The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1923-05-24
COMMENCEMENT
AT PINEY WOODS
SCHOOL MAY 18TH
More Than Thousand People Gath
cred for Commencement Exercises
Wednesday,. Eight Graduates.
Demonstrate Occupations Taught.

More than thousand people,
one third white and two thirds
colored, gathered at the Piney
Woods School near Braxton for
their seventh annual commencement
on Wednesday afternoon.
DR.. G.. $. Harmon, editor of the
Hattiesburg American, represented
the good will of the South toward
the institution and its founder,
Laurence G. Jones, while Rev. Faith
er r. J. Campbell of Cedar Rapids,
Iowa, made the trip TO bring a
word of encoura cement and appre-
citation from the North.
The two young msA and six
young women IN the graduating
class represented eight separate
counties of Mississippi True to
tradition, the girls appeared wear
ing white muslin dresses which
they had made for themselves,
while the young men were in over
alls. The stage was thick with i'm
plements as they would need for
their demonstrations. To one side
stood stove with the fire show
ing through the cracks. Beside 1t
was brick machine while down
i'm front a box of healthy grape
cuttings and fruit trees hobnobbed
with a sewing machine and type
writer.
After a short explanation OF pro-
ceedings by Principal Jones, the
salutatorian of the class mounted
the platform and began to tell OF
the value of "Mastering the Keys
as she had learned it i'll helping to
carry on the correspondence OF the
institution. As she continued to
type. the center of the stage was
taken by Kyle Spence of BraXton
at the brick machine He mixed
sand and cement and water on a
small platform and proceeded to
mould before the audience five per-
feet brick, and tell how it was
done. Then he yielded place to
Ella Clemons from Kinds County,
who declared that music had a
place in the life of every man, wo-
man and child in the universe and
should not be left out of the cur
riculum of even the most primitive
rural school.
Before those before her had time
to wonder how it could be done
under such circumstances, in march
ed three small girls and the in
structor proceeded to teach them to
sing scales, to march correctly ana
to listen to even famous compost
ions when rendered in such fashion
nc, thox could understand
AS her singers filed out in record
times, Estelle Scott of Pickens, be-
gan to tell of the need of her race.
Bread, she said, good bread, was the
CRYING need. SO she set the sponge,
giving directions and proportions
and enjoining to thoroughness in
kneading. Before she yielded the
floor she placed in the oven a pan
of neatly mounded rolls.
Saving is Urged.
''Our race bust learn to be saw
ing of clothing if they ever expect
ot go far declared the valedictori-
an of the class. ITO throw away a
garment because it is partly worn
or out of fashion is ridiculous SO
she laid pattern on the material
OF an old skirt she had ripped up
and pressed and she showed how to
make neat little boys suit from it..
After the last graduate had dem
onstrated her method of doing the
schools printing on a small press
the girl who had talked on bread.
drew her rolls from the oven and
took them to the audience to
sample. The sewing girl held up a
neat little wash suit which she had
made from the old skirt, the hOrti-
cultural enthusiast showed his
healthy grape vines, the boy of the
brick machine APPLIED his power of
the hand to turning out more brick
while another housekeeping advo-
cate showed charts which she had
worked out for keeping down the
cost of meals They We're Joined
by other students of the school who
put into motion the particular in
dustries over which they presided.
One made hats from cornshucks
while another seated a chair from
the same material Two girls skill
fully put soles on shoes while two
others wove rag rugs and third
Continued on Page Four)