TENNESSEE.
The Kansas Fever——Le Moyne Normal School.
MISS LAURA A. PARMELEE, MEMPHIS.
Memphis has been very little affected by the emigration movement, but from students who are teaching in Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi, we hear enough to keep us interested.
From a neighboring village several families moved to Kansas in the winter. They are pleased with their prospects, and send word for a certain student to hold himself in readiness to come to them and teach as soon as they can get ready for school.
The following letter is from a member of last year’s class now teaching in Leota, Miss.:
“The Kansas fever, as it is called here, has reached our section of the country, and the people are entirely carried away by it. They quit their crops and sell their stock for little or nothing to get money to travel on. Fine milch cows and calves are selling for $10 or $12 at the highest. One man bought 125 chickens for $5.
“Having accomplished this much of their intention, about thirteen or fourteen hundred moved to town on May 2. In the evening, the white people became excited over the action of the colored people. They came to town and held a meeting. Then the colored people became excited over the action of the whites, and made ready to protect themselves.
“By night there were 2,000 persons in town, all armed. The sheriff was dispatched for; he came with many others. The next morning he went to the camp of the colored people and examined their arms. All but one submitted to his authority. The man drew his gun and the sheriff drew his pistol. If either of the two had fired there would have been trouble all around, but, thank God, there was none. This man was arrested and sent to jail.
“The town is crowded now and is guarded at night (every night) by the whites. It seems that they will not allow the boats to interfere and convey these poor people to St. Louis. They have been waiting on the bank four days. Yesterday (Sunday) it rained very hard, and the women with their little ones and household goods were out in all of the storm. We have had very heavy rains; the thunder and lightning was as if the world were coming to an end. The people are exposed to the weather, but determined to go to Kansas.
“The whites are doing all they can to get them back to their homes to stay this year. They go to the camp, talk and coax, but the people have not yielded yet, and it is doubtful if they will.
“I cannot relate the whole story; it is very long and sad.”
Another letter just received says the people returned to the farms for this year. Hunger and the necessities of the case compelled them to yield. Both the writer of this letter and the young man called to Kansas, expect to return to Le Moyne next year and graduate.
We do not graduate a class this summer, but shall give diplomas to a large and well prepared class next season. If we are denied the privilege——or deny ourselves——of graduating students, we find ample compensation in the excellent work and character of our young people. I wonder if Mr. Steele has told you of our five ministers scattered around in different classes——two Baptist, two Methodist, one Christian Adventist. Four of the five are settled over churches and are of excellent spirit, possessing fair ability.
Yesterday the churches had a grand union picnic. A procession headed by a band of music marched to Estival Park, which has opened its gates to colored people within the past fortnight. A few of our scholars were excused to attend, but all the older students preferred to continue at work and were entirely unaffected by the excitement. Three years ago, two days had to be given to Sunday-school picnics——the Thursdays when the Baptists and Methodists held anniversaries. We think it quite a triumph to have reached the point of ignoring such events.
We discuss plans for enlarging our work in the industrial department, and long for dormitories to accommodate the strangers that come to us. Miss Milton has charge of the sewing class, and informs you of its success. Next year we hope to have a text-book on nursing introduced as a regular study. Lippincott & Co. are issuing a book that meets our wants. Thursdays, after the regular lecture to the young ladies, recipes for plain and sick cooking are distributed. There is a demand for recipes for pies, cakes, etc., which has to be gratified once in a while.
We recognize the duty of endowing the colleges at the earliest possible moment, and rejoice that Fisk, Atlanta, Straight and Talladega can be established more firmly. We would not take anything from their strength. Certainly they must be maintained, and we will help them by sending our students abroad as soon as possible. The young people who come to us are not able to pay the twenty-five dollars extra that is needed to carry them to Nashville. They must come here, or not go to school at all.
They will not go to Nashville until they finish the course at Le Moyne; and the better training we can give, the more will they be likely to desire instruction in other branches than are allowed here.
I will in a short time send you report of our library receipts and expenditures during the year. We did not think one year ago it could be possible to be in possession of so large and excellent an assortment of books as now stands upon our shelves. What more we can accomplish for it remains to be seen.