While we know our northern friends may not feel it, in the South, Spring is
here. So we thought we'd share a few of our gardening sites appropriate
for this time of the year. Along with gardening, there's grilling, and getting
ready to diet so that you can fit back into that bathing suit this summer!
"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 noble 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 class 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 assignment, and afterwards
illustrated 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 passages 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 institution. 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 Saturday evening. These are daily
enjoyed by all the smaller pupils. But all
over fourteen years, after enjoying 6½ hours
in the school room, are expected to work
three hours each day in the latter part of
the afternoon, and on Saturdays 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 institution 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 chore 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
prone 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 Saturdays until the end of the
term.
If the necessary materials are on hand, this
is the golden time to start the older and
best trained boys on the permanent
improvement work outlined for the year, such
as fence building, sprouting, clearing of
new lands, the construction of conveniences
for the school, home or farm, the repair of
old, the erection and painting of new
buildings and finally, the preparation of
the ground and planting of the crops for the
next year.
The boys, however, are never
taken to the timber or fields when the
ground is damp or the weather is cold and
unfavorable. When from these causes they
cannot work to advantage, they continue
their studies in the class room, all the
day.
The two winter months of
January and February have been ordinarily
unfavorable for student work in the timber
or fields. The work is then, to a
considerable extent, limited to the
carpenter shop, cellar, or indoor work on
new buildings.
Improvement
Work
In order that the work performed by the
students during the industrial hours of each
week, may serve to promote the welfare of
the institution as well as for training the
individual, it devolves upon the
superintendent and matron to have ready
suitable work, and all the tools and
materials necessary to execute it, when the
students are ready for assignment.
This work includes the chores morning and
evening, the preparation of the fuel-about
twenty-five cords annually, first in the
timber and then at the woodpile-the
cultivation of the farm and garden, the
harvesting of the crops and the care of the
stock, all of which may be termed necessary
routine work.
In addition thereto there may be permanent
improvement work, such as the clearing of
new lands for cultivation and enclosing them
with good fences, the repair of old and the
erection of new buildings and the
manufacture of articles of furniture or
comfort, for the better equipment of the
many rooms in the buildings.
A plain statement of these two kinds of work
will indicate to nearly every one the prime
importance of endeavoring to accomplish as
much improvement work as possible each term.
There is now more of this improvement work
pressing for immediate attention than
possibly may be done during the next three
years, but it needs now to be contemplated,
intelligently provided for, and then
executed as speedily as possible.
Sawing Wood, A Picnic
Saturday forenoon has come to be recognized
as the special fuel or timber day of each
week. It is a busy and bustling day for all.
For this day's work two dozen boys are
organized and equipped with axes, a
splitting outfit, four crosscut saws and the
mule team. The axe men are divided into two
squads, the axe men or stumpers who cut down
trees, and the trimmers who trim the trunks
and large branches. Three boys are assigned
to each crosscut, two of whom are expected
to keep the saw running steadily, while the
third one, who is supposed to be resting,
carries a light lever and, with the weight
of his body raises the log under the
crosscut, so it will not bind the saw as it
goes through it. By taking turns at the saw
and lever, the hardness of this work is
greatly relieved, and it sometimes is
surprising to see the amount of work, done
by the small boys, when they have "a mind to
work." If the logs are large or the saw runs
hard, it is not unusual for them to couple
together and merrily make the running of the
saw a four-handed affair. The
superintendent, or one of the older boys
acting as a foreman, goes before the saws
and with an axe marks out the work for them,
so they can work speedily, and so that every
piece that may serve for posts, long or
short, or for fence props or rails, is cut
the proper length.
The boys have worked faithfully and
industriously in the timber on Saturday
forenoons. A rest of fifteen minutes has
always been given, about the middle of the
forenoon. When the signal is given, they
assemble at some convenient place, where
there are several logs suited for seats; for
all are required to be seated as the best
way to rest their weary limbs, during this
period.
A pail of fresh water and a paper sack
filled with soda crackers is always provided
for their enjoyment at this time. A smile of
pleasure and delight is sure to light up the
countenance of every boy, when, taking his
turn, he thrusts his hand into the paper
sack and draws there from his appointed
number of crackers.
At these periods of rest and lunch all
usually seem as happy as if they were
enjoying a regular social picnic dinner.
Amid the merriment and pleasantry of the
occasion they seem to forget all
consciousness of weariness, or thought that
their work is hard, and resume it again with
pleasure and delight.
This site
includes some historical materials that may imply negative stereotypes
reflecting the culture or language of a particular period or place. These
items are presented as part of the historical record and should not be
interpreted to mean that the WebMasters in any way endorse the stereotypes
implied .
Choctaw Freedmen and Oak Hill Industrial
Academy, 1914, Robert Elliott Flickinger
