Arizona citizen., 1874-02-21
LOCAL MATTERS.
The Tucson Public School.

Our puDllc ScnOOl Tn DOJn 1emalc ana male departments is increasing so rapidly | that additional room and teachers must be provided or very many children seek ing an education be debarred the priYil- | ege. This is a more grave matter than a
 mere statement Of the fact would make it appear. Ace riding to the census of last May, the number of children in Tucson district, entitled to the privileges of our public school, is 540. The Misses Wake
 field and Bolton opened school on NOvem- | Der ,, with five girls and nineteen boys, 1 and on Wednesday of this week the girls attendance of fOrty-One, and the boys
 now number eighty-five with a regular at tendance of seventy. At first the pupils
 were not punctual, but now their prompt
 ness is remarkable. The present teachers
 have, as it were, grown up with the school. They are experienced and industrious, and yet they find the number especially in the boys department, too large. Miss Bolton can do very well by the present number of girls, but Miss Wakefield finds it impossible, in her own view, to do jus tice in the teaching of so many boys of all ages, and this fact only need be stated to
 be accepted by all intelligent persons.
 For Summer, additional room might be provided at little expense by putting a wall under the back stOOp. such as they are, there is quite a surplus Of desks and benches on hand. With additional room, at least one more teacher would be need- eu al once ana two COulU De ADVANTAGEOUS ly employed.
 At this time, there must be at least three hundred children in Tucson entitled to the privileges of the public school, who are not in attendance anywhere, and should very few more present themselves, they would nave to be refused admission or some in attendance dismissed; and either action would be discreditable to the community and we think of doubtful le- gality. Every child of lawful age, of sourd mind, and willing to conform to the plain regulations governing the school, has an undoubted legal right to the benefits of the public school while there is money to keep one open. We are of opinion that if the capacity of the rooms were to be en- larged at the public expense, that another teacher could be paid by volunteer sub ScriptiOn, for six or nine months of the year. The proper way to meet all eXpen- SeS of educating the children, is by taxa tion upon all property; but if it cannot be so done, it would seem that there is or ought to be pride and liberality enough in Tucson to provide for another teacher for children who cannot help themselves and. all sensible people will agree, ought to be and have right to be educated.
 THE weather since last Saturday has been remarkable-especi up to Tues day. The latter part of last week was cloudy. Saturday opened with cloud ed sky and in the afternoon rain began to 1all ana continued WlGh llttle or no i!ltef- mission until Tuesday. Before Sunday morning, more roofs were leaking in Tue son than ever heard of before, and cOntin- ued to leak until near Monday, when the rain began to abate and probably many breaks in the roofs filled up. Stores, off ces, dwellingS-hardly room escaped a wetting. Clouds have been floating about ever since and occasional showers of rain fell all week until yesterday. Thursday morning the mountain peaks in eVery di- rectiOn were white with SHOW, which also covered the mountain sides lower down than at any time during this Winter. The air in the valley has been little raw but not uncomfortable. Samuel Hughes has resided here for sixteen years, and he says that to his knowledge, so much rain has never before come GOwn here ill one sea- son; and it is well known that during last Summer springs and streams entirely dis appeared for the first time, to the knowl- edge of any persons now living here. Some damage will ensue here of course, but all agree that the prospect for full crops and abundant pasturage could not be better. The poorer classes will fare much better for the heavy rains. Last night was clear and cold with frost. This morning the air is unusually sharp for the locality.
 DTCTpTCT CoI-rT, will cOnvare i'm reo,1lor