Obituaries: Charles L. Shell, 1950, Winn Parish, LA
Submitted by Greggory E. Davies, 120 Ted Price Lane, Winnfield, LA 71483
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From: December 14, 1950 Winn Parish Enterprise (Know Your Neighbor Column)

C. L. Shell Of Dodson Was Educator, Speaker

For 39 years an educator in North Louisiana and Winn Parish, a successful
farmer, a former newspaper editor, and a well known speaker is Charles L.
Shell of Dodson, who is 76 years old this Thursday, December 14.

Born in 1874 at Hood's Mill in Jackson Parish, Mr. Shell attended various
schools in Jackson, and began teaching at Zoar Church in 1894.  His first job,
with a second grade certificate, paid $20 per month, and he walked five miles
a day to his school.

"But room and board was five dollars a month," he said.  "And bacon sold for
four cents a pound."

After teaching in schools in Jackson, Ouachita, and Winn Parishes until 1899,
Mr. Shell entered the present Northwestern State College, then the old Normal
school.

Recalling something of his college dags, Mr. Shell remembered that when he
attended, the school's administration building was a three-story frame
building, constructed before the Civil War, and that his father, as a
Confederate soldier, had been quartered in that building.

In addition to his schooling at Normal, Mrs. Shell also attended LSU and the
University of Chicago.  

Finishing at the Normal school in 1902, Mr. Shell taught the 1902-03 term in
Waterproof in Tensas Parish, and came to Dodson as principal in the fall of
1903.  At that time, Dodson school was housed in a three-room frame building. 
During his last year at Dodson, 1907, the school had five teachers, and a new
brick building which was torn down last year to make room for a new gymnasium.

Dodson H. S. Accredited

This was the first brick country school in this part of the state, and partly
on the basis of this, Dodson became the first state accredited high school in
Winn Parish. 

(Winnfield had the first actual high school but Dodson was first to be
accredited by the state under the new regulations, Mr. Shell said.)

After leaving Dodson, Mr. Shell went to Jackson Parish, where he served as
superintendent of schools until 1913, and then to Gaars Mill, where he taught
in the secondary agricultural school.

He taught in the various other schools, including Chatham and Sikes, before
coming school board member from Ward Seven in 1936.  He served in this 
capacity until the beginning of the last term, when he declined to run due to
failing health.

During his career as a teacher, Mr. Shell was also a successful farmer,
supplementing his income from teaching.  He would get his crop started during
spring vacation and have it ready for harvest in the fall.

Early in 1895, Mr. Shell, with a brother, published a weekly newspaper, The
Ouachita, in West Monroe, for a few months.

"It was a boyish fancy," Mr. Shell said, "and we didn't make much money at it
in that length of time, so we quit."

He has an old copy dated February 5, 1895, the third edition of the paper.  In
those days most country newspapers, including Ouachita, bought syndicated
newsprint with one side ready-printed and printed the local advertising and
news on the other.  C. L. Shell was editor of the paper and his brother was
manager.

Mr. Shell has always liked to make speeches, and has been in demand as speaker
for all types of occasions.  He told of one speaking engagement at a 
gathering of Normal school alumni.  According to the story, Mr. Shell arrived
in Natchitoches by train, and went to the hotel, where the editor of the local
newspaper came to him to get a copy of his speech.

He told the newsman that he had no prepared speech, but gave him a brief gist
of what he intended speaking on.

Next day, as Mr. Shell was boarding the train to leave, the editor rushed up
and said, "I did not get to cover your speech, but I'll give you the best
write-up I can."

Mr. Shell said that when he saw the story in the papers, it was so much better
than he had actually done, he could not afford to complain.

The younger generation of students who were too young to be taught by Mr.
Shell in the classroom have heard him many times at banquets and other
gatherings, and always were entertained and edified by his talks.  Although
age slows him physically, Mr. Shell's mind is very keen, and he is one of this
parish's most highly educated men, in a variety of subjects.

He lives in Dodson with his wife, and has two daughters, who each have two
children.