Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-12-13

From the fifth annual report Of the Super
intcndent Of Public Instruction, just published,
we compile the following comparative state
nent of the condition of education iu the sew
eral cities of the Commonwealth, its expense,
&C.:
COMPARATIVE ENROLMENT.
La the enrolment OF white children in her
public schools, Alexandria holds the lowest
rank, having only twenty per cent of her pop
uIatlou between five and twenty-one 10 her
public schools, while DauviIIe has sixty-one,
Lyuchburg forty. nine, Staunton forty five,
Petersburg forty-two, fredericksburg thirty six,
Manchester thirty-three, Norfolk twenty seven,
and Richmond and Portsmouth each twenty.
six.
In the attendance at, colored schools, we are
not quite so far bebindhand having au enroll
mcnt of twenty-five per cent; while Danville
has slxty-seven, Staunton thirty eight, Freder-
lcksburg thirty-six, Manchester thirty one,
Lynchburg and Petersburg each twenty-five,
Portsmouth but twenty-five, and Norfolk and
Richmond only tWeDty-one each.
COMPARATIVE PUNcTUALITY.
In the punctual attendance of such as are
enrolled in public schools, however, We rank
high, owing to our rigid discipline in that regard:
mond has ninety five white aud ninety-six COL
ored Staunton, ninety-four white and fifty
nine colored; Fredericksburg, ninety.one white
and niuety colored; Lynchburg, eighty-three
white and seventy-seven colored; Norfolk,
eighy.two tor both races Petersburg, eighty.
one White and eighty-6ve colored DanVille,
eighty white and seventy pine colorcd and
Manchester, seventy-three white and eighty
one colored.
COMPARATIVE NUMBER EDUCATED.
In all schools, public and private, white and
coored we have forty per cent. (which is prob
ably about sixty per cent of those between six
and sixteen, the usual school ages) while
Staunton has seventy-two; Danvlle, seventy
one; Fredericksburg, 6fty-fvc; Manchester and
Portsmouth, each fifty; Lynchburg, forty four;
Petersburg, forty-three; and Norfolk, forty
one; Richmond, alone, Is below us, having only
thirty seven. Considering the amount of money
expended for public education this is, certain
ly, not an encouraging exhibit, though we be.
llcvc 1t is 90 Improvement on former years.
Ear too many children, both white and colored,
arc allowed to run about the streets, acquiring
idle and vicious habits.
The average ages of children enrolled on
their last birthdays is: In Staunton, r. in
Manchester, ll.4 in Alexandria and Rich
mond, II; in Petersburg, lO.7; in Lynchburg
and Portsmouth, 10.6; in Norfolk, lO.4; and
in fredericksburg and Danyille, 10.
AVERAGE AGE ENROLMENT TO EACH TEACHER
The average number enrolled to each teacher
is: itty-four in DaDville; fifty in Petersburg;
forty-eight in Norfolk; forty-seven in Alex
andrla; thlrty.nlne in LyDchburg, Richmond
and Portsmouth; thirty-eight 10 Stauntou aud
Manchester; and twenty-nine in Frcdercks.
burg.
COMPARATIVE COST OF EDUCATING.
The cost of educating each child enrolled is ::
in Alexandria, one dollar and six cents mouth:
i'll Petersburg it is seveuty-6vc cents; 10 Dan
vile, eighty cents; in Fredericksburg one dol
lar and three cents; 10 Portsmouth, one dollar
and eight cents; - Manchester, one dollar and
twcnty-three cents; 10 Lynchburg, one dollar
and twenty-six cents; in Richmond, one dollar
and forty-eight cents; and in Staunton, one
dollar and sixty nine cents.
SALARIES.
10 Alexandria, the Superintendent salary,
Including the allowance for the county schoo)
was $500. Male teachers received on an average
OF $563 q month, and female teachers, an aver
age OF $42 With tie exception of Ports
mouth, which pays but S525 to male, and $50
TO female teachers, these figures are the low
est 10 the State. The Superintendent of that
city gets, however, 1854 year. 10 Richmond
the Superintendent gets 81, 9S2 a year, and
male teachers $572, ani females $40 month";
in Staupton, the Superintendent gets Sl,90S;
male teachers S56}; female teachers, $4344; in
Petersburg the Superintendent gets $I,667;
male teachers, sos; female teachers, $44a in
Lynchburg, the Superintendent, 81 ,2O0 male
teachers. $73{; female teachers, S4l4; 10 Nor
folk, the Superintendent gets 1921; male teach
ers, $780, female teachers, $50; Manchester
pays $62! to male, and $422 to female teach
ers; fredericksburg, $67! t. male, and $50 to
female teachers, and Danville $ll2t to malo,
and $553 to femala teachers; thoy are not en-
titled to separate Superintendents.
CITY Appropriations.
Alexandria gives to schools, besides the
State tax; 1916 cts. on the 800 of her taxable
property. Petersburg and Norfolk alone, of
the larger cities, give less than this, the form.
er lO.4 Cts; the latter 5 cts. while Staunton
gives 80 cts; Manchester rs Cts; Lynchburg,
% Cts; Portsmouth, 20 cts.; Fredericksburg,
s. CT; and Richmond, Is Cts Some of the
smaller towns are very liberal 10 the appropria-
tions. Liberty and Woodstock give 80 cts.
each; Harrisonburg, 25 cts; Smith6eld, Will
amsburg and Lexington, Is cts. each; Fincas-
tile, l25; and GrecnVllle, III cts
A CoMICAL INCIDENT.-Scveral Sundays
ago collection was about to be taken up in a
city church. and, in the absence of one of the
collectors, frisky young man volunteered his
services, and handed his hat with great indus
try aud success. When he got near the door,
he was about to 60 out with his hat full of
money on his head, when the minister said SOL
emnIy, Young man, if you leave here with
that money you'll be damned" The young
man, however, left in hurry, and, as he shut
the door behind him worthy old bachelor,
with voice in F sharp, who had put dollar
10 the hat, piped out to the minister, "Well,
II he amt gone with it, III be damned !"
The most startling piece of information yet
circulated iu regard to the fascinating foreign