Dedication Of New School

At Quicksand, Kentucky

September 3, 1917

Jackson Times, Jackson, Kentucky

Gentleman: We would thank you to kindly insert among your news items, all or a part of the following account of the dedication of the first common graded schoolhouse in Quicksand, Breathitt County.

On September 3rd, at 1:30 p. m., was held in the little town of Quicksand situated about three miles southeast of Jackson, Kentucky, a most memorable occasion; that of the dedication of the first common graded school. The building itself is a handsome structure, comparing it with the large city schools, and it portrays stability and determination, which was exercised in the construction of it. Mr. Back, the builder, is to be highly complimented upon the accurateness and conservativeness used in the construction of it, and back of him, the school board; a group of men, all well-known in this part of the country, and known to be men of great determination and doing.

Those on the platform were the Misses Powers, Hieronymous, Dinkle, Collett, the teachers in this new institution; Mr. M. C. Redwine, the principal; Mr. O. V. Gilbert, superintendent of schools; Mr. E. C. Robinson, the really great factor in the building of this institution; Mrs. Russell, of St. Helens, and a friend to all; Messrs, Dr. M. R. Hoge and Ross W. Sloniker, members of the board; and Mr. R. C. Musiel, the popular lawyer in the neighboring city of Jackson; also the Reverends C. Goshon Gunn, of Jackson and E. M. Armitage, of Quicksand. Messrs. Harry Tudor and A. W. Brown, also members of the board, were in the audience.

The program of the afternoon was opened by an invocation by the Rev. E. M. Armitage, after which Mr. Redwine made a short address of welcome to the people of Quicksand. The theme of his welcome was a general greeting to the public and an earnest assurance of his expectations for the work in the coming year. He stated in part, "It is not alone the teachers and myself who are going to make real men and women out of the children under our supervision, but it is the cooperation of the children and the parents of the children, that is going to make the little city of Quicksand, not merely a saw-mill town, but a harbor of education and development." Then again, he complimented the school board very highly upon their works, as well as the builder of the institution.

Mr. V. O. Gilbert, the superintendent, was then introduced to the people and his appearance was greeted with loud applause. During his talk, he proved to be a friend of the children as well as the grown-ups, and is the man for the place. He spoke on the theme of "As man thinketh, so he is." This theme was well-taken by all present, and showed in a great measure his love for children and his ambition to see that children were well-trained. He stated the great trouble with Germany was that the teachers they had there, while considered excellent in their professions, had been and were teaching the children in a manner which led up to the crisis as we see it today; and the great need of our teachers to teach not the manner and glory of warfare, but the nobility of humanity. He stated further that this step was a step he had wished might be taken by the people of Quicksand for many years, and his dream of a common graded school in this little town had at last been realized. He also said that the people of Quicksand were to be highly complimented upon their cooperation and the works of their plans, but he cautioned them to not get the idea that a school building alone made worthy citizens, but that it took the cooperation of the grown ups with the teachers as well as the children to make the thing a success; although from the past he stated he felt certain that there would be no lingering nor hindrance in the progress of the work at this point. He further stated that not a year ago there were very few schools in the county of Breathitt, but that in the past year, many towns have awakened to the need of education; and its facilities and schools are spreading like wildfire in all sections of the county. He urged indulgence in athletics and social work as well as along educational lines.

Mr. Redwine then introduced the teachers of the institution to the audience, and all expressed their delight in being connected with this institution; and further expressed their determination to make their work in school, and socially around the town, a great help to all.

Mr. Ryland C. Musick then took the floor and expressed most emphatically the indebtedness of the people of Quicksand to the works of the school board, the contractors, and Mr. E. O. Robinson, and F. W. Mowbray, the heads of the Mowbray and Robinson Company of this city. He explained that while planning the building of this school many difficulties were confronted and at first it was thought impossible to have the school, as after figuring up all the taxes which could be collected and so forth, it was found they would have about $10,000 deficiency each year after taking care of teachers salary and no money ahead for the construction of the building. He urged cooperation financially of the people of Quicksand if the board called upon them for it, and was assured by all present of their most hearty cooperation along this line. He complimented very highly the building erected and the faculty secured, and impressed upon the people the important part played in the erection of this building, and the starting of this educational movement on the part of Messrs. Mowbray and Robinson. He really acknowledged that at the rate the people of Quicksand were starting out, it would not be long before the county seat was moved from Jackson to Quicksand, and Jackson would be a suburb of Quicksand, rather than a town of its own.

Mr. E. O. Robinson was then introduced, and was greeted with loud applause by all present. He stated that Mr. Mowbray and himself have felt for quite a long time the need of this sort of an institution in Quicksand, and at last have had their hopes realized. He stated further that their work, however, was only begun, and the part they played was to be considered only as a matter of little importance and that they were by no means through with the work they have begun. He expressed his enthusiasm over the occasion, stating in part, "This is the proudest moment of my life and after the years of cutting of timber are over in this country, I do not want Quicksand to be a town in oblivion, but I want it known as one of the great educational centers in the state of Kentucky." He told in part, of his early life, and its disadvantages along educational lines, and expressed himself a most earnest advocate along lines now pursued in this town. Again he stated most emphatically that he did not want criticism to exist in this town, and that rather than have the people criticize the work, they should offer suggestions, if they saw any room for improvement. His sentiments expressed in his little talk will long be remembered by all present, and the good will of himself and his associate will never be lost in the minds of the people of Quicksand.

Mrs. Russell, of St. Helens, then took the floor, and gave a most interesting talk on conditions in the mountains as seen by people in the cities. She urged the men of the mountains to hold their heads and shoulders equally as high as those of the Bluegrass, and not let it be assumed that they were beneath those men of the cities because they were mountaineers. She showed that the mountaineers have attain equally as high a position in the eyes of the world as any men of the cities, and urged them to keep up the good work now under foot. Mrs. Russell had the distinction of selecting the principal, Mr. Redwine, and stated in making this selection, she could see no one better fitted for the position than he, a boy of the mountains.

Mr. Redwine, then made a few more remarks, expressing his intentions to pursue the course of work under his jurisdiction with the greatest of effort, and also expressed on the part of the faculty, their great determination to make a success of this educational proposition so ably brought to the front by the Board of Trustees of Quicksand Graded School and their associates.

Rev. C. Goshon Gunn, of Jackson, then dismissed the audience with the benediction.

Yours truly,

A Reader