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| "Male Seminary and Normal School," Independent Blade Newnan, Georgia November 2, 1860, |
(Click image to enlarge)
OAPY SMITH'S CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
The Smith family passed down the history that young Jefferson Randolph Smith II had enrolled in "a Sabbath school, and was able to continue his education throughout the war, after the war’s end and on into Reconstruction." I believe the ad from the Independent Blade, a Newnan, Georgia newspaper dated November 2, 1860, is for the school Jefferson may have attended. In researching Soapy all these decades I found that a major portion of the family history turned out to be true. There is no provenance regarding this particular school but Newnan was not that large of a community, and the heading of the ad, "Male Seminary and Normal School," caught my eye.
A Christmas speech written for the Sabbath school play in 1871 shows clear evidence of a good education and signs of wit.
Newnan, GA. Dec. 24 1871
Friends and Patrons. Ladies and Gentleman, we heartily welcome you on this festive occasion. With buoyant and grateful hearts we commemorate the nativity of Him at whose birth the morning stars sang together and the sons of God shouted for joy. Let the community for its blessings, rejoice, and especially should we as a Sabbath school rejoice, that we have been blessed with such kind patrons and efficient teachers. And how can we express our gratitude (and admiration) for this beautiful tree? A tree is known by its fruits, and this one is one that speaks for itself. It must have sprung from a generous soil in a genial clime. Leaden with such rich and luscious fruit, its bending boughs are more persuasive than speech; and the masich[1] it bears would puzzle Linnaeus[2] to classify or name it. Ladies, in our hearts we thank you for it. Again a hearty welcome and a joyous festive Christmas eve to all.[3]
NOTES:
[1] masich: may be mastic, “1. A gum or resin which exudes from the bark…. 2. An evergreen shrub yielding mastic gum….” It fits with the following named botanist who was challenged to name its origin. (OED)
[2] Linnaeus: Carolus Linnaeus (1707-1778), famed Swedish naturalist and botanist, established system of nomenclature for taxonomy of plants. His published works number 180. (Encyclopedia Britannica, 1892)
[3] Copy of original sent to John R. Smith by Joseph J. Smith, 12/08/1969. The original (location currently unknown) is nicely hand written in cursive and very readable. Someone, in different script, perhaps his mother, wrote at the top, “Jeffies Christmas Welcome, Sabbath School play.”
[2] Linnaeus: Carolus Linnaeus (1707-1778), famed Swedish naturalist and botanist, established system of nomenclature for taxonomy of plants. His published works number 180. (Encyclopedia Britannica, 1892)
[3] Copy of original sent to John R. Smith by Joseph J. Smith, 12/08/1969. The original (location currently unknown) is nicely hand written in cursive and very readable. Someone, in different script, perhaps his mother, wrote at the top, “Jeffies Christmas Welcome, Sabbath School play.”
Sabbath School: pages 23-4.
"Never play cards with a guy nicknamed after a city."
—Unknown
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