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THE VIDALIA ADVANCE VOLUME XIX New Branch Consolidated School District Leads March of Progress In Improving Rural Schools P BUILDING OSED FOII FIRST TIME 10 OCTOBER USE TEAR ■ ABOUT 200 CHILDREN AT TEND CONSOLIDATED SCHOOI LARGER SCHOOL MEANS BETTER WROK IN SCHOOL ROOM AND HIGH GRADE TEACHERS ARH EMPLOYED— COMMUNITY COMING TO BE LEADER IN COUNTY AFFAIRS Pioneer of consolidated schools in Toombs county the New Branch consolidated school, com pleted last year and ready for the October te m of the school, has proved a success from the start and through better work accom plished by the students as well as its stimulating effect upon the people of the community, has more than justified the highest hopes of those progressive citi zens who worked for consolida tion from the start. Not a citizen in the two * dis tricts which combined for the New Branch school can be found who would be willing to go back to the old one-room, one teacher school of the two small districts and to suggest such a thing would cause a strike among the school pupils of the district, who in the large, efficient school, the mod ern, up-to-date school building have found a new joy in their school work. SSOOO Os Bonds Issued The New Branch school is a consolidation of the districts of New Home and Long Branch, pari of the names of the old dis tricts being retained in the new name. Agitation for consolida tion was started in the spring of 1919, and in September, 1919 trustees for the consolidated dis trict were elected. It was at first planned to erect the build ing by subscriptions, but this was given up and at an election held in the spring of last year, SSOOO in bonds were voted for the build ing. The trustees of the school are A. P. James Walter Powell, L. L. Clifton, S. J Rockett and J. L Sutton. The trustees named Messrs Waker Powell. E. L. Clif ton, S. T: Stanley and David Lind say as a building committee and these gentlemen worked faithful ly on their duties and had the building completed and ready for the term beginning in October Four Large Class Rooms The building was designed by Miss Caroline Lane who is under the employment of the State Board of Education, and is one of a number of buildings approved by that body and embodying the best ideas of lighting, and ar rangement, as well as being easilv added to to meet the future growth of the school. The building contains four large class rooms necessary facilities, and back of the class jrpom the Targe auditorium, 40 bv 60 feet and comfortably seat ing 500 people is situated. Mod ern desks have been purchased for some of the class rooms and the trustees hope at an early date to have these desks for every pupil- Able Corps Os Teachers The trustees wee detemine' 1 from the start to secure an able corps of teachers for the new school and were fortunate In se curing Prof. Plato Wade, as prin cipal, and whose death a short time ago proved a great loss to the community. Prof. Wade taught the seventh and eight grades. Mrs. Jessie Wade the third and fourth grades, Miss Ruby Jordan the primary depart ment, and Miss Bessie Ethridge the fifth and sixth grades. The T f i: School Progress In Toombs County 1 > :: :: «* .. v ■ / ’~ ' ' ' .... * i . .■ .. .... ' ■ 1...■! "■ ■l.ll ' 111 'I ll I " « » «* o 4- «> ! New Branch Consolidated School ■<• < • [ 4 t «» l :: MODERN IN EVERY DETAIL, CONTAINS FOUR CLASS ROOMS AND LARGE AUDITORI- ;; ;; UM. INSERT SHOWS ONE-ROOM UNPAINTED SCHOOL BUILDING DISPLACED BY ;; J NEW BUILDING. ;; i » * <. 4* e ’ attendance has averaged about ' 175 for the past term and next fall it is expected that the enrol 1 - ’ ment will reach /-00. The progress of the pupils in the larger school has been most ' satisfactory to ihe patrons and ' the work done in this school will compare favorably with the work i in ths grammer school grades at either Vidalia or Lyons. The larger school has proved a delight to the pupils who find compensat ion in many ways for the time ■ taken in reaching the school and ' the inconvenience that may fall : upon those pupils that have to come a considerable distance. A splendid atmosphere has per me a) - . ed the school and all the teachers 1 pay tribute to the excellent spirit of the pupils and iheir willingness | to work and cooperate in every way to make the school a success. Community Spirit For the past year children who ■ live a considerable distance from : the school have been transported in Wagons, and this plan has I worked out very successfully. As ■ the district settles up and the ■ enrollment at the schpol en - creases, later on possibly auto ■ mobile trucks will be put into service. The patrons of the school have - taken much pride in their new school and are found eager to co ; operate in any way for the good of the school. In the spring tin monthly teachers institute for Toombs county was held at thisj I school, and the occasion develop ! ed into a schoo 1 rally for the dis ■ trieju both Superintendent You raans and every visitor being im pressed with the interest in thin*.s educational displayed by the peo ple of the districts. That this get-together spirit is having its effect in the district is! shown by the recent organization I perfected by the farmers of thei district for thfe purpose of selling-, i farm products cooperatively.; : This meeting was held at the'j school auditorium and the N- Branch Farm Bureau was organ ized with Mr. Roscoe Clifton as president and W. L. Durden se retary. At this meeting there; was listed for sale by different! VIDALIA, GEORGIA, FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 1921 ) farmers of the community over |2OOO bushels of corn, 900 gallons of syrup, 40 head of hogs, 400 bushels of sweet potatoes and over a carload of fat beef cattle. Mr. Dess Gray of Lyons, wn named to have charge of securing markets and makmg sales of the farm products in carload lots. To Increase Term For the past year the school has only run five months, and the district tax levy has been held down to | : ve mil's. The trustees have paid good salaries and have secured thoroughly competent teachers, believeing this a better way/to build up their school than jto have a longer term with med | iocre teachers. i‘he coming year ;it is expected that the term will !be increased and that it will he only a few years until the schoo 1 can he eondudted for eight months in the year. Land Values Affected Since the consolidation of the two districts and the building of *,the school residents of the dis trict say there has been, a notic able increase in land values and that farms in districts are much sought after and bring exception al prices. The country has built a splendid road through the twe districts and the New Branch section is rapidly coming to the front as one of tht fading ruxal communities of the county. CONGRESSMAN LARSEN IM OF MIS SPEAKS OF POSSIBILITIES OF VI DALIA SECURING PUBLIC | BUILDING AND DETAILS SITU ATION IN IZTH DISTRICT i Congressman W W. Larsen, the i popular representative of the 12th I congression district, who is home for a brief rest between sessions, was I the guest of the Vidalia Kiwanis i Club at their regular meeting last [Thursday evening, and made a very Official Orcaß dtp al VM Baptist Rally Here Sunday April 3rd. Representatives of every church in the Daniell Association are expected to attend' the rally to be held at the city auditorium Sunday evening, be ginning at 7:30 o’clock, in the inter est of riie 75 Million Campaign. Addresses will be delivered by Dr. Scaraboro, general director of the movement, and by Dr. Weaver, chan cellor of the Mercer University System. The public is cordially in vited to attend the meeting. Sunday afternoon at 4:30 a rally will be held at Brewton-Parker In stitute, at which Drs. Scarbaro and Weaver will speak.’ Revnival Meeting Start* Sunday Rev. J. T. B. Anderson, pastor of the local Baptist .hurch, announces that Sunday a series of meeting will begin at his church to continue for interesting address to the members. Mr. Larsen has been invited to speak to the club along the lne of the possibility of this city securing a government building and in his ad dicss he went at ’ength into the sit uation. Four cities in the district had postal reciepts which entilled them to pub lic buildings. Mr. Larsen said, and while no public building bill had been passed by congress since the war i started, congressional leaders hoped 1 to put a bill through the toning con- « gress. Districts were considered 1 separately, and it was a comittee i i rule that no district could secure i more than two buildings in one bill, l Ft. Valley, according to figures of i ' postal receipts, was entitled to first consideration, the speaker declared, i] ,Esastman, Hawkinsville and Vidalia 1 all being entitled to public buildings and being near the same size and with receipts totalling about the i same figures. However, bills for a t public building at Hawkinsville had i been introduced for a number of 1 years “iind ahd been uniformly pass- ed on favorably by. the committee, the speaker leading the impression 1 that Ft. Valley and Hawkinsville < would first have to secure public J possibly two weeks.. Preparatory for the services a large number of cottage prayer meetings have been held at different points in the city, these coming to a close Friday even ing with a joint prayer meeting the auditorium. rAISV Rev. Anderson will do the preach ing during the series of meetings, Mr. Taylor, of Atlanta, will have charge of the music during the services and hopes to build up a choir of at least 100 voices.. Two services each day will be held, a morning service at 9 o’clock, the evening service at 8 o’clock. * Sunday morning the service will be xn the nature of a Decision Day for the Sunday school and the pastor will preach a special sermon to boys and girls. buildings before Eastman and Vida lia could be taken care of. Mr. Larsen’s address was enjoyed 1»y the members and was greatly ay- i predated by the club, as it gave them ( a clear understanding of the situa tion. 1 Ladi e « Night Tonight 1 The meeting thi.•> week marks the ( first Ladies Night the club has had 1 since its organization, with the ex- * ception of the charter presentation ( Tjanquet, and fully 100 plates will be < served by Manager Oinberg. Clean- i Up week will be discussed and plans jl made by the Kiwanians for coperat-)J ing with the ladies in every move- t ment leading to the beautifying of I the city. < / f POTATOES AND COWS BEING SHIPPED FROM VIDALIA j s c The local market for sweet pota toes continues good, the past week two carloads having been bought from local farmers at 75 cents per bushel. Shipments will be made next t week. 3 Cattle shipments contiue steady, t fully 20 cars of cattle having been shipped from this point within the [a last two months. NUMBER 13 JOHNSON’S CORNER MED DIST. 10 HAVE FINE BUILDING BUILDING WILL BE MOD ERN IN EVERY DETAIN, WILL CONTAIN SIX CLASS ROOMS, LIBRARY AND SUPERINTENDENT’S OF FICE AS WELL AS LARGE AUDITORIUM-SIO,OOO BOND ISSUE VOTED BY THREE DISTRICTS for the erection of the consolidated school for John son’s Corner district will be let at an early date and by fall the trustees and the county school authorities hope to have the county’s second consolidated dis trict in successful operation. Johnson’s Corner district is a consolidated district composed of three old districts of Merriman, Anderson and Johnson’s Corner. Consolidated was perfected last year, local tax voted, and a $lO, 000 bond issue for erecting the building approved by the voters of the three districts. To Contain Six Class Rooms The Johnson’s Corner school building will be modern in every detail and a beautiful plan, ap proved by the State Board of Ed ucation, has been agreed on. The building will contain six large •class rooms, together with supt erintemlent’s office, 'ibrary, cloak: rooms, and large auditorium for chapel exercises and for com munity gathering. Proper light ing methods have been studied and the building can also be easily added to as the growth of the community may make it neces sary. Other Districts Talking. Consolidation Other districts of the county are talking and planning for con solidation. The consolidation of seven schools in the Cedar Cross ing section was approved by the board of education, but the busi ness depression of the past year cast a damper upon it, many of the leading citizens of the dis trict feeling that it was not the time to vote bonds and finance the building necessary. The re sult was that local taxation was defeated, but those who are work ing for better schoofs in this sec tion feel that as ooon as normal times return the citizens of the districts will take the matter up again and vote for a bond issue for the largest and best rural school in the county. In this event this is done, Ce dar Crossing district would have* a school with an average attend ance of about 400 pupils, employ ing at least 10 teachers and mak ing it one of the best rural schools in this section of the state. Center Church May Consolidate Superintendent Youmans is au thority for the statement that there is considerable talk of the consolidation of the districts in the Center Church section. These’ districts are Gilbraith, Hughes' Chapel and Center, and a splen did district could be maintained in the Center Church neighbor hood. The success of the New Branch community in improving their school by consolidation has been watched closely by other districts and it is but a question of a short time until there will be a least a half dozen con solidated school district in the county. CHANGE OF SCHEDULE. Effective Sunday, March 27th,. trains >0 and 11. operated between Vidalia and Millen, will be discon tinued. Trains 7 and 8 will run daily on approximately' same figures as at present. G. F. DICKSON, Supt.