USA > Mississippi > Newton County > History of Newton County, Mississippi from 1834 to 1894 > Part 17
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The following figures show the number of children in every one hundred of population on an average who go to school :
"In the United States an average of 13 to every 100 go to school. In Texas, in the year 1892, 14.7: Ala- bama, 1890, 12 ; in Georgia, 1891 and 1892, 12.2 ; Mis- souri, 1891 and 1892, 16.2; West Virginia, 1891 and 1892, 16.7; Indiana, 16.9; Kansas, 1891 and 1892, 16.7 ; Mississippi, whites and blacks, 1891 and 1892, 15.3; whites in Mississippi, 1891 and 1892, 17.75. This com- parison shows that Mississippi, measured by the standard, is far above the average in the United States -more than 20 per cent. above-and she stands in fair
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contrast with Indiana, Kansas and Missouri, States in which public schools have been long established and - highly developed."
The same report gives the average number of days the schools were maintained in the United States, in 1891 and 1892, 137 days, or six months and seventeen days. "In Massachusetts, 171 days; in New York, 185 ; Maryland, 185; Ohio, 165; Illinois, 155; Virginia,
118 ; Kansas, 127 ; Texas, 106; Mississippi, 102." The term of the county schools in this State, is 80 days, or four school months, taught consecutively or to suit communities, at intervals in the scholastic year. Where there are separate school districts the local population is taxed extra, and where a school may be maintained from seven to nine months. Also when the voters of any county express, through the boards of supervisors, that they wish a longer school than four months, by agreement they can have it. Our worthy State Superintendent urges very strongly for a greater length of time to be given to the free schools of the county. He thinks seven months by all means should be allowed the country children.
Newton county, as well as nearly all the counties of the State, is largely agricultural and many of the far- mers of the county are compelled to use their children in making and gathering the crops. This would pre- vent many of them from patronizing the schools, at least for three months, and at the same time would have to pay a tax and get no benefit of it. Both sides of this question have many advocates and it is one which the voters will be called upon to decide at no very remote date.
As the tax payer is usually interested in the way the public revenues of the State are expended, it will
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not be uninteresting to give some figures from the valuable report already quoted :
"Total revenues of the State for public school pur- poses, $1,392,927 ; amount expended for public schools, $1,192,844 ; amount expended for State Institutions, $128,128; total amount expended by State for educa- tion, $1,321,072 ; amount expended by separate school districts, $238,008; total assessed valuation of the State of Mississippi, $185,398,984."
The same report claims "that there are 516,183 edu- cable children in the State. Number enrolled in the State public schools, 334,923 ; number of public schools taught, 5,986 ; number of teachers employed, 7,497; number of separate school districts, 58.
A comparative view of several States is made in the Mississippi Report of the amount expended on the assessed value for educational purposes. "Missis- sipppi expended in 1892-'93 for public schools, $192,- 844; for the University, at Oxford, $32,643 ; for the A. & M. College, at Starkville, $30,720; I. I. & C., at Co. lumbus, for females, $23,325; Deaf & Dumb Institute, $17,750 ; Blind Institute, $8,161 ; Alcorn A. & M., at Rodney, for colored youths, $13.000; State Normal, at Holly Springs, for colored of both sexes, $2,500. The expenditures for all purposes amounted to $1,321,012, a sum which is equivalent to a levy of 7.1 mills on the total assessed valuation of all the property in the State. Arkansas spends 6.8, Texas 4.8, Massachusetts 4.4, New York, 4.5, Iowa 12.3, Illinois 14.4, Kansas 14.3, Nebraska 18.7. Mississippi leads among the Southern States and ranks eighth among the States of the Union . in the amount expended for education in proportion to the valuation of property. And from the enrollment it appears that the people of Mississippi are patroniz- ing the free schools in a greater degree than almost any State in the Union.
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To further aid the teachers of the State and make them more efficient, the State Superintendent appoints a competent man to hold County Institutes, whose first duty it is to attend at Oxford a Normal Institute for teachers, where the best methods are taught, and by this means these best methods are carried to all the counties by men specially selected by the State Super- intendent, and paid by the counties. The white and colored teachers are each allowed one week, which costs the county about $80.00. Normal Institutes are now being held for teachers, paid for by the money ap- propriated by the Peabody Committee. Four of these ·Normals were held in the State last year, two for the whites and two for the colored. The one at Oxford reached an attendance of 467. The one at Patrons' Union, at; Lake, was attended by 260. The Normal at Holly Springs, for the colored youth, reached 90; the one at Tougaloo 75. These Institutes are great helps to those who have any ability, and who avail them- selves of the opportunity to attend them.
With all the advantages now given to free schools, and the interest now taken by the patrons of the the schools, and the persistent efforts of our State Superintendent of Education to give the counties bet- ter informed and better educated teachers ; all these things have a tendency to make the schools more in- teresting and profitable to those who attend them. It is now well understood that a teacher applying for a good place and to draw a salary from the county, must be able to teach and to stand the examinations.
The amount of education imparted to the youth of the county is remarkable. While there are no highly educated persons who go out from the public schools of the county, yet the rudimental branches of an educa- tion are learned, and the students in all parts of this
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county are prepared for higher schools, and more lib- eral education at the colleges of the cour cry if they are able to bear the expenses of attending them. It is rarely the case that a youth in this county, ten years old, can be found who cannot read and write. This applies to the colored as well as white.
It is something remarkable about the colored folks, that they are more anxious to learn than the white people. They will travel greater distances under more difficulties and straightened circumstances to school, than any one of their more fortunate white neighbors. Some of them have made some progress ; some have received liberal education. As a general thing, owing very much, no doubt, to the very poor training of their teachers, they have learned little. The children rarely go beyond the simple rudiments of reading, spelling, writing and ciphering a little. Some of them appear to have been injured by what little they have learned, . while others are, to some extent, improving, and profit- ing by teaching in the county. The education received by the white children is of more solid and useful char- acter, and thousands of persons in this county owe to the free school system of the State a debt of gratitude for providing the means of an education, which they would not have received without it.
The amount given to each child in the county for educational purposes, from five to twenty-one years, which is the school age in this State, in the years of 1892 and 1893, intended to reach $1.80 each, but the increase of scholastic population caused it to be re- duced to $1.78 for each child for the four months, which is less than forty-five cents per month. From Mr. Preston's report it will be seen that the State had 516,183 educable children ; 334,933 are enrolled ; aver- age attendance, 194,993. It is understood that the
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State makes the allowance for all who are between the ages of five and twenty one, whether they go to school or not. It will be seen that the whole number of edu- cable children do not go to school, yet the appropria- · tion is made as if they did; so there is more than $1.78 expended on each scholar, and by this fewer teachers are employed and get better wages than if all the educable children in the State were enrolled and attended school, and there were more teachers to pay. The following information, furnished by our worthy superintendent of education, Thos. J. Reynolds, will be found to contain valuable facts in regard to the free schools of Newton county :
"Number of white educable children, as taken from the assessor's roll for the year 1893, in Newton county, 3925; number of colored, 2438; making a total of 6369 children between the ages of five and twenty-one years. The children actually going to school, as taken from teachers' reports, 2931 white, and 1643 colored, making a difference in the county of the enrollment by the assessor and those who actually attend, 1786. This would look as if many were very careless, or that the schools were not situated so as to meet the wants of the county. In this, however, both conclusions would be somewhat erroneous. The school houses are so distributed in the county as to very well meet the wants of the people, and the people exercise a reason- able degree of prudence in sending their children to school. Yet there is such a long period allowed for the school age in this State, that the apparent discrep- ancy is explained."
The age of five years is a very early, and often an improper, one to start a child to school, and twenty- one is a very extended period to allow persons to attend the public schools.
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It is very frequently the case that parents live too far for the little children of five years to walk to school, and thus it is that class is often barred by inability to get there. It is often the case that many persons, be- fore they arrive at the age of twenty-one, are employed in permanent business, or if they are females, they are often married, and in both instances they do not at- tend school, but are counted as educable children, and the State allowance is made on them.
NUMBER OF SCHOOLS, TEACHERS, AND COST.
There are 47 white male teachers in Newton county ; there are 25 white female teachers ; there are 22 male black teachers, and 8 female black teachers ; one In- dian school taught by a white man, making a total of 103, of all classes and sexes, who teach public schools in the county. There are five private schools in the county.
The amount of money paid for free schools in New- county for the year 1893, was $10,585.30. Of this amount, $195.40 was interest on the sixteenth section lands that are rented, or that have been sold, and the money is at interest. Number of frame school-houses in the county, 70; number of log houses, 18. Average salary of white teachers, $30 per month; average sal- ary of colored teachers, $16.45 cents per month.
POLL TAX.
Superintendent Preston's report says : "Under the new Constitution the poll-tax was increased from one dollar to two. The amount received from polls for the scholastic year 1892 and '93, was $252,942, of which $5229 are reported as collected after the June report to the State Auditor, and consequently did not enter
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as a factor in the State distribution for the past scho- lastic year."
The poll-tax constitutes almost exactly 25 cent. of the State distribution. To this extent the voters of the State are required to pay equally in support of public schools. The total number of taxable polls in the State is 259,912. Only 126,471 paid the tax, leaving 51 in every 100 who pay nothing to the school fund.
An extract from report made to State Superintend- ent by T. J. Reynolds, superintendent of education of Newton county, will be found interesting. He says of the school fund :
" I have had but little experience under the old rev- enue system, but find we are about $2000 short, owing to the fact that the board of supervisors have failed as yet to make any levy.
" By practicing the strictest economy which is prac- ticable under the law, without materially affecting the salaries of efficient teachers, I can keep the business moving with but little friction, and keep within the limits of the State distribution. The salaries of the county first-grade teachers will average about $30.00. I believe that a good majority of the people favor the levying of a county school tax sufficient to extend the public school term six months.
" There has been a decided improvement on the part of teachers in regard to their knowledge of text-books, owing mainly to the fact that this improvement was necessary to insure success in examinations.
"I have endeavored to carry into effect the sugges- tion of our State Superintendent, 'Hold an honest ex- amination and make a license a test of merit.'
"It is also evident that much improvement has been made all along the line of conduct and management of country schools.
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"We are making arrangements to procure a good teacher's library. I believe that much good will result from it and that the educational int rests will be greatly promoted thereby.
"Our county institute for white teachers the past summer was merged into the Summer Normal at Lake, and while not exceeding 30 per cent. of our teachers were in attendance, yet the effect for good can scarce be estimated. I believe that the present system of in- stitutes will prove to be much better than the old plan.
"The institute for colored teachers was held at Decatur and conducted by Prof. G. W. Turner, with good results.
"We have one separate school district at Newton, Hickory Institute, Newton Male and Female College, Connehatta Institute, Lawrence Institute and Union High School. All seem to be in good condition, hav- ing opened up with fair attendance.
"The operation of the present law, so far as district- ing is concerned, I think in the main, about as good as it is possible to have it, and seems to give very gen- eral satisfaction.
"With a few worthy exceptions, I cannot say much in favor of the country school-houses, and there seems to be but little interest manifested in the equipment of the same. When our people learn properly to appre- ciate the comfort and the educational interests of those bright little boys and girls who brave the winter storms in quest of knowledge, they will make greater preparation for their accommodation.
"I some communities I find it quite difficult to induce parents to provide their children with adopted books, but this obstinacy is fast passing away.
"The masses seem to appreciate the public school system and gladly embrace the opportunity of cheap
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education. Yet there are some chronic grumblers who object to it on various trifling pretexts and of course who would object to anything."
INDIAN SCHOOLS IN MISSISSIPPI.
The following letter from Mr. H. S. Halbert, published in Mississippi School Report, is not without interest to those wishing to know something of the advance- ment being made by the Choctaw Indians in our midst in the way of acquiring an education. There are, ac- cording to the census of 189), 351 Indians in Newton county and the progress they are making will be bet- ter known after reading Mr. Halbert's letter, as fol- lows :
"It may be well to state in the very beginning of this report, that the census of the Indians in some counties of Mississippi, for several causes, has always been imperfectly taken.
" In most of the counties there are more educable Choctaw children than the assessor's books show. This remark applies particularly to Newton county, in which are reported sixty children - thirty six males and twenty -four females-an enumeration entirely too low. During the scholastic year 1892-'93 five Choc- taw schools were taught in Mississippi - all taught by white teachers. The total number of children en- rolled in these schools is 126-sixty nine males and fifty-seven females. Two schools, eighty days each, were taught in Leake county; seventy-eight educable children are reported in this county-fifty-six males, forty-two females. Twenty-nine "males and nineteen females, total forty-eight, were enrolled and attended the two public schools. One school, eighty days, was taught in Kemper by Rev. W. W. Carmack ; twenty- four educable children are reported in Kemper county.
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Sixteen attended Mr. Carmack's school, eight males, eight females. One school was located in Scott and one in Nehoba, but neither were taught. In the latter county are reported 197 educable children. Two schools were taught by the writer, one of sixty days, in New- ton county. Twenty eight children attended the New. ton county school, fifteen males and thirteen females. Of these eighteen, considering the peculiar circum- stances of Indian life, attended the school with com- mendable punctuality. Eighty children, . thirty-five males and forty five females, are reported in Jasper county. Of these, seventeen males and thirteen females, total twenty, attended the public school which is located among the remant of the historic Okla-Han- nali or Six Towns Indians. Of these, twenty were quite punctual in their attendance. The attendance of the remainder was quite irregular-some only coming two or three days.
"Their poverty is the great cause of much of the irreg- ular attendance of their children ; their parents fre- quently need their services at home in labor upon the farm and otherwise. During the winter months, in- clement weather, the want of sufficient clothing, espec- ially with those children who live at a distance, not infrequently causes an irregularity of attendance. But as their condition in life improves, and it is slowly im- proving, these hindrances will gradually disappear.
"In my own educational work among the Indians, I make use of both the English and Choctaw languages.
- Our Mississippi Choctaws are strongly attached to their native tongue, and there is no immediate prospect of its being supplanted by English. Even those most proficient have at last only a superficial knowledge of our language, and great numbers of the children have none at all. Experience soon proves that it adds much
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to the efficiency of teachers among these people to ac. quire at least a passable knowledge of their language. . My plan is to ground these Choctaw children in the elementary English branches, and to so drill them in these studies that the instruction will be a practical benefit to them in their business relations with the white race, and in short will have the tendency to im- prove in every respect their condition in life. I drill them thoroughly in their reading and spelling lessons, translating for them the English into Choctaw, and requiring them to memorize the English words and their meaning.
"I have found it a good plan, and would suggest it to others to write a short story or narrative in simple English on the black-board with a parallel trans- lation in Choctaw. I require them to copy off the English and read it over and over until the words and phraseology are thoroughly imbedded in their mem- ories. This plan answers all the purposes of a practi- cal lesson in English composition. In arithmetic they are required to discard the Choctaw names of the numerals and make use of the English alone, as our English names are so much shorter than the knowledge of the Choctaw. They soon realize that it is a great economy of speech to make use of the English names. Six times nine are fifty-four, a concise expression of seven syllables in English. A Choctaw boy or girl soon finds out that it is a greater saving of breath to make use of this short English expression, that to use the equivalent in his native tongue, "Hannali bat chakkali kat pokoli talapi akucha ushta," nineteen syllables.
"I think it would be well to permit all teachers of the Choctaws to have some latitude in the matter of text- books. My own experience is that the old "blue back"
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speller is better for them than Watson's. The latter is filled with a great number of words that a Choctaw never hears and will never use. Webster is free from this objection, and the teacher can better select from it common every-day words of which he can require them to memorize the spelling and the signification. Sometimes, at the request of their parents, during a very short period each day, I teach the Choctaw chil- dren reading and writing in their own language, mak- ing use of an elementary Choctaw book, entitled, "Chata holisso ai isht ia ammona." As the Choctaw alphabet is almost perfect, in a very short time they learn to read and write their own language with great facility.
"Upon the whole there has been a great improvement among our Choctaws in the last ten years. The great majority are anxious to secure the benefits of some education for their children. There is, however, one notable exception, Bogue Chitto Indians, of Neshoba, who are averse to having a school established in their midst. A potent argument by which these Indians are influenced by their old fogy Mingoes, is that the estab- lishment of schools is only a preliminary to forced emigration to the West, that two generations ago schools had been established among the Choctaws, only to be followed by the treaty of Dancing Rabbit, and the subsequent emigration to the West, and a similar result will again follow if the Bogue Chittos should now accept the white man's offer of a public school. An absurd argument, it is true, yet it has its weight with the ignorant Tubbee element. Still, there is evidence that these prejudices are slowly dying out, and before long no doubt all our Indians, without a single exception, will favor the establishment of schools in their midst.
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"The great majority of our Mississippi Choctaws seem to have no desire to go west to their own people. They are here to stay. Such being the case, they should be encouraged to patronize the few schools which the State has established for their benefit. We may, in conclusion, safely and truly say that our Choctaws 'are a law-abiding people. They are true patriots, intense- Iy attached to our State, for on its very soil their tradi- tions say, ages before the advent of the white man, the plastic hand of the Great Spirit fashioned the first Choctaw out of clay at the base of the sacred mound on Nanih Wai-ya Creek."
The early education in the county and the manner in which it was imparted, was very different from the plan now pursued by the teachers in this progressive age. Those old-time "old-field" school teachers did much good and imparted much knowledge to their pu- pils. Yet there was not enough of them, and their schools did not continue long enough. Before the introduction of the Free School system there were but very few advantages in educating the masses. Many of the early settlers, who were good, worthy men, had very little education. Many a good, re- sponsible man of Newton county who succeded in building up the county, and whose sons made hon- orable Confederate soldiers, was entirely uneduca- ted in books. The same old, uneducated men, if it occurred that they had to give their notes for any- thing which they had bought on time, when it be- came necessary to sign the note, they were unable to write their names but had to make his mark, thus : John his + mark Smith. Another man wrote the name, he made his mark, and a witness signed the note on the left to show that he saw John Smith make the cross-mark. These notes, signed by these farmers of
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the county, were not considered bad paper, but as a usual thing, were more promptly met than a note whose signature resembled that of a bank check. The paper was more negotiable upon the market than many other papers of the county. Many old men could only sign their names, which was practiced for busi- ness purposes, and their signatures resembled some of the scrawls attached to the Declaration of Independ- ence, placed there by the old patriots of that period.
The State Convention of 1868 proposed this free- school system-more probably for the benefit of the colored population than the white, as it was a Repub- lican body. It, however, became a part of our State law, finally engrafted upon our statute-books, and it now appears to be a permanent fixture, which our people are using to the great advancement of the education of the masses. It is rarely the case now that a white or colored youth cannot both read and write and cipher, and understand the rudiments of the English language. This is a wonderful advance in the direction of education of the masses over the old sys- tem, when there was only the small proceeds of the interest of the sixteenth sections given for free-school education. Wherever this money was coming in a township it was divided pro rata between the persons sending to school, and to some extent supplied the amount promised to the county teachers.
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