The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-03-30

Washburne, the efficient and obliging su.
perintendent of these schools, one Of oul
friends visited them on yesterday, and j:
able to give the following statistics, which
will show the number of children attend
ing each. The city and suburbs have beer
divided into districts, and schools establish
ed in each. The first district embraces
that portion Of the city lying east of Seven
teenth street and the adjoining suburbs.
From Seventeenth street westwardly to
Foushee street comprises the second dis.
trict, and all that portion of the city and
suburbs lying west Of Foushee street, in
Guiding Oregon Hill and Sidney, form the
third district. 1t may be proper to add,
that as the only grammar school for boys
is in the second or middle district, tho
larger boys from the other districts attend
that one.
!, In the first or lower district the school is
located on the ground floor of the Masons'
Hall, on Twenty fifth street.
Entering this room, we found two teachers,
Miss Emily G.. Stanwood and Miss Lou.
Dixon, busily engaged experimenting the
lessons of about l20 scholars. This school
has both boys and girls, but preponder-
ance of the former. Every available foot
Of space in the room is occupied, but SO
great is the demand for admission, that
accommodation. This school was estab-
lished as late as the 4th of February, but
such is the system which the teachers
have brought to bear upon the children
that very good order prevails, and one can
see at glance that much good has al
ready been effected. The studies of this
school are the simple rudiments of the
English anguage-reading, writing, arith-
metic, geography, &C., &c.
The school-rooms in the middle district
are located on the south side of Franklin
between Sixth and Seventh streets. For
distinction this is called the Lowell school.
There are in this building three rooms oc-
cupied as school-rooms, with one teacher
in each. In the first-the boys interme-
diate-we found ninety-four scholars, boys
who were somewhat advanced in their
studies, learning grammar, drawing, &C.,
&c. We examined some of the specimens
of drawing, and found many Of them very
good indeed. The lady, Miss Rebecca
Breck, who teaches this class is a proficient
in the art, and is quite enthusiastic over
the progress which her students are evil
IDENTIFY making.
On the second floor we found Miss Martha
A. Parker teaching primary school of
about sixty scholars. Here the alphabet
and alb, alb scholars of the district are
taught the first principles of the language.
In the third room of this building we
iyf, ri rrir n
pretty well advanced, and give evidence of
careful training and close application.
Their teacher, Miss Sarah 4. Haskell,
seems to take q great deal Of pains with
them, and evidently has their entire conf
dence. As she called them up to the
black aboard, they came forward promptly,
and went through the explanations unfal-
teringly.
We next visited the Hollywood schools,
located in the buildings used in bettuBt
times as q naval laboratory. There are
two schools here. In the first one we en-
tered there were two teachers-Miss Jen-
ME L. Howard and Miss Maria L. Morse.
This is the primary department, and there
are about 200 scholars in regular daily
attendance. There are both boys and girls
in this room. Here we saw spelling
match between the pupils. Two boys were
called out and took positions OF opposite
sides of the room, and they would then
alternately call the name of some other
scholar, the one whom they wished to be
on their side in the coming contest. After
the ranks had been filed up, the teacher
gave out the word to be spelt. If it were
missed by any scholar, that one had to
leave the class, and the word was passed
over to the other side. Thus they went
on, the ranks constantly thinning, until
there were only two left, one on each side,
until at last one Of these missed, and had
to take his seat, leaving Tommy victorious.
These two are at the head Of the class for
the next day. This spelling is
looked forward to with much eagerness by
the scholars.
Inthe next house, and the last we visited,
we found Miss S. Z. Foster at the head of
about seventy scholars, all girls. This is
the girls grammar school. Here the
most perfect order prevails. The teacher
seems to have infused into the minds of
her pupils some of her own enthusiasm on
the subject Of learning, and the scholars
are models which any learner might be
proud to follow. The drawing and writing
in this school would do credit to girls of
more advanced age. There are regular
lessons in vocal music in all of these
schools, but in none of them are the scho-
lars so much advanced as in this. Their
proficiency in this department is really
surprising. Some of the pieces which
they sung on yesterday were rendered i'll
a very fine style.
Mrs. Washburne, assisted by two of the
teachers alternately, has sewing classs,
which meets at the Lowell school each
school-day afternoon, where instruction is
given in plain sewing, knitting, mending,
darning, &c., &c. The attendance at this
class averages l05.
There is also Sabbath school in the
Hollywood buildings at O'Clock 2. NJ,
each Sabbath, with an average attendance
of 400.
There will be vacation in the day
schools until Wednesday the 10th of April,
when the second session will commence.
This season of cessation from labor will be
very grateful to the teachers, whose labors
have been very arduous for the last few
months.
Having given in previous article the
full history of the Association which sus-
tains these schools, we deem it unneces-
sary to repeat it at this time.
LOOK OUT FOR THE AMAZoN.-Quite q
sensation was created in the neighborhood
of Broad between Fifth and Seventh
streets yesterday morning, by the appear
g /, honIpnpna crlanfi fil -lppE mo wA-