Anniston, Ala.—On Thursday night, December 25th, the colored church was crowded to its utmost capacity to witness the exercises of the school children, which consisted of songs, recitations, etc. The Rev. P. J. McEntosh has had this school and church at Anniston in charge for a number of years and has labored with untiring energy to elevate the colored people, and has met with a great deal of encouragement. After the school exercises, the presents from the Christmas tree were distributed among the children. Several white visitors were present and spoke very highly of the management of the church and school. On Friday night, they gave a fair at which they realized $56.80.—Chattanooga (Tenn.) Times.
Greenwood, S. C.—Mr. J. D. Backenstose writes: I have just closed my first week of school for this year (1880), and am glad to be able to report a larger number of students than ever before at this place.
I have had to rent a room of one of my neighbors, and we have as many boarders now as we can well accommodate, even with our new house, and more are to come in the middle of the month.
The house is 18×36, containing two rooms 18×18, with two windows and a door in each room and a chimney in the middle. Each room is to contain three bedsteads, and from six to nine chairs. The house completed and furnished will cost $228.68, a little more than we calculated, but it is large, well built and well furnished.
Talladega, Ala.—Both of the barns, one being new and very valuable, with most of their contents, including hay, grain, corn, and corn-fodder, 300 bushels of cotton-seed, with tools and farm-implements and three cows, were burnt Wednesday night, Jan. 7. Evidently it was the work of an incendiary, but not instigated at all by any prevailing ill-will toward the College. Subscriptions were at once circulated among citizens, both white and black, and while the amount raised is not large, the number and willingness of the contributions prove the interest felt by this community in the College. Efforts will be made to rebuild at once. The loss is estimated at $1,200. It falls heavily on the agricultural department, which is becoming an important factor in the college work. The farm does much toward feeding the large family, and gives opportunity of self-help to the young men.
North Carolina.—While Islay Walden’s people in Randolph county were hauling in logs for the lumber of their new church, the mill was burned, and a part of their boards. The owner not being able to rebuild, and there being no other mill near, the people came together to help him, the young colored preacher putting down $25 from his scanty salary. They hope to have the mill under way again in three or four weeks. Meantime they will hurry in their logs, to be the first of the new sawing.