Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-06-24

Ae-O" 49, o0ANsohs ~ - ovuhe0s
school H0nOrs and Prizes.
The Columbian College Free Scholarship will
be awarded to-norrov :" to the most merisorioGs
pupil in the public schools Of Washington, IS
comprising over four thousand pupils. This
scholarship is q free gin from DR.. q. w. Sam
ron, the president Of the College, and it is the
sixteenth that has been given for the sole p ar-
to set their marx higher up both In schoIsrship
and conduct George W. Riggs. Dr. Gunson,
h norauo hing, ana me late Amos Kendall
trustees in presenting these valuable prizes To
meritorious pupils in the public schools, and
the hberality Of the public spirited gentlemen
has been appreciated When look at merely
the money yalue of these prizes il Is cOnsdera-
the probable beneficial effect on the future of
These young aspirants for a higher and nobIer
life, the Importance Of the award, and of
the strictest care and impartiality in max
ing 1t, become matters worth examining
Now the attempt of the School Trustees has
been to give this valuable prize to the "most
meritOrious pupil, !" and they have decided that
the pupil who is to receive this high title and
award shall be designated by his ability to pro-
sduce the the best written answers to a number
OF questions on school studies, prOpounded At a
stssie sitting on the day Of examination. The
questions are usually printed or written, sOae-
We are sorTy % say; in very undsfnaele
The tine heretofore occupied by the pupils In
writing their ideas of the proper answers to the
hours, and usually about one half G,e answers.
even when within range OF the pupils kuowl-
edge, are either sighted, vaguely constructed,
or omitted entirely. Sometimes the youngsters
appalled, at the amount of mere mechanical
labor involved in the writing out of so many
dreary pages OF foolseap at one long, monoton-
ous, and gloomy sitting, pick up their hats
and retire from the field, leaving very often the
contest TO fingers having the greatest amount of
physical endurance, and to heads having the
m n hro ma
point: At one OF these examinations the pupils
were started on this style of +" dead heat" at
3ociock on hot summer afternoon, lowing to
some mlshap Of the committee the bows did not
begin til four when they were handed their
Catalogue Of queries. They wrote, and wrote.
ana wrote ON, I'LL supper time came. About
work that before them, retired to the more
agreeable quarters OF the tea table. A few
more, about ten o'clock at night, having been
supplied with a charitable nibble of crackers
a. a. 49, ID -.~. ~ -
concludedto dodge the ghosts and hobeoblins
that they might encounter on their wav home
and resOlutely left the lesser evil of boring on
L" why's" and took the "most Travelled" route
for home and bed. The squad of twenty COM
petltors had now, at one O'Clock on the morning
Of the neEt day, dwindled down to three, who
determined TO write on; and the successful
youngster was the one who had the
physical and salamander qualifications of
ODc Vi DuTglar ana lre-prOOf SafeS.
The committee decided this young gentleman to
be the ''most meritorious pupil, !" and we think
he was. at least on hat occasion, though il might
be surmised that he owed his success more to
the fact that he had cultivated ssphysics'' in a
"frst nine" of base ball players than to anv
midnight OIL he consumed in studying his
text books. No doubt the committee on this
occasion, as on some others, unwittingly de-
feated their own purpose to find the pupil intel
lectually 1.-The most meritOriOus." What chance
would some eNcitable and nervous little Oliver
Twist have had in a bull-headed contest like
that? What Chance would he have had il he
asked "i1r more time, sleep, or supper, from
such a Rumble committee.
On another occasion, but fraction of the
committee knew, or cared 10 inform the pupils
and the lav being SATURDAY., some OF tn S5Sss
were in the neigh boring woods on a shooting
excursion, and OF course had 10 be ''gunned uP''
b. core they could start c. this intellectual race
after the others were well aavauced on the
track. Yet the scholarship was duly a-<arded
or that examination.
We mention the things in order 70 show the
importance Of the mode of conducting the ex-
animation. and TO express the common sense
view OF the matter, that il 10 important that
olaTls time be allowed for the writing Of answers
t. the questions. and that they be iudiciously.
and, above all. peTspicuOusly worded, so that
the pupil may rot have TO consume time in as
eeJtaining the precise meaning OF the ques-
toner. We questions in each study are sener-
ally giver. but of the five sometimes
includes what is really half dozen For in
stance, What was the cause of the war with
last? What were its principal battles? Who
were they fought and who were the ..ost dis
tinguishhssdS oficers? This on ,as list, rates
glance that to aver this Question fairly re-
cnne' h-, Cne boys must not only have a head
full Of information on that particular subject;
but . hat full Of paper TO write II on; - saw
nothing of The disturbance caused b. examiners
standing by, like so many bot, e-hoIders AZ a
prize hight, ready to sing OFT s.time" when the
apportioned minutes BE-. elapsed
Insse commute, OF award have been taken
omeumes irIm the board Of trustees, sOme-
umes Gentlemen of intelligence outside VI the
p".rd have been selected. The latter is the bet
te- plan, and the present board Of trustees has
house Academy; Cnas Mason, of Columbia
College; and Chas. b. Young. OF the Emerson
Institute,-three gentlemen eminent in their
hants better Judgment of what boys can
ought TO do in given time may reasonably be
expected. We are fully aware that the whole
great difhculty, insoIauch that many teachers
and parents are opposed to rewards of merit of
any kind This objection arises doubtless from
the careless manner in which these school prizes
are bestowed. Another point IL, an examina-
ton of this kind involves a great deal of veXa-
tion, labor. and ability, and il is seldom that
gentlemen having leisure, the requisite Impair
tiality and scholarship, can be found willing TO
devote themselves TO work 50 prottless, and
beneftting 80 little their own pecuniarv inter
ests. Yet these affairs must be attended to by
somebody. and the point to be gained IL, 10 Sc
cure the services OF examiners whose Impair
tiahty and ability not only known 10 the
board Of trustees, but of high reputation among
our citizens In this We believe the trustees
have this time fully succeeded. =
UNITED IRIsHMgN's AssocIATIoN-A meet
ing Of this association of the Fifth Ward WAS
held last evening at the Bismarck House. lZ3
Pennsy lvsnia avenue, MIR. John . Mesrs in the
chair. The constitution and bylaws we're read
by sections and adopted unanimously. Several
gentlemen were proposed for membership, and
referred TO the committee on safety. A resolu-
ton Was offered by William McGolrick express
iny the confidence Of the members of the United
Irishmen Of the Fifth Ward in Mayor Emery,
and expressing the hope that he would not
forget the irst Irish republicans in Washington
90 ind0rse him.
SOLDIERS MKKTISG.-The meeting of soldiers
20 he held At Union League Hall at O'Clock
this evening, for the purpose OF endorsing the
equalization bounty bill. will be addressed by
Generals Washburn and Cobb, Of Wisconsin;
Stoughton, Of Michigan, and Barry, OF Nssis-
sippi; Col Timothy lubey, Adjutant General
Collins Of the G.. A. X, ard other gallant off,
GERS and soldiers. We look TOR q large attend
snce.