On Monday afternoon the Tryon Colored School’s class in Home Economics gave a demonstration of the training being given the colored girls of the county under the direction of E.J. Hayes, principal of the Colored School.
Some 25 invited guests attended the event and the faculty was assured the cooperation and help of the white residents of the vicinity in putting through their program for the betterment of the colored youth.
After a short talk by Principal Hayes, the doors to the auditorium were thrown open and a delightful luncheon was served. Those who might have been skeptical regarding the value of the course were thoroughly convinced of its utility when they sampled the attractively served menu.
From soup to dessert, it was a credit to any caterer in any town large or small, and those who participated enjoyed it immensely.
Short addresses by Broadus L. Ballenger, President of the Tryon Chamber of Commerce; W.S. Green, Mayor; Rev. Will O’Neill of the Erskine Memorial Church; W.C. White, noted attorney; Frank Little, Cashier of the Peoples Bank and Trust Company; and H.A. Shannon, interspersed by remarks from Principal Hayes, preceded the most interesting part of the program.
A series of negro spirituals sung by well trained voices accompanied by Principal Hayes on the piano made a decided hit with the audience. “Swing Low Sweet Chariot,” “Roll the Stone Away” and “Jubilee” were exceptionally well rendered.
Mary Cline, a graduate of Tuskegee Institute, who is acting as instructor of the class, made a short talk regarding the aims of her work and pointed out what it meant to the community to have an available supply of well trained help, stating that she would be pleased to instruct any girl of her race who might be employed in Tryon whenever arrangements could be made for attendance.
Principal Hayes brought up the question of financing the work during its five-month session and stated that they were still short the required amount by about $150. Mr. Ballenger and others assured him that Tryon had never been found lacking when it started to do a thing, and that he might proceed with the work the assurance that the necessary funds would be forthcoming.
The Home Economics Class still requires additional equipment and supplies, and anyone interested in the practical work being done in this community to make colored children more valuable citizens and better workmen can rest assured that any money contributed to the cause will be well spent.
Principal Hayes has long advocated manual training for boys under him, and only the lack of necessary equipment and money has kept him from installing classes in applied mechanics for the boys. Certainly there is room for this and we believe that charity should begin at home and certainly no charity can be more deserving than the effort being made by this humble educator of his own race to following the footsteps of the noted Booker T. Washington.
Having visited both Hampton and Tuskegee and seen the work under way in those institutions—having met graduates of those schools in many southern cities doing more than their share to bring happiness and contentment to their brethren through real education among practical lines—having attended the meetings of their Chambers of Commerce in Atlanta and Waycross—having seen the splendid business concerns they have developed in the Old South—having seen the friendly attitude of really big businessmen of Georgia, Alabama and Texas towards their work—the Editor of the News is pleased indeed to endorse its aims and objects, and we feel sure that the citizens of Polk County are broad enough and big enough to give them every opportunity to develop any latent talent they may possess.
We believe that these members of another race who have dug deep into their hard earned savings to make their present school possible, these men and women who have struggled and denied themselves that their children might have competent instruction under favorable conditions—we believe that these people are entitled to and should receive help from the State Department of Education, and that they should be given all of the assistance possible locally.
From the front page of the Polk County News, Tryon, N.C., Jan. 29, 1925
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn94058241/1925-01-29/ed-1/seq-1/
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