The Neshoba Democrat., 1922-08-03

. Z /. q
Twenty five years ago Neshoba
County, without a Rail Road, trad.
ing center and without a market
nearer than Meridian, lay as herr
NIT in the dense forests that cover-.
ed the earth like the sands cover the
sea. This forested country was
sparsely settled, and there were few
schools and churches. 1t was a COM
mon thing for people to go eight or
ten miles to attend church, and
children often walked from two to
three miles to school and didn't COM
plain that 1t was too far. However,
very few people had the encourage
ment and inspiration to equip them
selves for efficient service. There
was little competition and few people
aspired to excel in anything, except
to be the best marksman and be able
to bag the most game in hunt.
Schools were considered of little
Importance, since most people made
a livelihood on very small farms,
aud at that time, IL was thought that
no education was necessary for a
man to succeed on farm. With
the exception of three or four schools
the one teacher school was the high
est educational institutional in the
County, The length of the public
/ school term was from three to four
months, two months in the winter
and one or two months in the sum-
mer. The ideal school teacher was
not the erudite teacher, who was
able to impart' his great store of
knowledge to the pupils, but the
teacher who conld discipline the
school and had reputation of being
the biggest castigator in the County,
was considered to be the criterion
am ,ng the pedagogues. The schools
were not graded and no pupil ever
knew when he had finished the pub
| tic school course, except as he was
able TO spell by memory anything
found in the old "Blue Back" speller
more especially such words as, .im-
materiality" and "incomprehensi-
bility". There were no libraries and
very few blackboards. The school
houses We're small one room build.
ings with holes cut out in the walls
to let the light in. The school rooms
were arranged to give plenty venti-
tation, but not proper ventilation
/ There were no patent desks, but seats
were made by putting wooden legi
under each end of long plank.
The only financial support giver
the schools was. money raised By
poll tax and small appropriation BY
the State. There were no bond issnei
for the construction of school build
ings, no county wide levy for tn,
support of schools and no local leviei
for maintenance, There were few
schools that had sufficient suppor
! to enable them to do high tchoo
, work. and consequently If q pupi
had the desire and ambition to &c
. cure even high school education
he had to go away from home 7
do higher work,
For number of years the school
! were in a state. of apathy. and tn
lethargy or lack Of vision on tn
. part OF the part Of the people mad
! the educational interests OF the chill
Of little concern. But beneath thi
I seeming languor there was energ
and there was strength. Where oni
! a village stood, the Philadelphia {
today has grown with her splendi
: school system and every necessar
: modern convenience. According
i size Philadelpf ia Is the best mark
, and trading center on the Gulf M,
bile and Northern Rail Road. B
= lumber mills surround tie town or
= smaller mills cover the County. Th
= lumber industry has increased Il
e material wealth Of the County: Il
a. diyerslfication Of farming, broUg
a about by cooperative marketil
= and. the installation or creanel
$ In Philadelphia, has made the ru
- al people more prosperous and b
81 helped In giving them q vision
u the future possibilities. This pI
4 gress II largely due.t 10 the Quicka
4. sng of the interest Ia education. d
], people are coming ito realize u
s. M education Ii really the foundati
- ~ II all progress. There exists tod
l. q very wholesome atmosphere
4 better schools thru out the oonn
In 1905 the County levied . y