Story about the Davis Chapel Area (part 2)

I can't help but notice the changes that 50 years have wrought in the topography of the neighborhood where I was born.  When I was young, forests covered the face of the whole country, birds were singing in the trees mornings and squirrels were jumping in their branches.  The "woodslot" in front of the William Bishop homestead of which I have spoken before, was filled with tall oak trees and there were 3 or 4 large muscadine vines in the lot that ran up on the trees.  I well remember shaking those vines and the thrill I experienced in hearing the fruit clatter to the ground.  No trees, nor even stumps around there now, no public roads where we lived except winding paths connecting with the 2 public roads about a mile on each side of us.  Now there are graveled and sometimes paved roads on nearly every section line. 

Happy memories come back to me from that far off time.  I remember Dad subscribed for the "Youth's Companion" for we boys and girls and the joy it gave us after a hard day on the farm when he would read it aloud to us after supper when we were gathered around the cheerful wood fire and afterward he would read a chapter from the Bible and have family prayer before going to rest.  There was one continued story in it that I remember the title of to this day, namely "Better than Victory".  It was to the effect that a poor boy attended a certain school where he made many friends and one enemy.  This enemy of his was rich and thought the other boys should look up to him on account of his wealth.  He became jealous of the poor boy's popularity and did everything he could on all occasions to taunt and annoy him.  There was to be a swimming match at the close of the term in which those 2 boys, with others, were to participate.  It was to be held along a certain distance in the river near the school grounds.  The poor boy went his way, disregarding the taunts of his enemy, although the other boys tried to get him to resent them.  His mother was a widow and though poor, tried to give her boy all the advantages she was able.  There was a cash prize to be awarded the best swimmer and he, thinking to help his mother and also himself, decided to compete.  In order to do this successfully, he took to practicing swimming on the course every time he had a chance, even on moonlight nights after his chores were finished.  By constant practice, he became a skillful swimmer and had hopes of winning the prize, but said nothing to the others about his practice on the river.  The day of the contest came.  The boys were all to start at a given signal, swim a certain distance to a post in the river and the boy who first caught hold of the post was to be declared the winner.  They all sprang in at a given signal and the poor boy soon discovered he could lead without much effort.  He led the others until almost to the end of the race and was congratulating himself on his chance to win, when he heard a cry for help behind him, looked around and saw his enemy sinking in the water.  There were others near the drowning boy and he thought, "Some of the others will go to his aid, I will secure the prize while it is in my grasp.  Besides, I am under no obligations to help him, as he has always in every way worked against me".  He swam on, but just before reaching the goal, he saw that none of the other swimmers were going to his aid and the boy was still calling for help.  He turned, swam to him and held him up until some boats arrived and pulled them both in. Another boy won the prize, but he could have easily won it if he had not turned back to save an enemy's life when he had victory within his grasp.  When the people saw this brave act, they made up a purse equal in amount and presented it to him in recognition of his overcoming human nature in order to save an enemy's life.  After finishing it, Dad said that one story was worth a year's subscription to the paper.

I attended 4 country schools in the early years of my life, first at Davis Chapel, 3 miles from home.  I boarded with Uncle Norman Dorr who married mother's sister, Aunt Jodie in 1874 and lived near the school.  When I was a little older, I went from home with Aunt Sallie , mother's youngest sister, and Harris Trammell, her cousin.  His mother, Aunt Martha Trammell was Grandpa William Bishop's sister and lived on a hill 1/4 mile west of us.  I also went with Aunt Sallie and Harris to another school 2 1/2 miles  west of us on the then Mississippi & Tennessee Railroad, called the Blann School. 

I attended 4 country schools in the early years of my life, first at Davis Chapel, 3 miles from home.  I boarded with Uncle Norman Dorr who married mother's sister, Aunt Jodie in 1874 and lived near the school.  When I was a little older, I went from home with Aunt Sallie , mother's youngest sister, and Harris Trammell, her cousin.  His mother, Aunt Martha Trammell was Grandpa William Bishop's sister and lived on a hill 1/4 mile west of us.  I also went with Aunt Sallie and Harris to another school 2 1/2 miles  west of us on the then Mississippi & Tennessee Railroad, called the Blann School. 

I remember in those days  of having an unnatural fear of trains.  The schoolhouse was on the west side of the track, across the track was a large pile of sawdust on which we played and when I would hear a train coming, I would rush across to the school building, get in the farther corner and put my hands over my ears until it passed.  On rainy nights, I would stay with the teacher, Mr. Blann whose house was close to the railroad track.  Some nights a train would wake me up frightening me.  Soon afterward, the Old Bishop Schoolhouse was built on a hill close to home, which I attended until about 12 years old, then the school was moved 1 mile west and was called Forest Oak. 

Mrs. Bettie Robertson was our teacher there for several years and I want to say I never went to a better one.  It seemed she understood children so well that they learned rapidly under her teaching

We used to have "Old Time" spelling matches in those days, that is, two of the best spellers would be chosen by the teacher as Captains, and they would stand on opposite sides of the room and select alternately, all the pupils until one half would be on each side with the Captains at the head of each row.  Then Mrs. Robertson would stand between the rows and pronunce words alternately to each side from that Old Blue Back Websters Speller or the dictionary.  When one missed a word, he had to take his seat and the one that stood the longest was accounted winner.  There was an excellent speller, Miss Mary Dorr, now Mrs. Gerald G. Hay, who was usually chosen with myself as Captains of the opposing teams.

I remember one Friday afternoon, we were lined up on opposite sides as usual, and the whole school was spelled down, leaving Mary and I spelling against each other.  Teacher hunted the hardest words she could find and finally gave us but one trial to a word, still there was a stalemate.  Along about sundown, Mrs. Robertson said, "Shucks, children, I'll have to go home, it don't look like we are going to find out this time who is the best speller Charley, you or Mary".  I asked Mary not long ago if she could spell as well as she did in our school days and she said she didn't know, but anytime the children were doubtful about the spelling of a word, they came to her.

In March  1883, Grandfather William Bishop died (he was born in 1811) and we moved to the "big house" as Grandmother was left alone with her youngest daughter, Aunt Sallie.  In the settlement of the estate, Mother inherited the 60 acres that dad had been renting and financial matters began to improve.

Life in the old homestead went on about as usual.  Grandmother had a fine orchard of apples, peaches, pears, and plums on the north side of the house.  The apples except for one tree, were raised principally for cidar and were rather sour, but many times in the late fall, after frost, I have climbed the trees, found an apple that had been overlooked and my, how sweet it was.  There were a few peach trees near the house called lemon peaches that were noted for being so sweet and juicy.  I especially remember those large, red plums and when Henry and I would come from the field at noon, as soon as we fed the stock, we would make a break for those plum trees and oh, how we did enjoy their delicious sweetness.  There we would stay feasting until mother called us to dinner.

About this time in September 1885, something happened that had an influence on my whole after life.  I accepted Jesus as my personal Savior and was changed from death to life.  The hope of salvation that I experienced at that time is still burning in my heart and is now brighter than ever.  I have had dark days, as have many other Christians, but my trust in His saving power is firmer than ever.  I feel that I can say with the Apostle Paul, "I know in whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that Day".

I became a member of Hebron Baptist Church and for several years, Dad was Pastor and I was the Church Clerk.  My membership and also that of my wife was unbroken except for 9 years we lived in Spiro, Oklahoma, when it was moved back there. When we moved back to Mississippi in 1914, it was brought back to Hebron and is still there.

The Church was organized in 1885 and the Church house was built in 1887.  I helped to build it and its first Pastor was Eld. N. F. Metts of Harmontown, Mississippi.  My father was Pastor of Bro. Metts Church in Newhope and they often met, going to and from their appointments.

In the fall of 1887, I commenced going to school in Sardis, in a new frame building called Panola High School, with Prof. J. H. Brooks, Principal and Prof. Smith as teacher of mathematics.  I often think of those days when I walked 4 1/2 miles to school in all kinds of weather, with no roads to speak of, studying at night and getting up before daylight in order to finish my chores before starting to school.  There was a natural antipathy between town and country boys, but owing to my country raising in God's free air and sunshine and my active life, I could outrun and outjump any of them.  I will never forget how 3 big strapping boys from Pleasant Grove sided with me in my contest with those town boys.  Their names were John W. Boxley, Robert Wilson and Robert Cameron.  Some of those town boys who were my schoolmates then have since become leading citizens of the town of Sardis.  To mention a few, Eugene Taylor, Edwin Boothe, Edd Orr, Willie Wall, Will Dye, and Baxter Lavender.

Algebra seemed to be a stumbling block for me and I shall always remember with gratitude how Dr. Edwin Wright helped me to get started in this study.  I remember one time Prof. Brooks put an example in Algebra on the blackboard and called on several to explain it.  None were able to do so to his satisfaction.  Finally he said, "Charley, get up there and show these boys the solution of that problem."  I knew I was able to do it, as I had sat up late the night before working at it.  When  I had explained it to the school and taken my seat , he said, "That is the clearest-cut explanation of a problem that I have heard for a long time".  Then he made my face burn by telling those boys what a hard time I had compared with them in getting an education.