The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-06-13
M E N, w o M E N
 A ND T HIN c s

I have heard stories about univer-
 sity and college commencements.
 closing exercises of high schools. and
 now I want to tell about trip to
 the wind-up of a junior high school.
 I am strong for our higher educa-
 tional institutions, but they can
 never be what they ought to be in
 our educational life until the ele-
 mentary schools are put on sure
 foundation. It is in them that are
 found the plastic material out of
 which true scholars are made. Don't ever get it into your head
 that just any kind of a grammar
 school will do, but that it takes the
 of the day. Nothing is too good for
 the thousands of boys and girls who flock to our public schools in the | formative period of their lives. 1t
 is their right and due that they have
 comfortable buildings, proper equip
 ment and the very best teaching
 force possible.
 am glad that year by year l have | been able to note 8 marked improve mcnt in the elementary grades. both l in the city and the country. am no Methusaleh, but 1 can remember when it was seven days wonder to find a school building in the country which was properly lighted and heat ed In hundreds of cases a one- room house did service. l have seen them without window sashes as glass was thought too expensive and a luxury.
 Now, as 1 go up and down the state, 1 am finding i'll many communities up to date buildings, well furnished, and with rooms enough to separate the grades; and yet, in spite Of the larger appropriations by the state and the supplement raised by volun- tary taxation, such is the growth of the desire for an education that it's frequently the case where the county superintendent and the local board trustees thought they were building far in advance of the needs, wake up at the end of the term to find that more room is needed.
 l have in mind just at present such case Many of you who travel the upper road to Springville remember few years back that at Centre about 12 miles up Jones valley, seeing four-room school building painted white, sitting on a hill to your left. view of the fertile fields below ana the mountains on either side, bea- con light to all the country that the community believes in education. never pass a country school or church but I have the hope that one day | 1 will speak in the one and preach in the other, just like l never see rural letter box without wanting 10 have 1t hold The Age Herald. Well, my chance to talk at Centre came through the kind invitation or Principal c. c. King. and the cour- ftesy of pr. N. R. Baker, the county | lsuperintendent of education, who or fered to carry me out. I haven't time here now to say much about friend Baker. but he is a man with mans size job, and is on it, for believe me- Jefferson county has good claims to be called imperial" as he told me that at one time he used to visit school which was 40 miles from the courthouse by the road which leo to it.
 It is never hard to get me to Ill speaking date in the country when to use a localism frequently heard l out in the sticks" it is "norated around that there will be dinner on the ground. This bait always catches me. for there Is sure to be fried chicken on the hook. We had pleas ant drive~up the beautiful valley, and arrived just as the good things to 1 eat had been transferred from the ba skets to the tablecloths spread out
 on mother earth.
 Being a stranger. Dr. Baker asked one of the good sisters to fix plate
 for me, but I gently but firmly waved
 her aside as on such occasions l
 do not need any help. An amateur
 might. but when it comes to know
 r. ing how to take care of ones sell
 at a country spread. I am an expert
 and prefer to do my own picking ana
 fixing. It has come through long years of practice at Baptist associa-
 tions and Sunday school picnics. l
 never go away hungry. A great dim ner was served to the hundreds pres ent and enough taken back home to
 have fed a multitude.
 The speaking was held under "a
 bush arbor after dinner. It's hard on the crowd as well as on the speak CT to have to go through lengthy programme on a full stomach on a hot afternoon; but country people are
 mighty patient and town folks are
 mighty talkative when they set a chance to show their wisdom outside
 of the city limits. The Junior High school at Centre got oratory enough to last for quite awhile, and just l, .,.,,r .v. oo tba nrincfpal and