Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-07-02
TIE SCHOOLS OF TIE FIRST DISTRICT


Speech Of JoAsoa q. BROWN, Trusiee.
We have from Mr.. Jue,on s. B. own. trustee
First District Pubic Sehools, the foilosing
COPY Of his remarks at the Grlmnir School ex.
animation in that district GU "Wednesday:
1.-THE present examination is the last one of
the Public Schools OF the first District for the
present year, s. hence IL may not be improper
in view of that fact, to briefly review their his
tory during that period, & their prospects for
'lt lie probably known to most present that
Cir, umstances over which the Sab Board had no
cont o., induced TOUR OF our most Ex perienced
& successful teachers OF last year to resign their
positions, & subsequently to open schools of
b gh order of their own, & all save one, within
the limits of the first District.
"This fact, In connection with the apprehen-
SION on the part OF many that the schools would
be mixed, during the year induced nearly all OF
the more advanced pupils in the Grammar &
suit the high standard OF these schools Of former
years was greatly reduced, s. pupils were admit
ted TO ITEM in order to make up respectable
number wat were wholly unworthy OF such pro-
notion. SE .tf.--, s8E--E.A
"Thcse facts, In addition to the indu cton OF
new teachers, (Which is always attended v m
more or les embarasmentto schooD ID seri-
ously affected the first 3 months labors as to
make it apparent that but little perceptIble
progress had been made.
'1n addition to these facts, the bringing Ia
eupy the Franklin Building, made it necessary
to establish strict and uniform rules of order
s. dieipline, to which all had previously been
unaccustOmed, & to which, some were seeming
" disincined cheeriully TO Weld, contributed
its share to retard & Embaras the progress o.
both teachers 4 pupils
.'In due time however order was brought out
OF chaos, and the machinery put into good
working condition, & as the steam began to rise
* hope was kindling its prophetic Eye, tc-
wards bright & prosperous future another
al IaH xxhf oh % a
tempt to override the law, & disregard the
views * wishes of a large majority of the pa
irons OF the Public Schools, by forcing co ored
children into them, whose Education had been
literally provided for, by act OF Congress else
where So far as the merits OF This question:
are concerned, this Is not the time or place
to discuss them, but future legislation & ad
yancing civilization will TO doubt solve the
matter satisfactorily to all concerned
" As IL is said that slime settles all diff cul-
tics" so with this, first came he wind, then the
stoIm, then came again the sunshine, in whose
uninterrupted light & Joy We have ma rched on
through the year-Thus much may be said of
yesr,-and now We will turn to the brighter
SIDE, 81 draw the balance sheet, as 70 what we
have gained, * what We may reasonably antici-
pate for the Iuture.-& first.
:" The franklin BusIdtag. a. us Schools,
"After years OF delay Il Embarrassment, this
magnificent School Structure was, so fa- ,Jm
Pieted as to admit on the 18th OF Sept les,
number of the Schools designed for it, bat
owing to various delays the building was nos
ready for dedication until the I'd of Oct.
There are in the building Grammar Zone
male " one Female), intermediate, q male,
& Female) 5, Secondarys, g male Il 2 F.
na'elE& . PrimaIys, averaging 50 papil,
"Tne objections raised by many to putting 50
large number OF schools into one building,
have not in our experience been substan, ated;
In TACT, the order & general department. of the
pupils both in * out OF the building has been
far superior to that in many Of the sepefate
schools in the District. So creditable indcc d he's
1t been that several of our wealthiest & most
respectable citizers, living near, have express /
preference IN favor of the Franklin Building.
as II has been conducted the past year, to any
Church Edifice thai could be erected on the
Dihed their interest in our Public Schools, BY
taking steps toward fling the now Empty
shelves in our beautiful Library with such ma
te'ial as SHAH meet the wants OF both tea cheers
THE Building & Schools have been visited
< thoroughly Inspected, by several OF the
by distinguished Educators and prominent men
from all parts of the country, who without a
single Exception, have Expressed the conviction
that we had the best School building in the
compare favorably with any others I'm the land.
"Wuh such favorable commentators coming
rom all quarters we may well fell Encouraged
IN what we nave done q stimulated toward .
higher mark in the future.
"Provedence has kindly preserved the lives
x healths OF all of our teachers, and a more la
tOfiour SUCCESSIVE corps cannot any
where be found-The CHIEF Embarrassment to
them has been, the delay on the part OF the Cor
poration TO pay promptly their monthly salaries,
while board bills, Room rent, and a thousand
other liabilities, like Ghosts, stood directly In
their path-And even now that their work is
done. ~ pronounced by all, nell done, five
months salary remains unpaid, & many of them
are actually suffering for the necessaries of life
while cfhers are painting or the inyigoratng
breezes Of their native home but kept here for
want or mony to get away-Win our city au-
thorities, & wealthy citizens allow this crue
Wong - Exist another day. trust not
"Most OF the schools and Teachers of tbs
District outside OF the Franklin Building a %
entitled TO the same commentator as tho e In
I, have made an Eequal degree of advance
munt,-
This brief outline of our Schools has be IN
has,ily drawn This morning amid many int II
ruptiops. but, feeling assured OF its truthtdl-
ross 1 submit II for your information, trust No
s. believing, that with the new & effc INC
means that will probably be added to our iu-
cational force in the year to come, our rec ord
on the 80 OF june 1871 will far transcend laS
reported To-Day"