Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-01-16
ALEXANDRIA GAZETTE
AND Y IRGI \ | A A d Y ERT1S F. T.

\ y L. ' | II VI l ~ u n j. IL II - II H.
(For the Country
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ET"Specia contracts will be made with yearly
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ne~ Marriage and Death Notices, when not
exceeding eight lines, fifty cents
VIRGINIA PUBLIC ScuooLs-The first an
nual report of Rev. w. H. Ruffner, D. D., su.
rcrintendent of public instruction of the State
of Virginia. has been laid before the General
Assembly. The act organizing the public
schools was passed June p, 1870. by the I'd
cf January, 1871, the whole number Of county
superinteudentS and school trustecs-about
100 in all-had been appointed by the board
Of education. The first schools were opened
in November, 1870 Before the end Of the
scholastic year the number Of schools had in
creased to 1900, with abeut 10000 pupils
and more than 5000 teachers. The system
was put in operation in Richmond, with city
appropriation of $4,000, aided by an equal
amount from northern educational societies. the
freedman bureau and the Peabody fund Next
wear the city council appropriated 81, ,625, be-
sides 100000 for buildings. The growth and
prosperity of these schools has been very mark
ed: they now number IS, with an average en-
rolIrnent Of $500. The schools are grouped iu
buildings each accommodating GOO pupils.
There are six grades Of primary and four OF
grammar schools, and high school. German
will hereafter be taught in the grammar schools.
The total number of pupils enrolled IN the
Safe is l3O, ,469; number attending private
schools reported 27.3722:: total number attend
ing school in the State l57.S4l The number
returned for the private schools is incorrect. for
Il partial enumeration showed an actual atten
dance of f., 444, and ten counties and three
cities we're not embraced in the enumeration.
In 1901 the number Of colored children at
tending the public schools was $4,000 The sta
ti>tics Of adult iiteracy show u sad increase
during the decade from 1860 to 1870. Five
years after the war there were only 1872 white
children and .04S colored attending school.
The census of 1870, says the report will dis
cover far more of the evil than has yet appear
ed in statistical form, because it was a greatly
diminished number of the generation which
WIS growing up between the years 1860 and
$50 that received any education whatever
During the school year ending October 1871,
Virginia received from the Peabody fund $40
ono. Daring the current year she Will receive
$3n,oDn The total number Of INDECENT chli-
,lrcn who were furnished with school books at
the public expense, as reported from twenty
four counties was 100. From the remaining
rl,ntes no report was received.
THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY (MARYLASDl
..FRIENDs. The Rev. T. L. W. Ware writes
letter to the Boston Christian Register in
which he says some very pleasing things about
the Quaker settlement at Sandy Springs,
MONTGOMERY county.Md We give an extract
Il have seldom enjoyed anything more than
my visits to Sandy Springs, where L have lee
turcd to crowded houses, some OF my hearers
coming seven and nine miles, over roads such
rs New England never dreamed of, and only
those who remember what the sacred soil was
in the days of the war can picture. Going up,
we made eleven miles in four hours, including
4 stop to cut down tree OF ten inches IN diam
cter. which was fallen completely across the
road which had to be chopped into three sec.
lions with very indifferent axe, borrowed Of
and returned to farm house three quarters OF
a mile across the fields. Tue intimacy OF my
relations with the top of the big wagon rode
IN were such as to make me wish that Provl-
,Icnce had omitted sensation in that part OF me
a soft hat does not specially we'll protect.
''rhrre is probably hardly another such lit
tie cluster of well-intormed and well-to do peo-
ple in Maryland. Everything bore the better
stamp of the Friend, and brought back to me
memories of Friends as had known them IN
the past. The land all about, at the time the
settlement was formed was almost too poor to
give away, and now the we-ied fields yield an
increase that well repays the care they have
had. and you would never guess the original
roverty Of soil. A well-selected, wellused
public library, courses of lectures, farmers
clubs. young peoples circles, much friendly IN
tercourse, two very superior girls Schools
rood public schools for white and for colored,
a strict local temperance law all go to make up
neighborhood such as we have many OF IN
New England but such as stands alone here.
THE DUKE DE PERsIGNY, whose death at
Nice is announced by the Atlantic cable, had an
interesting history in connection with the Bona
partist restoration. Originally Bonapartlst,
she endeavored to incite the Vendeans to lnsur-
rection, he two years later, became convinced
of the hopclessncss of the cause, and joined
Louis Napoleon in his exile at Arenenberg.o-
The two men grew intimate, and when the tu-
turc Emperor plotted for the throne of the first
Naroleon. Persigny aided him and melted him
ro the Strasbourg fasco in 1886, in which the
Duke took part. In lS40, the second attempt
TO enter France was made at Boulonge, and 10
that failure Persigny was taken prisoner and
confined at Versailles On the revolution OF
lS4S, he assisted Louis Napoleon to the prcsi-
dency, and was largely concerned in the coup
detat of 1852, by which the latter made him
self Emperor. Persigny received from Napo,c
Icon as a reward for his services, the hand OF
Mdlle. Abilene the grand daughter of Marshal
Ncy, the title of Count, and a large pension
He he'd for time the Office Of Minister OF the
Interior. and was twice Ambassador to ling
land. With the recent downfall Of his lmpe-
rial patron he passed into comparative obscurlty
Captain SIIAs BENT, who has good name
AZ nhysical geographer has been explaining
10 the reople Of St. Louis that to reduce Nor
thern F;urope to frozen wilderness we have
onlv to make big enough cutting in the 18th,
mus of Panama to send the surplus equatorl al |
current of the Atlantic into the Pacific, instead
Of having it diverted, as now, to the shores OF OF