In May of 1897 The Ocala Banner ran an article about Mixson’s finishing the school year at Central School in Marion county which had a total of thirty-seven pupils enrolled.  The school attendance that year was quite good with an average attendance of twenty-five, half of which were Mixsons, but it was noted that it would have been better but many of the larger pupils had to stop to help with crops.  At the graduation the sons and daughters of J.D. Mixson were a large part of the ceremonies with Lula Mixson#836 age 22, Viola Mixson#837 age 20, Estelle Mixson#838 age 17,  Job Mixon#839 age15,  Henry Mixson#840 age 11, Alice Mixson#841 age 9, Wilbur Mixson#842 age 8, all giving presentations.   

Ocala Banner
Friday, May 7, 1897
 
CLOSING EXCERCISES CENTRAL SCHOOL
A Most Successful Term Wound Up With
Appropriate Exercises.
 
On Friday morning, April 16, we witnessed the closing exercises of a most successful term of Central school, under the instruction of Miss Rosa Pardee.
 
Miss Pardee is an efficient, up-to-date teacher, as was shown by the hard work of the pupils. Their close and prompt action when up called upon to respond to some question showed careful, patient training.
 
Out of the thirty-seven pupils enrolled bed, thirty-three were present to answer to roll-call. There were about seventy persons present in all. When this goodly number is present at a country school, who will claim that interest is lacking there?
 
The school has made an average attendance of twenty-five, and it would have been even better than this had it not commenced so late that many of the larger pupils had to stop to help with the crops before it closed.
 
Though penmanship is so often neglected in our schools, we found it had received attention there, for it was good.
 
On the walls were many maps, which had been drawn by the pupils. In these I marked great neatness and exactness.
 
The floral  decorations were very pretty, and high in the midst of these hung a portrait of the noble and illustrious George Washington.
 
After the morning of earnest work of examinations came the noontime, when all partook of a most excellent dinner, as only the ladies of Central know how to prepare.
 
In the afternoon the following programme was rendered, in which the pupils did credit both to themselves and teacher:
 
Welcome Address -                       Walter Beltah
Speech -  “Don't Rob the Birds”         Jessie Myers
Recitation – “The Little Angel”         Alice Mixson
Speech – “Little Jim”                   Milton Dunning Recitation — “The Western Schoolmam”    Estelle Mixson
Speech – “Little Hands"                 Charlie Beck
Declamation – “Engineers Making Love”   Leroy Bruton
Recitation —“Pretty Stars"              Mary Myers
Dialog – “The Trades:                   Eight Little Boys
Declamation – “A Queer Dream”           Raleigh Beck
Recitation —“Coquette Punished’         Minnie Simmons
Speech – "The Two Squirrels”            Harvey Bruton
“Young Ladies of the Present”           Estelle Mixson
Recitation — “The Little Girls”         Myrler Simmons
Motion Song                             Smaller Pupils
“First Speech in Public”                Wilbur Mixson
Declamation – “Take a Tater and Wait”   Elvin Bruton
Recitation – “I Am a Little Girl”       Altihular Beck
Speech – “Planting a Boy"               Maxey Adams
Recitation – “Throwing Kisses”          Maud Benton
Speech – “Somebody”                     Henry Mixson
Dialog “Tattling”
      Lula Mixson,      Milton Dunning,
      Alice Mixson,     Maxey Adams,
      Maud Bruton,      Elvin Bruton,
      Myrler Simmons,   Carl Bruton,
      Alihula Beck.
 
“A discourse on Flowers”                 Viola Mixson
Narration – “Setting a Hen”              Job Mixson
Recitation – “Poor-House Hen”            Callie Dunn
“The Camp Song"                          Lula Mixson
Declamation – “So Was I”                 Doctor Dunn
 
And next, by request of patrons, Prof. B. F. Stewart, one of Marion’s
most able instructors, addressed the school. His discourse was off education. He urged the children to study very hard, and not throw away their time, for if they did, they would in after years feel like voicing the poet when he said:
“Backward, turn backward, oh time in your flight.
Make me a child again, just for tonight!”
                                                 A Patron.

 

Updated: 10-16-2024

1900