The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-12-18

BAKER university three years eiiAN
bride also was a student in that school
He is a sergeant major in the second
battalion of the National Guard Mr.
Botkin has a position with the santa
Fe Railway company, in Topeka, ana
he and his bride expect to make their
home here.
Mrs. Frank Willard was hostess at
a meeting of the Alta Vista CLUB TO-
day at her home in Topeka avenue
| Announcement has been made of the
marriage of Miss Faye Kennedy, or
Topeka, and Mr.. Rex. I. Stout of New
York which took place in Chicago Sat
urday afternoon. The bride is a
/ daughter of Mrs. J. c. kennedy, OF
Pasadena, formerly of Topeka. and
her sister, Mrs. John Alexander, lives
at 1923 Fillmore street. The brides
brother. Mr.. Ralph Kennedy of Kansas
City, and his wife, accompanied her
/ to Chicago.
! Mr. Stout is the son of Mr.. and Mrs.
| John w. Stout, who formerly lived in
Topeka, and have made their home in
| New York the past eight years. lie
+, lis engaged in short story writing, con-
tributing to the Smart Set, The Black
/ Cat, and other story magazines.
Mr.. and Mrs. Stout will visit some
! of the eastern cities before going to
New York to make their home.
X X X
The National Pi Beta Phi sorority
is interested in the maintenance of a
school for the children of noun
taineers of the south. The local chap
/ with Mrs. Silas Porter, listened to
letter received from one of the offi-
GERS of the sorority, who was con-
nected with the founding and con-
ductihg of the institution.
A part of the letter telling of the
| work, to which the local Pi Phrs are
! contributing, is as follows:
This work was started in February,
1912, when there was no school of any
kind within fifteen miles, and that
over two mountain ranges. 1t was a
very trying beginning, for althO many
begged, with tears running down their
cheeks, for us to give them farming,
| there were others, among them the
minister, who were opposed to our
coming among them, claiming that we
i,were here to establish another church,
and make trouble. We started our
work in an old, abandoned building
with thirteen 'leastest ones and
rented a three-roomed house for the
teacher, as it was out of the question
trying to live with anyone. In 1913,
we were given land after we had
agreed to build a school house for
them and send them more teachers.
In 1914 we dedicated the new six
room building, and had so many pu-
teachers. In 1915, we put in manual
training equipment, and started our
industrial work, and have been trying
to give the people a means of earning
a living by weaving baskets, cOverlidS,
CLOTH and making useful articles in
the manual training department. Sew
ing and cooking are also taught the
children. 1 could cite many cases of
reform and regeneration, but this one
| will suffice.
Three years ago we had as our
neighbors a family whose mother had
given birth to eleven children. The
father was a good natured, indolent
man, who allowed the mother to do
/ practically all the work, which includ-
ed tilling the soil, sowing the crop,
cultivating it and harvesting it, MAX
ing the clothes, and until recent years
A weaving the materials, besides the
4 homework. They all lived in a one
room log cabin, and 1 do not have to
| describe their life to give you an idea
| of what it was like The oldest boy
| married at 16, the next boy (the one
! 1 want to tell you about left home al
about 15 or g and took to the noun
| tains.' He became an outcast, for he
made and sold whisky and seldom was
seen in daylight around here. Often
y four years ago, he would come down
and out of pure meanness shoot up in
the air One night three years ago he
fancied our cottage, and getting in the
brush back of our house he shot all
around, first one side and then the
other. We put out our lights and went
to bed. We were confident that he
would not harm US, but we were I'M
comfortable. Not long after this in
cident, he was bullying some of the
larger boys who had told him of their
going to school and going to call upon
the teachers, and one of our pupils in
retaliation dared" him to call upon
1 IL.
prese nted himself at the cottage short
ly after His call was a painful one
to him; he sat in the first chair by
the door, and hardly spoke all the
time he was there, but the other boys
i had a jolly time, and he went away
| a wiser and more serious boy. Three
II days later he called again, alone this
Il time. and asked for the principal. He
II asked her if she would let him go to
/ her school. She welcomed him, and
Il he soon entered school He was al
II most feet tall, II years old and a
II big Swapping man. He entered the
II third grade with the little children and
II started at the bottom. Soon, he be-
II gan coming to the cottage after school
II for help; then he was promoted; he
i mingled with the best boys; he had an
entire change of heart. He went to
meeting" and the next year Joined
the church. Today, at 20 he is the
finest specimen of manhood we have
in the school and he spends his time
in study and any occupation which
will make him better off in life. He
never goes to the mountains and has
given up all of his old companions
and with his reform the last still
was closed and we know of no whisky
being made and sold anywhere iii
\ these parts" The father and family
: fired by the new life of the son, saved
and worked when they could get a jot
1 and last year built for themselves E
1 comfortable frame house with foul
4 rooms and a piazza. l consider the
salvation of this boy and this family
alone worth the money and labor we