life. AS a conse-
quence he came out a well-eQuipped
and Well-balanced man.
Getting Down to Business.
Hack to Mcdowell went d. F. Giles
with his college nickname of Fatty
still clinging to him. But Mcdowell
was soon to find that the nickname
Was the least of his possessions. He
began right at the edge of the coun-
ty by founding Nebo school, later tC
grow into Nebo High School, a pre-.
paratory school of repute. The schOo
authorities of the county soon begar
10 look longingly toward Nebo; ant
they didn't look long until the yount
man Giles was eSconced in the chai
of county superintendent of schools
superintendent Giles found two spe
cial tax districts out of fifty-four
When he left the position some fiv
years later he had been instrumental
in carrying thirty-One more communi
ties over to the side of longer school
and better paid teachers. This sue
cess opened the way for another ad
vance, a higher standard of scholar
ship for teachers. There are alway
stumps in the way when a new ira
is blazed. superintendent Giles sim
ply removed the stumps, and carrie
my point.
But politics ofttimes changes tn
course of mems lives In this cas-
it merely left the county superinter
dent open to an opportunity to tt
his hand in this same field. He wei
in, and the counties of Burke ar
Mcdowell sent him to the State Sci
ate. Here he was a mighty fact,
in fighting the battle of the kid
This is where Wake cOunty's chan'
To get a man big enough for the jC
came. SO, from the first Of ne2
month it will be Superintendent Gile
of the Wake county schools He HI
already been down and has entert
on the campaign of progress going {
go gloriously for the past ten years.
While the Wake county board
education had to look around qui
q bit to find q man large enough
fill the job vacated by Prof. Jud
whose never-tO- O-be-forgOtten work f
the public schools had showed hi
ON mp the ladder of service, there w
a woman at hand with every ounce
ability needed. She did not have
take up the work when Mr.. Ju
resigned; she already had it co,