Newspaper Page Text
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s 1 't 5 Itef |@ “You V
m & H the Best
! You can be sure that it is the best, because we’ll show you the | j
inr-ide. You don’t have to judge by outside appearances alone , as you
would if you shopped elsewhere.
It is impossible to make any better than
The Stearns & Foster
M attress 4
(Our name proves it’s genuine. Look for it.)
860 filmy webs, form the nine snow-white downy felts of which it i3
built. Not particle of anything but new, clean cotton goes into any i
a
Stearns & Foster Mattress.
Don’t be satisfied by seeing “open end” Samples, nor even of the an iden¬ open
sample mattress. We’ll show you the inside and outside
tical mattress you buy. And we’ll let you try it sixty nights, free — r.
then if you are not satisfied, will promptly return your money.
T>. Could anything be fairer than that?
^Not a luxury, but a necessity in all households.
Come in to-day—delay means, regret on your part.^ ..-sL
S K EVFWT. "ovinston, Ga.
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a CONDUCTED BY PROF. J. O. MARTIN.
H Teachers Will Please Address all Communications to Prof. J. 0. Martin, ¥
14 Oxford, Ga., R. F. D. No. 1. 15
*5 15
A Plea For the Use of Slang,
(BY R. H. B. KEENEY )
As a more effective means of
getting the ear of the female soci¬
ety to whom thik is the more par¬
ticularly addressed the writer will
imagine himself one of their num¬
ber, acknowledging the guilt of
eotrusion, but hoping from that
standpoint the more readily to
persuade his young friends to en
icrtain right views in regard to a
n o*t popular mode of expression.
When the milienium shall come,
there w ill be no need of preaching.
O i the same principle, it may
seem superfluous to advocate, be
l >re u society of modern belles, the
use of that direct, anti-periphras¬
tic. st\le of utterance contempt¬
uously denominated slai g, when
the wisdom involved in its adop¬
tion is s<9 generally manifest. It
is a potent, indisputable fact that
many are conversunt with its mer¬
its. K*w need be urged to extend
their acquaintance with it. A
few words of recommendation may
not, however, be amiss, since it is
barely possible that some of our
number may not have become ad¬
dicted to its habitual use, employ¬
ing it onlv occasionally. As for¬
tuneadversely directs, we do not
all come from towns and cities,
where society affords the opportu¬
nity of gaining a thorough knowl¬
edge of its excellence and utility.
My powers of persuasion will, of
course, be employed on those who
have not been so fortunate as to
enjoy such advantages.
Candor forces me to admit that
thoughtless girls sometimes create
prejudice in the minds of cultured
ladies and even gentlemen of re
finement by indiscreet use of the
more objectionable current slang
phrases. For instance, n,t long
ago I heard an innocent, giddy
headed, fogy school girl, when
asked at the dinner table whether
ehe would take soup, answer, “Not
any in mine.” Doubtless the
thought was somewhat indelicate,
but instantly it leaped unbidden
into my brain, Tn her what?” If
this unfledged question had dared
t. wing its way to the opposite
•ode of the table, it could there
b.ive elicited but one conceivable
tisfactory answer. Now, bad
• h .literrotated as to whether
- vs. hi Ul take sugar. I could have
-nppored that her reply meant that
she would not take it in her tea,
nw AAAAAAA AAA Ak r rrr f >. r tttttt: aaaaaaaaaaa I m mmm rnwroffll
Always In The Lead.
In securing the sale of the Stearn
and Foster Mattresses, we have
nlarpd piacea ourselves mirselvps in ir the -Me lead icdu.
The best is none too ° fiood for our
customers, that . is hy . , uy , e
we
Best. Everett’s Furniture Store has
the reputation of being the Best.
We want you to see our new line of
Matting, Rugs, Art Squares and Win¬
dow Shades.
EVERITT’S FURNITURE STORE
▼TTTTTTTT LiAAAAAi TTTTT ltx k >. a 1AAAAAA AAAAAA AA AAAI £AAA AAA AAAAA A A AAiu TTTTTT . aaaaaaaaaa aa
coffee, or so forth. But in refer¬
ence to soup nc such hypothesis
was admissible.
Again, I once heard a young
lady say with great energy that she
was “on her head” to go some¬
where. The thought has often
occurred to me that, if her lang¬
uage had been aptly descriptive of
her attitude, she ought to have
been appareled differently at the
time. Such little, thoughtless
slips of the tongue as these it is
that prejudices some refined per¬
sons against 6lang, and makes
those of good breeding oppose its
introduction so vehemently. Those
who “run the thing into the
ground” are invariably ineffectual
advocates of a cuuse. Of course,
young lady who resolves to avail
herse-lf of the advantages of slang
must be careful to avoid those
phrases that involve such ambig¬
uity as admits of indelicate con¬
struction. You perceive, however,
that the unfortunate and censur¬
able thing is, not the slang itself,
but merely its unintended, though
inevitable, occasionally objection¬
able interpretation.
Think of the elegance (and
harmlessnesF, so far as inherent
meaning conveyed) of Prof. L’s
favorite expression, “You don’t
know beans about it.” Yet in ex¬
pressiveness that is surpassed by
Miss II’s “I see what you are driv¬
ing at.”
How apt and sprightly is the
lady who, having once heard a lit
tie bit ot slang that ‘ hit the nail
on the head,” glibly incorporates
it into her vocabulary, frequently
thereafter rolling it as a sweet
morsel under h**r tongue, naively
unconscious of its nefarious origin,
One day a young gentleman of
limited power of utterance hit
upon the felicitous mode of ex
pression just mentioned, which in
its picturesqueness carries its own
recommendation, and not many
days later it rolled from theeuam
ored tongue of a cultured female
appropriate. How charming
were the same young man’s words
when he used to remark that he
was “mixed” on some point. What
could be more aptly expressive of
perplexity? Equally excellent in
rhetorical quality, and deserving
of as unfeigned admiration bv
special students of linguistics, was
the winsome language of r .1 o
youthful N. C, orator: “Thi- i
THE ENTERPRISE- COVINGTON GA
tumbles me all up.” Such gleams
from the white sunlight of potent
words are deserving of all commen¬
dation, illuminating as they do the
intellectual welkin from horizon t£>
zenith, and making all thingselear.
You perceive that a small bit of
slang may contain a very effective
rhetorical figure. How crystal¬
line one’s language may be ren¬
dered by its judicious employment!
The rapid increase of slang dur¬
ing the past few years indicates
that the time is nearing when she
who persists in the exclusive ut¬
terance of chaste, unadorned Eng¬
lish will win the unenviable ap
pelation of “prude > > Old fogies
— folks who were educated, or
rather, brought up before modern
improvements came into vogue
may seem horrified when the lips
of an accomplished young lady are
defiled (as they would impolitely
say) by the use ot slang. But we
must remember that fogies aie be¬
hind the times, whereas fast girls
are expected at least to keep pace
with the age. Fogies ought to
have died before the 20th century
dawned: their scrupulous creak¬
ing, ever an insolent voice from
the rear of humanity’s march is an
inopportune nuisance, and unwar¬
rantably interferes with ambitious
young ladies of the adventurous
type, and with modern innovations
that can but lift society into high¬
er realms. There is one consola¬
tion, however; they utter their
baleful warnings and unappreci¬
ated advice for naught. We, in
the forefront of the advance col¬
umn, would none of their reproof.
We like novelties, whether wise
people deem them real improve¬
ments or not. For ns old, stale,
wornout expressions have n o
charm. If one wishes to be lis
tened to, she must not say things
as the last, prosaic, humdrum gen¬
eration said them. See how they
failed, in their old popular mis¬
nomer * lover,” to catch the char¬
acteristics of one of our .esteemed
modern admirers. How much
more expressive of the up to date
gallant’s real character is the re
cen t substitute “masher.” This
example is but one of a vast num
her that indicate the preference
which good sense and practicality
must ultimately give to si n g
Who could tail to admire the
gir i wbo , though she has c< nsider
a hle acquaintance with standard
! authors, retains her courage and
asserts her right to use language
not found in any of them • who in
her erratic phraseology * bold
enough to declare her intellectual re'Mutable
independence of all such
criterion*; who will not allow h«r
self to be hampered by unexcep
tionai usage; w ho has the penetra- •
tion i to see tha* the language of
geniuses, though cha.-re and ele
ganr, is tame and insipid to the
predominating popular t iste, and
UNDERTAKING DEPARTMENT!
We have the best Undertaking Depart.:
ment in this section of Georgia. If you think:
this is putting it too strong we invite you to’
come and inspect onr stock. ■
we h ave entered this line determined to|
give the public first class service a- moderate:
prices.
This undertaker department and is in embalmer. charge of an exper-f
ienced Calls an
swered day or night.
We solicit your natronage.
i
that, in consequence, their books,
impotent in their elassic purity,
are laid away on a somewhat lofty
shelf to bn read very seldom now¬
adays? Who could be lacking in
admiration for she young lady
who dares to employ expressions
that make her conversation sparkle
with wit, even when like witti
cisnis have been gotten off before,
and even though such audacious
perversions never find their way
into respectable.literature? Fool¬
ish and obstinate is she who re¬
fuses to use language that will ren¬
der her. conversation acceptable
and entertaining to the average
slang-using, good-hearted, shal¬
low’ pated fellow whom she calls
her beau, and counts as a capital
conquest, notwithstanding h i s
vitiated taetes. She who, yields
hot to the popular fancy will be
called a stickler for old usages,
and laughed at as singular; and
many pretty girls will turn up
their uoses and protrude their rosy
lips at the “dull thing” who im¬
agines herself too pure to do as
other people. If we wish to pre¬
vent disparging remarks from
being made about us, we’ve got to
stay in the rut of current public
opinion. Wheels that are con¬
stantly getting out are justly said
to wabble; and they wabble most
ungracefully, and have few admir¬
ers. laden Current colloquialisms large¬
ly with slang have the sanc
tion of fashionable circles; and
bold indeed, almost impudently
brazen, is she who shouts defiance
into the teeth of popular taste.
She who is not pliant and yielding
has not the womanly nature. If
our beaux employ slang extensive¬
ly, and if what are considered the
higher circles not only countenance
it, but, by its use, exemplify their
appreciation, then, rather than
surrender our womanhood and be
called dull, uninteresting, anti¬
quated, it behooves us to vie with
its foremost champions., If we so
do, nobody can charge that we are
out of the fashion. Complying
with that, (as the female part of
the gay world would ever insist)
wo stand upon the solid rock.
***
Dr. Moore Writes Interestingly.
Having finished what I had to
sa on the general subject ot edu¬
cation I come now to address some
th ughts to the county comtnis
si< ner of education, the board of
education for the county, and the
trustees who manage the different
schools. Our public schools are
in a lamentable condition owing
mainly to two causes, The
lack of su ficient money, and there¬
fore the 1: ck of suitable and com
pet -nt tei chers. Competent men
—and the same is true of women—
will not teach tor less than they
can make in other pursuits, espec
lallv since the public school term
does not last but five months in
the year, and the other seven
months must be spent in doing
nothing or what cannot commun'd
the best pay. The result is that
a great many persons accept plans
as teachers as a mere makeshift
until they can find something that
pays better. Their hearts are not
in their work, and if a person’s
heart is not in his business he can
not do good work. No one can do
his best work unless he feels that
his employment is permanent and
constant. The business of the
teacher ought to be considered next
to that of the pulpit both in im
portance and honor, because it has
to do with shaping the character
and the future career of our child
ten; and that can never be as long
as his pay is hardly more than that
of a menial. None but first class
persons ought to be employed to
to do this work; and first class
people can always obtain first
class pay, because the busiuess
world is on the lookout for them
everywhere. There is plenty of
money in the country to pay first
class teachers and those who con¬
trol the schools ought to set
themselves to work to arcuse
the public conscience of the peo¬
ple. This can be done in various
ways. 1. Before the war in Yir
ginia, if I remember correctly, no
person could avail himself of the
benefits of the public school fund
if he was able to pay for the tui¬
tion of his own children. But this
created such invidious distinctions
between the poor and the rich that
the plan was discontinued. The
principle is a sound one, and it is
a question as to how the law ought
to be shaped so as to make those
who are able pay for schooling of
their children and let only the poor
enjdy the benefit of the public
money. Perhabs the line might
be drawn by the amount of taxable
property one has and his salary.
This matter is worth considering.
2. These managers of our schools
ought to enlist the help of the
preachers and get them to show
that there is plenty of money in
the country to educate the child¬
ren. Money spent in attending
conventions or conferences, which
are too frequent and generally ac
complish little, in pleasure excur¬
sions, in needless self indulgence,
in life Insurance, in cigars and
other forms of using tobacco, and
in various other ways that will oc
cur to a thinking man ought to be
divided and put into our schools
and into our homes for the train
ing of our children, Let the
preachers expose the present sys¬
tem of schools and stir up the con
sciences of parents. 3. It will
take time to bring about the nee
essary change but it will help edu¬
cate the people along this line to
avail ourselves of such places as
the auditorium at Salem catnp
ground to have a great gathering
of the people in the inteiestsi
our sehools. Let ub have tneii |
make speeches at such satherini
as know by experience what tl
are talking about and who J
enthusiasm on the subject. 1
ting speaker his can be successful in pj
thoughts permanently in
the public conscience who is nij
enthusiastic. Nobody can s
ceed in any pursuit withoutentk
. siastn. We should not have
man to speak on such occasio
' merely because
he is eloquent,. i
because he is rich,, or has a prom
neut place as a politician. Sue
speakers generally aim at reputi
lion rather than profit to the ps
^ pie. We have
; such gatherings i
’ the interests
of Sunday school)
: let us have them also in the into
est of our day schools, which u
of far more importance than Si
day schools. Trustees and othei
who shape the policy of our school
sometimes do some very curios
things which they would nnl 4
it they were managing their o*
private business. They are oft*
careless abont attending iraporta
meetings; they often turn ovi
everything to the county schot
commissioner or the chairman l
the board of education. So®
times an unfair distribution of
public money is made in selectio
our teachers, Tttey will empty
one who has shown himself utter!
unfit for his business at motto
school. Sometimes,, for insufil
ient reasons, they set aside tire la'
that fixes the pay of the teacto
according to his gnade of li<*®
on examination. Again, it is D{ !
otism or kinfolksism, or the diets
tion of a rich or influential row
Or it is sympathy for some p 0 ®
boy or girl or man thut cans*
them to put in charge ot ol
schools persons who are utterly 111
competent* and so ruin the school!
Very commonly those in c J id ia
fail to visit the schools as is tW
duty. Sometimes one promi^ 11
family will drive a teacher fro® 1
neighborhood because he is hi*
fill in his work and makes
ful reports to the patents.
in authority do' not etand up
him—another result of po° r ^
as well as lack of support.
J. s. MooBfc
P. opposed to t'fj ^
S.—I am not
insurance, only our children
be educated first and our ho® J
fixed up to be attractive, which
part of education.
* *
*
From Mr. Coffee- uia»q
Having read the nice, ^
letters from the boys and gdiS
the county connected with ■
public schools^vith great
I wish to commend then;. n
an effort it must be for seh^ the 1 Jj j
ai d girls to write the
ters. his I father’s can see ghost) you (&s eagerly j
saw
(Continued on 7th p ;, S e