The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1922-10-26
PINEY WOODS
SCHOOL HAS GOOD
OPENING DAY

PINEY WOODS-------
The tenth annual session OF the
Piney Woods Country Life School,
located near BraXton, in Rankin
County, began most auspiciously on
Thursday, with three hundred stu
dents in attendance, about equally
divided as to sex.
A number of white people were
present from different localities, TO
whom a special dinner was given by
President Laurence Jones and wife.
The spacious new brick buildings,
were thrown open to the visitors, and
proved revelations to those who had
not attended the Piney Woods School
for the last two or three years.
The old ramshackle frame build
ings have been torn down and III
their places handsome dormltorles
for the students have been erected,
with administration, AUDITORIUM
school and other buildings close at
hand, and of the most substantlai
character, the handiwork of the male
students.
Eleven years ago, Laurence Jones,
of Iowa, though born Ia MISSOURI
feeling the necessity of doing some
thing for the elevation Of his race,
came South, and after looking over
several sites, selected a piece OF lana
in Rankin County, three miles from
Braxton-the toughest and poorest
part of the county, wild and p1ctur-
eSoue, but little adapted TO farming
purposes, which was intended as the
backbone of the proposition.
Jones had the backing OF some
well-to-d Northern people, and ne
and his industrious wife set to work
to establish the Piney Woods School'
which was begun in a little unslghtly
log cabin. They had hard SAILING
for a while, but as they accumulated
money they added frame bulldlngs'
plain and cheap, but ample to accom-
modate the students. Most or the
original buildings have been removed
and in their stead substantial brick
structures have been erected, Whlcn
would do credit TO any institution
of learning in the State.
The rough hill tops have been
graded down, trees planted, and III
time the campus of Piney Woods
School will be made both handsome
and attractive, for Jones and his
wife are people of broad vision, and
are bound to make a great success
of their institution, which is known
as the Booker Washington School OF
Mississippi
This institution is under the fos-
tering care of people of means in
the Northwest, who are willing to
make liberal contributions toward
providing means for the education OF
the negro in the South.
Jones is a man of extraordinary ad-
ministrative ability; has accomplish
ed much and will do more, as the
means are secured.
Most OF the students work their
way through school, the boys labor
ing on the farms, in the work shops,
in the factories, making and laying
brick, doing carpenter and other
work that comes to hand, The girls
are taught domestic science, thus
saving the employment of female Ia
Dor at great expense.
A number of talks were made on
opening day, while the students re-
called their visitors with brief ad-
dresses, choice music, both vocal and
instrumental, the singing of the Cot
ton Blossom Sextette, four boys and
girls, being especially fine. They
had just returned from a summer
tour in the Western states, where the
net receipts of their concerts aggre-
gated over seven thousand dollars,
which is to be applied to the support
and building fund of the school.
The people of Mississippi are glad
to have in their midst such progress
sive and intelligent negro educators
as Laurence Jones and wife, who are
doing so much for the uplift of their
race, helping to make better men and
women by educating both their heads
and handS.-COl. R. H. Henry in
Clarion Ledger.