The Dallas express. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1893-1970, 1919-01-11

was not yet-we had the Orphanage
watch dogs to face and they are
some dogs l hallooed myself hoarse
without awakening any one, and
l suggested to the young
draftee that while he did not have a
chance to go to France; he could
now show his metal by routing the
dogs. Taking me at my word, he
armed himself with plenty of brick
bat ammunition and marched to the
attack. We won the victory and
entered the fort. The aroused sup
erlntendent and his aides finding who
led the attack capitulated and with
out further hostilities we entered
the castle at 2:35 a. M, Dec. 30,
1918. Tired out and worn out we
were no sooner in bed than asleep
and slept too soundly to even
dream.
Bye and bye the morning came
and after a hearty breakfast, Rev.
w. L. Dickson the founder and sup
erintendent took me over the
grounds.
What / saw-The Beginning.
To commence at the start and
to start at the commemorative
Orphange is about mile from the
Gilmer Courthouse, which is in the
heart of the business district. 1t
occupies a commanding portion a
hill which slopes toward the setting
sun. 1t was founded by Rev. w. L.
Dickson, the present superintendent.
1t was organized and chartered July,
1899 and dedicated Jan. A, 1901. Its
first board of trustees was composed
of eight Colored and four white
men, Dr. r. c. Buckner d. D., be-
ing its first president, serving four
years. He was succeeded by Rev. DR..
A. S. Jackson of Dallas, Texas, then
and now pastor New Hope Baptist
church. After a service of four
years, he retired and Rev. w. L.
Dickson succeeded to the presidency.
Once County Farm
IL might be interesting to know
that the 100 acres now used as an
orphanage was once the Upshur
County Convict Farm, and was
bought from the county by Rev. w.
l.. Dickson ard converted into a
house for dependent children. He
was at that time pastor of Gilgal
Baptist church.
All of the buildings which were
left on the site and which had been
used for prison purposes were burn
ed down March II, 1901, and the
same conflagration destroyed $50
bushels of corn. The day the spot
was Dedicated six children were re-
ceived and Miss Mamie c. Jones of
Marshall was installed as matron,
cook and her charges-eight per-
sons in all is still standing, and
is being used dry good warehouse.
1t is a single room 16x18.
Today the campus of the orphan
age contains (14) fourteen buildings,
commodious and substantial, beside
well filled barns and cattle and horse
and hog well fed and sleek. Every
child is clean and well fed and Dr.
Dickson told me that each child
owned two good pairs of shoes and
two or more suits of clothes. Beside
Music, Domestic Art and Science and
Agriculture, a high school course
is open to every child
This is the curriculum. l noticed
something else not on the curricu.
lum, and that was firm control anC
demand for absolute obedience.
saw more well behaved children al
Dickson's orphanage than outside o.
it and l cheerfully recommend his
rules for Colored homes We would
have better children. A white mar
said to me: yes, when Dickson's
children come up town. we know
them on account of their intelligence
and behavior"
Beside the educational advantage
at the Orphanage, every year Ger.
tain schools give scholarships tC
deserving children. This year schol-
arships were given by all colleges
in Texas, except Bishop College
Marshall, Texas, and by Arkansas
little Rock) Baptist College, and
Meharry and Fisk at Nashville, Tenn
Nearly 1000 Children.
Since the institution opened 1895
children have enrolled. Ninety-twc
girls and seventeen boys have reach
ed their majority and married. Ter
boys are in France and nineteen in
different army camps, while twenty
two boys have been engaged in war
work. DR.. Tom Dickson now prac-
ticing medicine at Bartlett, Texas
was at one time an orphan here
Miss Martha Monkey is an accom-.
plished musician while Miss Jessie
Jackon is teaching in Arkansas.
Faculty.
The present faculty is composed
as follows:
Miss Inez Veals, Principal, grad
uate OF Prairie View, Dallas, Texas
Miss Alvernon V. King. Music anC
Primary teacher, Dallas, graduate o.
Prairie View; Miss T. L. Washing.
ton, Alabama, teacher of Domestic
Science and Art and Agriculture
graduate of Tuskegee and Howard
University; Mrs. Sarah Furch, Ty
Ter, graduate E. T. Academy, Tyler
boys matron.
Mrs. P. R. Washington of For
Worth Normal Graduate Bishop Col
lege has charge of girls an stew
ardess.
Celestus Wilson, truck gardner anC
farmer, San AEconio; Mr.. G. Wilson
assistant stewardness.
The good influence Of the orphan
age has made county convict farm
unnecessary. Upshur County ha:
none. This year the. orphanage ha.
raised something like $4,000 worth o
cotton, 5000 bushels Of sweet pc
tatoes, house full of peanuts, anC
all other farm products ana fruit
in proportion.
Verify, Dickson has worked a mi
racle. 1 am writing these lines fol-
for the information of the people
generally, to the end that they may
the better understand in what 1
great work they engage. when the,