GEORGIA.
Pilgrim Church and Sunday-School—Band of Hope—Twichell School.
REV. JOHN H. H. SENGSTACKE, WOODVILLE.
This small settlement of colored people is situated three miles west of Savannah, Ga. It was bought by a Northern agent, and divided into half-acre lots, which are now selling, on the instalment plan, for seventy-five dollars each. The houses are very small and uncomfortable; but since the American Missionary Association has erected a new meeting-house and parsonage, the people have commenced to put up better dwellings, and a strong love for home comforts is gradually taking hold upon the masses. The inhabitants of Woodville obtain a living by selling in the city market, or laboring in gardens and on rice plantations. In this settlement there are two groceries, and three on its border, where strong drink is sold, even on the Lord’s day.
The only house of worship in this place is the Pilgrim Congregational Church. This church was organized in 1871 as the Woodville Church, and re-organized in 1875 as the Pilgrim Church. A new site was chosen, and the present meeting-house was erected in the same year. This church has been a great blessing to the people. A deep religious feeling has prevailed in our midst, and many have become savingly acquainted with the Lord Jesus Christ. Rev. Mr. Markham is deeply interested in this little church, and a great assistant to the young pastor in charge. A revival is still in progress; twenty persons have been recently added to the church, and seven are waiting to be received at the next Communion.
The Sabbath-school is prospering. We have no well qualified teachers as yet, but Twichell School is preparing instructors for this work. We need lesson papers and other papers. Who will help us in this direction? Our Band of Hope consists of both adults and children. This society is working hard to save men from a drunkard’s grave, and hell. It has much opposition to overcome. The rum-sellers and whisky-drinking church-people are its worst enemies.
Twichell School.—This school is held in the church, and is taught by the pastor. Through the benevolence of the A. M. A. and the Congregational Church Sabbath-school at Grand Rapids, Mich., we have been able to instruct hundreds of children, and it is pleasing to know that our labor has not been in vain, for many of the little ones are rejoicing in Christ the Lord. Mrs. S. N. M., of Dubuque, Iowa, “the Merry Workers,” at Grand Rapids, Mich., and other Northern friends, deserve our sincere thanks for the deep interest they have taken in this work. Every effort put forth in the name of Jesus to elevate this ignorant people deserves the heartiest encouragement.
School Children Farming—Their Parents Buying Farms.
SEABORN SNELSON, MCINTOSH.
Our school is very small, as it always is at this season of the year, the children having to assist their parents in farming. For that reason, during the summer months of the previous years, we have had to teach about two hours at night, for the benefit of those who could not come in the daytime. We have not yet commenced night-school this year, though it is desired by many.
There are many children in our neighborhood who belong to our school, but we find it very difficult to get all, or the most of them, to attend school regularly. We have a pretty good average attendance, but do not at all times have the same scholars, which causes much discord and delay.
The children seem to be anxious to learn, but it is done in the midst of hardships which are uncommon to children in many other places. The older people are not as much interested in the education of their children as they should be, by a great deal.
Only two schools for the colored children are kept up during the year in this county, namely, Second Midway and Old Midway. There are other places I know of in this county, where much might be done in the way of instructing the people in the right way, and they would be very glad to receive it; but the aid is wanting.
About two-thirds of the colored people in this county are trying to buy land, and really some have succeeded in so doing; but it is done by about four years’ hard labor and strict economy. There is very little money in this county, and it will be so until the colored people pay for and take possession of these lands. After a couple of years they will be able to do much for themselves in many ways.
A Growing School—A Literary Society.
COSMO P. JORDAN, MARIETTA.
The Mission School at Marietta was opened Oct. 15th, 1877, with four pupils only. The 2d day of January, 1878, there were fourteen. The end of January found a roll of thirty-seven, which has steadily increased to seventy-two. It may be seen that the growth of this school was not very rapid, from the fact that it was opposed by many of the colored people in the city. But the more water they threw on this little spark, the brighter and faster it burned, till it has become a centre of attraction. Friends of this work are fast multiplying, and the future seems bright.
My school is composed of some very bright and promising young men and women, seven of whom go out every summer to teach. The studies are spelling, reading, writing, geography, composition, grammar, and arithmetic.
To this work is attached a literary society, known as the Junto, the exercises of which consist of reading, speaking, discussions, and singing. It was likewise opposed, but is now as largely attended as any church in the city.