The Choctaw Freedmen Part 20

It is encouraging to note that in all instances where they remained long enough in school to make sufficient progress, they became teachers and Sunday school superintendents on their return to their own neighborhoods. Some of them are still teaching and one after teaching eleven years has made a good record as a faithful minister of the gospel.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE PRESBYTERY OF KIAMICHI, GARVIN, OKLA., APRIL, 1914.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: WILEY HOMER, HIS PEOPLE AND CHAPEL AT GRANT, 1904.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: REV. T. K. BRIDGES.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: REV. W. J. STARKS.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: W. R. FLOURNOY.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: DOLL BEATTY.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: REV. P. S. MEADOWS.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: JAMES R. CRABTREE.]

Those that have married have in most instances become the founders of prosperous christian homes, and the most influential leaders in their several communities. By their industry, frugality and piety, they are proving themselves, in a very commendable way, to be "the salt of the earth and the light of the world," among their own people.

Several of them died soon after their return from school. This is a disappointment that is more deeply felt in Mission work than elsewhere.

The proportion of short lives in this list is perhaps no greater than would be found in similar lists taken from other sections of the country. Good health and the disposition to take good care of it are very important a.s.sets, on the part of those who are encouraged to take special courses of training in missionary educational inst.i.tutions.

These incidents were not without their influence on the mind of Alexander Reid in leading him to approve the plan of establishing a boarding school for the Freedmen in Indian Territory and Oak Hill as the most needy and favorable location for it. The Board was maintaining missions at Muskogee and Atoka, but those locations were not then attractive. One of his last acts in 1885, his last year, was the purchase of the Old Log House from Robin Clark for the use of the school.

The fact this emigration to distant schools continued, after the establishment of Oak Hill as a boarding school, awakens a little surprise. Only a very limited number of them in later years, remained at Oak Hill to complete the Grammar course. The good old rule of local prosperity "Patronize Home Industries," or inst.i.tutions, seemed to have been forgotten. The sentiment began to prevail that any school abroad was better than one at home. The general prevalence of this sentiment tended to put a slight check upon the successful development of the work at Oak Hill. It was bereft of the presence and co-operation of its older and best trained pupils, just when their example of self-control and habits of study were beginning to exert a good influence over the new ones.

XVIII

CLOSED IN 1904

In the spring of 1904, as there was no one available to manage it, the school was closed, and a student was entrusted with the care of the buildings, stock and crops.

As this was the year the land in Indian Territory was allotted to the Indians and their former slaves, individually, Mr. Haymaker remained until he secured the allotment of two tracts of forty acres each, on which the buildings of the academy were located, one to a graduate student and the other to a friendly full blood Choctaw woman; with the understanding that, when the restrictions should be removed, the allottees or owners would sell them to the Board of Missions for Freedmen, to be held and used as a permanent site for the inst.i.tution.

In August Miss Bertha L. Ahrens of Grant, a missionary teacher of the Board, became the custodian of the buildings and other property belonging to the inst.i.tution.

A few days later, Solomon Buchanan, a former student from Texas, returned and making his home there, began to take care of the stock and crops. His general efficiency, manifest interest and good staying quality enabled him to become ever since a very valuable helper, during term time.

XIX

REOPENING AND ORGANIZATION

1905.

TWO-FOLD ORGANIZATION OF THE WORKERS.--NEW FEATURES--CHARACTER BUILDING.--VISIT OF MRS. V. P. BOGGS.

"Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can."--Wesley.

After two weeks of voluntary service in the vicinity of the Academy, visiting churches, schools, inst.i.tutes and towns, making the trips through the timber with a team of faithful but superannuated mules, and delivering addresses in as many as eight different places, during the month preceding, the academy was re-opened for a three months term in February, 1905, under the management of Rev. and Mrs. R. E. Flickinger of Fonda, Iowa. They had for their a.s.sistants, Miss Adelia M. Eaton, Fonda, Iowa, matron, Miss Bertha L. Ahrens, princ.i.p.al, Miss Malinda A.

Hall and Henry C. Shoals, a.s.sistants in the cooking and farming departments, and Solomon Buchanan, a volunteer student accompanist and general helper.

TWO FOLD ORGANIZATION OF THE WORKERS

The moral and religious instruction was organized after the following manner. The Bible was supplied and read by all as a daily text book in the school. The lady princ.i.p.al served as superintendent of the Sunday school, and as organist and chorister at all the other meetings. The a.s.sistant superintendent took charge of the primary department of the Sunday school, the matron, the Bible cla.s.s; the a.s.sistant matron, the intermediate cla.s.s, and the general management of the work among the Christian Endeavorers, selecting and aiding the leaders in their preparation for and conduct of their meetings on Sabbath evenings, in which all the students were required to partic.i.p.ate. Mr. Buchanan served as organist for the Sunday school and accompanist on the piano at the other meetings.

The superintendent, in addition to attending and partic.i.p.ating in the Sabbath school and Endeavor meetings, which were held on Sabbath mornings and evenings, conducted the preaching service on Sabbath morning, the Bible memory meetings at 2:30 on Sabbath afternoons and the mid-week service, which was held on Friday evenings.

VOICE CULTURE.

The training and development of their youthful voices, for efficient partic.i.p.ation by song or story in religious meetings on their return home, was made a distinct aim and object at the Friday evening meetings.

This special vocal training was based on the fact, that in all the recorded instances of the manifestation of divine or spiritual power, it has been communicated through the use or instrumentality of the human voice. The annual results, of this training of their voices for a sacred use, were a very gratifying surprise to all the patrons of the school.

The superintendent also conducted the family worship at which all of the students and teachers were present. It consisted in the daily reading of the Scriptures and prayer immediately at the close of the morning and evening meals. Twice a week the young people united in repeating a Psalm or other appropriate selection and the Lord's Prayer.

He also invariably attended and partic.i.p.ated by a word of encouragement in the Sunday school and Endeavor meetings.

CHARACTER BUILDING

It was the constant endeavor of the superintendent to make the hours spent together on Sabbath afternoons and Friday evenings, not only the most instructive and profitable of all the week to the students, in the matter of their character building, but also the most joyous and happy to all of them. All cares and troubles were forgotten, while repeating responsively and cheerily together many of the most thrilling and comforting pa.s.sages of the Bible, or singing merrily the beautiful hymns, plantation melodies, sacred anthems and patriotic glees, that enlisted mutual attention and interest. The joyous blending of their many happy, youthful voices, sometimes soft and low, then rising and swelling with all possible animation into full chorus, while singing together the "Beautiful Story" that "Never Grows Old" and "Must be Told," "Break Forth into Joy," "Before Jehovah's Throne," "Hail to the Flag," "Freedom's Banner" and similar familiar selections, are sweet and blessed treasures of the memory, that are invariably recalled with pleasure and delight.

NEW FEATURES

In addition to the branches that had been previously taught, arrangements were now made for special instruction in voice culture and vocal music, one hour a week for all the pupils; and the young men in agriculture, horticulture, house-painting, carpentry and masonry.

The aim of these new departments was to awaken an intelligent interest and make every one familiar with the principles that would enable them to make

The Farm, The Garden, The Orchard, The Dairy, The Cattle, The pigs and Poultry,

all a source of greatest profit to them as owners.

An earnest effort was also made to check the stream of migration to distant schools, by bringing the work at Oak Hill to such a degree of efficiency as to meet the real needs of every young person in its vicinity.

This was successfully accomplished by a voluntary and gratuitous establishment, on the part of the superintendent and princ.i.p.al, of Normal and Theological departments, that were maintained as long as there was any real need for them; the former until the fall of 1907, the last year under territorial rule preceding the establishment of county normal inst.i.tutes; and the latter in 1910, when the last licentiate was ordained to the full work of the gospel ministry.