The Great Needs of the Graysville Training-School
By Geo. I. Butler
IT affords the writer very great pleasure that our leading brethren at Washington have recently, through the REVIEW, made a call for a general fund for the needy Southern work. The headquarters of our denomination is certainly the place from which such a call should emanate, and not from the Southern field itself. In that case, the call is representative of the denomination, and not merely from a feeble part of it. Heretofore calls have gone forth from this Southern field alone, and thus we have labored under great disadvantage; and we have feared that our position had almost made us seem like arrant beggars, not a very desirable name and reputation. But necessity almost forced us into this position. We feel very grateful to our brethren for taking this noble stand to lead out in this good work for the South. We most heartily promise to second their efforts, in every reasonable way. To the end that our people may be intelligent concerning the needs of this Southern field, we wish to speak of the distressing condition of our Southern Training-school at Graysville. Every institution some time has its crisis. At such a time, through losses or various complications of difficulty, a state of things is reached where, unless assistance is rendered, the institution becomes sorely crippled or perhaps goes under irreparably. Our Graysville training-school has now reached such a crisis. This excellent school has had an existence of some twelve years. A few earnest Sabbath-keepers who had recently settled there from the North, seeing the great need of a denominational school in the South (for there was none then south of the Ohio River), sacrificed of their means, built the present school building, and donated the grounds and the building to the General Conference, free from debt. This was, of course, before the union conference was organized. The General Conference conducted the school for19years. The people of Graysville also gave liberally toward building the dormitory. The school has never gone heavily into debt. A few persons in the North have contributed occasionally. The school has been advancing in efficiency and influence. The grade of school work has been extended to the twelfth or thirteenth grade. Last year it was very full; indeed, it was crowded almost to overflowing, so that more room was needed. Efforts are being made to make the school more and more of an industrial school. Until recently the amount of land attached to the school was somewhat limited; but what they had was set out to fruit-trees, berries, etc. Within a year or two one of the best farms in the vicinity, in close proximity to the school, was traded for by the conference association, and is rented on reasonable terms to the school. A large amount of fruit-trees and berries has been set out. Young stock, cattle and horses, has been purchased, and there is a reasonable prospect of profit from the same in the near future. One special reason of their financial straits this season was a heavy frost which came when acres upon acres of the strawberry crop were putting on a splendid lot of bloom and young berries. So nearly all their expected income was cut off. The other fruit-trees and berries planted are not quite large enough to bear; so of the young stock. But if a little more time is granted, prospects for the future are excellent. The old saying, “It never rains but it pours,” may imply, we suppose, that when things get into a perplexing condition, and it seems that we have all we can do to get along, then some unexpected calamity comes, and we are put to our wit’s end. So it was this spring. The buildings are in sad need of repairs. The school board looked over the situation last winter very carefully, spent days in considering the situation, and were sorely perplexed as to what to do. We knew well enough what needed to be done, but where was the money with which to do it? Then came the terrible frost, and it seemed almost to take away the heart. Indeed, some faint-hearted ones have actually proposed to shut up the Graysville training-school for at least a year. But what a calamity that would be! It might take years for the school to regain its prestige. There is a far better way than that. This, most important training-school, the only one of its kind for the white people in this whole union conference of nine large States, shut up for what?—Because a few thousand dollars is needed to make repairs and improvements. This school has cost the denomination very little during its twelve years of existence. It has been made nearly self-supporting. The writer, who has been on its board of management three or four years, can speak very positively of its economical management. Great care has been used to avoid running into debt, and wise plans have been laid, and great economy used. Every sensible person knows that schools do not often run themselves. They must have financial aid from time to time, especially to keep the buildings in good repair, and to make needed enlargements and improvements. The writer has never been connected with an institution where greater care in the management was shown. What are the improvements now absolutely essential? 1. A new roof must be put on the school building. The roof is twelve years old, and leaks badly, causing damage of no small amount in the school-rooms. 2. A better laundry is absolutely necessary. The present arrangements are a disgrace to such a school. The young ladies who wash endanger their health, getting their clothes and feet wet. It is not right to thus run such risks as the possible loss of health, and even life. 3. Far better bathing facilities are greatly needed. As a people we have much to say about taking baths and keeping the physical man clean and wholesome, for the preservation of health and to keep the system vigorous. Our schools are supposed to teach these lessons. But this important school is sadly in need of suitable appliances with which to accomplish these results. Shall we not supply them? 4. Other outbuildings are sadly needing a transformation. The present ones are certainly not an honor to the only training-school for white students in this great union conference, or in the Seventh-day Adventist denomination. 5. We now come to a most important matter. An entire revolution needs to be made in the heating arrangements. The academy building depends on old stoves, cracked or broken more or less, for supplying heat for the rooms. In cold weather they are very uncomfortable, and are utterly unsatisfactory and behind the times. The home dormitory, where most of the students board and live, is in still more unsatisfactory condition. Its only way of being heated is by a furnace. Coal is used as the fuel. The furnace is badly worn, and some if not all of the school board consider it absolutely unsafe. The heat of the furnace has caused the surrounding woodwork to become as dry as tinder, and should the least touch of fire reach the woodwork, the whole structure would be swept away in a hurry, and lives be endangered. Besides this the present arrangements are wholly unsatisfactory. In cold weather it is impossible to make many of the rooms comfortable. Students get severe colds, and in some cases are very sick from this cause. Besides this, at times the dining and other rooms are filled with smoke and dust arising from the furnace. But why dwell longer on these sad evidences of the great needs of this institution? The writer knows full well that every need mentioned here, and others not stated, are real, and must be supplied, or the school will be a failure. The members of the board were unanimous in the belief that steam heating from a boiler outside of the buildings would be far more satisfactory, and be a saving in expense. This change ought to be made at once. This school must have assistance. Three or four thousand dollars is needed at once to make these and other necessary repairs. Professor Griggs, who looked over the whole situation last spring, said ten thousand dollars should be raised in order to put this school in first-class condition. It surely ought to be done. We have written this hoping that of the funds to be raised for this Southern field, at least three or four thousand dollars would be applied on these school buildings. Brethren and sisters, this needs to be done. GEO. I. BUTLER,
President Southern Union Conference.