-J

yfi Daily Ref factor, Greanville, N. C.>-SaHirday, Decambar 6, 19643Ages Ranged To 86 For Moonlight Schools

By JOHN O. DUNCAN

On the moonlight night of September 5.1911 the pathand roadways of Rowan County, Kentucky, were scenes of much movement.

Walking or riding those coming over hills and from out of the hollows had a common dea* tlnaUoQ ^ the closest school-house.

At the door each one received a small newspaper and ttjen they took seats that In most cases were too small. For those trying to wiggle into them were adults.

Their ages ranged from 18 to 86 and to many this was the first time they had ever enters ed a school house. They dlffe^ ed In many ways youths fresh face, middle ages Increasing Unes and old agef wrinkles.

They were also degrees of differences In dress, and money In the pocket and In the bank. Some were merchants, some were farmers, some plain laborers and there were also a few ministers (tf the Gospel.

Some were male, and some were female, but they all had one thing In c<nm(, they came to learn to read and to write. The little newspaper they had received at the door had three main functions; first It was to be used as tbelr text

book to save them th embar-raament of using a primer; second the Mmple sentences on the sheet told about people they knew, In tbelr county; and third it was to give them a feeling of Importance to be able to read their first lesson from a newspaper.

Hie MoonUgW Sdiool

When the school bell rang that night some of fifty three years age In the hilly county of Rowan in Kentucky 1900 came to school houses In the county.

To Mrs. Con Wllscm Stewart, then county superindeot of that county goes the Credit of organizing and naming the schools.

"We planned rural night scho(^ for our adults known since as "Moonlight Schools" because they were conducted < momiUght nights, ta 1911 school was taught for a two week session then came a brief Inwak and then another two week session to finish the year.

In 1912 there was a six week session with an enrolment of 1600. The total taught for the first two years of the moonlight schools was 6,000.

In autumn 1913 a grand effort was made to wipe out illiteracy In Rowan County. At that time 2,500 persons were enrolled.

\ At that time all but twenty-: three illiterates living In Rowan had been enrolled, of thla number nineteen were listed as "Impossibles."

Soon the movement had spread to many other countlea In Kentucky. And In a few years the wedge driver Into the Mack

Reviews And

Reflections

% FRANK ADAMS

Last spring we were visited |

by an old friend who lives In the beautiful and well cared for little valley that runs north from New Haven in Connecticut.. As we drove from the airport in Raleigh to GreenvUle, he was appalled by the barrenness of a good bit of eastern North Carolina and even parts of Greenville.

He argued, "A man could make himself beloved and famous in this part of the country if he Just planted enough trees. What you need Is another Johnny Appleseed."

We told him that although we had planted only a few trees, we had written In our column that Greenville had only to cut down enough trees to become the ugliest city in the state. (At that time one disaffected Oreenvlllite, a native of another North Carolina city, told us he . ADAMS thinks Green-

vUle has already cut down

enough trees to earn It the title.)

Like our predecessw on this column, Jim Poindexter, we hope that GreenvUlc will do everything it can to preserve its beautiful trees.

With such thoughts In mind.

we offer condolences to the clr

tizens of Greenville, particularly to the staff of the Sheppard Memorial Library, for the terrible loss they have suffered.

On the pleasanter side, we are happy to observe that the row of new shops <rff Cotanche Street and the new building on Second Street between Cotanche Street and the new buU(t Ing on Secwid Street between Cotanche and Evans, though In radlcaJly different modes, prove that It Is possible to put up In GreeiMUe a new building which has real character and which doesnt look like either an Arabian nightmare men's room or a Hop! Indian adobe hut.

False Premise#

The current issue of Town and Country has an article about campus morals. We read far enough to see that It assumes that moraUty has to do only with sex and that sex Is exclusively a campus phenomenon. S1CC both of these assumptions are erroneous, wc read no further.

Those with a serious Interest In campus morality, meanwhile. are watching with Interest the conduct of Clark Kerr, president of the University of California. Unfortunately for the prurient, sex Is not at Issue.

Best Seller The 1965 edition of "Your Federal Income Tax" Is now ' available (Superintendent of Documents, Depart m e n t T, U3OP0, Washington, D. C., ^0402). ^

Though taxes have tone down, confounding all toe crackerbarrellers who say toat taxes always go up, the pnce of this popular work has gone from 40 to 50 cents. It Is sttU likely to result In savings, or even peace of nolnd, far In excess 0 Its cost.

IiTlacible Enwr Start with the ^ual ment of items in a kitchen, alove. sink. retrUiontor.o^-tera. cupbowds, and the like. Where are theyt Aroi^ the edges, against the _

Now. suppose fw are gotag

, to locate a light nxtum In wh

a kitchen. One location would

be absolutely out of the ques-

tlon, because If you located toe

light fixture there, anyone who worked with anything In the : kitchen would

. his own light, working In h s

own shadow. And

: one obviously

Uon? The center of the Inn. of course, which Is Just

where kitchen lights are usually located.

Like the up-slde-down address we use on envelopes we mall, or the arrangement of letters on a typewriter k e y-board, or our disorderly calendar, the location of toe kitchen light Illustrates the Reviews and Reflections Theory of the Persistence of Error.

The college has recently provided us with a new example.

In the old Austin Building, the room numbers were painted on the doors. Since both classroom and office doors are usually open and since the old Austin doors open out into the corridor, the numbers are usually concealed. If you want to find out a room number, you must go to the door, partly close It. and l(x^ on the back side.

When Rawl was built, room numbers were painted on the doors again, but in Rawl the doors open Into the rooms, not out onto the corridm*. So, If you want to find a room number there, you must walk Into the room, turn around, and look back at the door. Since rooms are often occupied, this arrangement makes some room numbers Inaccessible.

Now the new Austin Building Is open. Doors open into the rooms. You are by now sufficiently acquainted with the Theory of the Persistence of Error so that you wont need to be told where the room numbers have been painted.

Lexicographical

Alvin Taylor recently wrote In these pages that he awaits toe day when dictionaries will give Judgement" as the correct spelling. (The Merrlam-Webstcr Third New Internar Uonal Unabridged, Incidentally, does give It as an alternate spelling without prejudice.)

Taylwrs argument ("argue-ment, Alvin?) Is toat since the dictionary records what people do and since people do

spell It "Judgement," the "e

hill of Ignorance by Cchw WQ-si Stewart and her helpers would be taken up In other states and other hands and minds would team up to drive

It deeper until Illiteracy would be almoet ended throughout the natloD.

Nattonwtde

In 1910, 7.7 percent of the population of the United Statea were Illiterate.

The stepe taken in Kentucky were toe flrit oo the long journey to eliminate this "human blight."

As late as World War I there were found to be about 700,000 of the draftees unable to write their names. The Government took steps to cOrreet

this and special books sad Instructions were prorided st hranee In toe esmps sad ovei^ seas.

Closer Hems

In the 1910 Census North Carolina with the exception of Loulsiaaa and New Mexico had the largest number of nsUve bom white imteretee.

The state had a percentage of 18J of SU ilUteratee (both sexes, negro and white) making

a total of 291.497 Illiterates of an ages. 61,271 of these were

under 21 and as these or most (4 these would be taken care of by eompulsory education, toe remainder of 232,226 were con-aldered to be an illiterate problem.

At this census of 1910 the rural areas had the largest amount, there being 124,552 white Illiterates over ten years ai age In toe countryside. In the towns there were 7740 white miteratos.

About 140 out of very 1000 whites gf voting age could not read tMlr ballots.

The ffrst Moonlight school In N. C. was District No. 4 in Grove Township Harnett County.

Under the direction of a Mr. Ezzell the school opened In March 1914. In lees than ten months be bad ten schools going with an enrollment of 139 pupUs, 115 men and 24 women. About November 15.1914, Vance L. &xilth estaUlsbed a Moonlight school at Bear Island, In the townshto. Columbus County.

There were 26 pupils on the first night. School was In secession two or three nights a week. School opened at 7 o*doek and closed at 10.

Soon there was an Increase hi 10 pupils st Bear Island making a total of 36.

Pleasant Plains school under Theddeos Matthews opened s(m ifier this with an enrollment of 25.

In addition several other schools opened up to Cdumbus

County.

In February 1916 Supt. P. T. Wooten announced that he was going to keep the work going throughout the year "until we drive illiteracy out of toe entire county."

Sampsoa Comity B. McLamb, principal of Huntley school states that be found about a doeen Ullteratee to his district.

His Mo(Milight school started in January 1915 and met three nights a week at 6:30 oclock p. m.

His oldest puidl was seventy, two were sixty and toe rest down to seventeen.

McLamb noted that toe Interest toown to the night scbod brought about a decidedly increase In attendance in regular day school.

Others

In New Hanover County 80 men, women and children enrolled in Wilmingtons Moonlight schools. There were other schools out to the oounty and the entire community was solidly behind the movement.

In Orange County Chapel IfiU township started tbelr Moonlight schools on Novmnber 1, 1915. Six schoolhouses all within four miles of CJhapel H1 under the chsu*ge of University students had about 300 pui41s. Not all of the pupils were Illiterates, some were then to brush up on what they already knew In Wake County, sunrise school opened to October 1915.

"Last night Friday (Oct 11) twelve adults were present at the Moonlight school at Sunrise."

It may have been quite confusing for people to read about a Moonlight school opening at a place call Sunrise, but not so for the pupils attending.

"The teacher states toat he has never before seen pupils learn so fast.

There were schools In many other places. Mount Olive In Wayne County and Moss Hill In Lenoir being among them, pm County The Moonlight School movement was of grest interest to young ladles of the Training School. For they realized toat If the parents of children, they someday would teach were able to read, their teaching tasks would be eased.

And that the entire eon n ty would be richer because /Its peoples no longer would ;hs

shocked by the inability to read and write.

When toe movement against Illiteracy got underway Pitt County was Included in the 13 per cent of White voters of the Eastern part of the state who could neither read their ballots or any other printed word.

The first Mo<mllght School to Pitt County was organized by a teacher who had attended the Training School. She was Lillis Tucker, tf the class of 1911.

To her, and the rest of tooso that took part to the fight to abolish illiteracy In Pitt County much It owed.

How many they helped wUl perhaps never be fully known, but help they did and to a great way.

Up to Date

In 1930 the U. S. Census Bureau defined an Illiterate as "any penson ten years of age or over who Is unable to read or write. Some 30 years lator

and to the present time toe

definition changed. "Education describes any person with less than five years of schooling 'as functionally illiterate.

In 1960 16.5 per cent of the persons living the state over twenty-five years of age fell Into toe category. Pitt County bad 23.3 percent oi citizens in this category and ranked between 84-85.

In round figures the county had 7,547 such persons and ranked 91st to the state. It seems that the fight to eliminate Illiteracy Is a continuing one and will never be completely won to the near future.

But as long as there are educators who are deeply concerned over the plight of those who feel into the class (rf the illiterate. movements to eliminate It win move forward.

And Cora Wilson Stewarts dream bom In the Kentucky bills will someday reach reality.

Study Of Pine Mouse Being Conducted At East Carolina

Most Of World Would Have Shot St Nick

will eventually be to there to stay.

But dictionaries record as preferable the usage, not of all people, but of those who may be presumed to use language with care and respect. The criterion Is not people in general hut linguistically respecUble people like, for a good exam-pie, newspaper editors. (English teachers dont swing much weight: too conservative and persnlcke^.)

If Alvto Taylor and his fellow editors take to using "Judgement," the lexicographer can be relied upon to follow their lead.

(Alvin, you need to be wam-ned that we are conducting this argument in front of Warren B. Bezanson, listed an page 8a as one of the editors of the new unabridged Merrlan-Web-ster, a resident of GreenvlUe. and asalduous reader of both of us.)

Patience

We are Interested to toe petition presented recently to toe Pitt County Board of Education by a number of citizens within its purview. The purpose of the petition is to discover If the Board Is proceeding "with all deliberate speed" to Implement the decision wWch the United States Supreme Court handed down wi June 17, 1964.

We dont know anything about toe "speed of the Board, but petitioners who wait for more than eleven years must certainly be described aa "deliberate."

Backward Look

Lo(dctog backward over 1964. we think we see signs of en-oouragtog progress toward peace oo earth, good wUl toward men. For toe good will shown Reviews and Reflections over toe year, we thank our readers and wish them a full measure of the inspiration which this season uniquely provides.

In the week of Christmas, j much of the world wanted to | shoot its Santa Claus Uncle Sam. I

Nasser suggested It. j

Gen. Khanh endorsed it.

Some African natlwis were all for It.

The Communists, of course, couldnt agree more.

After four years of war and crisis to South Viet Nam, the United States was suddenly faced with a crlsis-crlsis.

The commander In chief of the South Viet Nam forces, Lt. Gen. Nguyen Khanh, was suddenly in rev(^ against the United States. Very early Sunday morning the military seized power to Saigon, dissolved the High National Council, idaced 15 or more persons under arrest, hut left Premier Tranh Van Huong in power as a figurehead.

The new strong man was Khanh, who bad dominated toe government as premier and president from January imtU August. He was forced out then In favor of Huongs civilian government. Now he was back, feuding with U.S. Ambassador Maxwell D. Taylor and actively backing an anti-American position.

In Washington, Secretary of State Dean Rusk stood firm behind Taylor, called for a return to civilian government to South Viet Nam, and hinted at a cut in American aid if Khanh and toe miUtarists did not back down. The whole course of American policy to Southeast Asia bung in the balance.

The anti-A mericanlsm seemed contagious. In Cairo, President Gamal Abdel Nasser of the United Arab Republic emulated Khanhs defiance of the United States. He told a rally the United States could take its aid and "go to hell" If it didnt like his behavior.

In recent weeks Egyptians had burned the John F. Kennedy Memorial Ldbrary In Cairo, toot down an unarmed American civilian plane, and openly sent arms to the Congo rebels.

In toe face of this, Nasser had asked for another $35 million In American food to feed his hungry people. While the United States hesitated. Nasser shouted to a cheering crowd: "The

Americans want to give us aid and dominate our policy. I say we are sorry. We are ready to cut our rations and minimize our daily consumption so that we keep our Independence."

Uncle Sams nose was red i from tweaking, but there was more

In the United Nations, toe refrain was becoming monotonous. Following a string of other I Africsm officials, Foreign Minister Charles-David Ganao of the Congo Republic the ex-French Congo, denounced not only the United States and Belgium for their recent mercy rescue of hostages from the Congo rebels. He also denounced everybody who had not denounced toe United States and Belgium. Then the foreign minister oi Kenya, Joseph Mu-rumbl, denounced the United States, and so It went on. B was a bad week for Uncle Sam.

But (rf the political stage there was no mistaking the setuson.

Pope Paul VI, to his annual CThrlstmas message to toe world, said "Hunger and misery, sickness and ignorance stlU cry out for remedy. he deplored the continuance oi nationalism, racism and militarism. He pleaded for gradual disarmament, and the diversion of military money "to humanitarian ends.

President Johnson Irected a special message to the more than 22,000 Americans serving in Viet Nam. "Those of us who are at home, full of Joy and thoughts of peace, are ever mindful of, and grateful to. those thousands <rf you who toU today where there Is no peace, the President said.

As (rf the time he spoke, 239 Americans had been killed In cwnbat In Vlet Nam.

Across the nation, merchants reported spending was at record levels. For many workers It was a four-day hoUday as work stopped on Wednesday, and for nearly all others it was a three-day holiday. Planes, trains and buses were crowded, and in one day 4.000 peoirie sailed from New York on Christmas Caribbean cruises. Tis the season to be Jolly.

There were, as fidways. overtones of tragedy and crime.

The worst floods In years de-

Charlotte Negro Found Murdered

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -The body of a 33-year-old Charlotte Negro was found to a ditch by two women Friday. He had been shot four times and brutally slashed at least 15 times.

Officers Identified him as Henry Lee Workman and said be had a reputation as a street fighter and several coivlctlons for assault with a deadly weapon. Police found an empty wallet beside the body but said revenge was more likely motive for the killing than robbery.

His body was found to a ditch beside a street where no one lives. Houses on the street have been bought by the city for a slum clearance and housing for the elderly project.

Is Arts Council New Director

WINSTON-SALEM. N.C. (AP) Stewart Comer, 4-year-old manager the Savannah, Oa.> symphony, will assume new duties as executive director of ^he Winston-Salem Arts Council after the first of toe year.

Comer, named to toe position Friday, is replacing WUllam C. Herring who resigned recently to become administrative of the North Carolina School of the Arts which opens in WtosUm-Salem next Septepiber.

Seven Little Girls Had A

Joyous Time

By PETER SALZBERO LEVnrOWN, Pa. (AP) "They were tiptoetog around at about 6 a.m., and started opening presents in the playroom at about 7," Liz Schaefer. 25. said Friday of her seven orphaned nieces.

(Christmas has been a Joyous time for the seven Schaefer sisters because of the efforts of Aunt .Liz and the childrens grandmother, Kate Schaefer. 67.

The mother o# the girls died giving Wrth to Georgette, in March 1961. Their father died to an auto accident three months later.

"It was a hectic day," a tired Aunt Liz said In an Interview Friday night. "But I think Its wonderful to be able to do things for the children. They were all so thrilled with the presents."

The Schaefer girls range In age from Eleanor, 12. to Georgette, 8. There are also Linda, 11. Barbara, 10. Marie, 8. Janice. 7. and Pamela, 5,

The happy children had asked forand receivedthe sort of presents that all little girls want: dolls and toy dishes,

games and toy animals, and clothes for the older girls.

Asked about her plana for the children for 1965, Miss Schaefer replied: "I havent had a

chance to even think about the new year yet. Ive been too busy thinking about CTirlstmas."

soended on tbe West Ooaat. A blizzard, followed by two days of wind and rain, struck CalUoiv nia, Oregon and Idaho. Rivers rose throughout the area and thousands o< persons were drlw* en from tbelr homes.

"This Is tbe greatest disaster ever to hit Oregon," said Gov. f" < Hatfield, and the gover-t of cailfoitila and Idaho ca .d out tbe National Guard to help with rescue and relief. As thousands fled toelr homes, the death toll rose.

On Monday morning, three masked men entered tbe recto

ry of Bt. Anthonys Roman Cathidlc church in Paterson, N. J., methodically bound four priests, and waited. Soon an armored car arrived, making Its rounds for the First Natl(xial Bank of Passaic County.

The two guards locked their vehicle and entered the rectory

Come to." said tbe thugs, and bound toe guards with Venetian blind cords. Then toe masked men took toe keys, easily unlocked toe vehicle wttbout setting off Its automatic alarms, and removed bags oontalntog $511,000. It was one of tbe largest cash thefts ever recorded.

Offered To Aid Motorist, Then Turns Killer

NEW YORK (AP) What started out as an attempt to lend a helping hand on Christmas Day ended in a man killed and another held In tbe slaying.

Police said John Perrtoeau, driving a taxicab, oiier^ to push a stalled car driven by MltcheU Gotch, 37. He did, and Ootch claimed tbe push damaged his auto transmission.

The argument ended to a police station where, It developed, Ootch was employed as a taxicab washer and, police said, had no drivers licenae, Perri-neau got a summons.

Police said Perrtoeau later returned to where Ootch and his car were still stalled, and stabbed the motorist In the chest. Ootch died to Bronx hospital.

Perrtoeau was booked ( charges of homicide and vlda-tlon oi the Sullivan anti-weapons law.

Duke Has A Good Christmas Day

Switzerland was known as Helvetia In ancient times.

HOUSTON. Tex. (AP) -Being confined to a hospital tO(A little joy out of Christmas for toe Duke of Windsor.

The 7(^year-old former king of England awoke early and took a walk down the hall from his fourth-floor aulte to Methodist Hospital where he Is recuperating from abd(toilnal surgery performed Dec. 16.

After breakfast the duke and the duchess exchanged gifts.

Rev. Richards Dies At Age 93

CHARLOTTE. N.C. (AP) -The Rev. Charles Malone Richards, retired vroieeeor of religion at Davidson (JOllege and a Presbyterian minister to the Carolinas for 68 years, died Friday In a Charlotte hospital. He was 93.

The minister was a native of Liberty HUl. B.C. He retired In 1944. T\meral services are scheduled at 10:90 a.m., at the Presbyterian Church In Davidson where he was pastor fnxn 1908 to 1926.

Bethel was the first town in Pitt County to vote a special tax to establish a graded sohooL

OBSiRVATION . Jo Beyaffw diwcfct on lh habita of pliM mic fffirough acqua-rium-lika unHa doalgnad to koop tha roifonta naar tko glaaa.

By 8AM MILLER Reflector Staff Writer

A study to trace and record toe life history of the pine moose la under way by an Eaat Candna Ocdlege biology InstructiH' who hopes data he compiles will abed light on general ondentaadtog (rf tbe little creature.

Thla burrowing rodent, com-m(toly regarded aa a pest, haa been the object of Joaeph G. Boyettes attention stooe 1961 when he began the research In conjunction with woilc on a doctoral dissertation.

Boyette described tbe mice as "small burrowing rodents which are quite common but are rarely seen because of their tendency to live underground. They do considerable damage to fruit trees, camelr Uaa, azaleas and bnlbs by chewing away root systems of these plants.

Throughout his study on toe rodent, which la known to annually do thoueanda of doUara damage to crops, trees and shrubs, Boyette has been to constant conaultatlwi with Dr. T.L. Quay, professor of zoology at N.C. State, Unlverztty of North Carolina at Raleigh.

Ftoancial support has come from NaUonal Science Foundation grants and from the college.

Because of damage they do to root aysteins, "anything we learn about the mice will be useful." Boyette says.

"While the study Itself Is not oriented toward control, It should provide useful Information to determine when these mice are undeelratoe and when they mlgbt be desirable.

"There la no doubt toat ptne mice were undesirable a few years ago at the Duke Gardena where they ruined about A,000 bulbs. But to take a wholesale extermtoation program could easily upset some other balance to nature."

In an orchard they attack tree roots, but In a wooded area they may have a preference to toe root systems of undesirable plants and would therefore be valuable.

In hla study then, Boyette abns to "understand toe animal. This will help determine Its positive and negative values and relate them to the best Interests oi overaD situations."

He noted that peoirie frequently dont realize that this means mouse la to blame for their gardening failures. A few years ago In Rocky Mo u n t there was something of a pine mouse population boom, but unknowUngly people hla m e d tree and ^Rnib damage on moles or some other animal.

Boyettes overall plan in the research calls for observar tlons in the field, In seml-na-ftural aUuatiOQa, and ako to toe

laboratory. To aooompllib ttds be haa built many outdoor fldd

stationa, outdoor cage# and al ao Indoor cages which slxnu-lato as closely aa possible the outdoor situations.

He toen correlates toe ot>-ervatioDa from these various altuatiooa.

Tbe mato empbaala oo the study la oo descrlpUve behavior but Boyette saya be would be more than ideaeed 11 he finds evidence supportinf new theories.

Tbe laboratory for Boyettes obeervatioos la a cooverted trailer at the back of hla home on East Third fit. ta Oieen-vlUe. Inside the n^r be has attempted to shtoibUe natural situations in which mice are Spaced to Qiedally built cages for easy observation.

Tbe most elaborate example of such cages Is an earth filled glass acquartum with e wire mesh placed only a abort distance Inside so that tbe mice must burrow next to the glass. In this type of cage It Is easy to spot the mice and observe behavioral pattema for an extended time.

Boyette tries. In tbe laboratory. to maintain aa near natural situations as possible . and still observe the mice. Re has experimented with red lamps which seem to simulate night conditions and toduee night behavior to some degrees.

He records bis observatiooa

with a camera. tape recorder and much writing. In this way be can continue his observations Indefinitely even though be pUms to have enough material compk ted this coming year for his dissertation.

Boyette brings to food from natural areas and feeds tbe mtoe to a way design^ to de-teimtoe their prefereoces. Their diet Includes green foods, tubo, sucouleot roots and gratos. Be noted that the mloe tend to feed oo a wide variety of foods.

Ftoancial aid for this riudy has come through ttiree summer grants from tot National Science Foundation to addition to two other from the same organization. A grant from N.C. State's graduate school has slso helped Boyette In his research leading toward a PhD to vertebrate autoial eooAoty,

A native of Falkland. Boyette studied for two years al Duke Univentty and received his BS and MA degrees from East Carolina to 1966 and 1957. Be taught science for a year to tbe Bath High School prior to jfdntag the Bast Caroltoa faculty. He has also worked as a chemist for the Ncuth Caroltoa Department of Agrir culture.

He Is the son of Mr. and Mrs. TJl. Boyette and Is married to the former Evelyn O. Lawrmoe of Falkland.

Sean Connery as James Bond confronts Honor a

Pussy Galore, an aide to a man who plans |o nA FortlWiu Scene Is from the latest James Bond adventure film, Gownnger, whioA titarts Friday a| The PiU Theatre ^

1