Appomattox State Agricultural School - Agricola Yearbook (Appomattox, VA)

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fi G T-154i History of the Washington Literary Society' In the year of nineteen-fifteen, a new Literary Society was organized, in the Appomattox Agricultural High School. It was not a hard matter to decide upon a name, however, since each member wanted his society to bear the great name VVa.shingtonf' The VVashington Literary Society was organized with forty-eight members, and from the very first, had its interesting program every Friday afternoon. Its members proved loyal 3.1111 efiicient, and at the end of the year were very joyful, because the Society had been crowned with victory in every contest with the Lee Society. In September, 1916, the Society began a new year. The Seniors of '15 were missed very much, but many new members came to till their places, making EL11 enrollment of fifty- two members. Again, the WVashington won in every contest which it entered. At the Hnal contest, it won the banner given by Mrs. Crawley. In September, 1917, the old members returned, and many new members were welcomed by the Society. This year the membership was sixty. The members were as loyal as ever, but the Society had tl1e misfortune of being defeated in one joint debate. It won in both musical contests, but in the last, by a very small margin. The final contest of this year was also won by the Society. The Spring of 1918, is drawing to an end. Many of the Societyts best members will go out with the graduating class, and though they will never be forgotten, we hope that others will come to fill the ranks, and the WVashington Literary Society will maintain its former record. 'History of Lee Literary Society In September, 1908, the Lee Literary Society, of Appomattox State Agricultural School, started on the road to fame, a little band of Pilgrims bearing the name of the greatest leader the South has ever known, General Robert E. Lee. Hard at first was the struggle, but nobly supported by each and every member, and wisely ruled by the officers, the Society soon acquired an important position in the school and became widely known. September, 1915, tl1e Society membership was so large that the faculty advised a division, and accordingly, two captains were chosen, and two societies were formed-one retaining the name of Lee, and the other, choosing that of Wasliiiigtoil. Soon contests between the two societies began, which were won by the Wasliiiigtoii each time except one. The banner of Victory, given at commencement, was also won and kept by the Washington Society. But, although we grieve over our loss, we congratulate the VVashington in their success, and do not despair. WVe bear the name of General Lee, who, although he surrendered to his opponent, is yet the greatest man the South has ever known, and we, who have been several times defeated, acknowledge it boldly and without shame, trusting that we too, shall be great despite our defeat. So let us on, to the battle, working and struggling, fighting to the last and never ceasing 'till we attain once and for always H Victory. 46

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LEE LITERARY SOCIETY

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Dormitory Life was one of the first to arrive at the Dormitory on September ll, 1915. The first person I met, was Miss Nannie I, Foster, one of our I popular grade teachers. The next sight which attracted my atten- W5 tion was Mr. Ernest Shotwell setting his suitcase down on Mr, ,h Crawley 's front porch and ringing the door bell vigorously. Since I had come into town on No. 8-the most popular train which passed 5-'D . through Appomattox-supper-time soon arrived 5 then I met a number of young men and young girls, whom I later learned to love very dearly. This was Saturday, and school opened the following Monday. My roommate and I managed, somehow, to live through that Sunday, and were ready for school when the bell rang hflonday morning. In the meantime, more boys and girls had arrived at the Dormitory. IVe tried to be jolly and nice, but, I think it was almost a perfect failure, as everyone of us were feeling blue and sick at heart, because we had left our homes and were now among strangers. Mrs. Abbitt, the matron, was lovely to us, and both she and Mr. Crawley tried to make us feel at home. After we had been here a few days, we began to know each other, and we felt much better. Everyone was congenial, and we had music every evening, in our little reception room down on the first floor, and often we played games on the campus. One day, Ruthe Foster and I were passing down the hall, and saw written in large letters on one of the doors: B'Il8CIlZ'1iS Cfcwitpbcll. Ruthe said, '4For Heaven 's sake let's go in. It ls been so long since I saw a Campbell biscuit. The boys were very nice to the girls, yes, very nice, often we would be surprised by a box of candy, a bag of chinquapins 5 or peanuts coming through the window, while we would be poring C525 over some difficult lesson for the next day. The second floor was No Man is Land -perhaps c'Mick could explain why this was true. Miss Pocahontas VVray, the teacher of Mathematics, was always on the job,'7 when the boys wanted to have a tete-a-tete with their favorite girls, after returning from church Sunday nights. The broom learned, before the year was gone, that it had two duties to perform, this was an excellent way to convey notes from downstairs to an up- stairs window, unless the Demon CD appeared around the corner about the time the broom had gotten about half-way on its journey. 47