Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-12-07

n
Gathered within these walls
Broadly upon lie falls
Light from the past;
We make great thoughts our owr,
Harvests dead years hare sowp,
Hopes other days have known,
And labors vast.
We sing onr thanks and praise
For gifts that fill the days
With life and power:
For Wisdom and for Truth
EeS knowledge, born OF ruth,
FO- Hopes eternal youth,
The worlds grand dover.
To him whose earnest life
Whose toll and thought was rife
Who Yet found place
For lesser cares and fame
We coIsecrate our aim;
And, with his hOnOred name,
These walls we grace.
May they be blessed with peace
May Learning here increase
From year TO year;
May faith with work be blent
TIL, through the ages sent,
Wide circles o. content
Shall centre here
Circles whose boand shall be
In the Eternity
That shall be known,
And lived, in happier spheres,
When this worlds troE hed years
And wearv hopes and ears
Are all QUIZ rown.
Superintendent j. Ormond Wilson was then
introduced, and delivered the following address
REMARKS OF AE. J. oRMOND WILSON, SUPER
1NTEHDFNT OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Mr.. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen -
-Four years after the seat of the COVER ment of
the United States was established in the District
of Columbia, the city council of Washington
manent institution for the education OF Youth. -
and, in obedience 20 the letter and spirit of th
ordinance. we are here day to formally set
apart this building for the education of youth
The name with which The board OF trustees of
public schools have thought proper to honor
this grand edilice calls up the earliest efforts
made 10 establish a system of pubic education
in the city OF Washington.
beneath fines SOWING tids.
Lise toci prints hidden by brook,
But Eeen on either slos.
Turning back and passing over a period of
SIXTY seven years. We lind, on Monday, August
5, 1875. in room IN the then nations al Capitol.
l'tlle assembly. comoOssd OF Robert Brent,
Samuel II. Smith, William Cranch, William
Bren, George Blagden, John Dempsie, and
Las King, met together TO organize the
fist Ws>i.ir etc n Board OF Trustees of Public
Schools" The book containing the record of
he proceeding OF these trustees and their sue.
ce-sois down 70 the year ISIS, is now preserved
n the Library Il Congress, and in the minutes
OF that first NEE ting are found the following en-
tries: "Cu proceeding TO ballot for president
OF the beard. hOmas Jefferson was unanimous
ly elected. The president being absent. Robe rt
Brent ar chosen chairman OF the meeting on
motion OF MIR. Smith, the chairman was re-
luested TO acquainted the president with his
unanimous election AT meeting held on
Monday, September2, I605, sthe charm An laid
before the bOa.d letter from Mr.. jefferson
signifyiDg bis acceptance OF the Office OF presi-
dent OF the board. ON motion OF Mr.. Smith,
the president letter was ordered to be entered
on the minutes" IL is in the following words:
"MoNTICELLO, August IA, 1875.
"SiT: considerable Journey s.uthwertiy roN
ters from Yourself from Mr.. Gsrtinsr, ,Sd Mr s
sIui;b, Announcing that hsd been cleo ed by
be esisbl.hed a, Wa hingtoh, AMI py The tr1,sas 20
70 pre- side at their board. rec i've with due sens:
Gil and thu beard Of ,rGstees, ask the isSor O.
yCu to tesder them my Just :ckn wleSgmspts sia
zines. .ha % NE saS
my ende. yors towards its eAielson. an; in the in
stance under consideration viii willingly uadertake
the duti,s props se to me- 70 Far others If nara
nlo9ns ooneati.n viii permit ms attention to ham
pray You 10 accept nv freddy salu.s 3ns sa-
"''ui Asees 81 & eat respt e and esteem.
oar. Jefferson was Reelected annually, an d
continued president Of the board for three sue
cessive years, when his term OF Off ce as Presi-
dent Of the United States expired, and he re-
turned 10 Monticello.
The public schools at that time were sustained
by funds derived in part from taxes and in part
from subscriptions OF citizens. A list of the
names OF the subscribers, with the amount given
by each, varying from three dollars to two hun
in thar list we md the follow ing: Thomas JEFF
ferson, two hundred dollars
Il would be interesting to IT ace the institution
now confided to us, from its humble beginning
down through the almost threescOre wears and
ten that have since elapsed but the occasion
will not permit more than lew brief illusions
10 its early struggles for an existence. Two
schools were established at first, one in the ives;
and one ia the east section OF the city, and they
were called, respectively, the western AGA demy
anu eastern academy. The order of the board
establishing them directs that "poor chtldren
shall be thaught reading, writing, grammar
arithmetic, and such branches OF mathematics
as may qualify them for the professions they are
intended to follow, and they shall receive such
other instruction, given to pay pupils, as the
board may from time to time direct; and pa,
pHpils shall besides be instructed in geography
! and the Latin language"
II We take into view the great advance in the
| facilities Tor Communication, travel, and com
merce since that day, We can we'll understand
why an extensive knowledge OF geography va
| study for .'p0or children" When, q few year
before, MIR. jefferson travelled from Williams
burg, the ancient capital OF Virginia, to Phila
delphia, to take his seat in the Continental Con
/ snd the latter place, and ten days were con
sumed In the journey, period Of time longer
than is now required to make the voyage of tn,
| Atlantic, and nearly sumcient to cross tn
| American continent and return.
The first public schoolmaster was MT. Richar,
White, elected to teach the western academy
Colombia, number two hundred and ffty.
The transactions of the board ct that earl
day were recorded 20 faithfully and minutel!
that we ind even all the items in the treasurer
accounts carefully set down. The frequentl.
/ recurring charges for glazing" seemingly in
\ dcafe that the young marksmen OF that day ha,
| little reverence for . scho0l-house. The follow
ing entry is somewhat quaint: ''lso7, Sept.3 .: DR..
| Washington Public School Institution to Rich
| ard White, for painted board, with the word
Washington Academy thereon, $780,"
The hrst public school, house was erected II
/ pursuance of the following resolution Of tn
BOARD, offered by Mr.. Elias b. Caldwell, An,
adopted October ~, 1906 Resolred, That
sum not exceeding 81 100 be appropriated 70
building school house at the ,cest end Of tn
city, and sum not exceeding OIL 200, for build
| ing school house at the cart end Of the city.
IL was ordered that each of these school house
should be 80 feet in length by 20 feet in width
and from these proportions, and all else that W
| can learn about them 1T this distant day, VI
might surmise, had "David Oopperfeld" pre
eeded them, that they we're modelled after MI