University of South Carolina Libraries
- by Prof. W. H. Hand Mating Held at Florence. ? my subject can my n<> pjqg rmw. whatever the des to in y argument. Tho h, %$ old as organised schools. ^ grown Immensely lu luipor | tit* fit tho policy I education at public e$. S|,I,,. I lu- public SChOOlS ? j,y ji un I vernal tax, It fol tbose for whom that tax i<hou!<l get the benefit otj /or thin r can on more than ' hpte* of the irnlon have enact jppolMiry wheel atteudance lawn. tthno laws impll* are required U h cli??l for ? IK>riod of years j y usually nt from 14 to 10 years! - The annual attendance term, j rlt-:?p( tlH' IH'iialtleH and tbe| rtr,v widely hi tho various states. p concerned with a single pbas 'p ivriultM ? how well the pupil* j!*) in school. In state* both p<] wllhoiit lompulHory attend (?** we are <-onfronte<l with, fet that iiiipOa for one reason jgber drop out of school with if rapidity after 14 year* of ' , fill the public school children. United States, IKi i>or cent are eight grades, and *thtv re* L 7 per cent are lu the Otli, E and l-th grades, or the itbool grades. Of all ^be pupils I first eight " grades, 76 per centl . the first five grades. The re L 24 per cent of the elementary E ottered through the Oth, id 8th grades. I conditions in the white schools jgtli Carolina are similar to but jieotlcal with the averages for (jolted States. In our schools ft grade to assigned to the high j } instead of the elementary i Nluety-four per of our fpnplls ure enrolled In the first ^jnules, or onr elementary school, fbot 0 per cent are in the high f ftin state and throughput the r?e nre confronted with the ||n(l disquieting fact that fully of the high school pupl I the first year. The schools of Uqq at larpe manage to get about |r cent of the high school pupils be fourth year. South Carolina jit; 5 i>er cent of hers -so far ad g ' fa count there Is another vexa fact The boys leave school ^ and in larger n umbers than do j feand tho ratio of boys to .girls |Uigh school is growing smaller! ?y year. In many places in oUrf kite the number of boys leaving | I at the end of the first high (year is little less than an exo ?For a local study of this situa ^<?ir attention is directed to the I report of the state superin H ftf education for 11)14 ? It Is r; evident to all that :: the are lasin^ hosts of pupils at iry time they ought to be moat jtcoucerned in equipping them ^fpr more profitable study, for |?t citizens lilp, and for becom* efficient and productive work the economic world. After de from the high school attenG who are avowedly college cj-thlnk it safe to say that we Wine only a mere remnant made j few earnest boys and girls fc wourinj: nil they Can' before of opportunity ends, and a tors tropin g their waV In Uiej little purpose and IjGss gU|^' l*holo matter calls for serious, Rind intelligent study. Whv ^ pupils dropping out in such * and what should be done fthem? We have already had ^jilzinc. considerable gliesfK P" some studying about why JWHto leaving schools. RVerv j* while some educator has irwjjrd with an explanation Inimediately some oth n? ^as arisen to. nolnt out lother'a explanation did notei J** that the remedy was un to? f>f the most Illuminating] ?[ thts ''uhlect was recently University of Towa. The P Kiven in a bulletin entitled , nn'' Sehoollw? of Wfarht f W*a Roys." In this study " mqfTe to get from the] Ives the reason whV each ?^hool. Their answers make n* study, even after due n?p heon made for the 1m "the hov'a own m|nd as to 8?me reference g ^ made to this bulletin I* J?* theories, guesses and - ^hers. and after an eight E77 ^ the question . In connee - own <lailv work. I have -a few definite ooncloekms. "?>d indulgence I anbmlt *ery briefly and leave their accuracy aad 1. The insular belief Mtvuis to tie 4h*t ?*??*?* H^para of ug? 1bt> largest iiuuiIkm" of boys drop out of hcIxkiI be ci^use tUvIr labor 1m needed for either their ovy'u t^poft \>r that of tlu? facul ty. 'Hi In belief 1m open to wry serious doubt. The fact that some of the poorest families lu almost every com (UUiilty ii ro unuiftglng to keep their children l(i the public school* a* inny HH they ure o|?ep to tbaHe children dis counts this contention heavily. Turn* Ihk to the Iowh liullct in we tlnd u good .percentage of the 800 boys giving the need of their labor as their rea son for touvluK school. I lower er, It should he boring, In mind thut even a deserter .sometimes grown very heroic ! when pleading bis own cause. A hoy too lusy to study at school eases his conscience for leaving school by as suming the role of a young bread-win ner. This claim demand** very serious iuvestlgatlou, for If It can lie shown that In our country child labor 1h ac tually required to aid III the support of our. lHipulatlon, our whole economic system should be Investigated from' bottom to top. No less a man than the Secretary of State at Washington uttered almost the same words months ?K?r V, I am persuaded that pupils en ter school too young, ? not that they are too young to learn or even to study, but that they grow tired of go ing to school before they reach the age at which they are capable of ap preciating the value of their school ing. The vanity of fond parents are and zealous teachers may not he al ways wise, and I believe here Is an Instance. I know some excellent school people who do not agree with me in my position, but I see too much o^ the evils of the present plan of putting young children Into school to be convinced in its favor. I have ob . served too many first-grade and sec ond-grade prodigies fall by tlie way side and drop out of nchool before the age of fourteen. 1 should like to see the minimum school age In South Carolina raised to at least that of Virginia, Alabama and Texttsh? seven years. Luther llurbank In his. little book, "The Human Plant," contends that' the average child would be better educated - If he were kept out of school until 10 years old. doubtless his position .in extreme, but it has much to commend it. 8. After all our Improvements in school organization, there. 1h too much marking tline In the elementary grades. Is not every thoughtful and observant teacher compelled to admit that our pupils have acquired a dls* appoint lugly small amount of either Information or pOwer by the end of the elementary school? This mark ing time is due largely to the presence of immature children 'In these grades^ ' as has already been suggested. Is It reasonable to expect as much work from a set of 0-year old children In the fourth grade as it would be if the children were eleven years old? Car ry this scale of immaturity through seven school years, and you can ac nonnf for nt lnnsf n yonr of loftt 4lme. But there Is still another explana tion of this marking time ? the over crowded, conditions in most of our schools. Can any parent or school board expect anything but marking time in a schoolroom with fifty pu pils to one teicher? The pupil Who marks time fo^ a few years is ready at the first opportunity to leave school. Who can blame him? v 4. There are yet among us too many schools whose courses of studjj? are bounded by pages and paragraphs. That is to say; there are too many ternchers and ? pupils J restricted to a specific number of pages in a given textbook to be "covered In a specified time. T have very grave doubts about the efficiency of any school whose superintendent can tell me by his pro gram "of- studies on what page any particular class will bo studying a month hence. It would be a hazard to guess when such a superlntendant will cut his wisdom teeth. Ills school wm nev*r be famous for holding its pupils, .unless throufch some strong counteracting agency. 5. Very few schools are equipped with uniformly competent teachers. ^Thp-weHlrer-onesrffiTiBt be placed some where, and they usually are dlstrllv uted Among the middle grades where the pupils are already marking time. An immature pupil In an overcrowd ed. room, trader a weak teacher, and in a class marking time is not likely .to remain through the high school. 0. Too frequently tho high school teachers of least experience are placed in charge of the first jear in the hirh school. The ' first-year classes are the largest in the high school, the or ganisation Is nsuallv the most Imper fect. and the pupils are the most dif Wcfilt to maoage. These teachers too often know nothing of * adolescence and its significance In dealing with boys and girls of that age. If the teacher falls to catch and hold the ideteprent al. Jost the proper time, the chsinces are that he will never catch him. The pupil at this age mnst he traderetood _ and dealt with a truly aympdjfcetic, atralghtfor *V!WU .*V, If h? i* to be held nn<l to t*~HNl?ht. " A teacher who doc* not really understand hoys and jftrln at the beginning 0f the> tlltffti school |KV rjmi win TOir iTOt?T. Hie iTi -.t.imlii > 4?f iii,? tcachcr couuts ft'l III In 1 1 ? ||| (!| I 1 .H I III- | i| 1 1 II I ol |V 1 u*l 1 1 1?>? t lu'iu, School^ that chunge teachers every yeAr can jfit hoi>e to hold pupils with auy degree of SUC Cess. 7. HiKh school courses of tttudty I are lndlt on standards ?ot by the college* and full to attract pupils not uolleg* ixHind. The now famous Ho pint of the Comiuittro of ton an uouuced with great complacency and finality that a preparation good e nough for college wan good enough for anything else. These are- some wise men and women to-day who do not agree with this pronouncement. I lie college preparation 1h too narrow and exclusive to "be applied lndlscrl-' mately to the groat army of bpyti and Kirls for whose I benefit the high schools' are maintained. It makes no diffe rence how thoroughly convinced I may he that a (Mir tain course Is best for a pupil, nor how doggedly I hold to my conviction, the pupil and his t street must 1m? reckoned with. They are going to he considered. The tastes and ambitions and dpi>ortunl ties of both pupil and i?arents demand and deserve consideration. The col leges not only dictate what the high *c1um?Ih shall tench but tlioy^u pratv j jjW undertake to (ell the high schools how long they shall keep their pupils. Of what, value is the mere advice of the colleges to pupils to remain four y* nrs In the high school, when* every pupil knows that, he can enter college after three years In the high school ?i;?d graduate from college oil schedule time? Hero Is one of the explanations of why three of the four largest cities in South Carolina have refused to alntaln 'a four-year high- school. Hie pupils college bouud drop out of school ??? answer the call of the col lege, and those not college bound Know only too well that the courses of study lead only to college and they drop out in advance of their fellows. 8. High school pupils, especially boys, do not have, enough' strong men teachers, strong, clean men, please bear in mind. _ This does not .raise the question of sex superiority. It simply, -means, that we must recognize the decree of nature that a young boy needs the companionship, advice, guidance and restraint of a strong man. He needs them at fchis age as at no other. I anticipate being re minded of the distinguished sons oi the number has been wonderfully ex wldowed mothers by remarking that aggerated, and th^? there are perhaps more infamous sous than famous, ones, in this connection I am often reminds ed of a remark of the late iam JE*. Jones ? that nature seems to, have fit ted a woman for almost anything ex cept being the father of jh family. 9. I am not disposed to overvalue high school athletics, -but I must be lieve that the almost utter neglect of the systematic physical training of the adolescent has made him less enthusiastic about his school than he would i>e if iits new needs were pro vided for. Thef piny Instinct Is sTFoug in the human race? and clean, manly sports are the cravings of a\l health ful, normal boys and girls. The high school whose teachers sit around 'the stoves during recess hours and whose pupils walk aroUnd the grounds or sit In the sunshine in winter and 1n the shade in summer will hold through four years none but' the little Waldos and the little bluestockings. The live human animals with red "blood In their veins will al) have left before the eiid" of four "dull, monotous years, 10. . I am far from being dtajw^ to hold the teachers and the schools responsible for .all. the shortcomings of pupils and for all the evils , which overtake them. f Parents must share the responsibility. The modern fath er and mother seem to have lost their grip on their 16-year, q14_. boys and girls. The fathers are absorbed In business and the mothers are absorbed In clubs sometimes organized to look after somebody else's children. I do not undertake to prophesy, but saying that unless the American home resumes the natural prerogatives which it has wantonly attempted to thrust upon the schpol and the school teacher. American ' manhood nn/L womanhood will soon be set back' a century. If the boys and girl* are dropping out of school in large, num bers, I Insist that the fathers and mothers be* called upon to explain the exodut." They pay. for the schools, they pay the teachers, and the child ren are theirs hy divine right, ton con fcroh Whv do th^y permit these fledglings to drop out of the schools 'hey have established for them? Ofcej challenge Is direct and unequivocal. 4 The sentiment and the Ideals; of a community have much to do In determining this ?fhole matter of at tendance. fn any eommhntty where! the prevailing notion Is that an ele mentary education Is all that the peo ple need or all that the public ought to provitfe, teachers nor coursas <d study nor nthtetto? Uor unytlilug wlU ntorn the tide of | >t 1 1 > 1 1 m away from the wIkkJ. The fomiuunity ab sorla'd In money making or other ma (i^pluT tiffrtlrs will uovpr lie remarkable for keeping Uh i m 1 1 .i i . in school either long or tfcfularly. if I WHy ^ perdon lu a d??iw i*erwonal, I know a community where the men, the kindred of t iii- i ni| ill ... are so occupied ple.vln* l*>ker that the school Is a mutter of little thought with them. What ho|Hi ran there he fur ai^oh a community ho long as aueh Ideas pre vail? 12. Finally, Young America himself must Ik* held resitotislhle for his sharo of the hlnme for leaving school pre maturely. Too frequently he Is In dlfr'ert'ut, recalcitrant, a truant, laicy or a K|x?llt and worthless malingerer. The Iowa luvmftlgfttlott shown that 2IW hoys' left nchool for various de tailed masons falling under the gen eral headltiK. 'l Ussatisfied with school." The htffcst number simply "disliked school life," and the next largest num ber was "tired of school." Other rea sons aligned were "disliked teacher," "disliked study," "school work too hard." "not promoted, " and "exi?elled or had trouble." It Is not difficult to sefc how many of theso boys left school simply because' bf their own shortcomings, and It i:iust 1* remem bered that nil this Is t lie damaging testimony of the hoy* themselves No matter how 'much sympathy \Ve may have with youngsters, we can not blind oursclfca to the fact that there are among them laxy ones, indifferent ohea and worthless once ? deaf to duty, btlnd to opportunity* and destitute of gratitude. Teachers and schools should not be held responsible for thtf failures of such pupllH. ' THE COW AND IIKR PRODUCT, Clem son C ollege Weekly Notes For Farmer and Dairyman. (These notes are prepared weekly by the Dairy Division of Clemson Col lege, which will be glad to answer anv questions pert nlnln^ to dairying.) The tnllk lust drawn la the most val uable. Milk the cow clean. -Milking the co\l clean will develop her udder and help to Increase her milk capacity. Trent the cow kindly. Under gentle handling a cow will do her best. Harali treatment gets iess milk. t Have good air In the stalls uud let light be admitted freely. This, and keeping the cow clean have much to do with her health. In milking, work as fast as you can ami try not to atop for any purpose until tin* 'milk has been wholly drawn from the -qtitos udder,,. . . _T AjVhon a'-^a^~gt u n i e <1 out to pasture does not glve^se much milk as you ex P&KRRT do hot blame the cow without fault of the pasture. Wash the hands bdfore milking and wipe them dry. Also wash the udder and wipe it djry. These two operations are essential in the production of clean milk, which Is the only kind that should be produced, Scores of Piedmont farmers are now getting a taste of real co-operative jnarketlng through the cooperative j^amery plan of Clfmggn_CQilege and the profits obtained make the taste a pleasant one. Any farmer in the Piedmont who is interested should write the Dairy Division of Clemson College for particulars. It is time now to be thinking about that silo you want to build this year. A letter to the Dairy Division of Clemson Cojlege; stating your situa tion, will bring jgrictical silo advice "ami this division win be glad to assist later In the construction. ? Ullage I ? the most economical "succu lent feed for dairy cattle. ~ Cows fed on silago produce th^lr fujl capacity of milk. It la a feed that any farmer can produce on his own farm at little expense. This state has too few silos. If you have ten cows or more, yon need one. Please Go *Way and Let Me Sleep. - -Atlanta, OaM April 5. ? Unnecessary noises which are likely to disturb pas sengers lit sleeping cars, placed in sta tions for occupancy during the early hour* of the night, ha ve been put "un der the ban by the Southern railway. _ Rigid orders have been Issued in re gard to the ringing bells by switch engines and loud talking by porters end other employes, a campaign for the suppression of unnecessary noises having bM^pau&urated by V Ice pres ident and General Manager Coapman. At stations where sleepltig cars are Placed notices were- posted as follows: "Slee?)lng car berths -on- this train are prepared for occupancy at m Kindly avoid all loud conversations or other noise In or around sleeping cars after that hour." * The rewrtw nare been so satlsfacto-j *3r as to eliminate almost .entirely com nlaints from passengers arising from annoyances of this ehsracter. pjjft ? " ~ .. .. , White caps near Klngstree last week went to the home of an offensive ne ar? man, and administered a severe *>eatinK Another inoffensive negro Tfb? wfttf rfcJfiTTwdly beaten and stab bed wHk m-laUB.; r wair ? ffiTsdjg&Efeig ?'??iJovwitor Maiming has afayefl the execution of (ireeawood Rogers, con victed of uraon in I .aureus Jjounty, un til lai&Jftl af uanlona. Wu i?*vw4t gate 4h^ Vhho and see If thofO 1h need for ofoiiMwy. Roger* wan convicted )**?! full ^ml wax sentonood to l?o etfxtroouted i>otolN?r 28rd, but tjov. Hloase Mimtvwl him till April, mnmn i *i -u i All Forma of Interrhangable Mileage and Penny Krrlp I took h (iuod for In (raatato I'mmio in South Carolina. Effective Saturday, March 20 11)15, all Interchangeable mllcajce ami wimy scrip books, forms 7.7,, SIM ami Pen* ny Scrip (regardless of date purchas ed) will ho good, within limit, for In trastate *onrueys In South Carolina by exchange of eouisms at picket win* dowa for passage tickets In accord* anco with contract and tarUT provis ions. Seaboard Air Hue Hy. Southern Hy. (Carolina, Atlantic A Western Hy Char loaton A Western Carolina Hy. Columbia, Nowherry A Laurens Hy, Atlantic Coast Line, Hy.. | ? | ? ?:'?.? fe tt fas* ? The only absolute and per manent cure for the Liquor, Drug and Tobacco Habits. More tlfcan 32 years of success ful treatment. Nearly 600,000 puree. Nearly 100 institutes. Correspondence confidential. The Keeley Institute, Box 75, Columbia, S* C. MONUY TO LOAN. On Improved farms. Easy terms Apply to B. B. Clarke. Camdon, s O. 60. VULCANIZING, Our TIRE REPAIR SERVICE em bodies EVERYTHING from a simple puncture to perfectly remedying the most seriouB Cut or blowout in casing 'or tube. i A-l equipment plus A-l materials with exacting, expert care in every de tail Insure you PROMPTNESS, SER VIOK and SATISFACTION. Here you will find a TIRE REPAIR PLANT equipped with every MODERN STEAM VULCANIZING apparatus. Columbia Vulcanizing Works, ?1122 Lady St. Columbia, S. C. FINAL DISCHARGE. Notice is . hereby given that I havo filed with the prohato Judge of Ker shaw County my final return a? Ad ministratrix of the Estate of J. M. Watts, deceased, and; that on the 1st day of May, 1915. at"ll o'clock A. M., I will apply to the said Court for a final, discharge as Administratrix of the said Estate. MRS. M. L. WATTS* ? Camden, S. C., March 27th, 1015. " I 1 1 1 " 1 Ladies and Gentlemen jbagg ! r ' |1 2 - , ~ Have your Clothes Clean* ed and Pressed at CAMDEN PRESSING CLUB. All work called for and delivered promptly. ..Dying inaM col ors, and alterations, - Repairing old mattresses and upholstering a specialty. b | - / ~7~ i - - - : N - : - b ? J ' IrL.' i - ? C. L. CHINA, Mgr. 539 DeKalb Street Ptione 140 FINAL DISCHARGE. Notloo in lu-??'l?v given thnt om.? month from ,U)l? ?UUo, on Saturday, aimh uiiii. im i win picMiut u> tit* rrolmte Oourt of KorahHw <\>unty my final return as Administratrix of the Instate of Jf. A. Ilonaon, ile4<eaHt<Ml, and upi?iy to tlu> Court for TAittern DUiuIh Hory. KIOIJLAII K Administratrix. 4H?mden, S. 0? Mareh 5. 1015. DEATH ?VERMIN RAT CORN post rat Ami mloe exterminator nude. KUIiQMtokly und ?t>*mitoly Wlt!>0"lo<lor. Mumiuiltva? tUua provtmtloir d?oou>iH>Nl tlon. livtUtr ili Au till tho trans lu tlio world. luttlutou HmudiiA HAT* COHN. ?Vt\ 600. 91 at ttoulors or by ui?ll. l>o?t l>ald. BOTANICAL MFC. CO. 4th 4k M?c? St ?. , Philadelphia. Pa. J. SUMTER MOORE Cotton. Long Staple Exclusively. 1218 Wellington Mtreoi, Phone 585 Columbia, S. C. I ? ' _ Would advise planting ft few acres from select seed. Collins Brothers Undertakers for Colored People . ? . , = Telephone 41 1 714 W. D.K.lb St. J. H. MAYFIE l6 ' ? ? mt ?? ? Jrrr n Photographer Studio OverBank of Camden. AH kinds of photographs made in the studio ana at the homes. Also Ko dak finishing and free instruction to amateurs. Artistic flash light home portraiture, etc. Over iBank of Camden. COLUMBIA LUMBER & MANUFACTURING CO MlLjL WORK | SASH, DOORS, BLINDS AND LUMBfeR ' PLAIN A HUGER STS. Phont 71 COLUMBIA, S.C. Dr. X. H. KERRISON dentist Phone 18^ Or. l. H. AUuiitr Dr. K. B. IUtmm Alexander & Stevenson DENTISTS Oi&l StWlMrt Corner Broad and DtKalb Sti. : - MONJW TO |X)A? _ ON * HEAL.' ESTATE ? BABY terms B. O. vonTre?ckow. in the Plumbing ? j ? J When in need of anything Phone ? 51