Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1872-09-03
DEDICATION.
=-LG
SUMNER BUILDING.
A NEW COLORBD SCHOOL.
Interesting Exercises.
Remarks by Gen. Chapman, Super
inteRdent Cook, and Others,
DEDICATION.

The large and beautiful hall attached 10 the
Sumner school building, full description Of
which was glyou In tho REPUBLICAN, Of yester.
day, was we'll Allied yesterday afternoon to wit.
ness the Interesting dedlcatory exercises Prom.
lnont on the platform were Hon. N. p Chip
man, eN Commissioner OF 4 luoatlon Eaton, Hon
Lewis Douglass, Hon. Y. Richards, J. o.
Wilson, osq., superintendent OF public schools,
Dr. Tindall, eXTrustees Jones aud syphaG,
John +, Cook, osq, District register, and Prof.
William J. Wilson. Mr.. Henry johnson, rresl.
dent Of tho Board OF Trustees OF Coi0fed schools,
presided, and stated that the hour having ar.
rived for the commencement Of tho txercisos,
announced the opening would be singing by the
pupils, under the direction OF Mrs. James T.
wormley. blessed ls He that Cometh" was
rendered with beautiful effect by the young
| ladies and gentlemen. Hon. ZalmOn Richards
read selections from Proverbs, eighth chapter,
after which Rev. Mr.. Hill offered up a feFyent
prayer to the Throne OF Grace, invoking Divine
assistance In tho furthoranco Of tho good work
| undertaken by the school authorities. Singing
Guide mo, q, Thou GrOat Jehovah" by the
scholars was beautifully rendered and fully up.
pTeclated by the large audience present
REMARNs OF SUPERINTENDENT COOK.
LNdles and HentlOmen: Tho act Of April 10,
1871 abOlshinR slavery In the District OF OOlum.
| bia removed the political hlndrances TO the es.
| Ored children. In consOnance with that act, on
/ the 2lst OF May In the same year Congress
passed an act requiring that "ten Per centutn Of
taxes collected IRON persons OF color In wash.
| lnEton end Georgetown be set apart for the Dur.
pose OF Initiating system Of primary schools
| Tor the education Of oOlored children" residing
| In those cities and oontdei the trurt TO the
| trustees Of public schools 10 the two cities. In
| July Of the same year the control was trans.
| ietrcd by Congress to special board, TO DO
known as the BOARD Of Trustees OF CoIored
| Schools for WashingtOwn and Georgetown"
| On AMOUNT Of the inadequacy Of the funds the
| hrst school was not organized until March,
| 1894 II was located In the eastern section Oi
the city, and placed under the instruction OF tho
principal elect Of this building, In June, 1904,
/ Congress more literally provided for the eduea-
ton VI the large cOurel school population In re-
quiring that such proportion Of all school funds
/ raised In Washington and Georgetown should
be set apart Tor cOlOrCd schools as the number Of
i colOred children between the ages Of sir and
/ seventeen bears to the whole plumber OF chill.
dren' but owing TO adverse constructions placed
| upon this act by the municipal authorities OF
| this city, the immediate benefit expected from
/ Its pruyisions was delayed.
| From the close Of the school year isoT-6s
| when the funds became available aud tho board
| partially freed from the annOyances aud HIN
| ORANGES to which II had been subjected since ItA
| creation, can DO bost traced Its contribution 10
| the great work Of public education In this COM
! munity. From seven teachers employed by the
board At the close OF the school year 1885 o. the
number has increased TO eighty. In 1894 about
| one hundred children were provided tor by the
| board. OF the nine thousand eOlored children
OF school ages, about four thousand reoeived
more or less instruction from pablo oolOrod
| schools during the last year. From i've school
buildings In l36T-6s owned by the board, contain
| Ing thtrty.siN rooms, the number has grown TO
nine buildings, containing soyenty-seyen rooms.
/ Ofthe hve Of the former period two have
| given way to structures which In convenience,
| comfort, finish, and architectural beauty reflect
credit OF very high ORDER and there IL further
| cOngTatulatory cause In the fact that each sue
| coeding building has In It's grcaier excellence,
| Indicated continued progress The hrst school.
| house was built In the winter OI ls6t-d5 In the
Third school district, and contained four rooms,
two OF which were illadApted 10 school purposes,
| aud the Internal arrangements Of the building
| OF tho poorest order.
| In that building we recognize the Ignorance
/ or necessity and poverty Of tho past, and leave
| II wiser and more Apprcclailvo Of the wisdom
and bounty Of the present; 10 this convenience
/ and the physical comfort Of teacher and pupils
| have been considered as important conditions o
| q good school, In this building experience will
| quickly teach that children, in consideration
/ Of the care Tor their physical welfare will nc.
| quire habits OF regularity In attendance, study
harder, learn more, eVlnce q nicer sense Of pro
| pTiety, more cheerful spirit and develop \
| higher character.
This building, though not frst In school ca
paclty, has greater cJnyenlonces and In every
| way Is best adapted to the purposes for which Il
was erected Al inspection viii show that In its
| construction the best materials have been used,
and that the work has been done In a substAn.
| tlal and wOrkmanlke manner. It's design and
architectural propOrtlOnsa are such will scarcely
| fall to attract attention and
| ELICIT CONSTELLATION.
From the grade Of tho pTlmmer the schools
have proceeded step by step TO the Threshold
| Of the high school course. In point OF depoTt.
| ment they will compare ihyOrably with the best
| OF the country. In discipline, rs indicated by
attendance, they have hal = steady aud healthy
growth, and the results OF the past year, 10 this
| re.pect, assign them to the nrst rank.
| To the gentlemen who have COMPOSED the
| board Of trustees OF cOlOFed schools Tor Wash.
lngton and Georgetown during Its existence,
| for their hriuous anil pccuniarily uncbmpsn-
stated labor, their unttrlng zeal and peTSoye ring
| efforts In bringing the schuOls To their present
degree Of excellence, too great praise cannot he
given. assure you, friends, that none more
than they rnalILe the necessity for tho attain.
ment Ot greater excellence, and are more 50.
lgitOus Of your hearty corporation, and mono
are more sensible OF the increased responsible.
Ties AMI obligations evolved In the erection and
acceptance Of this structure, so beautiful and
grand In It's proportions, and yet 50 bOuorcd 10
the name Il beaTs-SUmner.
To many Of you, as 10 me- some very lively
fecOllectiuns arise to mind. Tho great change
on this spot carries mo back, and | havo no
doubt Two VI the gentlemen with whom am
originally connected, to the days OF bOyhOOd.
The dammlng up OF the stream at the loot OF
| the hill for the mud and sand bath, the fuyInga
IN quest Of the lark and klldeee, the frog aud
| leech, and before know ledge Of Its theory, the
practical demonstration OF the power OF the
lever In the use OF the ience-rail In turning over
the boulder Tor the snake-all within this
squAfe-are as fresh To INC as II they happened
but yesterday. On this hill some OF you, have
no doubt, witnessed and enlOyed-less than one
score years ago, when score would Outnumber
the entire police force Of Washington, and when
the police officer seldom stTAyed Into the out.
skirts Of the clty-tho frequently fought mlnla-
lure battles between freedom and oppression.
How scores aTrayed on each side, armed with
stones and clubs, every man In bis own face
the bearer OF his respective side with lines
mus distinctly drawn, were engaged In strife
lpr hours, up and down on this hill, with vary.
| ing success How changed! From rude nature
we come to rudor art In tho structure OF baTrack
material, no" happily no more, and from that
structure we now come to one which W0 would
recognize as the external symbol Of the attain
ment Vt degree Of refinement and Intellectual
progr9ss' Of which people should feel proud.
At the conclusion Of Mr.. Cooks remarks tho
| contractor Mr.. Fleming, presented tho KEYS 10
Trustee Wormley Of the building committee,
with tho following remarks;
REMARK5 OF ROBERT J. FLEMIEu
MY FRIENDS: It has been assigned 10 mo as
the builder Of this nne school edihce to be hon.
Ored With an humble part In the interesting
ceremonies Of this day: A day that will long
DO remembered in Washington city by the
teachers and scholars OF tho cOlOred schools as
lie day In which was dedicated a new temple to
the cause Of popular education. We have today
assembled within these halls for a noble cause,
pacific, practical and purely benshcent pur.
pose, to dedicate THU Building to the education
Unable value.
The child who years ago would have been
brought up IN Ignorance will now have the
same opportunities as others which by the bless
ings OF an all-Wlse Providence will be taught
that elementary knowledge that leads to pros
pcrlty and happiness.
| This odihce Is handsome 10 Its architectural
design, substantial and durable In It's material
and workmanship, large and cOmmOdlOus In all
rs appointments, admirably heated and Ventil.
lated and we'll adapted TO the purposes for which
II was constructed, and on an eminence which
affords u grand view OF large portion Of our
city, destined, as hope and trust, through tho
Divine will, to present lts open portals for gen.
eTltiuns to come
may safely say that It Is the largest and the
most ornamental OF
OUR COLORED SCHOOL
buildings and perhaps the finest cOOred public
school edinco In tho United States, thanks TO
our most worthy trustees
Bearing the name Of sumner, Charles Sum.
neT What glorious name TO the cOlOred poo.
ple-One that will be ever remembered and held
dear TO their hearts as their most steAdfast
FRIEND who has dedicated his life in defence Of
their rights May the scholars In this building
be as attentive to their studies as Sumner Is 70
their race.
may, however, be permitted to remark that
popular education Is subject which has on. |
gagged tho minds OF some Of our most worthy !
citlZeCs, moro especially our superinte ndents !
and trustees, Tor long period Of time, while | |
have boon earnestly engaged In a no less worthy |
cause IN thuee branches Of practical science |
that lenl 10 personal and national wealth by tho
Development Of those physical resources which !
have been placed within the reach Of our Onter- |
pTtslng and willing peODle | mean the COlOFel |