Progress at Oakwood Manual Training-School by O. R. Staines

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D.C. · Oct 4, 1906

Progress at Oakwood Manual Training-School

By O. R. Staines

As we come near the time for the annual collection in behalf of the colored work, our minds naturally turn back to the offerings made by our people last year. We wish all could realize how much their sacrifices were appreciated by our colored people, and by those who are engaged in this branch of the Lord's work.

We feel that you should know something as to what has been accomplished with that part of the last collection coming directly to this school. Previously to last year nothing had been paid on the teachers' salaries by the school itself. But this collection enabled us to pay about one thousand dollars on these salaries that year, though largely in supplies. The present year the school is furnishing about fifteen hundred dollars in supplies for the same purpose. Aside from these items the two teachers' cottages have been completed; a new tool house, and a shed for our young cattle, have been built; a much-needed cistern has been put in at one of the cottages; both cottages have been equipped with eaves-troughing and piping, and extensive repairs have been made in the troughing of the older buildings. This summer, as a result of this collection and some additional funds, the basement of our study hall has been cemented, a seven-hundred-foot sewer laid, and neat bathrooms have been installed. Many other small, but very necessary improvements about the buildings and farm have also been made.

On the farm this year we have been attempting to carry out the instruction of the spirit of prophecy in raising more garden produce and less cotton. The Lord has seen fit to bless our efforts in heeding his instruction, and already about five hundred dollars' worth of garden produce has been marketed. We have also canned about sixteen hundred quarts of fruit this summer. We have about twelve acres of peanuts, with prospects for a good yield for this section.

We have endeavored by God's help to use the strictest economy in the expenditure of the funds that have come to us, and those who have visited the school often enough to be familiar with conditions and the improvements have repeatedly testified to the substantial progress made for the outlay involved. To the Lord be all the praise for whatever degree of success has attended our work as a faculty.

Our school opened Wednesday, September 19, and though our attendance is not yet large, the spiritual atmosphere is excellent; those who are here are manifesting much interest in the work, and we have assurances that others will be with us in the immediate future. Aside from our regular intellectual work, classes in the following manual training lines have been organized: blacksmithing, carpentry, broom-making, agriculture, poultry raising, dairying, bee culture, horticulture, carpet weaving, cooking, plain sewing, and dressmaking.

The prospects for the future are from many standpoints more encouraging than at any time in the past two years. We who are daily brought to face the needs of this great work are praying God that he will put it into your hearts not only to give as liberally as you did one year ago, but as much more generously as the necessities of the work and the shortness of time would indicate.

O. R. Staines, Business Manager.