The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1916-03-31
STATE SUPT. SWEARINGEN
VISITS NEWBERRY SCHOOLS

pleasure to visit four of the schools
Of 'he county during the week in com
pany with Mr.. j. F. Swearingen, State
superintendent Of education. and
County Superintendent c. P. Barre.
We have always taken an interest
IN the schools, but having served as
county superintendent of education for
a brief period. and having had little
to do with arousing the school spirit
and the awakening of 1e people in
the cause o. better schools, we have
also had an awakening on the sub
iect. The schools at Jolly Street and
Silverstreet and Chappells especially
took on new life and built new school
houses and increased their teaching
force under our brief administration
and it is especially pleasant to visit
them and to see that the school spirit
is still alive and the interest unabated.
All three of these districts had prac.
tically no buildings and in one We
completed the building and started
the work in the others.
On Monday pight there was meet
ing at Jolly Street in the interest OF
discussing means to increase the in-
come of the district so that the school
term may be kept to at least seven
months and the school may retain
the $500 State~aid as a three teacher
rural graded school. This is a typical
country district with no corporate
property and with only $4,000 Of
taxable property and with few tax
payers who pay on more than $1,000.
And yet the school spirit prevails to
a large degree and should be encour-
aged in every way possible. The dis
trict is to vote today on the question
of leyying an additional four mills
making the maximum that can be
levied under the constitution. And
we believe the tax will be voted with
practical unanimity and those who
may vote against it will .all in line
and give their hearty cooperation to
the support of the school. That is the
spirit that should be encouraged. Su-
perintendent Swe;sringen practically
said that if the tax were voted he
would then be in position to help the
school with State aid from the fund
which is given to hinl to aid weak
and needy schools. He made a plain
and practical talk and told the people
just what he was doing. Mr.. Barre
explained the financial condition and
status of the district at this time. The
writer was called on and responded
briefly.
After the meeting Mr.. swearingen
and iNr. Barre came on to 'NeTberry
with US. We were delayed some en-
route by having to repair a puncture
but We reached Newberry along about
one o'clock in the morning. We were
pleased to have both of the officials
spend the night with US.
Tuesday morning Mr.. Swearingen
and Mr.. Barre visited the ST. Phillips
school. We regret that it was impos-
sible for US to leave the office and
therefore the pleasure of visit TO
this school was not ours. They also
visited the city schools during the
morning.
We had arranged to make visit
to the old folk at home on Tuesday and
to stop at chappells school on our
return, so we offered to take Mr..
Swearingen and Mr.. Barre to Chap
pells. We left Newberry something
TO L c'c'ock and dro:e out to Sill
verstreet where they have ore Of the
best school houses in the county and
where they also have a good three
teacher school and stop Of about an
hour was made at this school Mr.
Sigh is principal and Misses Sem
and Summer teachers in the primary
department. About an hour was spent
in this school and the greatest part OF
the time in Miss Summers room where
she has about thirty little fellows just
beginning. It was very interesting to
note how she has trained them and
how we'll they read and what excel
lent discipline prevails and what fine
order.
The next stop was at Ridge Spring
which is taught by Misses Simpson and
Smith, the good people of this district
having coted a j,our mills tax and
would be rural graded school but
Tor the fact they have not the chill