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CHAIRMAN SCALES REPLIES AT LF.NGIH Answering Criticism of the Colored A, and M. A STRONG STATEMENT If the General Assembly Thinks it can Improve the Management he Feels Sure the Trustees Will Resign but ’ I would be a Fatal Mis'ake to Close the College. (Special to News and Observer.) Greensboro, N. C., Nov. 24. —Hon. Alfred M. Scales, chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Agricultural and Me chanical College for the colored race, was absent when the report of the State Board on Public Institutions was made to the governor, and did not see the criticisms upon the management of the A. and M. College here until his return, Friday night. Today, in response to a request from this correspondent he gave the following statement, which complete ly disposes of the criticisms made by the State Board, and was demanded in jus tice to the institution and its Board of Trustees, who were so unjustly held up to public censure. He says: “Upon my return to the city yesterday afternoon, I saw for the first time the synopsis of the report of the Board of Examiners of the State institutions. A more unjust or unjustifiable attack or one showing a greater ignorance of the true condition of the affairs of the A. and M. College for the colored race could hardly have been made. The college is in better condition in every way, and is doing better work than ever before in its history, and will, I believe, compare fa vorably’ with any similar institution in the country. It is hard to understand how Captain Patton, for 1 think it will be safe to say that he drew that part of the report referring to the A. aim M. College at Greensboro, could have so badly confused matters, and so injuri ously misrepresented the college. Before delivering such a fulmination, it would seem that a careful examination would have been instituted, but if the report is correctly given in the newspapers, the most glaring mis-statements have been made, as will be shown later on. . “In 1899 the General Assembly made an investigation of the college, which hud for some years been under a Repub lican Board of Trustees, and found mat ters in such a condition that it deemed it best to change the administration; and to this end. it appointed Hon. W. R. Williams, Prof. M. C. S. Noble, Prof. J. Y. Joyner, Sheriff J. L. Currie, M. George T. Dunlap, myself and others as mem bers of the Board of Trustees. These appointments were made without con sulting some of the appointees, and the first information some of us, myself in cluded, had of it was contained in the papers of the next day. Believing it to be our patrotic duty, we entered upon the work, but with many misgivings. We found the colloge heavily in debt, its un paid debts amounting to SIO,OOO, its pa per hawked about the streets, and its credit so impaired that it was with diffi culty that purchases could be made ex cept at high prices. The board found the curriculum or the college much too high for the colored people in their present state of advancement and much too theoretical: and that the college was not reaching the class for whom it was in tended. The board had nothing to guide them, as industrial education was large ly an experiment in the South even among the white people, and with the colored people the problem was ten-fold greater. Public sentiment among the colored people had ever since the war been in favor of classical schools, the graduates being doctors, preachers or teachers, and it was necessary to form a sentiment among them in favor of in dustrial and agricultural pursuits. How well the board has performed this great task is shown by the college today, which will stand on its own merits. “Every dollar of its debt has been paid, a $5,000 farm has been bought and paid for, its bills are paid in thirty days, its credit has been completely re stored; the three highest classes have been cut off and the curriculum brought within the reach of the race. While theory is still taught and every student is given a good English education, the whole course is intensely practical and industrial, and that the trend of senti ment among the race is toward practical education is evidenced by the fact of the largely increasing attendance. “The board has tried in every way to cut down expenses to the requirements of the college ihcome, and to save ex pense, it decided to hold meetings of the full board only once a year. An execu tive committee was appointed, consisting of Prof. M. C .S. Noble, Prof. J. YT Joyner and myself to act for the board in the interim. The board and especially the executive committee have thought and labored on this problem for nearly four years and were congratulating themselves on the splendid condition of the college, when a committee of ex aminers, after a few hours spent at the college, solemnly criticise and try to tear down the work of years. It is doubtful if these gentlemen of the committee, and 1 say it without intending to disparage them, ever gave an hour's thought to the subject of negro industrial education in teir lives, and yet they condemn the work of a board, some of whom are ex perts in educational matters, with about the same amount of thought that they would employ in ticking the ashes from their cigars. “And what are the criticisms? “First. That the board excluded the women, and the committee says: ‘lt has unjustly assailed the moral character of the colored race.’ The statement is absurd, but not more so than the posi tion of the committee in posing as the defender of the virtue of the colored women, and the next moment stabbing an institution which, in the opinion of many good men, is destined to do more good in making the race self-supporting and self-reliant than any other one agency in North Carolina. ‘The board had several reasons for excluding the colored women. It is doubtful if it was ever intended for wo men any more than the white A. anM. College was intended for white gil ls. The dormitory space was absolutely inade quate, the girls being crowded seven or eight in a room, and the sickness rate being much too large. We bail to get rid of either boys or girls, or build an other dormitory, which we had neither the money nor authority to do. Another reason, and a very patent one was that neither the Kiris nor boys wanted to en gage in the harder kinds of manual labor in the presence of tin* other sex, but would strive to dress up in line clothes to impress the c#her, and thus neglect study and work. It is true that there were scandals, in many eases invented by some designing negro wanting the other hand’s job, and sometimes started by some rascally man or boy for the love of sensation, or revenge. “Tiie change was thoroughly discussed with General Toon, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and was enthusias tically endorsed by him. The improve ment since is most marked—an increased willingness to work, more room, and no scandals, and what the examiners con demn is really the best thing that ever happened to the college. What the colored girls need is a school of domestic science and that can be established with out extra expense to the State by con verting one or more of the colored Nor mal schools into a female school. “The examiners next say, if correctly quoted' ‘We next note that since the ex clusion of girls the number of boys en rolled as students has somewhat in creased until now it is said to be as many as ninety-five. Feeliiig that the true tost of a school is not in its enroll ment, so much as in its actual average attendance we have tried to arrive at this, but have not been able to do so with certainty because no books have been kept from which it can be ascer tained. We have heard reports that it was as low as forty and as- high as fifty: we hope either is an under-estiainte. and that it is safe to place it at sixty, there fore dividing the expense of maintenance taken from the financial statement, $27,- 677.21 by 450 gives a per capita cost of maintenance of $461.28 for a term of six teen months. This we certainly con sider excessive and indicating an un necessary expenditure of money.’ • “It is not true that no books are kept at the college from which this attend ance can lie learned. The secretary and treasurer, who is also registrar, keeps accurate records of the attendance and studies of all students, and monthly re ports are sent tb tin* parents. Owing to the cutting olf of the girls, the attend ance was not as large last year as dur ing previous years and during the last few months many of the boys had to leave on account of poverty and the average attendance for the whole year was 64, but the attendance of boys was larger than the attendance of boys in any previous year, and there are now in actual attendance 114 students and an enrollment of 121, which is growing al most daily. Every room in the college, including those formerly occupied by the girls, is full, none having less than two and some as many as five boys. They speak of a term of sixteen months and divide all the money spent by the de partments without giving any credit for amounts earned, by the supposed num ber of boys, and say that the per capita is $461.28. Why take sixteen months? Would it not be fairer to take a year's per capita? The true test is what the colloge received and what it does with the money. The regular appropriations are £fs follows: United States appropriation $8,250.00 North Carolina appropriation... 7,500.00 “In addition to this, the last Legis lature appropriated $5,000.00 for two years as a special appropriation to help pay for the farm and help pay back debts. Taking the guess of the exam iners of 60 average attendance as cor rect and divide the regular appropria tion of $15,750.00, which is all that is spent on their education, by 60, and the cost per capita would be only $262 50. Divide it by 114, the number now in at tendance. and the per capita would be only $158.15. Divide the regular appro priation given by the State by the num ber in attendance and the per capita would be onlv $65.70 given by the State. If an additional dormitory were built, the per capita would soon be greatly decreased. “The examiners further say, according to the papers: ‘Amount expended on the farm, $10,052.88, and receipts therefrom ! sick room ivas for ’ gotten while the fam ily gazed breathless at this strange tragedy of the air. Then they went back to the sick room to tell of the terrible struggle for life they had just witnessed. It did not occur to them that under their very eves a more terrible, more pathetic struggle was going on daily. I There can be nothing more pitiful i than the struggle the consumptive makes against disease. The greatest I help in this struggle is gained by the | use of Dr. Pierce’s Golden Medical Dis covery. It cures obstinate coughs, weak and bleeding lungs, emaciation, and other ailments which if neglected or unskillfully treated find a fatal termina i tiou in consumption. ' «ln IS9B one of mv daughters was suffering on account ot a severe cough, lactic fever, wasting 1 of flesh and other symptoms of diseased lungs,” writes Rev. loseph 11. I cspcriuan. of Barium i Springs. Iredell Co.. N". C. "I promptly gave her Dr. K V. Pierce’s Golden Medical Discovery with gratifying success, and she now enjoxs excellent health. This being true, I hereby heartily endorse your medicines.” Accept no substitute for "Golden Med ■ ical Discovery.” There is nothing "just : as good ” for diseases of the stomach, > blood and lungs. i Dr. Pierce’s PI ?asaut Pellets assist tlk atTou ©i the M Discovery.” THE NEWS AND OBSERVER. TUESDAY MORNING. NOV. 25.1902; Paine’s Celery Compound CURES RHEUMATISM The Only Medicine That Prevents b Return to the Terrible Dis ease. Rheumatism, which does its terrible work in the muscles, joints and tissues, is caused by uric acid which gathers in the blood. To get rid of this poisonous I acid which produces the irritations, pains, agonies, inflammations, and swell ings peculiar to rheumatism. Paine’s Celery Compound should be used with out delay. No other medicine gives such prompt, cheering, and happy re sults. It is the only medicine that pre vents a return of the dreaded disease. Paine’s Celery Compound braces the nerves, the blood is quickly cleared of all irritating poisons, tissue and muscle are built up, anti the digestive organs perfectly toned. Do not treat with in difference the slightest rheumatic symp toms; the early use of Paine’s Celery Compound will save you weeks and months of suffering. Mr. S. D. Con way, St. Louis, Mo., was permanently cured by Paine’s Celery Compound after repeated failures with other medicines and physicians; he says: “I am 64 years of age, and have liveo in St. Louis 27 years, and all this time with the exception of three years, I have served in the Engineers’ Department as Inspector. Last winter 1 contracted rheumatism and was laid up. 1 tried all remedies and doctors, but all failed until I struck Paine’s Celery Compound, which has made a permanent cure in my case. I have recommended it- to many, and they have used it with the same re sult.” DIAMOND DYES Color Jackets, Coats, f apes, Ribbons, Neckties, Waists. Stockings will not fade or crock when dyed with Diamond Dyes. Direction book and 45 dyed samples free. DIAMOND DYES, Burlington, Vt. $4,240.30; amount expended' on brick yard. $8,252.23. and receipts therefrom $2,448.15.’ As to this the examiners say: ‘We would prefer that an industrial school teach how a farm and brick yard can be run with profit. ’ “As a matter of fact, during 1 the time mentioned, 16 months, there was spent on the farm, including machinery, etc., $1,488.81 instead of $10,052.78, and on the brick yard, Installed only about a year ago, including cost of machinery, build ing and all materials, the sum of $1,900.10 instead of $8,252 23, as stated, making errors of sl4 916.11 in these two items alone. The brick yard is paying ex penses and the farm is making a hand some income. “The farm raised this year the follow ing crop: 13 two-horse loads of pump kins, some weighing as much as 85 pounds. 216 bushels sweet potatoes. About 50 tons of ensilage. About 1,240 bushels of corn. 5 bushels of peas. 6 tons of shucks. 4,032 bundles of fodder. 3,016 bundles of tops. About 11 tons of hay. 1-2 ton of broom corn. About 250 bush els of turnips. About 35 bushels of late Irish potatoes. 33 3-4 dozen quarts to matoes (canned). 3 barrels krout. “And this does not include hay and green food used for cow and horses from Juno Ist to November 21st, neither does it include produce sold for cash, and that used for feeding students. “The appropriations of $15,750.00 are distributed by the board to the various departments as follows: $3,500 to the Department of Agricultural Industries. This department runs the farm, maintains a flourishing dairy, keeps the dining room where board is furnished at $5.00 per month; has charge of the green houses, pigs, horses, poultry and of the entire campus. It does all of this and does it well, and pays all salaries of the department for practical instruction in these various branches. “One thousand five hundred dollars to the Department of Agriculture and Chem istry. This department teaches the theory and pays all salaries and expenses with the amount named. $5,000 to the Me chanical Department. This department furnishes all heat and power used in the college, except in the dairy and farm, and has a brick yard, tin shop, shoe and harness shop, and blacksmith shop. It teaches practical carpentry and to this end has built several houses in the city. It teaches plumbing, brick lay ing and plastering and cabinet work, all in a practical way. These trades are pursued primarily of course for the pur pose of instruction but they are made as nearly self-supporting as possible, and nearly everything taught in the Me chanical and Agricultural Industries De partments pays some return to the col lege. and some pay satisfactory profits. “$5,000.00 to the General Department: “This department teaches the English branches, supplies the library, furnishes water lights, repairs to building, pays all administrative expenses, and every thing not included in the ether depart ments. “The entire salaries of every kind and of all departments for the year ending June Ist. 1902, $9,919.00, aud for the year ending June Ist, 1903, thpy will be $9,- 028.75, tin' average salary of all teachers being $485.05. “A classical school could be rut. for less, for technical instruction cs always more costly. Technical teachers are rarer, and more expensive, and more ap paratus is required than in classical schools, but by comparison with similar institutions for colored people in other States, the cost is remarkably small. “The examiners advise agetnst furth ei appropfations until it is shown by ex perience that this kind of teaching is eaj. culated (o promote the best interests of the great mass of our needy people.’’ “Men and brethren, be honest If you want to take away appropriations from the negro, do it like men. Don’t say you will close un an institution until it dem onstrates by experience what it e::n do. , “Ts the General Assembly thinks it can ' improve the management, I feci sure that all the board of trustees will will ingly resign, but it would be a fatal mistake to close up the institution. The college has been built up under many difficulties to a point of great useful ness, and it would be a pity to have so much eflort and invested capital wasted in order to save a paltry $7,400.00, and because a board of examiners after a few hours looking around, said it should be done. I here are people in North Car olina who would like to take away all aid from the negro, and possibly the ex aminers thought it would be popular to ‘roast’ this leading institution of a help less race, or possibly they thought it was expected of th*em to 'roast 1 somebody and recommend a saving somewhere, and not daring to select a powerful white in stitution, and yet wishing to show a raison d'etre, they fall upon a weak and disheartened race. “I worked as hard as any one to get the negro out of politics, hut I thank God that I am not so narrow and so small of soul as to want to deprive him of a chance in life. “We must be patient with the negro and we can afford to be magnanimous. “Because a man has been used to a wooden plow, is that any reason why you should not teach him to use a better one? So far as I can learn nearly every graduate is ea.rning an honest living, is doing well and commanding a good sala ry, or making good wages. “The management of the college an open book, and the board of trustees courts the fullest investigation. They do not claim that the college in perfect, no colored college is ideal, but we do claim that it is the best we could make it so far, and that it is steadily improv ing. ‘At the proper time the board of trim tees will make a full report of the af fairs of the college to His Excellency, Governor Avcock.” THE PLYMOUTH NOBMAL. Leading Citizens Peny the Jns'ice of the Criti cisms of the FxaminiDg Board. To the Editor: We find in the issue of November 19th a report of the exam iners of State Institutions. In reference to the Colored Normal School of Plymouth the followfo:: lan guage is used by said .examiners in speaking of said school: “In further evi dence we find that the negro man em ployed by the directors is utterly unfit to fill so important a position.” We have known Prof. Eppes, the negro man above alluded to, about four yearn, ever since his induction as superin tendent or assistant in the Colored Nor mal at this place, and we have no hesi tancy in saying that the examiners of State Institutions were misinformed in regard to him. And the language used by them in regard to him is unjust and absolutely untrue. He is a man of bright intelligence, thoroughly qualified, intellectually, os well as by long experience as a teacher to fulfill all of the duties of superintend ent of any “Colored Normal” in the State, and he is the peer of any teacher in any of the Colored Normal Schools. And, we the white citizens, take pleas ure in saying that in the administration of his school, from the increased attend ance and building up of the school for the time he has had charge of ! t and from our observation of the management of paid school, he has shown not only that he is mentally and morally quali fied, but that he has good executive ability. We are creditably in lorn, d that the examiners only made a flying visit to this place, stopping less than half an hour at the school, making no personal examination of his mental or moral qualifications as a teacher; and yet they make the grave charge of his unfitness. Which proves clearly and conclusively that they did not qualify themselves to Judge of his competency and have done him a cruel wrong, which we take pleas ure in refuting, and assure his many white friends elsewhere that there is no colored man in this community who is more highly esteemed by his white 1* 1- low-citizens than Professor Eppes. The examiners who visited Plymouth seems to have been singularly unfortu nate in that they happened to meet dur ing their too brief visit, exactly sueli persons as had, for causes unnecessary to mention (save to allude to the fact that certain well-meaning people are prejudiced against negro education in toto) reason for speaking ill of the school and its principal. To all uppearance they are as guilty of great negligence as the board of direc tors in failing to properly investigate. W. J. JACKSON, Sheriff. F. R. JOHNSTON, Register of Deeds- J. O. EVERETT. Countv Supt. of Schools. LEVI BLOUNT, Chairman of Ooun’.y Board of Commissioners, Washington County. C. J. NORMAN. Chairman of Cn»- v Board of Education. J. 11. BRFFALOE, Minister of M. E. 'Church, South. H- S. WARD. Attorney. JAS. SKITTLETHORPE, County Commission Washington County. W. W. E; LY. Physician. S. B. SPRt LL, Mayor of Plymouth. Cure for Asthma and Hay Fever The statements published below con firm the claim of Dr. Schiffmann that his remedy is an absolute cure for Asthma and Hay Fever. Mrs. Mary Zachory, Pleasant Hill, La., says: “I have found your Asthma Cure a permanent euro for Asthma, for which I used It 7 years ago. I have never had the slightest return of the trouble since. I huve also found your remedy excellent in Bronchial affections.” A Hay Fever sufferer writes: “I have had Hay Fever for 14 years. I bought a package of your remedy (Schiffmann’s Asthma Cure), of our druggist and due to Its use this is the first summer thatl have not been troubled.” Mrs. Frank Uuilfoglo, 6237 Ridge avenue, Roxboro, Philadelphia. {Sold by druggists at 50c and SI.OO. Send 2c stamp to I)r. R. Sehilfmann, Box 890, St. Paul, Minn., for a free sam ple package. EXECUTOR S NOTICE. Having qualified as Executor of the estate of Augustus Carter, deceased, of Wake county, notice is hereby given to all parties indebted to the estate to come forward and make payment, and all per sons having claims against the estate are hereby notified to present them for payment on or before November 24th, j 1903, or this notice will be plead in bar J of their recovery. JOHN W. CARTER. 1 ,jf Your e killing /S~Nv two Inrc’A with one stone when yovz vise yCy PEARL,* NFL “Work** and “Wear” are both A' a avoided by v/ixthin£ without rubbing,—the X way. More economy. You ssvve health, strength, and money when r/ -s - you us© FEAKLINE. Fact 3 never disproved. The common sense, vsp-10-dix te way of v ~—getting things clean is the 600 Pe;auriif\e Method - A WILL GO ON YOUR BOND— American Bonding Company of Baltimore. ASSETS OVIR $2,500,00® BUSIN JCSB CONFINED TO SURETY BOND*. Accepted U sole security by U. S. Government and the Btate and Counties es Nerth Carolina. SOLICITS THE BONDS OH Federal Officers, Administrators, Executors, etc., Bank, Corporation and railroad officers, Guardians, Receivers and Assignees, Deputy Collectors, Gaugers, itc., Cotton and Tobacco Buyers, Insurance and Fertilizer Agents, Contractors and Builders. Postmasters, better Cariiersh, etc. Tobacco and Cigar Manufacturers, And all poisons occupying positions of ,trust and responsibility. Reasonable rates and prompt attention to cotresJJondence. RELIABLE AGENTS WANTED In all county scats and important towns in which we arc not at present*represented. Address, R. B. RANEY, General Agent, Raleigh, N. C. EVERY”CORNER Ot the country, every Stale in the Union, all unite in praise of the Shoninger Pianos. Have you joined the eat procession that is keeping time to the music of Shoninger Pianos? If not, you should do so at or.ee. It is one of the handsomest, most durable, sweet-toned pianos ever sold in this section. Prices moderate. Terms reasonable. Darnell & Thomas. 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The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.)
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Nov. 25, 1902, edition 1
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