The summer normals were established at the academy in October, 1905, and were continued during the next two years. Their object was to prepare candidates for the ministry, under the care of the Presbytery, to serve also at that time as teachers in the mission, and later in the public schools; and to afford ambitious young people the opportunity to prepare for the same work. They were conducted by the superintendent and Bertha L. Ahrens, the latter serving as instructor in the class room.
At the time they were held, they afforded the only opportunity in the south part of the Choctaw Nation, for the Freedmen to receive this training. When the McCurtain county normal was established at Idabel in 1908, they were no longer needed and were discontinued.
Those that attended the normals were as follows:
In 1905, Mary A. Donaldson of Paris, Texas.
In 1906, Mary A. Donaldson and Lilly B. Simms, Paris, Texas; Mrs. W. H. Carroll and Fidelia Murchison, Garvin, Mary E. Shoals, Grant, and James G. Shoals, Valliant.
In 1907, Zolo O. Lawson, Shawneetown, Mary E. Shoals, Grant; Delia Clark, Lehigh; Virginia Wofford and Solomon H. Buchanan, Valliant.
When the first summer normal was held at the academy in 1905, a request for some lectures or an instructor a part of the time addressed to Hon. J. Blair Shoenfelt, Indian agent, Muskogee, brought the following response from John D. Benedict, superintendent of schools.
"The colored citizens of the Choctaw Nation have not been allowed to participate in the benefit of the school fund of that Nation; hence we have not been able to establish any schools for colored children in the Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations, until this year. We have now a few colored schools in both of these Nations. There has never been any demand for normals or summer institutes for colored teachers in these two Nations. They will enjoy an appropriation of $100,000 for the ensuing year, but there are no funds available for normal schools among them this year." John D. Benedict, Superintendent.
This letter indicates the lapse of provision for the general education of the Choctaw Freedmen and its renewal during the last years of the Territorial government.
Those that pursued the course of study, provided during these years, for those that were preparing specially for the ministry, were Noah Alverson, Griffin, and John Richards, Lukfata. Mr. Richards died at 28 in 1908 and Mr. Alverson was ordained in 1910.
In April 1911, Riley Flournoy, Sylvester S. Bibbs, Fred McFarland and Clarence Peete expressed the desire to become ministers of the gospel and were received under the care of the Presbytery at Eagletown, as candidates. All were members of the Oak Hill church and school.
In 1907, the last year under territorial government, arrangements were made for a patriotic celebration, in the form of a Chautauqua at the Academy. The following account of it is from the columns of the Garvin Graphic:
The Fourth of July meeting by the Freedmen at Oak Hill Academy, near Valliant, was a real patriotic Chautauqua, the first meeting of the kind ever held in this part of the Territory, and well worthy of more than a mere passing note. The preparations for the occasion, which included a comfortable seat for everyone, were fully completed before hand. The speakers' stand and the Academy buildings were tastefully decorated with our beautiful national colors, one large flag suspended between two of them, being twelve feet long.
"The exercises included three series of addresses, interspersed with soul-stirring patriotic music by the Oak Hill Glee Club, and the speakers included several of the most eloquent orators in the south part of the territory. The occasion afforded ample opportunity for the free and full discussion of those questions, relating to the administration of our public affairs, that are now engaging the attention of the people; and this fact was greatly appreciated both by the speakers and the people.
"At the forenoon session James R. Crabtree presided with commendable grace and dignity. The Declaration of Independence was read in a very entertaining and impressive manner by Miss Malinda Hall, who has been an efficient helper in the work of the Academy, since its reopening two years ago. The principal address at this session was delivered by Rev. Wiley Homer, of Grant, a large, well built man with a strong voice, who for many years has been a capable and trusted leader among the Freedmen of this section. Others that participated were Johnson Shoals, of Valliant, who has been pursuing a course of study at the Iowa State Agricultural college, Ames, Iowa, and W. J. Wehunt, one of the prominent business men of Valliant.
"At the afternoon session Isaac Johnson, a natural born orator, presided and, both in his address and happy manner of introducing the speakers, enlivened the occasion with unexpected sallies of natural mother wit and eloquence. Rev. W. H. Carroll, of Garvin, one of the instructors of the Academy, discussed in an able manner a number of questions relating to the educational and church work among the negroes; and he was followed by Prof. P. A. Parish, of Idabel, the well-known "Kansas negro," but of full-blood African descent, who seemed at his best in the discussion of current and local public questions.
"Rev. Wiley Homer presided at the evening session and the address was delivered by Rev. Chas. C. Weith, of Ardmore. This address, delivered in the cool of the evening, marked the climax of interest. In an eloquent and forceful manner he recalled the events that led to the first declaration of independence, which was for the freedom of the soul by Luther in Germany in 1517; traced the growth of this sentiment in other countries until it found its expression in the Declaration of Independence for the citizen, by our forefathers in 1776; and pressed the urgent need of Godliness on the part of every American citizen, in order to have the highest type of patriot and to insure the permanency of our civil and religious liberty. This address was a rare treat for the people of this section.
Patriotic solos were rendered by Miss Bertha L. Ahrens, organist, Rev. W. H. Carroll, S. H. Buchanan, Mrs. J. A. Thomas and Miss Hall.
The barbecue was prepared during the night previous by Charles Bibbs.
Rev. R. E. Flickinger, the superintendent of the Academy, at the close of the day's sessions, received hearty congratulations for the excellent character of the arrangements for the day and was encouraged to provide for similar patriotic celebrations in the future."
The following forms of grace and prayer are intended to be suggestive helps to young people, who have the desire to be ready always to lead in prayer and conduct family worship, with interest and profit to others. Bible reading and private prayer prepare for public prayer; but the latter is rendered much easier, when it is remembered, that it should consist of expressions of thanksgiving, confession, petition and intercession. Those that lead should speak loud enough to be easily heard by everyone, and with an earnestness, that suggests sincerity.
BREAKFAST. We thank Thee, our Father, for sweet rest and refreshment in sleep, thy bountiful supply of our wants and the right use of our faculties. Give us wisdom this day in the discharge of duty and in the employment of our time and talents for Jesus' sake. Amen.
DINNER. We thank thee, our Father, that thou dost give to us health and strength to perform our labors and hast surrounded us with the blessings and comforts of life. Feed our souls with the bread of life and enable us to serve thee acceptably for Jesus' sake. Amen.
SUPPER. We thank thee, our Father, that thou hast enabled us to perform the labors of the day and graciously supplied our wants. Establish the work of our hands and forgive our sins for Jesus' sake. Amen.
We thank thee, O Lord, for strength of arm to win our daily bread; for enough on which to live and some to give to those that are unfed. We thank thee for shelter from the cold and storm, a place that may be shared with a friend forlorn. We thank thee for thy wonderful love on us bestowed, that we should now be called the children of God.
May thy gracious presence go with us this day. Put good thoughts into our minds and good words into our mouths. Make us strong to do that which is pleasing in thy sight, by making thy word the guide of our lives. Bless our friends that are near and dear unto us. May their lives be found precious in thy sight. Command thy blessing to rest upon our neighbors and all with whom we associate.
May thy richest spiritual blessing rest upon thy servant, our pastor, and all the people to whom be ministers; so that the work of the Lord may prosper in our hands. Bless our children and youth by writing their names in the Book of life and inclining them to walk in thy commands.
Forgive our sins, comfort our hearts, strengthen our faith and enable us to serve Thee acceptably; we ask it for Jesus' sake. Amen.
We thank thee our Father, for the Bible, thine own blessed word, that teaches us, what we are to believe concerning Thee, and what duties Thou requirest of us. Help us to read it with the understanding heart, that it may prove a lamp to our feet and a light to our path.
We thank Thee for the voice of conscience, prompting us to do right. Enable us by Thy grace to do promptly, that which we know to be right. Help us to remember the Sabbath, to keep it holy unto the Lord. Help us to set our affection on the "house of the Lord;" and when we worship Thee, may the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us. Bless our friends and neighbors; all who seek an interest in our prayers. Forgive our sins and enable us to serve thee acceptably, for Jesus' sake. Amen.
Ever blessed and gracious God, our Father, I humbly pray that thou wilt not cast me off in the time of old age, when my strength faileth. Preserve unto me the right use of my faculties for my soul trusteth in Thee. Comfort and strengthen my soul in the day of weakness that I may attest thy faithfulness in fulfilling all thy gracious promises.
Thou hast taught me to know mine end and the measure of my days, that I might apply my heart unto wisdom; and desire to dwell in Thy presence, where there is fulness of joy; and at thy right hand, where there are pleasures for evermore.
When the time comes for my inexperienced soul to leave its earthly temple, send the blessed angels to carry it to the mansions, thou hast prepared for the redeemed, who put their trust in Thee; and accord unto me an abundant entrance into the Kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. To whom be praise, dominion and glory, now and forever. Amen.
On August 31, 1905, the Presbytery of Kiamichi met at Oak Hill, at a time when an attack of malaria at his summer home at Fonda, Iowa, prevented the return of the superintendent. The attendance of visitors was unusually large. It fell to the lot of Miss Eaton, matron, and Miss Ahrens to provide for their entertainment. They were ably assisted by Miss M. A. Hall and Mitchell S. Stewart. They had sixty for dinner on Friday and Saturday and one hundred and twenty-five on Sabbath.
On this occasion three new members were added to the roll, Jack A. Thomas was elected and ordained an elder, and Samuel Harris, a deacon.
The meetings of the Presbytery, which are always evangelistic, have now come to be the most attractive, interesting and profitable meetings held in their respective communities. As the available churches are few in number, the meetings are held in each every two or three years. The coming of the Presbytery is anticipated with a great deal of interest, and a "big crowd" is the delight of the congregation, receiving and entertaining it. This is a fact worthy of special note.
In the Territorial days, or, rather previous to the allotment of lands to them individually in 1905, the most attractive meeting, in their various neighborhoods, was the annual old-time picnic, made interesting by the presence of a "merry go round" that relieved them of their nickels, and a platform, where promiscuous dancing was sure to be continued through most of the night, and be accompanied with considerable dissipation and immorality.
When the superintendent discovered the nature of these gatherings, he did not hesitate to declare their dissipating and demoralizing tendency. He also stated the attitude of the institution in regard to them by giving utterance to the following sentiment: "Whilst everything at the academy is available for the betterment of the colored people, there is not an Oak Hill bucket available for use, at a dissipating and demoralizing dance in the timber." This sentiment sounded a little harsh and cruel at first, but it now commands the approval of all the good students and of those, who are doing most to promote the happiness and welfare of the young and rising generation. Since the young people have come to participate, to a greater extent, in the frequent meetings of the Presbytery and in an annual Sunday school convention, the old time "dance in the timber", has become a "thing of the past."
The meetings of the Presbytery are sure to be attended by everyone, living in the vicinity of the meeting, and by as many others as can manage to "get there." It is unusual for any colored minister and his elder to be absent from any meeting, no matter how great may be the difficulties, that have to be overcome in getting there. If the place of meeting can be easily reached, additional delegates are chosen to represent the Sunday school, the aid, Endeavor and Women's Missionary societies.
If these additional delegates get to the meeting, they are duly enrolled and later are accorded all the time they wish in making their oral reports of the work they represent. All seem to enjoy making reports and addresses at Presbytery. Many are animated with the earnest desire to aid in giving their race an uplift, and the address in Presbytery seems to be one of the nicest opportunities to do this. This is especially true of some of those among the older people who cannot read, survivors of the slavery period who inherited good memories and good voices. Several of the most eloquent and deeply impressive appeals, it was the privilege of the author to hear at the academy or Presbytery, were delivered by those, whose condition of slavery in youth and isolated location afterward prevented attendance at school. By frequent participation in religious meetings, where they endeavored to repeat and enforce Bible truths, to which they had given an attentive ear, caused them, like some of the famous philosophers in the days of Socrates and Aristotle, to be held in high esteem as persons of intelligence and influence in their respective communities. Henry Crittenden, Elijah Butler, Mrs. Charles Bashears, and Simon Folsom were all good examples of unlettered, but natural orators, who found their widest sphere of usefulness in the activities of the church.
Those, attending the meetings of the Presbytery, often experienced serious disappointments on the way and some little inconveniences, when they got there. Previous to the organization of the church at Garvin in 1905, there were only two churches, Oak Hill and Beaver Dam at Grant, that were located near the railroad. All the other churches were located in rural neighborhoods, 8 to 20 miles distant from the nearest station. The roads to them were merely winding trails through the timber, that crossed the streams where it was possible to ford them, without any grading of the banks.
That which we witnessed and partially experienced, in making our first trip through the timber to a meeting of the Presbytery at Frogville, about fifteen miles from the station, was characteristic of three other meetings we attended, at a distance from the railroad.
The delegation, that arrived at the station, consisted of nearly two dozen and about half of them were women. We arrived at the place the wagons were to meet us, after walking across the railroad bridge over the Kiamichi river, a short distance west of the station. When we arrived there, we found only one wagon of the three, that were expected. That was a serious but not a stunning disappointment. The luggage was crowded into the bed of that wagon and it carried also a few of the older women. The rest of us set out on a good long walk, indulging the hope other teams would surely meet and relieve us somewhere on the road. As the hour of noon was approaching, we anticipated our needs on the way, by having a box of crackers and a slice of cheese put on the wagon. When we reached a half way place, where there was also a spring of good water, this lunch was greatly enjoyed. We managed to ride the remainder of the distance, and at the end of the journey we heard no one complain the "road am hard to travel."
The problem of entertainment, always seemed before-hand a rather serious one for the few families, living near the church in a rural neighborhood. Their generous hospitality, however, never seemed to be over taxed, but to have an elasticity, that included a cordial welcome to every one, and as much of comfort during the night as it was possible to extend. Many of the younger people on Saturday and Sabbath evenings, when their number would be greatest, would be grateful when they were accorded a pillow and blanket for a bed on the floor, or a bench.
The happy, hopeful spirit, manifested by both hosts and guests, in meeting the responsibilities and unexpected disappointments, that are sometimes experienced while attending meetings of the Presbytery in the rural neighborhoods, reminds one of the happy remark of a little six year old boy, in regard to a sunny visitor, whom he knew had experienced many trials and had just left their home: "Yes, I like her; she goes over the bumps as though her heart had rubber tires."
"Agriculture is the most healthful, most useful and most noble employment of man."—George Washington.
The first meeting, conducted by the Choctaw Freedmen, it was the privilege of the author to attend was their annual Farmers Institute, held in Forest Presbyterian church on Monday, Jan. 1, 1905. Others had been held in other places during previous years but this was the second annual meeting in the Forest church, and it was called the county institute of Fort Towson county. It was their own original method of endeavoring to make a pleasant and profitable observance of Emancipation Day.
On this the first historic occasion the meeting was conducted by Johnson W. Shoals, president, in a very dignified manner. An interesting annual report was read by the secretary, James G. Shoals, Fidelia Murchison read an essay on gardening and Elsie Shoals-Arnold, one on making and marketing butter. The author indulged in a short address and other addresses were delivered by Simon Folsom, Lee V. Bibbs, Charles Bashears and Mitchell Stewart. The principal address however, was by Isaac Johnson, one of their number living along the north bank of Red river, who had learned the teacher's and speaker's art in Texas.
He seemed to be at his best and discussed good morals, agriculture and the destiny of the Choctaw Freedmen, with so much native wit and humor, we felt well repaid for the long, wearisome journey to the place of meeting.
The meeting consisted of one long session, called a forenoon meeting, and at its close, it fell to our lot to accept an unexpected invitation to enjoy an old-time picnic dinner, which was soon spread on the backless benches in the church. Isaac Johnson was chosen as the new president and he has continued to serve in that capacity.
The meeting the next year was held in this same place and commencing Jan. 1, 1907, they began to be held at Oak Hill Academy.
The meeting held at Oak Hill on Jan. 1, 1907, had some features worthy of special mention. It was the first occasion, when the meeting included the sessions of two days, or any effort was made to have an exhibit of the products of the garden and field. McCurtain county, though not yet organized had been established, and the officers took more pains than usual, to invite the farmers in all parts of the new county to participate in its discussions. It was the first time, that an effort was made to have a special lecturer from the Agricultural college and the young people at Oak Hill, trained to supply the needs of the occasion with vocal and instrumental music. It was very gratifying to note the increased attendance and interest.
For this occasion, Miss Eaton prepared an artistic design, with grains of corn of different colors, for the center of the decoration over the speaker's stand, that attracted the attention and called forth the admiration of all. It consisted of a large tablet having a representation of a large broadly branching oak tree on the summit of a little hill, having a canopy of bright stars over it and the words "Oak Hill" in the form of an arch near its lower branches. Over the tablet was the word "Welcome" and over the ends of it "Happy New Year."
The entire program had been previously arranged, so that all the addresses and discussions might form a part of the course of instruction, in agriculture and animal husbandry to the students. All the proceedings proved interesting and instructive to them. In furnishing the vocal and instrumental music, which formed a very pleasing feature of each session, they were enabled to participate in a way that was very profitable to them, and entertaining to others.
Among those who participated by addresses, on topics previously assigned, were Isaac Johnson, James G. Shoals, Rev. W. H. Carroll of Garvin, Rev. R. E. Flickinger, Adelia Eaton, Malinda A. Hall, Bertha L. Ahrens, who also served as organist, Solomon Buchanan, who also served as pianist, John Richards of Lukfata, Noah Alverson of Lehigh, whose lectures on raising corn and cotton were worthy of special commendation, Rev. Samuel Gladman of Parsons, Martha Folsom of Grant, R. H. Butler of Bokchito and Charles Bibbs.
Illness prevented the attendance of W. S. English, director of the state college.
One of the resolutions adopted was as follows:
"That we note with great pleasure the manifest increase of interest in this session of the Farmer's Institute, on the part of the superintendent, teachers and students of Oak Hill Academy and of the people generally, there being a good local attendance and a larger representation than ever before of interested farmers and speakers from other parts of the surrounding country."
At this meeting it was decided the annual membership fee shall be for men, twenty-five cents; and for women, ten cents.
The closing day of the second observance of Emancipation day by a two-day Farmer's institute at Oak Hill Academy occurred January 1, 1908. Among the new speakers were Rev. Wiley Homer of Grant, Rev. William Butler of Eagletown and Jack A. Thomas. Isaac Johnson and James G. Shoals served as president and secretary and were again re-elected. Prof. C. A. McNabb of Guthrie, Secretary of the State Board of Agriculture, promised two addresses, but failed to arrive. The resolutions included a memorial to congress for the establishment of postal savings banks and a parcels post, both of which were established a few years (1912) later. They also included the following one in regard to the Mexican boll-weevil that during the previous four years had nearly ruined the cotton crop.
"In order that we may do something practical in the way of checking the ravages of the boll-weevil, we encourage every one raising cotton in this section, to plow up and burn as early as possible each fall, all the old cotton stalks, which principally furnish their fall and spring food supply; and as far as possible to avoid planting cotton in the same ground two years in succession."
The record of these two Farmer's institutes at Oak Hill Academy, and of three preceding ones at Forest church, by the Choctaw Freedmen during the period of the Territorial government, is of historic interest, since these annual institutes preceded any similar meetings, by the other folks, in that section of the country. This observation is true also of the three summer normals held at the Academy, during the months of October in 1905, 1906 and 1907; and of the first Oak Hill Chautauqua, held July 4, 1907.
For 1912 the institute was held on the last half day of a three day short course in agriculture and animal husbandry conducted by Prof. E. A. Porter and Mr. R. L. Scott, expert farmers at Hugo; assisted by Prof. J. W. Reynolds of Muskogee, the superintendent and Rev. W. H. Carroll.
In 1913, when the first opportunity was afforded ministers in California to attend a short course in agriculture, lasting one week, at the state university farm, it was attended by five hundred pastors of churches, representing twenty denominations. This fact, as an expression of the trend of public sentiment, is noted with a good deal of interest.
Isaac Johnson, (B. 1859) organizer and president of the Farmer's institute, 1905 to 1912, is a native of Hopkins county, Texas, and in 1865 located near Clarksville. In 1876 he married Anna Wilson of the Choctaw Nation, who died in 1880. He then went to school in Texas and, receiving a certificate in 1889, taught school there four years. In 1893, '94 and '95 he taught successively at Forest, Lukfata and Eagletown, I. T. In 1894 he married Winnie Durant and again located along Red river, south of Valliant, where he is widely known as one of the leading farmers and stock raisers.
The people of the community in which he lives, under his leadership, on January 1, 1897, began to observe Emancipation Day by holding a Farmer's institute, a kind of social meeting, that afforded an opportunity for a number of them to make short addresses, on any topic of public or general interest, and all to participate in the enjoyment of a picnic dinner. He enjoys the distinction of having served as president of this organization a number of years before any similar organization was effected in McCurtain county.
The reasons for the general observance of New Year's day as a legal holiday seem eminently appropriate, for the attention of the people is seldom directed to them. There are several good reasons worthy to be remembered.
It was on January 1, 1863, that President Lincoln issued the memorable proclamation, that emancipated the slaves in all the states, then at war against the general government. The number of the persons accorded freedom was about four millions.
This event, considered from the standpoint of the number of people affected, was even greater than the Declaration of Independence, for the latter resulted in the freedom of only a part of the people, and their number was one million less than the number set free in 1863. In 1790, when the first census was taken, fourteen years after the Declaration, the entire population was not quite four millions and of that number 697,624 were left in a state of slavery.
That "all men are created free and equal," is a fundamental principle of the Declaration, but, for more than four-score years, it was regarded as true of only a part of the people. It was not realized by the other part of the people, that was gradually increasing from one to four millions. For them there was but one law and it was, "Servants obey your masters." This was the only rule of conduct for the negro. Under it he became socially "a curiosity." He had no laws or ceremonies regulating marriage; and if such ties were formed, they were liable to be broken at any time, by their sale to other and different owners. This rule did not regulate his moral, economic or political life, for he was not recognized as a person or citizen, possessing these faculties and functions. It did not prevent him from worshipping his Creator, but this was done in an ignorant way, that served more for entertainment and amusement, than the development of morality and piety.
After the lapse of a half century, he has not yet been wholly emancipated from these illiterate and low social conditions; but he is approving and pursuing the better way, as he learns from the Bible, "what man is to believe concerning God and what duty God requires of man."
The Emancipation proclamation thus affected the destiny of more persons than the Declaration of Independence, and it marks the beginning of the era of universal freedom; when all the people could unite in saying, America is the "land of the free," as well as the "home of the brave." It also effected national unity, by completely removing the one great cause of previous political dissension. It prepared the way for America to be the home of a happy and united people, knowing no north or south, east or west. In these great facts of national importance there are found good reasons for the annual observance of Emancipation day, as a legal holiday, as well as the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
"Go to the ant, thou sluggard; which gathereth her food in the harvest; consider her ways and be wise."—Solomon.
The Oak Hill apiary consists of twenty or more colonies, and their annual yield of comb honey ranges from 300 to 500 pounds. It was started with two colonies in the summer of 1905. These were obtained by the superintendent and H. C. Shoals, from two hollow trees in the timber near Red river, and were what are known as "wild bees." They and their comb were placed in movable comb Langstroth hives, and the native queens were soon afterwards replaced by two pretty yellow Italian queens, obtained by mail from Little Rock. By this means the two colonies of wild bees, in the fall of the year, had become golden Italians.
On a pretty warm day in March, 1910, when the locust trees in the campus were in full bloom, two swarms of bees left their hives about the same time, and both clustered on the low, branching limbs of a small plum tree. After taking a photo of this unusual sight, Miss Weimer and Clarence Peete, who is standing behind the tree, each using a tin cup, gently lifted the bees from the limbs of the tree and placed them in a hive so arranged, that instead of destroying one of the queens, the bees naturally separated into two clusters around their respective queens. On the following morning, the swarm intended for Clarence was lifted out by him and put in a separate hive. The operations of hiving and separating the swarms were very successfully performed, without either of them receiving a single sting, and in the fall both colonies had a good supply of surplus honey. As an inducement to the young people to learn to manage bees profitably, a colony was presented to those who undertook the responsibility of caring for them at the Academy.
The first frost in the fall of the year indicates the time to remove the surplus honey from the hives; and to cut a bee-tree merely for its supply of honey and wax. April and May however, are the months to transfer colonies from boxes and hollow trees to movable comb hives, so as to save the "bee."
The following description of the hog house is given for the benefit of students and patrons. It was intended to be a model in the arrangement of every part and it is yet unsurpassed in the number of its conveniences. It was built in 1906 and is 24 by 32 feet.
An entry, four feet wide, extends through the length of the building and the pens, with outlots, are arranged on each side. The drip boards of the troughs are arranged along each side of this entry making them easy to fill without wetting the stock or pen. The floors intended for litter are further protected from dampness, by being elevated one inch from the rear to a line parallel with the trough, and about two feet from it. The litter is held on this elevated part of the floor by a guard, 2x4 inches, around its edge. Hanging partitions separate the entry from the pens. Fat hogs are easily and quickly loaded, by merely lifting the partitions and driving them through the entry into the open end of a wagon box, placed at the rear end of the entry.
It has a floor over head for receiving the corn from the field; husking and sorting it. On this loft there is a bin for storing the good corn intended for meal, and mouse-proof boxes for preserving seed corn on the ear until planting time. There are two hatches, one on each side at the rear for passing the husks for litter to the pens below. At the right near the front, there is a shute that conveys the corn for the pigs to a crib at the right in the first apartment below, from which it is taken at feeding time, by raising a self-closing lid near the floor. In the corner of this open apartment there is a large box covered with a hinged lid for ground feed, and a set of steps to the loft. Under the stairs, there is an elevator and purifying pump, that brings up pure and cool water from a brick walled cistern, underneath the floor of the building, and it has never gone dry, when used only for the hogs.
The old log house, which remained until 1910 and in which the school was founded, was for a half century the largest and best building occupied by the Choctaws in the south eastern part of their large reservation. During the period previous to 1860, when it was occupied by Bazeel Leflore, chief of the Choctaw Nation, its halls and spacious porches were the favorite places of meetings for the administration of tribal affairs, social and religious gatherings.
An Indian graveyard was located a few rods from its southeast corner. A neat little marble monument still marks the grave of Narcissa LeFlore, wife of the chief Bazeel. She died at forty in 1854. Small marble tomb-stones, bearing the names of LeFlore and Wilson, mark a half dozen other graves. One long, unnamed grave is marked by a broad wall of common rock, three feet high, covered with one large flag stone.
Chief LeFlore, about the year 1860, located at Goodland, where he spent the remainder of his days. He left the log house to be occupied by John Wilson his nephew. About twenty years later Wilson left it to his son-in-law, Frank Locke, its last Choctaw occupant. He soon afterwards left it to Robin Clark, the Choctaw Freedman, from whom it was obtained in 1884, for the use of the school.
The pretty and attractive appearance of the premises at Oak Hill was due to a considerable extent to the good work of the boys that learned to use the brush in painting and white washing. The following facts are noted as an aid to them and others.
All the school buildings were painted cream and white. The materials used were white lead and flaxseed oil, mixed in the proportion of 15 to 20 pounds of lead to a gallon of oil. A gallon of the mixture is expected to cover 225 square feet of surface with two coats. The cream tint, a warm color, was obtained by mixing a little chrome yellow (and burnt sienna) with a pint or more of oil and adding as much of this mixture as was needed to produce the desired tint.
The red paint, used on the farm buildings and large gates, consisted of Venetian red, a dry paint, and oil, five to eight pounds of paint to the gallon of oil. A white trimmer was used on the face boards of the roof, doors and windows.
The white wash used on the board and pale fences consisted of quick lime slacked under water and gently stirred during this process. It should be allowed to stand a day or two before it is used. A pound of salt to the gallon of quicklime, the salt being first dissolved in water, improves its wearing quality. A little boiled rice flour improves its adhesiveness for indoor use.
Skimmed sweet milk, used the day it is mixed, is an inexpensive substitute for oil in applying Venetian red to old gates. One coat will make them look right well for one or more seasons. Milk however should never be used except to brighten up some old work for one or two years, and each gallon should contain three pounds of Portland cement, frequently stirred.
Large yields of corn are secured only by planting seed that has vitality sufficient to produce a good ear as well as a stock. Careful and successful farmers raise and endeavor to improve their seed from year to year. This may be done on a small scale as follows:
Select ten good sized, straight rowed, deep-grained ears. Remove the tips and butts. Shell each ear separately and plant in separate rows, marked and numbered from one to ten. As soon as the corn in these rows begins to tassel go through them every few days and remove the tassel from every stalk that is not forming an ear; so that the pollen or tassel dust of the barren stalk may not fall on the silks of the corn-bearing stalks.
At husking time husk and weigh the yield from each row or ear of seed separately. Missing hills and barren stocks indicate a low vitality in the seed-ear and also in the crop. Select the seed for the next year from the rows that yield the largest crop.
The yield of the cotton crop can be increased two fold by gathering the seed at picking time from only the best fruited stocks.
HEALTH HINTS. Health means a sound mind in a sound body.
"Know thyself", and remember, that "self-preservation is the first law of nature."
An open window, day and night, is better than an open grave.
"Warm sleeping rooms have killed more people, than ever froze to death."
"A good iron pump, over a well protected well, costs less than a case of typhoid."
"Wire screens in the windows may keep crape from the door."
"A fly in the milk often means a member of the family in the grave."
Work when you work and rest outstretched, when you rest.