Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1956-02-18
Part-Tinle 4. :.
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plete as those in some Of the best
farm homes in the South, largely
because they were willing to paint
up and fixup a house they called
home, although it was not their
own.
So outstanding are the Stewards
in farming and homemaking that
they were acclaimed district cham
pions in the tenant division of the
Extension Rural Home-life Contest
a year ago, winning out over fami-
lies in eight counties.
But that achievement wasn't
easy. Looking back Is years, the
Stewards recall that they borrowed
money to get married, and then
moved in with relatives. A year
later they struck out on their own
as tobacco sharecroppers, living in
a shabby house with make-shift
furniture supplied by the owner.
In 1916, they moved all their
belongings in two suitcases and q
box to the farm where they now
live. There they slept on the floor
for week until they could make
arrangements to buy a few pieces
of furniture on credit.
AS one Of five sharecropper
families on the place, Mr.. and Mrs.
Stewart were assigned four acres
of tobacco to work on halves. In
addition he was promised a days
work occasionally on the landlords
farm.
The first year they had two
visitors whom they will never
forget. They were John R. Bran
ham, their county agent; and Miss
Margaret F. Harlan, their home
agent. "They encouraged US to
plant a garden and raise some
chickens and hogs for home use,"
says Mr.. Stewart; "that was the
beginning of our getting on our
feet"
BY growing most Of their food
and selling a few eggs on the side,
they came out clear that year, and
the landlord gave them four more
acres to work, a cow to milk on
halves, and arranged for Mr.. Stew
art to have at least a days work
every week on his large farm.
This start put them in position
to consider competing in the Rural
Homelife Contest which Miss Har-
Ian talked with them about. They
weren't ready that year, but said
they would be the next.
Getting ready for the competi-
ton, they added two rooms to their
four-room house to accommodate
their growing family, and convert
ed their old-fashioned kitchen into
a modern U-shaped one with plenty
of cabinet space. Mr.. Stewart did
all of the work himself. Next they
bought a refrigerator, an electric
stove, a food mixer, home freezer
and more kitchen utensile. That
year the Stewards won second
place in the county and set their
hearts on the district champion
ship. @
The next year when the judges
came around they found an at
tractive dining room with beauti-
full chinaware and a set Of silver
ware. Also they found a new
sewing machine, q vacuum cleaner,
and a washing machine. These adj
ditions gave them first place in the
county.
But the Stewards weren't salts
fled. They got busy and reprinted
their home and whitewashed the
poultry house and other outbuild-
ings. That did it, says Miss Wal
ton, and the Stewards were named
district champions in December,
1854.
The award was shared by their
five children who are all Alters.
They worked hard helping their
parents to keep up farm produc-
ton and to spruce up their home.
The Stewards are now saving up
for a farm of their own. They are
sharecropping Is acres, including .
six-acre tobacco allotment, and
they usually plant 10 acres Of
corn for their hogs and chickens.
eve hope one day to buy q piece
of land and build house on it,"
says Mrs. Stewart, I'VE already
have our furniture and appliances.