The Choctaw Freedmen Part 21

VISIT OF MRS. V. P. BOGGS, SECRETARY

The late Mrs. V. P. Boggs, secretary of the Women's Department of the Freedmen's Board was a welcome visitor in the fall of 1907. Her observations were afterwards summarized in a printed report as follows:

"Since the reopening of Oak Hill Academy in February 1905 it has had an era of prosperity that promises permanency. Many improvements have been made, new buildings for farm purposes have been erected, much of the land has been re-fenced and is gradually being brought under a higher state of cultivation, and there is a general improvement in the appearance of the entire premises, that reflects credit on the management, as well as upon the boys who do the work.

The literary work progresses under well trained teachers, and a normal department has been added that teachers may be better fitted to supply the schools, which it is hoped will be maintained in the south part of the Territory. The home department is managed, to the comfort and happiness of all by the wife of the superintendent, who 'looketh well to the ways of her household.' The matron's duties, which include the general management of all matters relating to the work in the Girls' Hall, including the sewing, laundry and kitchen departments, are performed with conscientiousness and enthusiasm. A former graduate student is rendering very efficient service in the cooking department."

"The property of the Board, farm and buildings, is the most attractive and prosperous in appearance in that region. The location is beautiful, the buildings good for that section are well painted, the ground well fenced and in good order. Some good farm buildings have been erected by the students and they have painted other large buildings in a very workmanlike manner. Considerable land has been redeemed from a state of wildness. Thrift and order are apparent everywhere indoors and out."--V. P. Boggs. Secretary Woman's Department.

SUCCESSION OF HELPERS.

The succession of helpers during the eight years, 1905 to 1912, inclusive, when Rev. R. E. Flickinger was Superintendent, was as follows:

a.s.sistant Superintendent: Mrs. Mary A. Flickinger, Feb. 1, 1905, to Aug.

1, 1909.

Princ.i.p.als: Miss Bertha L. Ahrens, Feb. 1, 1905,-Feb. 1, 1911, having been previously custodian of the premises from Aug. 1, 1904; Mrs. W. H.

Carroll, Feb. 1, to May 27, 1911; Rev. W. H. Carroll, Oct. 1, 1911, to June 13, 1912.

Matrons: Adelia M. Eaton, Feb. 1, 1905, to June 5, 1908; Mrs. John Claypool, 1908-09; Mary I. Weimer, 1909-1911; Jo Lu Wolcott, Feb. 27 to June 13, 1912.

a.s.sistant Teachers: Carrie E. Crowe, Oct. 1, 1905 to Jan. 31, 1906; Mrs.

Sarah L. Wallace, Feb. 1 to Mar. 31, 1906; Mary A. Donaldson, April 1 to May 31, 1906; Rev. W. H. Carroll, Oct. 28, 1907, to May 28, 1908, and Oct. 25, 1909, to Apr. 28, 1910; Samuel A. Folsom, Oct. 26, 1908, to May 28, 1909; Solomon H. Buchanan, Nov. 15, 1910, to 1911; Mrs. W. H.

Carroll, Oct. 16, 1911, to June 13, 1912.

a.s.sistants in the Cooking Department and Sewing Room: Malinda A. Hall, Feb. 1, 1905, to June 30, 1909, and Nov. 15, 1910, to June 15, 1911; Mrs. Virginia Wofford, 1909; Ruby Moore and Ruby Peete, 1909 to 1910; Lucretia C. Brown, 1911 to 1912; Ora Perry, 1912.

Pianist and Librarian: Solomon H. Buchanan, 1905-1912, except 1909.

Foremen, Carpenters: Samuel A. Folsom and Edward Hollingsworth in 1910.

Whilst the great need of the colored people in the South is the opportunity for intellectual, manual, moral and religious training, to all of which they are readily responsive and make encouraging improvement, it remains a fact, that the material development of the southern states depends in a great measure upon the general education and intelligence of the colored people; and that a manifestation of prejudice against their general education through public or mission schools is sinful, impolitic and unpatriotic.

It is only a few years since the report was made that in Florida 64.5 per cent, in South Carolina, 69.5, and in Louisiana, 76.4 per cent of the children of school age were unprovided for with school privileges.

Under favorable conditions it is a delightful work to supply a need for which there is so great and urgent a demand, and such manifest appreciation, and, that means so much in promoting the intelligence and thereby increasing the happiness and prosperity of so many of the common people, whose general education tends to make our nation greater.

[Ill.u.s.tration: MRS. MARY A. FLICKINGER.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: MRS. JOHN CLAYPOOL.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: BERTHA L. AHRENS.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: ADELIA M. EATON.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: ROBERT ELLIOTT FLICKINGER.]

XX

THE PROSPECTUS IN 1912

SCHOOL AND WORK PERIODS.--FARM WORK.--IMPROVEMENT WORK.--SAWING WOOD A PICNIC.

"Art and science soon would fade And commerce dead would fall, If the farmer ceased to reap and sow For the farmer feeds them all."

In 1912 the prospectus of the academy included the following announcements:

Free tuition and books are accorded neighborhood pupils under thirteen, that attend regularly after the time of their enrollment. Those over fourteen are expected to pay fifty cents a month. The hope is expressed that every one living near the Academy will see the propriety of making the same n.o.ble endeavor to enjoy its valuable privileges for improvement that is made by the many patrons who live at a distance.

An opportunity will be afforded a limited number of both boys and girls over fourteen years to work out their term expenditures, with the exception of $5.00 which must be paid at the time of enrollment. This opportunity to work one's own way through school is given to two boys and two girls during the term at one time and to others during the vacation period.

After spending six and one-half or seven hours at study in the cla.s.s room, three hours, in the latter part of the afternoon of each day, are devoted to industrial training and work on the farm, in the shop, kitchen, laundry or sewing room. All work during this period, is required to be done by the rule, which is first stated at the time of a.s.signment, and afterwards ill.u.s.trated during the hours of work; and the student is required to work as silently, thoughtfully and earnestly as during the hours previously devoted to study.

Parents are requested to note that girls are not allowed to wear white waists, skirts or dresses, except at the time of commencement and that each student must supply their own toilet soap, combs and shoe polish.

The Bible is a required text book and every student is expected to commit an average of one verse and read one chapter each day during the term. The pa.s.sages committed to memory are recited in concert to the superintendent at the Bible Memory Service held every Sabbath afternoon.

The actual cost of carrying a boarding student through the term is about $50.00. Every student that pays $28.00 or does extra work to that amount enjoys a scholarship of equal amount contributed by the many friends who are supporting the inst.i.tution. Under this arrangement the student that does most to help himself receives most from the friends who are ready to co-operate with him. The doors of the Academy are thus open to the penniless and homeless boy or girl, if they have a desire to be useful and are willing to work; but young people who lack funds and at the same time are unwilling to do extra work to cover the first half of their expenses, are not regarded as either promising or desirable.

Since one half the cost of carrying boarding students at the Academy has to be provided for by the generous offerings of friends, who are interested in their temporal, moral and spiritual welfare, every student is expected to show his appreciation of this fact, by being always thoughtful and earnest, during all the hours set apart each day for study and work. Only those who learn quickly how to be silent, thoughtful and earnest workers, make that improvement in study and work which forms the chief element in the reward of teachers and friends.

The student that makes the most encouraging progress is the one that enters at the beginning of the term and continues to attend and work faithfully until the end of it.

The annual report of the superintendent of Indian Territory for the year 1907 shows that at the Indian Orphan School at Wheelock, eight miles east of Oak Hill, the cost of carrying each pupil a term of nine months was $155.17, or an average of $17.05 a month. A comparison of these figures with the cost at that time at Oak Hill, $25.00 a term of seven months, or $3.60 a month, it is easy to see that the economy practiced in a mission school is much greater than in one under government control.

SCHOOL AND WORK PERIODS

Provision is made for eight hours of school work on the part of the teachers, the first five days of every week of the term, and one hour on Sat.u.r.day evening. These are daily enjoyed by all the smaller pupils. But all over fourteen years, after enjoying 6-1/2 hours in the school room, are expected to work three hours each day in the latter part of the afternoon, and on Sat.u.r.days until 2:30 p.m.

The two leading objects that are attained by this arrangement are, the opportunity to give and receive practical instruction in the rules, or best methods of doing every part of the work in the home or on an improved farm; and enable those for whose benefit the inst.i.tution has been established, to perform the work that is necessary to be done for the daily comfort of the students during term time, and the successful and economical management of the farm which now contains 270 acres, of which 140 acres are enclosed and 100 are under cultivation.

THE WOOD SUPPLY

The sawing and splitting of the wood at the two woodpiles, to meet the daily demands of the many and large stoves, that have to be kept constantly running, is the regular morning and evening ch.o.r.e of those of the boys, that are not otherwise employed at that time about the buildings or stock. The preparation of the fuel in the timber and again at the woodpiles is, to say the least, a long and rather monotonous employment. Boys who do not manifest an interest in this part of their early training, by reason of its necessity and general healthfulness, are p.r.o.ne to regard it as a very wearisome employment, until they acquire skill in the matter of position and movement, and then their delight is manifested in efforts to outdo one another.

THE FARM WORK

In order that friends at a distance may know something of the regular methods of work during the three-hour work periods of each day and during the period of the term the following notes are added:

During the first four or more weeks of the term, all the available student help is busily employed gathering in the crops of cowpeas, potatoes, corn and cotton. In order that their undivided attention may be given to this important work at this time, all the wood needed for fuel during this period has to be brought from the timber, before the end of the previous term.

As soon as the crops have been gathered the long campaign for the year's supply of wood in the timber,--about 25 cords,--has to be undertaken and continued from week to week, especially on Sat.u.r.days until the end of the term.