Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-03-17
A Most CreditabIe Exhibit Justifying
the Public support of our
Schools.

Some unfavOrable comment has been
made by parents and Others recently
about the children of the city schools
devoting much time to work upon spec
linens for the Centennial exposition,
combining , the various class exercises |
in the different grades Of the several |
schools; and it has been charged that
this has been done to the neglect Of the
regular course of studies, and the chill
dren are thus held back and not per-
mitted to advance as otherwise they
would have done. We yesterday
had on opportunity Of inspect
ing the retult of this "Cen-
tennial" labor, and from what we
saw are Convinced that the pupils
could not have been employed in better
work, calling upon them, as it did, for
their bt s. lfJrts in what has been taught
them in the various grades they have
passed through. We are ASP convinced
that when tuose who have cOmplsined,
as above statej, inspect the res Its
IS EN- braced in the seven volumes shown
us yesterday, taey will see at glance
that the children's time AID energies
have boAn devoted to a work m IRE cal
culated to the development OF their
yOuthu! minds than double the amount
routine of everyday school exercises.
The books are seven in number, neatly
bound in Turkish morocco, OF quarto
size, and embrace specimens fgom pu-
pits Il. every class in all the sch jol5, be-
ginning with the little fallOw printing
his 8, b and C, on through the different
grades in their regular order Up to the
highest class in the normal school, AS
you turn the leaves, and have passed
through the classes of one syllable, short
sentencers, primary arithmetical eXer-
cisers, and 30 On-all hOwing remarkable
progress for the age of the little master
or miss-we pass to the specimens from
the higher classes, all Of which are very
creditable, AID some showing Temsrka-
ble skill. Particularly a:e we struck
with the original aritnmetical and alge.
braic problems and their So
Iutions-composed and solved in a
given Understandable for their
correctness and the AMOUNT of
mentalisbor and activity NECESSARY to
its execution in the allotted time. or
course, where 80 much Is embraced OF
the same clssg, 1t is natural to find some
specimens better than Others, but it
would not be proper here to draw
the distinction either az re-
CARDS the schools, teachers,
or scholars; at the same time we
will say that the entire compilation does
not embrace a single specimen that is
not creditI,b le to 10th sJhoiaf and teach
er, An interesting feature Of the COM
pilation we noticed the excellence Of the
map-drawing in the different grades o.
the geographical course. AL OF these
gave evidence Of the scholars perfect
understanding Of the aubleet-hemis-
phere, nation, or state~-as re-
CARDS longitude, latitude, and 10.
cation Of the principal towns,
lakes and rivers; but there were some
even in the lower grades, vino executed
their work with degree OF skill that
would pass very crod:EabiS from older
heads. IN this connection we were
shown book of maps eye
cuted by the sghOiars OF the
schools uldeE the dictatorship Of Miss
A. G. Rsudelhuber, gotten up tndepend-
emily Of the other books. In this we
found some excellent drawings of the
countries Of the earth, and particularly
the perfect outlines Of some OF the States
of the Union. Each Of these maps 10
drawn upon Bristol boards, some of
them col6red, the whole presenting a
display. We were also shown a couple
of maps-one Of tue western hemis.
phere in India ink and in colors, and
the other a very fine crayon map Of
North America, SO beautifully executed
that at a glance it Wogld lie 4esdiIy
taken for q very fine Autograph. These
were drawn by Miss Lima Hewitt, aged
twelve years, a pupil Of the Market
street school, fifth grade of the second
term. These two maps were not dawn
for the Centennial exhibition, but by al
means should be sent there.
The book of maps from Miss Rsudel-
huber's schools, We must explain, does
not belong to the regular collection Or
dered by the superintendent, but was
compiled by the principal and her schol-
ars independently, and we regret that
the other schools did not do likewise, as
we know that as fine collection could
have been compiled from the other
schOOls.
The volume containing the specimens
from the Court street school cOmEarea
fayOrablY With the others, although we
find that school without q principsl, and
under the circumst 4nces reflects much
credit upon the teachers and scholars
who were not blessed with such assist
ance.
The volume devoted to the eoloIed
schools of Clay street will be, perhaps,
the most attractive feature, from the
faGt'that the education Of the negro race
is as yet considered experimental, and
this volume shows to what degree OF
success the effort has reached in the
south; and we are happy in the fact that
it will convey to those who haYe msde
political capital sgsinst the southern
psopls by teachings to the con-
trary, that the negro is not neg
lected, but is afforded educational fscili-
ties equal with those of the white race.
We invite particular attention to this
volume.
Superintendent Steele, ofthe LeMoype
school (cOlored), is preparing his contIi.
button, put it will be trausmIt.sd Though
the New York head Of that school, and
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