The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-12-04
"superiniendent OF Free SCHOOLS on
Facts''--Reply to "Looker On"

superintendent OF Free SCHOOLS on
. Facts''-.Repiy to "Looker On"
Editors Of the Intellgencer:
SIRs: In your issue oil December 1st, l
find somewhat carping criticism on q
late letter by Hon. B. ". Byrne, State
Superintendent Of Free Schools, which
contains certain statements concerning
our Normal Schools. In reply 10 this
anonymous correspondent allow me TO
say, that the Fairmont Normal School
during the last two years has graduated
thirty students. All OF these except two
are now teaching. The number Of grad.
ustes and undergraduates Of the Fair
mont Normal School now engaged in
teaching In the Free Schools OF West
Virginia 10 lightweight cannot speak
definitely OF the other Normal Schools Of
West Virginia. ! feel safe however In
SAYING that the West Liberty Normal
School has graduated thirty. four. These
Two schools have graduated sixty.four Il
am correct as to the work at West Lib
erty. presume that Marshall College
has graduated during its operation at least
fifteen more; so that the statement that
the number Of Normal graduates from
the State Is seventy. FIVE Is not far from the
truth. Again. II nearly ninety Of the stu.
dents Of the Fairmont Normal School are
now engaged In the Free School work
Of the State Il cannot vary much from
the truth TO state that TWO hundred
Of the normal students Of the State are
now teaching In our free schools. have
not the facts, 80 as to be able To make
definite statement, but this number seems
TO me, judging from what know OF the
state OF facts at this school, altogether
probable. But admit that one hundred
and fifty oil the graduates aud under
graduates OF our Normal School are now
teaching In West Virginia, and, allowing
forty pupils 10 each school, we have six
thousand children In our State under the
instruction Of the students Of our Normal
Schools. This fact alone gives more i'm
portance and value to our Normal Schools,
60 far as the popular intelligence of West
Virginia Is concerned, than all the COL
leges, seminaries and private schools OF the
State combined can lay claim 10. II was
stated In the report OF the FairmonL Nor.
NAL School 10 our excellent State Super
lntenGent that seventy. five students oil this
school are now teaching. The truth Is
there are eighty. eight thus employed. The
error Of our worthy Superintendent con-
sistS In supposing that all these teachers
were graduates, and! he 30 stated In his
excellent letter on our Normal School
work. I do not see that admitting the
error strengthens the argument, or that
correcting L weSkens In Il any material
sense, The error oil the superin-
tendent, l presume, was wholly IN.
Intentional and so Tar from being
"deplorable" b entirely without force
so far as facts show the great i'm
portance Of our normal schools 10 our free
school work. The letter OF Col. Byrne,
in support Of our normal schools, entities
him 10 tho gratitude Of the friends Of
popular education throughout the State.
BE Is In position to sec what your flip
pant correspondent fails 10 see or, having
1naxeto grind, Whit he refuses to con:
feSs, and that Is, that our free and normal
schools are coordinate branches Of our
system otpublic instruction, and that both
must live In mutual dependence and sup.
port or both fall together. : II was very
natural. Tor Col ByTne to suppose that
when the report sp0ke Of seVenty-fve Of
the studentsL OF this school as teaching
that RraduAtes Of the school were meant.