The Big Stone Gap post. [volume], March 15, 1911, Image 1

About The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928

Image provided by: Library of Virginia; Richmond, VA

                
I_The Big Stone Gap Post.
p>LVX,x- BIG STONE GAP. WISE COUNTY, VA.. WEDNESDAY; MARCH 15. 1911. ""-Nt^TT
PODERN SCHOOL HOUSES
IN WISE COUNTY.
H So county in tho Appalachian |
?fc ginn has experienced it inure j
?iki.iikod mali rial development
?flu tin- last twenty years than j
?Rvise county, \'a. Froth being
Bane of the poorest counties in
kHIm state it has become one of
llni,.- riches) in the south.
9 It is gratifying that the
Hovolopmenl of that county has
S^S,,,t been material anil industrial
Holl.seclusion of the intellec?
tual and cultural The citi/.ons
|*[)f this progressive county has
$S\perifiicc<l from the earliest
SB.ins of the county's develop
Sin-tit the tiuth of the Ituskin's
V : ?. ? 111. Ii t that, 'Tin- I rue Veins
iv*J'! wealth are n'>t in rock, but in
aSh'-h. The final outcome nn<) |
Bonservatien of all wealth is inj
?he producing as many as pos-l
fSihh- full breathed, bright-eyed I
Ham I happy-hoartetl humaneren
Ifflures." The coal and other
Bcsbttrces of Wise county are of
HiicalculnblO value, yet the most
H (ltlitible natural resource of the
H-otinty is its children. No
K'oimiy, howbvor poor in soil
Bind natural material resources,
miwiII long remain poor if it I
i?), alizes that the boys and girlsj
%ni the most valuable raw
Hinaterial of any country.
33 The following article, written!
?|l'n the progressive and efficient'
{?superintendent of schools of
9Wise ciiiinty, .lames N. Ilill-j
ajiiian, portrays some things that'
Hhave been done to make the
SaM-liools more Olficiont:
Wise County Nolcs.
?5 If. in the course of this ar
Bticle, there should appear to he
I lino "selfr-boosting," our rend
Bers will please he kind enough
Hto believe us when We say that
? there is hp such spirit on the
H part of tin writer.
Development
I? lluihliiigs: It is common
I adai;e, not only with the people
1 oi V\ No county themselves, but
fl vvitli other Becttdhs of the stnto
2 as well, that our development
a? in the last twenty years in the
g way of increased population,
la increased wcnlthj and increased
H trade, has frilly been wonder?
's inl. it will bo our ami under
a ibis theme to show that our
a ilevelopmonf along educational
9 lines has kept, pace with our
i' rapid material progress, lieliev
y ihg, as wo do, thai the richest
fl being on earth is not the man
3 who is master of millions, hut
9 be who is master of hiinSolf
g through a well rounded (level
i optnent of his physical, mental
a ami moral natures.
1 With your pardon for a per
I sonal reference, we will first
I contrast some of the buildings
I nf twenty years ago with some
? of those being erected in the
1 county today.
I Tho writer is a native of Wise
i county, and twenty years ago
B was a school hoy, and the eon
? ditinns as now remembered are
j about as follows, with regard to
ibis particular school: A log
house on tho hiil, size, n; feel
by 'Jo feet, height of ceiling in
feet; number of pupils about :)();
number of square feet lloor
space per pupil about 10; mini
her cubic foot of air space per
pupil about 100; light arrange?
ment, three 8x10-inch 12-light
Nvindows, placed, one in the
center of each of the two sides,
and one in the center of the rear
wall, corresponding to the door
in front; percentage of light,
bused on the lloor space, li;
heating, a big wood stove in the
center; seating, benches with
straight hacks made of strips,
not solid, blackboards, a mova
hie one -planks nailed to two
upright pieces and painted
black; inside decorations, the
natural hewn logs with boards
nailed over the cracks between!
the logs on which there were!
NN'ritleu many names,of ten times
accompanied by appropriate;
drawings; outside trim. the|
natural hewn log with green
moss which the writer helped
to gather, chinked in thecracks
between the logs to break the;
monotony, incidentally to pre-!
vent too much fresh air getting
into the classroom; and covered1
with boards through the center;
of whose Oomb projected to the j
height of about 1? inches a stone1
Hue.
Suffice it to saj that this!
i
hnuso lias not withstood thoj
onward march of progross. Tnis|
ty pe of school house has been I
supplanted by modern school j
buildings a'ntl equipment. Pas?
sing over the intermediate
stages we believe that a de?
scription of a one room house
erected this year will give as!
gbotl idea of the development 1
along this lino as anything oIbo
that we could do. Following In
the line of tin- other description
in order to aitl in the compari?
son; wo give it a-? follows: A
one room framo building, hav?
ing a playground of about one
I acre.in a level bottom, even if
it is shut in by a chain of
mountains and in a very rural
section, what some tiro still
1 wont to call the "backwoods;"
size of classroom 25 feet by 112
j foot, with a cloakroom S by 25
foot, a vestibule 8 feet square,
and with porch in front H feet
by l-feet; height of coiling 1.1
feet; floor surface (classroom)
BOO, feel square; number of pu?
pils aiion; 10; number of square
feet ' lloor space per pupil
about 120; number of cubic font
of air space per pupils about I
200; li^ht arrangement, 1 fl ami
rear, six 10x22 inch slight
Windows, massed, m the left,
ami two 12x1$inch 12 light
windows in the rear, with two
large windows to the cloak?
room, ami two for the vestibule;
percentage of liubt in class?
room based on lloor space, 25;
heating, n modern jacketed
j stove with fresh air duct lead-1
; inj/ ti> outside mr. the same
? being regtilaletl by a valve
I inside the classroom, ami a
double slack for smoke from
[stove ami to extract from the
classroom all the vitiated air in
a very short time, ihus cluing-1
Iuk the air in the room every
few minutes. Seating, patent
I desks, Rlnglt) (made a mistake
iii not Using1 adjustable desks',
blackhoanl, slate ami about loo
I square feet, of it; decoration
inside, all woodwork liardoilcd |
; ami plastering to he tililcd a j
j cream color, while to this wo
[ hope to effect through a civic
i league the collecting of some
[pictures for the walls, and by
this wo do not mean a oollcc
I lion of calendars and whatnot,!
I lacked "all over" the walls, but i
we believe in a picture mould
ling, pictures framed, and
artistically arranged. We much
profi r the dignity of a bare
I wall than one "spotted'* with a
conglomeration of scenes, tin in,
wo do not believe in teaching a
child to mar the benuty of a
I plain wall, even; outside, paint?
ed a good gray, with the hipped, !
tin shingle roof painted, and
withal, mad.: as homelike as
possible. With this comparison,
then, may we not say that our
educational development has
kept pace with other develop?
ments so far as buildings are
concerned!'
We might mention, In pass?
ing, that the buildings at Big
Stone (lap, Bast Stone Uap,
Appalachia, Wise, Norton,!
Coeburn, Ueorgel, and St 1'atill
were erected at a cost of about
{1125,000, ami with equipment,]
improvements, etc., uro worth
about $1-10,000, We might men?
tion other smaller buildings,
erected this year Which arc
modern in every particular,
having lavatories and drinking
fountains in the buildings, hut
time forbids.
The School: We are well
aware of the fact that a line
building with a splendid equip?
ment and every modern con?
venience does not make a good
school. Such things are very
necessary means to the end, but
not the end. We hear a great
deal these days about the school
and society, much of which is
good, but it is simply supplying
many of the experiences which
a materialistic and mechanical
civilization has drowned out of
the child's experience. The
introduction of industrial train- '
ing, manual, training, domestic
science, etc., but verify the;
statements above. One thing,
however, we are realising today
that the educator of a few de
cudes ago never thought of. for
the simple reason, possibly, that
it was not necessary in an age
i
of family prayer and family
altars, at a time when parents
took time to teach their children
of tied of nature, and of the
bounty and symmetry of tho
world which surrounds us, and
Bttrrounds them with an en?
vironment which led them to
an appreciation of the aesthetic
t?idi> of life, of the beauty and of
the seriousness of living, for the
second master, as then known,
to spend time in the develop?
ment of tin- aesthetic tastes of
his children. Hut in this age of
strain and stress when every
nerve is being brought into
play, and every household is
studying about its maintenance,
when family altars are forgot
ten, when family prayer is
unknown, it behooves us to
counteract the sordid and
materialistic with things worth
while. Thus wo have the re
lined lecture courses, the high
class lyceiim courses, etc. We
tried one of these courses this
year, a brief explanation of
which might he given.
We contracted with the Rad
altffeo Lyceum Bureau, of
Washington, l>. C, font course
of live attractions, consisting of
two musical and recitals, one
niagicrtu performance, ami one
lecture, and one impersonator.
By giving these different at?
tract ions four consecutive ap
p.dtitmoots on each trip, we
secured a good rale. That is,
an attraction would come to
Coeburn on Monday, go to Wise
on Tuesday. Norton on Wed?
nesday, and Big Stone (Jap on
Thursday. Tins means that each
of these towns which supported
this course got live attractions
at a very reasonable cost. The
guarantee was hacked by the
school boards of the respt ctive '
districts in three instances and
by the writer in lie? other. As
a whole, the course was not a
paying proposition, tlnancially, I
but we hope some good has been
done. The guarantees were
provided for by selling season
iiekets. The school children
were made special prices which
were nominal. The people, on
a whole, sii far as we have been
able to lind out, have been very
well pleased..
ISvcry elTort is being made toi
get a close co operation of the
patrons with every move to
make the school, in fact, tint
social center of the community . I
Debating societies, not only in
our high schools, but in some of |
Ho- one-room schools of the
county, arc bringing tho patrons I
and young peoph of the com
mtiuity together in debate und
social intercourse. The writer
took part ill a debate recently t
at the closing of a one-room i
school in winch one of the
patrons of the school, two young
men of the community ami
himself were the debaters. I
Needless to say that there wus
a ??full house." So much for
this side of the work which we
are trying to do. We shall be
glad to continue this outline of I
our development in an article:
later, in which article we shall!
discuss the development of the;
teacher, together with the
methods of the teaching today
us compared with those two
I decades ago.?Bristol Herald
Virginia Wins
The Debt Case
Supreme Court Holds That
West Virginia Must Pay
$17,182,507.
Washington, Mar. U.?Sitting
in the unusual capacity of a
board of auditors, the Supreme
Court of the United Stutes
today computed that the State
of West Virginia was under
obligations to pay over seven
millions of dollars of the thirty
three million dollar debt of
Virginia which existed when
the new Rtate wus formed.
it was the biggest problem in
arithmetic the Supreme Court
has had to handle in many
years. The exact figures held
by the court to be the proper
proposition of the old debt
which West Virginia is under
obligation to bear was $7,
!S'Vi07.
STRANGES DIES BY
ROADSIDE NEAR WISE
Supposed Suicide---Thought
to Have Been From tlie
Soldiers' Home.
Wise, Vn., March 9.?Lato
yostorday evening an old man,
supposed to he 56 or 50 years
old, was walking along the
I lladeville pike near this place. !
lie was seen by Home small hoys
to lake a glass out of his pocket
and ilip some water from a
spring by the road side. He put
.something in a glass from a
bottle and drank it and then ho,
threw the glass and bottle to
one side. He then walked a
fow steps and fell unconscious.
Mr. .lames Bradley, who lives
near the place, together with
some other parties, carried him
to the house of Mr. Bradley and
seal a messenger af tor a doctor.
I>r. Miles immediately answer?
ed the call, hut when hearriveil'
it was too lute ; the man died
without gaining consciousness.
He is about six feet in height, j
well built, weight el,out i
pounds, front teeth gone,
smooth shaved, bald, scar on
the point of tin- left shoulder, |
which looks as if it came by a.
gunshot, hail on pants of navy
blue color, had a case in his
pocket hearing the name of
Ueorgu Meredith, t Imnha, Nob.,
also some trading stamps issued
by C. 1). Ward and Frlberg,
Johnson City, Tenn.j had a
large clap knife of peculiar
shape, a pair of gold glasses
and a purse containing thirteen
cents in change. It looked like
a case of self destruction. No
one knows him and there was
nothing on his person by which
be could he identilii di The man
was well dressed and lias an
intelligent face, lie is supposed
to be from the soldiers' home at
Johnson City, Mayor Vance
has wired the superintendent
of the home. I'p to this t Hie?
be has heard nothing. Unless
the body is claimed it will be
buried tomorrow at the poor
REV. MR. BUNN
DIES SUDDENLY
Hey. A, Bunn, one of the
oldesl and best known Method-1
isi ministers in this section,
died at the home of his daugh?
ter, Mrs. 8. A. Single, on Clay
street, at 1 o'clock Thursday,
after a very brief illness. Mr.
Buhn was for nearly half a
century a minister of the gospel
and raised a large family, lie
was the father of Krank Bunn,
Henry!) Bunn and tleorge 8.
Bunn, all well known business
men of Bristol, in addition to a
number of other sons and sev?
eral daughters.
Mr. Bunn watt the father of
fourteen children and leaves
thirty-eight grandchildren and
several great grandchildren. He
had been in feelde health for
several months, but only lasi
Sunday he attended the Kirst
Methodist church and assisted
the pastor, the Rev. W. K.
l'itts, in administering the
sacrament, lie was taken sud?
denly ill at the dinner table
Thursday, complaining of a
pain in his breast, and died a
few minutes later.
Of the surviving sous and
daughters living in Bristol,
there are: 0. F. Bann, II. t?.
Bunn, tleorge S. Bunn and Mrs.
S. A. Single. The others in?
clude: Mrs. Isaac Worley; of
Oklahoma City, <>kla.; Mrs. T.
L. King, of LaJara, California;
Stephen Bunn; of Limestone,
Tenn.; Klbnrt Buna, of Big
Stone (lap, Va.; and Joseph 8.
Bonn, of Norton. ? Bristol Her?
ald Courier.
Life Saved AI Death's Door.
"1 never felt so mar my grave." writes
W K Patterson, of Wellington, T>-< . as
when a frightful rough and lung trouble
pulled me .loan to inn pounds, in spite
of doctor'* treatment Tor two ycara My
father, mother and two aistera died of
consumption, anil that I am alive today
k due solely to Dr. King ? New Discov?
ery, which completely cured me. Now I
weigh IS? pounds and have been welt
ami strong for yeara." Quick, safe, sure,
its the liest remedy on earth for coughs
col.is, lagrlpDO, asthma, croup and all
throat and lung troubles. ,VX-and ft.00.
trial bottle free. Guaranteed by J. W.
I Telly, Druggist.
LETTER TO
SOUTHERN PEOPLE
Johnson City, Tonn . Mar. 10.
?The people of California, nt
the suggestion of oho of tlio i
Western railroads, have begunI
tin) sending of four million]
invitations to persons onst of
the Mississippi river to go as]
settlers to California. .Ml tho
Western railroads are urging
t lie people of the West to do
Ijkowiso for their different I
states. A large part, if not a,
majority, of those invitations]
will cotne to tin' South, and wo|
navo not any people to spare, j
In fan, oar greatest need is|
innre people. Why, then, shall
we not undertake to gather the
names and invite them back to
the Smith "back home"?our
own people? Millions of thorn
are in the West and Northwest.
Is not the South good enough
for them? Have we not stitli
dient confidence in its oppor?
tunities to invite, nay to urge,
Southern people to come "back [
home" ami share them? Final?
ly, is not the "Hack Home"
movement a real, tangible work
for us as individuals some
thing definite for us to do? Toll
every one you know to write
to every one he knows in
the West or elsewhere to come
"back home" and bring others,
(?all on the railroads to send
tie m literature of reasons and
facts as to why our people
should come "back home," Lot
us show the Western railroads
that we can send live invitations
to their one. Let us show that
the South can olfer, and "make
good" on ;is manv opportuni?
ties as the West indeed better
ones. I .et us ?vomo alive!"
You Take
No Risk
Our Reputation and Money
Ate Back of This Offer.
We pay for all the medicine
used during the trial, if our
remedy tails to completely
relieve you of constipation, We
lake all tin- risk. Von uro not
obligated to us in any way
whatever, if you accept our
oiler. Ootlhl anything be more
fair for you'- Is there any ron
??.Ii why you should hesitate to
put our claims to a practical
The most scientific, common
senso treatment is Itexall < >r
derlies, which are eaten like
candy. They are very pro?
nounced, gentle and pleasant in
action, and particularly agree?
able in every way. They do not
cause diarrhiea, nausea, llatul
dice, griping or any inconven?
ience whatever. Kexall Order?
lies are particularly good for
children, aged and delicate
persons.
?J We want you to try Rexall
j (Irderlies at our risk. Two sizes,
loe. and 25c. Remember, you
can get lloxall Homed ics in this
I community only at our store?
The P.oxall Store. The Kelly
i I >rug (lompany.
CARTER FLANKRY
Rye Cove, Va.. March b.?A]
j marriage of much importance
socially occurred last week
j when Miss Kita V. Flanary.
granddaughter of .1. M. Flanary,
I of Dot, l.eo county, Va., became
the bride of .1. 1'?. Carter, a well
known young man of Rye ('<'v e.
The ceremony was performed
by Rev. J. II. Graham, in the
presence of a company of friends
and relatives of tin- parlies. The
groom's mother, Mrs. P. K.
Carter, welcomed the guests, it
reception having been given
Inter in honor of the bride and
groom. Those present included
Miss Agnes Richmond, Mrs. C.
H. Cowden, Mrs. J. F. Rich?
mond and Ii. F. Feuilleton, the
latter of Arcadia, in addition to
the bride und groom and mem?
bers of the immediate family.
A delightful supper was served.
There was music by Miss Agnes
Richmond, Mrs.Kmmett Carter,
mid Miss pet Flanary.
l:alU Victim To Thieves.
S. \V. ilinil.-..or Coal City. Ala., lus
a justifiable grievance. Two thieves stole
bis health l-.r twelve years. Th?y wem a
I liver anil kidney 'rouble Then Dr.
; King's New Life Pill? throttled tbeui.
He's well now, Unrivaled for Constipa?
tion, MaUrla. Iloadaehe Dyspepsia,
I&V, at Jt. W. Kelly's Drug Store.
Mine Location.
W. M. Blair has in hispossea
Sion a very old writing which
lia-* been handed down by his
foreparents since 1707, nnd
since the building of n railroad
through this section will bring
about many changes anil de?
stroy much of our timber,
scenery, etc., he has decided to
have a copy of the same pub?
lished. It is as follows:
"I.ovation of Swill, Mondav and (larrcll
Mine."
"Two short days' ride from
Castle's Camp (supposed to 1"'
now called ?OStlesw??ds, Va.)
See water courses running in ft
Northern direction, See a ball
spot on mountain stitablo for a
pasture for horses with very
rough cliffs around it so as to
keep horses inside by putting a
few polos at entrance. See
water falls near (his. Seo a
large spring boiling up with
small streams running up from
it in little channels forming tin*
shape of a jew's harp. See a
remarkable lock just above the
forks of a crook near where the
rook goes nearly across the
creek (called the old man). Seo
tin namcH Swift, Monday nnd
(larrett, cut on a largo beech
tree, near there in a holly grove
near the forks of the creek See
an awful rough country along
the creek for fi or ii miles from
the ball spot on mountain.
"See a buffalo or deer lick
two miles from furnace. See a
salt spring at a water course 'J
I to l miles from furnace. See a
long high ridge rt or 0 miles
north of the furnace, See ponds
mi mountain with entail flags
around them near furnace. Seo
hills from Ihn mountain near
furnace at a distant forming
sharp tops like haystacks.
"Kind over600pounds melted
from ore and placed under roots
? if a birch ami pine, 'ingrown,'
j about midway between furnace
and mine, ami the ball spot
where horse-, were enclosed."
A true copy of the above
writing found in the papers of
Charles Hhiir, grandfather of
'.Squire lllair, who onco lived on
head of I'Vauks Creek, head of
Cumberland river, are now in
the hitter's possession. Unless
accidentally destroyed, lost or
stolen, 'Squire Ulair says ho
will not part with same.?
Whitcsburg (Ky.) Ragle,
NORTON TAXES HIGH.
A special to the l.ynchburg
News from Norton say s:
"Some of the citizens ami
taxpayers of Norton are Bomo
w hat disturbed over tlm fact
that, hereafter, forty cents on
the hundred dollars will bo
udded to their taxes for road
purposes Up to this time the
towns in Wise county hnvo
been maintaining their own
Streets, and consequently were
not required to pay road tax.
Kut the ?700,000 bond issue for
new roads has changed matters.
The towns participated in vot?
ing these bonds and are hound
fin their proportion of the in
dob ted miss, In the future Nor?
ton, according to the present
assessed valuation -if property,
will have to pay about $2,200
annually to the building and
support of roads in the county.
I his, notwithstanding tho fact
that the tow.i gels about one
mile of macadam road as a re
sul; ..I the big bond issue. This
will run through main street
and *.vill be only sixteen feet
wide hardly the width of the
street itself. In the thirty years
Norton will have paid, counting
interest, over sixty-eight thous?
and dollars for this piece of
road. Of course the town will
reap large benefits from tho
good roads throughout tho
Bounty, at the same time this
enormous outlay of money for
one mile of road is bringing a
rather sickly grin to the faces
of niuny tax payers.
Wife Ooi Tip Top Advice.
li' My wife wanted me to take ?.ur boy in
Ilm doctor to euro an iiijly boil." write*
I). i'rnnki'l, of Hlroud, Okia. "1 said put
Uneklen'a Arnica Safvo on it.' She did
and it cured tho boil In a abort tltnc."
Quickest healer of Rama, Scalds, Cut?,
j Coma, Umbra, Sprains and Dwellings,
'Real Plbjoure on earth Trv it. Only
230-atJ, W". Kelly's lirun Store.