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INSPIRATION AMONG THE HILLS A scholar’s library far out in “the beautiful, blessed country’’—a great store house of knowledge suddenly and unexpectedly found—the “Pierian Fount,” lonely, sweet and pure—springing up in the Gaza path and flowing in sparkling beauty amid the rolling, rural hills—this is what the tired body and the thirsty soul of the writer, surprised and delighted, came upon without note of warning, thir teen long miles from the railroad in beautiful Northeast Georgia. It was the home of George Garnett Strange, the c. .. mt " AElttr j\. ‘ ■■ X-/’- ■ JhXX ■ .« ' ■ ,U • . PROFESSOR G. G. STRANGE, Commissioner of Schools, Banks County, Georgia. “young bachelor” commissioner of education in the good old county of Banks. ' Rig’ht along about the days of Oglethorpe, his an cestors from the Fatherland obtained this grant of land from the Indians themselves, and the dear old homestead has never for a day been outside the House of Strange. Garnett Strange, as he is familiarly called, might come to the crowded marts of trade and take his place amid the shades of culture and the leaders of finance for which his talents and his education fit him, but he wisely stays at the home of his child hood and labors for the intellectual and spiritual uplift of the noble people of his native hills. Superintendent of the Sunday school, “mudsill” in the church and general leader in every good word and work, his influence in that section is far-reach ing and deathless. And how the people love him! It were worth while to live, to labor—and if need be, to suffer and to die—just to be conscious of such love from so many people who are daily climbing upward through the influence of one brave, true life! It was first the urgent word of his splendid broth er, Winfield Strange, who is a similar power in the growing town of A\ Ingham, that first turned my heart and eyes toward historic Nail’s Creek Church. I found three hundred members in that great coun try church, and after one week of happy fellowship and service with the beloved pastor, Henry Ayers, who, himself, is a consecrated “scholar and a gen tleman,” we left nearly three hundred and fifty members, more than forty being baptized, with others to follow. Now, that enterprising country church is pre paring to have preaching every Sunday instead of once a month, many family altars have been estab lished, many have determined to give at least “one tenth” to the Master’s cause, and everybody is happy! The Golden Age for September 20, 1006. By WM. D. UPSHAW. Banks County Oratorical Contest. A sunny day, a great crowd, under the trees in the pretty little town of Homer, Garnett Strange, mas ter of ceremonies—for this annual oratorical con test is the child of his own brain and heart—and the valiant representatives of twenty schools from all over the county, “learning how to learn how,” and inspiring hundreds while they try— that was the beautiful picture. The band played Dixie, and the crowd sang “America.” Here are the speakers and here are the pictures of the vic tors of the day: The Contestants. Hickory Level School—Miss Margie Adams: “You Put No Flowers on My Papa’s Grave.” Salem—Miss Bessie Eubanks: “The Boy Hero.” Maysville—Miss Nellie Stephens: “Sandy’s Ro mance.” Bushnell—Miss Eula Owen: “The Surrender.” Arp—Thales Pendergrass: “Bonaparte.” Hickory Flat—Miss Lula Parks: “The Three Bidders. ” Carnot—Miss Jessie Greer: “Little Jim.” Grove Level—Miss Hester Dill: “The Polish Boy. ’ ’ Leatherwood—Miss Sadie Davis: “Kate Shelly.” Homer—Miss Ruth Turk: “Becalmed.” Corinth—Miss Viola Word: “Papa’s Letter.” Silver Shoals—Henry Furr: “Building.” Griffin—Miss Magnolia Haynes: “My Angel Mother.” Grove Creek—Miss Beulah Smelly: “The Ob structive Hat.” Grady’s Academy—Miss Lizzie Durham: “Tom my’s Prayer.” Mt. Bethel—Miss Marie Eberhart: “The Teach er’s Diadem.” Henderson—Frank Waters: “Success in Life.” Ridgeway—Willie Ray: “Deathbed of Benedict Arnold.” Mt. Pleasant—Miss Lee Brawner: “How He Saved St. Michael’s.” Mt. Olivet—Grover Pool: “There is a God.” The judges on recitation were: Prof. J. K. Gil lespie, Homer, Ga.; Miss Bunnie Love, Baldwin, Ga.; and Miss Lula Cook, College Park, Ga. riW ’ ■ ' i WILLIE RAY, RUTH TURK, Winner of Declamation Winner of Elocution Medal. Medal. On declamation the judges were as follows: Prof. W. A. Woodruff, Lula, Ga.; Miss Cora Neal, Com merce, Ga.; and Mrs. Jennie Kettrell Eberhart, Maysville, Ga. The medals were delivered by Prof. D. A. Wood ing, of Maysville, who, for so many years, poured out his life for the children of Banks county when he was superintendent of schools. He is a lofty type of the “old-time Southern gentleman,” and his address was beautiful in sentiment, rich in thought, and impressive in delivery. He and his queenly consort take the children to their hearts and keep young by drinking at the “fountain of youth.” There were rounds of applause when he announc ed the names of the winners—among the girls. Miss Ruth Turk, of Homer, a bright little maiden of barely ten years, whose charming naturalness of expression Avon her the victory in recitation, and Master Willie Ray, of Ridgeway, whose rendition of “The Deathbed of Benedict Arnold,” revealed the orator’s conception and showed plainly an em bryonic speaker of power. Mr. C. A. Meeks, the genial editor of the'' Banks County Journal, who has done so much to encour age the school work of the county, was beaming benediction on everybody. Hot as the weather was, the big audience managed to live through a speech on education by the editor of The Golden Age, and teachers and pupils went away determined to make better schools than ever, and come back next year for another day of inspiration under the trees. The Temperance Marseillaise —A Parody Dedicated to Sam P. Jones by The Sage of Golden Gate. Ye friends of Temperance, wake to glory; Hark! hark! what myriads bid you rise; Your children, wives and grandsires hoary— Behold their tears, and hear their cries; Behold their tears, and hear their cries; Shall hateful saloons, mischief breeding, With selfish clerks, a hireling band, Debauch and brutalize the land, While peace and home-love lie a-bleeding? Arise! Arise! Be bold! The conquering votes unfold— March on, inarch on, all hearts resolved On victory! Be bold! Press on ! Press on ! On victory be bold ! Oh! Prohibition, we must win thee, Once having felt thy gracious flame; Can whiskey bars or bears restrain thee, Or hostile votes thy cause outclaim? Or hostile votes thy cause outclaim? Too long the world has wept, bewailing The murderous craze that whiskey wields, But voting is our sword and shield, And all their arts are unavailing. Arise! Arise! Be bold! The conquering votes unfold March on, march on, all hearts resolved On victory! Be bold! Press on! Press on! On victory be bold! Jokes and Jokesmithing. (Continued from page 12.) numbers of people, possibly the last time being a well rounded article by Mr. Tudor Jenks in the Cen tury Magazine of some seven years ago. The writer of this a: ticle t! i ’ks it is nearly as good °s M”. Jc k’s article, and has some reason for that belief rs most of this is “11 ted” from the article in ques tion. T’ere are two kinds of burglaries in this day and time. The real burglar with a mask on secures recess to the valuables he covets by the use of a bur glar’s implement called a “jimmy.” Literary bur glaries are brought about in almost the same way. So it is that a writer is said to use his “James”; this being more dignified than the other. Still, in justice to himself the writer must say that he has not used his “James” to a blamable degree. Scientists have discovered that the memory is stronger in summer than in winter. Among: the C CT worst foes of memory are too much food, too much physical exercise, and, strangely enough, too much education. Please change my address from Haralson, Ga., to Emory College, Oxford, Ga. I cannot do without The Golden Age. M. L. Foster. 13