Cayton's weekly. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1916-1921, 1918-10-05
OLD GLORY
THE GOVERNORS DAUGHTER

THE GOVERNORS DAUGHTER
''Be you Yankee school teacher come
South to learn the niggahs? Then the gov
ernors daughter will entertain you," droll-
ed a long, lank, pinkywood white man in
the state Of Mississippi to a we'll dressed
and affiable appearing young white man
who hailed from Massachusetts and who
had given up bright prospects at home to
Go what he coud toward preparing the re-
Gently emanicpated black folks for the new
life which they were about to be ushered
into, because, like the gallant six hundred,
they stood in the valley Of death with en-
emies in front Of them, with enemies be-
hind them, with enemies to the light Of them
and with enemies to the left of them and
they trembled and shuddered, and inwardly
wished they were again under the protect
ing folds of Marse Henry. The friendly
hand of one white man to that benz GIFTED
people at that psychological moment was
like unto the sudden flash Of beacon light
on 'yonder hill" to vessel Laundering
in an usually heavy sea.
The prospects of being entertained by
the governors daughter brought new hope
to this young man and he soliloquized to
himself, these southern white folks are not
as bad as they have been pictured to be-
for on the good side Of Miss Governor [
will be able to do missionary work among
these colored men and women that will set
the whole North on fire. 81 will be de-
lighted to have an opportunity to pay my
respects to the governors daughter,' he
blushngly replied to the lanky southerner
who was as devoid Of educational qualif-
cations as the coored folks. "But you don't
owe her nuthin yit and you don't have to
pay til yer see 'er I recun she IL be bout
soon, and I'll give you knock down her."
was the reply Of the lanky southerner, and
he went about his business without further
explanation to the dandy young school
teacher.
Prior to the war school houses, even for
the white children, in the rural districts OF
the South were few and far apart and of
course it was felony to teach a colored
child to read and write The schools were
all "pay Schools" but be it said to the
credit of the patrons Of those schools, they
employed none but the highest type Of teach
ers-many Of them well worthy Of holding
a chair in university Freedom for the
blacks brought free schools for the children
and while the whites were loathe to take
advantage of the system, yet they slowly
but surely did do so.
Young Mr. Massachusetts, for want Of
better name, visited the colored church aft
err getting located and after three trustees
of Freedman Hall school had been elected
he visited the county superintendent and
was then ready for business. Freedman Hall
school house had been hastily constructed
bv the cOlOred men in the community, who,
after securing a ninetynlne year lease on
q five acre tract of land in the heart OF
the forest from more or less friendly white
man. assembled one Thursday morning to
build a school house for Mistah Massachu
setts to open school the following Monday
morning. They fell the trees and 'rived"
the boards to cover it and many hands made
LIGHT work and Saturday night the school
house was all finished. A basket meeting
was held the following Sunday, which was
attended by every colored person for miles