The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1876-10-12
The Austin Graded sehooI-Its Operation
and other Item, OF Interest Concerning

The Austin Graded sehooI-Its Operation
and other Item, OF Interest Concerning
10.
IL has been the pleasure OF STATESMAN
reporter to make thorough vista, ion
within the walls of the Austin graded
school building. 1t was opened for schOl-
ars on Monday, the second of October, and
on Yesterday over two hundred pupils had
been enrolled in all the grades, and the
number will increase from week to week
until its capacity is fully attained. The
idea Of establishing a graded school and
erecting building therefor is probably to
be attributed more to Mr.. s. G. Sneed than
any Other man in the community. Major
c. R. Johns, Mr.. s. G. Sneed and Mr.. Joe
Harrell, the faithful trustees of the public
fund which has been created for its estab-
lishment, and who, as q board of directors,
set on foot and accomplished this good
work for Austin, should be held
in grateful remembrance by the
community. These men were its org
inators, and they now have associated
with them q most worthy set of gentlemen
to carry out the working of the institution.
The present
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
are c. r. Johns, president; Walter Tips.
vice president; d. W. c. Baker, secretary;
S. G. Sneed, treasurer; Jos. IsErelI, n. G
Shelley, T. D. WoOten. B. Melasky, f.
Christian, G. 3. West. j. H. Robinson, ST.,
K. Il. Lowry, and these names are a guar
antee within themselves that nothing will
be left undone which may tend to add to
the merits of this splendid institution. II
is one of those things which must grow as
the years increase, and we predict that this
is but the commencement of an era which
will produce men and women, even here in
Austin, ready for the severest conflicts of
life. They will grow up here and be edu-
Gated here; they will love home, and Aus
tins greatness, it may be expected, will be
their aim and their pride.
THE SUPERINTENDENT.
Mr.. D. W. c. Baker has been elected, on
the part of the directory, superintendent of
the Austin graded school, and the selection
of this gentleman gives double assurance
that the institution will be well conducted.
MIR. Baker has had much experience in SUI
perintendIng and conducting schools, and
is just the man who will take great interest
In making the school success. He is now
locking especially into the grading of the
school, and is instituting such rules and
regulations for its management as will make
it a model in every respect.
THE BUILDING
is located on Rio Grande street, five squares
west of Capitol Square, and occupies Com
handing position upon intermediate ground.
From its windows, and more perfectly from
its roo:, is visible some of the grandest
scenery encircling Austin, while about its
halls and corridors play in freedom and
purity the balmy breez's from the Gulf of
Mexico. The building is admirably con-,
structed for its purposes, sixty feet front
with depth of eighty-six feet gives it
ample room, and while all parts of it can
be made close and comfortable in the cold
est weather, it is so ventilated as to be
pleasant during even the warmest seasons.
Its main entrance is upon Rio Grande street,
facing to the east. An ample portal adj
mits you to large and airy hall upon each
side of which there are two class rooms ad-
mirably arranged with modern school
appliances. The second story rises above
b;nb kn
Out at the west end of the second story hall
is another wide portal from which descends
a broad pair of stairs to the slopIng hill
side, where are scattered clumps of native
beyond this winds Shosl Creek
and cut upon the elevated plateau
beyond stands the MASSIVE turreted
walls of the Texas Military Institute. For
beauty and even sublimity of location no
spot could have been selected surprising
that upon which stands this school ediice.
But we were writing of its construction
Two tasteful flights of stairs ascend to the
second story, one from the front and the
other from the rear entrance. The second
story is an exact plan of the one below,
and above this rises a mansard roof, IN
which are located large water tanks. The
basement is divided into four compartments.
Those in front are to be held as reserve
for schoolrooms, while the two in the rear
are the wood rooms, in which are also To-
Gated the furnaces for beating the eDtIre
building. Hot air conductors penetrate
every room, and each one is supplied with
both hot and cold air registers. The Aus
tin City Water Works Company have laid
one of their mains to the building, and
supply pipes penetrate every part of it.
We almost forgot to mention the little
apartue nts formed out of the east and west
ends OF the hall of the third story. The
one in front Is the superiutendent's room,
while that one looking to the west is the
ianitor's, whose duty it is to remain in the
building at all times as a sort of housekeeper
CAPACITY.
The eight class rooms will each accommo-
date sixty pupils, making capacity on the
second and third stories for 4S0 scholars.
The basement story stands up we'll above
the ground, and the two front rooms will,
if it be required, give room for 1870 pupils
more, making a complete capacity for 800.
The sch, oil rooms are of uniform size, twenty
by thirty eight feet, and he halls are twenty
by eighty-six feet. These figures show that
space and comfort have been takon pIop-
i