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THE WAYNESVILLE MOUNTAINEER
"Eleven Months in The Big Bend"
by
Lillian Odum
Ed. Note This is a continua
tion of the article which bejran in
Last week's paper by Miss Odum.
teacher in the liitf Bend stction
for the past eleven months. Last
.week the article closed at the
place where she just entered the
liend, and wad being left alone
there just at dusk in a heavy
rain.
The Big Bend School, Teacher and Pupils 1 The Friend of Big Bend People
No there was no looking back, or
regretting the mow I had made in
coming into the liijr liend section to
teach in the school and help the four
teen families to make life more pleas
ant anil brighter f.r them.
After looking around into the faces
of tho.-e bright eager eyt-d children I
knew 1 wouldn't go back that 1 could
not disappoint them.
I soon huji'cd around and found
t-nough dry clothes to change in, then
seated myself by the stove in the
kitchen to warm, of course it was
August, but remember I had been in
u. drenching rain all day when I
hiked those long weary miles through
the rain to become the teacher of the
first school in the Big Bend section.
For two nights while they were cov
tring the room 1 .-,L"pt in the room
with the man and his wife, naturally
1 was a little self conscious, it being
ray first experience, I know that I
was welcome in that home anil I
couldn't ask for people to treat me
with more respect than this family
did.
'Sunday morning found us gathered
at the school house for our lirst re
ligious service. There was no one to
sin?, or lead in prayer it all fell upon
my shoulders. We had a wonderful
service but a very simply one.
Monday, August 27, was a glorious
morning, even the little birds and
flowers seemed to be happy because
we had met in our new school build
ing for the opening of our first
school. There were about 50 people
children and parents who came out
for this great event. There were
bright .eager eyed children who hail
never been inside a school but this
was the dawning of a new day for
them. We opened school with several
.short talks and R. II. Gibson offered
the first public prayer ever offered in
this section so far as we know. When
the American flag was held up not a
child could tell us what it represented.
School moved along smoothly and
the children made wonderful progress.
All their work had to be done during
school hours because they had no one
to help them at home.
My boarding place was about 114
miles from the school building on the
opposite side of the river, the only
means of crossing being an old leaky
boat, or jumping from rock to rock.
More than once I slipped off into the
water, but as luck would have it the
water wasn't very deep. In Novem
ber I moved into my our quarters
which consist of nice kitchen, living
and bed room, with a porch facing
river, They are connected with the
school .building on north, side. The
addition was not only for the eonven
ience of the teacher but for cooking
and sewing quarters for the people
of this section. Immediately we be
pan to furnish hot lunches for the
children and I wish you could have
seen how much they enjoyed it. They
knew nothing about thanking God for
the blessings of the day. We soon
learned a .school prayer and it wasn't
long before, they all wanted, to return
thanks each day so we took the roll
and checked off as it came each one's
turn.
It was very hard to get provisions
iy y ,Ji yt:PmSkM
kpt:flSi& y&m
This shows part of I lie pupils wltli their teacher. Miss (Mum. stand
ins; on I lie steps or .t he sihool. I III II last August not any of (lie cliilili rn
even knew v haf ihe Anieriean llntr was. Only two or three of the utiiuii
ups in the m 111 11 it i I could read I11M AiikiisI.
in and if it had not been for Mr.
Gibson who arranged to oversee the
transportation of them, it would have
been almost impossible, but he was
a loyal supporter through it all, will
ing to make any sacrifice not only for
the material lienttfit of the children,
hut for the spiritual as well.
Christmas came and no one had
ever seen a Christmas tree, in fact,
they didnt know the meaning of
Christmas. So with the co-operation
of the Community Club, Sunday school
classes and various individuals in
Waynesville we were able to give
them a wonderful treat in the form
of a Christmas tree. On Tuesday, Dec.
18, we had our tree. We were to
start at eleven o'clock, but about nine
the children along with their parents
began to arrive and continued to ar
rive until practically every one in the
Bend was here. Oh, how their eager
eyes did sparkle as they looked upon
their first Christmas tree,
Mis Ida Jean Brown, of Waynes
ville, . sang several Christmas songs,
which held the entire audience, even
the smallest child spell bound and
Mr. Homer Henry played the
part of Santa. Oh what a joy to
watch those children as Santa pre
sented them with their gifts. Trie
parents enjoyed the tree equally as
well as the children and were just as
enthusiastic about every thing. The
things received on this tree was all
the Christmas the children had.
When the snow was eight inches
the children came over mountain
trails 4 and 5. miles, arriving by nine
o'clock, and some of them crossing
the river on ice. One morning when
the river was Very high the children
were crossing and instead of wearing
the shoes they were carrying them so
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they could jump the rocks better.
Suddenly one of the boys fell into the
river and lost his shoes r.:. I those of
his sisters. Uown the- river,' the. shoes
floated anjll have never (been seen
since. None of the children had shoes
to wear until the E. H, A. gavi; theni
some.
A number of the children made
several grades and many of them can
read and write as well as some who
have attended school several years.
Discipline was a very small matter,
for they are unusually well behaved
children, willing to do everything we
ask thenv This accounts to a great
extent for the wonderful progress
which has 'been made. ,
On April 23 we held our commence
ment exercises. This was the first
time the children had every exper
ienced anything like this, but they
did fine, not one forgot his part.
The children are so anxious for
school that they are continually ask
ing wnen we will begin our next
term. Never a day passes but what
we find some of them at the school
house and usually they spend several
hours.
We have a garden containing about
five acres which is worked by the
children and their parents and we
hope -to produce enough vegetables to
supply the lunch room next year.
in Fobruary we made a survey of
the entire community for adult illiter
acy and found 20 of which only '
could read and write and none having
passed the third grade. 1 he question
was asked, Why did you not attend
school?" and each gave the same an
swer, "There wasn't a school." Up
until this time 1 taught, kept house
and ran the lunch loom for around
25 children. Mrs, J. Odum. of Fair
mont, took charge of all this in Feb
ruary and during the 3 months which
she taught great progress was made
in reading, writing and homemaking.
The school is used as a center for
recreation, which was never known
before. Each Saturday nie-hr. finds
many of the people gathered at the
building to enjoy the radio.
This spring the steel on the old
railroad was taken up and that left
us no means of transportation other
than packing on the backs and shoul
ders. The trail is now grown up and
there is nothing but a small path, but
I can hike to M;. Sterling, get my
mail and be back home bv noon. At
first the hiking was a little hard, but j
now u uoesn c oother me at all. I
hike at least .SO miles each week.
iWe wish to take this opportunity
to exiena cnanKs and appreciation
to our county superintendent. Mr.
Jack Messer, for his interest and
wonderful co-operation in every thing.
He has been a great enthusiast and a
loyal supporter of all our plans from
the very beginning. If it had not
been for him we could never have ac
complished many things which we have
We give thanks to the Rotary Club,
Community Club, and to the various
churches and their organizations. We
also extend our thanks to the people
of Canton and Clyde and to each in
dividual who has helped us. We
wish to thank Mr. Henry for his
wonderful support and for ni4 nflrf tn
making it possible for us to have a
school. .
- We cannot forget Mr. R. H. Gibson,
better known to us as Bob Gibson,
because it was; through his efforts
that we got the school, and it is to
him we owe everything, Everyone
here loves him and will give him their
loyal support in all things. Up to
date he has hiked approximately 380
miles in the interest of the school.
He has gone through rain and snow
' " Myjf -''
IAV.lU,
TwoMissisip nj
negroes I.vn,.L.
negro far:r. -- ' :
ley Morton,
lynched ei"!
bus by a m.'.l. ' '
wreiten' the
Sheriff J ',,-,. ',.
county,
tree.
The neg!-, . .A
mornir.L' ; f-,.r
atack, 'on a w'n',
of an Arkan,a.
i-es:ded a'-, out a
ehur.-h,
lynching.
The mo!, r,A, ,.
ed abou: :Jo r,j,
tomobiles, -v':A.,i
four mi!f. nui
deputy Ha::.- v
them nvay ;,,
keeping.
U. S. Not Bis
The United -cheese
than any , :
cheese-eatiiii' .,
la ted.
-hets
'I'lii- i ltnlicrl H. ;ilsoii who Mil kod nut iilllly In olulili-h a i-cllool
in the Itig Hcnil I'oiiiiniiiiii y. and II was (lmmidi Mr. ;ilson's efforts thai
Mis (I1I11111 was sent in lo teach wliero no one hail ever lauirlit licforc.
He is shown siltins; on the push car that was- used until recently lo haul
supplies into the Bend. The rails are now up, and va foot over crude
nails iviiiuiiis the only method of (M'ttiny; i".l llio com m 11 nil y.
and made many sacrifices in order
that these ohildren might have a
school and a few opportunities that
.other children have. The people real
ize what he has (lone for them and
even the smallest child loves him.
Very often you hear some one make
the remark, "If it hadn't been for Bob
we wouldn't have a school, no one
el ever cared enough about us. We
wanted a school, but had no cne to
help us." They learned that he is a
Christian man with their interest at
heart, and no one else can get the
co-operation from them that he has.
It is worth every effort that we
have put forth ju.st to see the change
which has taken place in the lives of
these children. We owe them every
advantage of school, because the chil
dren of today will be the citizens of
tomorrow.
LILLIAN MAY ODUM,
Teacher in Big Bend.
MARRIAGE
LICENSES
(As recorded to Monday of this week)
K , , ,. - - ' ' '
Mack V. Miller, of Waynesville, to
Annette Chambers, of Clyde.
W. H. Watson to Elizabeth Sexton,
both of Canton.
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