Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1878-06-15


On Thursday night, by the courtesy of the
College authorities, the Public Schools held
their annual exhibition in the hall of the
new building of the Southwestern Presbyte-
rian University In noticing this interest,"
| ing affair we find ourselves crowded into a
corner, and fear that from the scanty space
we have devoted to the subject we may be
considered to slight the Public Schools in
comparison with the Academy and the Uni
versity. So far is this from being the case
| that we here avow a warmer interest in
| them than in any other schools or in all
others put together. To guard against this
| impression we desire our readers to under
stand that this paper does not comprise
what we have to say of the Public Schools.
We have had exceptional opportunities of
testing their merits and viii make them the
subject of special article in our next issue /;
in the present we simply note few OF the
salient features of the exhibition.
The performance had commenced before
our arrival, and after hearing part of a cho-
rus Charlie Smith took the platform with a
patriotic speech. Charlie surprised us with
the excellent elOcutiOn, appropriate gesture
and well regulated voice with which he de-
hvered this speech. The new GAINESVILLE
Court House, if it ever gets built, will hear
of Charlie some of these days.
Willie Atkins, in the humorous line, spoke
a capital essay, giving boys idea of trees.
George Gilbert delivered an address of
Websters with a correctness of Judgment
and force of expression surprising in a boy of
his years.
A little girl of Mr.. Kleemann's acted and
looked the old maid to perfection in deliver
ing Aunt Tabitha's structures ON the church
organ and the new school of church singing.
The musical exercises were creditable in a
high degree to the instructors in this depart
ment, and especially to the Rev. J. H. Gould
and Mrs. Shackleford. We will only specify
the round "TolI the Bell, !" the chorus, ''Sweet
and Low" and the irresistible Constantine
pie" as specimens that prove thorough mu-
steal training, nor can we omit the pretty
Duet, ''Walking on the Streets" by Charlie
Beaumont and May Keesee, who make as
pretty a couple we desire to meet in our
own perambuIations. And this must end
our present notice Next week we will give
our impressions not of the exhibition so
much as of the examinations and the schools
themselves; we propose to go to the bottom
of the subject, knowing what we talk about.
CoLoRED SECTION.
among the school celebrations of the season
were the commencement exercises of the
eolored classes on Wednesday night These
were under the direction of Prof. White, the
colored teacher of the higher classes of this
section. The exercises consisted mainly of
singing and defamation, the general aver
age of attainment being little ifany short of
the merit observed in white children of the
same stage of advancement. The higher
classes consisted entirely of females, it being
found impossible TO secure the attendance
of boys after they have attained the third or
fourth grade. Some of the concerted singing
was of an unexpected degree of excellence,
the female scholars being assisted by the
bass and tenor voices of Beaumont and Will
cox, of minstrel reputation. The calisthenic
exercises were unsurpassed by any we have
witnessed. Without any apparatus, and
making their own music, these children of
Africa went through their exercises with a
precision of rythm and certain degree of
native grace which it is most satisfactory to
contemplate. Members of the School Board
and of the GAINESVILLE press were present
and left the building with a high apprecia-
ton of the ability and conscientious labors
of the teachers headed by Superintendent
Brooks.
We were not present at the commence
ment exercises of the colored school taught
by Prof w. H. Harris, at st. Johns Baptist
Church, which took place on the 18th inst,
but learn that it was well attended and
proved interesting to all, and that the pupils
showed a proficiency fully up to the average.