The broad ax., 1917-04-14


day another state tomorrow. You must
think that I am some riding man, and
so L am. When 1 was a boy used to
be an agent for calling cards, fifty for
ten cents, and no two alike. 1 don It
know what I could get for my trips,
but no two of them in the same place,
and I have had so much experience in
these trips.
1t was just yesterday, so to speak,
that 1 wrote to you from Florida, and
then L jumped into South Carolina,
then to Georgia, Tennessee, and now 1
am in Virginia, and this is a place I
have never been, and perhaps it would
be well for me to tell you about this
place first.
L have been going to schools, until I
feel like I have little education, lust
by looking at the other children get
education, and hearing the teachers tell
them things. These students have
looked upon me as being some pump
kins, and when some of them get out in
the world they call me "professor"
and invite me to come to see them.
Miss Cara Flood, of Danville, heard
me when she was knee-high-to-a-Ju
bug, and now she is full grown and is
teaching in this county.
Miss Flood had her school closing
and invited me to come over to it and
make few scattering remarks, but told
me not to use any of them big words,
because the school was twelve miles
back in the country, and the people
would not have their dictionaries with
them, and they were too busy making
crops to study them. She told me that
they would arrange to get me down,
and wanted to know just when was
coming.
I got myself together and reached
here in plenty of time. was met at
the stable by polite youngster named
Donald G. Wingo. He was as polite as
basket of chips when he stepped up
to me, raised his hat and asked, els
this Mr.. Charles E. Stump7" 1 assured
him that was the watermelon, and he
toted me over to his automobile, and
soon had me at the home of his mother.
I met another polite youngster, and his
name was John B. Wingo.
1 learned that Mrs. Estelle Wingo
was some pumpkins in the educational
world in this section of the country.
She is the county supervisor, and I
thought that it was due to her that 1
should make a good impression, so 1
said, "Madam, inkitutus, meetarutim
youtum, homitum, becausitus youtum
greatitum' edukatirolasabequati." She
looked at me for a few minutes as if
trying to get words to say, but simply
replied, 81 have heard Miss Flood
speak of you, and you will come right
in and make yourself at home. 1 am
getting dinner, and after dinner will
take you down to her school," To this
1 replied, "Tankitatum."
Now about this country business. The
people are struggling here to educate
their children, and what the county
and state fails to provide, the people
are not sitting down, but are trying
to provide. They put a little on to the
salaries of their teachers, they extend
the school term, and improve the school
buildings, and some of them actually
erect the buildings and buy the land.
They are determined that their children
shall not grow up in Ignorance. 1t is
wonderful to see how they work. Mrs.
Wingo is the leader. She is a grad
uate from Hampton Institute, back
yonder about 1897, and has made good
use of her time. She knows how to
work and is not afraid to work. She
lives in the hearts of the people. Her
husband, A B. Wingo, is the mail toter
out here. He is known as the "rural
mail toter," or something like that.
Now let use see who are the teachers
under Mrs. Wingo-Misses Cara A.
Flood, R. B. Williamson, Esma Hooper,
Samantha Hooper, Villa Williams,
Maggie Hereford, Virginia Weldron,
Helena Stark, Mamie Robinson, Nan
ME johnson, Lillian Blackwell, Leah
Fletcher, Emma Randall, Rebecca Al
mond, Estella Crump, Mesdames Fannie
B. Hill, Kate Robinson, Ula Bragg,
Ella Craddock, Jessie Young, Kate
Banks, Alice Threet, Adds Harris, Cal
lie Swan and Prof. c. c. Archer. A
fine set of young people.
Now at the school closing they had
songs, speeches, dialogues, and all the
things they use to have when was
bow. Those little children were happy
inst like I used to be when I was a
boy, and they enjoyed it. The parents
haar chair nhildran- and