The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-01-23

We are indebted to Mr.. Gentry, the
late public printer, for copy Of Super.
intendent Byrne's biennial report upon
the condition Of the public schools
throughout the State for the years 1875
and 1876. The report is quite full, en-.
bracing 1903 IL mo. pages, and affords the
public detailed report from almost
every county in the State. 1t is got up
in good style and is credit both 10 the
Superintendent and the printer.
Had We time on this particular occa-
sion to go back and review the school
history of West Virginia, Of which his.
tory this report now forms n link, it
would afford us n wide field for discus.
sion and speculation in regard to the
mighty changes that have taken place.
When we reflect that only few years
ago there was no free school system in
West Virginia, and that outside OF the
city Of Wheeling there was no system OF
any kind worthy Of the name, we are
prepared to express our wonder and ad.
miration at the radical revolution that
has been wrought in the filty.four coun-
ties comprising this sovereign State.
At the outbreak OF the war West Vir-
ginia was a land Of darkness. By the
preceding census there were tens of thou.
sands OF grown up men and women in
her boundary who could neither read
nor write. The policy Of slavery was not
to educate the masses. Education was q
luxury reserved for the children of the
rich. The common people were permitted
togrow up in Ignorance. On either side
otus there were free schools, in the great
States OF Pennsylvania and Ohio, but on
our soil slavery rested like blight and
debarred the children OF West Virginia
from the advantages of education that
are now esteemed part and parcel OF the
American birthright. ..
The great war of the rebellion, albeit
costly price to pay for our emancipa-
tion from bondage TO ignorance, was
nevertheless the eserviceable sword that
E. cut the knotwherewith We were bound.
The old Virginia dynasty that ruled over
us before the war were like so many
PharaOhs and had no notion Of letting the
people go. For us, rs for themselves,
they buildedsurCr than they wot of when
they went into the secession movement,
They, by that act, set the white masses
OF West Virginia free. With white
emancipation in our teritority came free
schools. For this great boon posterity
will hold the Republican party in CRATE.
iuI remembrance.
There are in West Virginia at this
time S,l97 school houses. The total value
oil school property in the State is 81 &C.,.
4O7 So. There are 3G9S teachers EN-.
ployed in instructing our youth in the
Fndiments Of education. OF this number,
2,'97 are males and SOC females. The
school census shows that there were last
year lS4,796 persons in the State between
the and 81 years Of age. OF these 1928.
oo' attended school during some portion
oil the year The average daily attend.
ance was 72,27S-not so good an average
by over 1000 as in 1875.
The receipts Of the schools for 1876
were, from the State fund, S2OO,l14 IS
and from district lovies sO95, ,2s2 IS. The
total receipts for both school and build.
ing fund was sOsc,577 90. We paid out
to teachers $54lOS5 10, OF which, ssol,.
SSi Is went to male teachers and Sl52..
OooG7 to females. The average sal.
aries oil male teachers arc SS4 50
per month, and Of femoIa, 600 M III