1899 public laws – Ch. 732 Sec. 19

The county board of school directors of any county may annually appropriate an amount not exceeding fifty dollars out of the school funds of the county for the purpose of conducting one or more teachers institutes for said county, or the county boards of schoo! directors of two or more adjoining counties may appropriate an amount not exceeding fifty dollars to each county for the purpose of conducting a teachers institute for said counties at some convenient and satisfactory point, andthe public school teachers of the said county or counties are required to attend said institute unless prevented from attending by sickness or other good cause. A county teachers institute under this section shall be conducted by the county superintendent of schools, assisted by some member of the state board of examiners or a member of the faculty-of the normal department of the University of North Carolina or of the State Normal and Industrial College, or of the Agricultural and Mechanica! College at Raleigh, or by some practical teacher appointed by said state board of examiners: Provided, that the local and travelling expenses of the persons thus appointed,shall be paid out of-the general public school fund of the county by order of the county board of school directors: Provided, that the teachers institutes sha!l be held for the white race and the colored race separate and apart from each other.