New-York tribune., 1878-10-03
EDUCATION IN THE SOUTH.
AID FROM THE PEABODY FUND.


members of the Board were present. General Grant
George Peabody Russell, aud General H. r Jackson be-
ing absent IN Europe: President Hayes, Secretary
Evars, Robert c. Winthrop. President OF the Board,
Hamilton Fish, William Aiken, George W. Riggs, Samuel
Weim0re, A. IT, H. stuart. General Richard Taylor sur
geon-General Barnes CheiJustice Waite Bishop Whip
pie, n. Lyman, and the Rev. DIR. Barnas Sears.
MrWuthrop referred to the fever raging In the South
and said that while the Board could do nothing To re
eve the phy steal surings OF the South, 1t doing
much to promote intellectual and moral Improvement
support in the hour OF trial. Notwithstanding the
T!nh Of the income from the fund the tree public
schools OF the South had made encouraging progress
during the year committee OF Southern members
Messrs. Stuart Aiken and Taylor-was appointed TO
draft resolutions in regard to the gratitude Of the South
for the AID given 1t by the country during the yellow
fever scOurge The treasurer reported receipts OF $780,
Ooo, and disbursements of S77,0OO
Dr. Sears, general agent the Board, in his address
advocated greater prOPO tional allowance for the
normal schools than for The common schools. Bishop
"hpple also favored this and hoped high Standard OF
scholarship would be required in all normal schools.
The pr cpa statements OF Dr. Soarss annual report
were the following:
The year just brought to close has been of unu-
sua p,cmary embarrassment TO sll the schools OF the
south While every branch oi the department OF edIca-
ton has Deen affected by H. that relating 10 Tire employ
meht Of teachers has suffered most. Notwithstanding
these dScOur1gng circumstances the schools IN most OF
the states, INST ad Of deteroratng have advanced IN
almost every respect. The attendance was never 50
gleat tho interest OF the people general An
appioximation near or remote, In the great mass OF
teachers standard OF those professional educated,
MS Deen ehccted' sometimes Dy county organizations
under State supervision; sometimes by bringing
together teachers from ali the counties OF Congress
lOudl dstlct ana, ia one instance Dy assembling he
teachers OF whole state to receive instruction for
period Of six weeks This new feature in the school
operations OF the southern states and Is now more rap
IDLY revolution Zing modes instruction tBan any other
measure that has been tried No part OF the nnds at
our disposal mas produced greater or better results a
that contributed TO this object The scholarships esab-
lished last year have hdd excellent effect. Those
81 eacn, were used for ue benefit OF pupils from the
country parishes: They were ten IN number Th0so OF
the Nashville Normal COLLEGE, of 800 each, were Tor
pupils from beyond the limits Of Tennessee.
Tue number Of white children IN Virginia, DeceT-
ber /, 1877, between hye and twentY-one years
of age. was 2s0.li9;, that Of colored cnild!en,
202,6I0, making IN all 4S2,7s9. OF these, l39,-
93l wmte chhdren ana 6JO43 eOlored were on
rolled IN the public schools. amounting TO 3Oi571 or
somewhat less than one.nali The average aaiy az
tendance was only 1l7.S43 The current expenses Tor
tue puOc schools and senOol Officers were TJ49,72l;
and rOr permanent improvements in real estate, houses
ana furniture, slOO0Z9 Although the current eA-
penses reduced $4,000, the school work WAS IN
creased. ana the number u pupils was 5000 greater
tan tne before. IL Is wei known hat he state Is
largely IA debt; aud the courts have decided that the
school und DO used for the benefit Of the credors
IN North Carolina tho provisions for education are
altogether inadequate There Is great lack Of funds,
and also of proper organs 10 execute the law 80 long
meagre state tax Is the sole reliance Tor the support
Of schools, they VIII inevitably auguIsh. Double tho
amornt OF money now raised would be scantv supply
lho of2anlzaIun OF boards OF education, ana OF tue
other Drancues Of school administration, Is radically de-
lccdye.
Tie report Of the Superintendent OF South Caro-
li IOg 1877 shows that 24S3 schools, VITA attend
nnOv Oi lU2.3JO children out ~ 2ZSl2S, ia opera
ton ior p-IlOd averaging three months. Tne state
had appropriated 100000 for their support
In Georgia English branches only taught In the
pHDIic schools Ine total enrolment in 1877 was
$4,000. or this humber O4OOO cOlOred children.
lhr school funds amounted Cd SI34,0OO, ilcludIng
Sli3UOO which raised by and citics. There
Ia prospect has under The new Constitution there viii
DE u large increase OF tuuds.
IRON Florida reports that in 1877 there were
Ia aRl
the NUMBER reported the previous year. THere is an
Improvement also In the quality Of teachers, in the
Dy people.
Few Se-graded and well-taught schools are TO be
found IA Alabama. The number Of children or school
age 1877 369. .447; the number enrolled in the
puUc schools, l4l%3O about tDrer-htths OF whom
white The scnoo expenditures Tor teachers and super
intendent, 1854, ,g03.
In Mississippi the superintendent regards the situa
0n As hopeful aud encouraging The statistics very
imperfect only sXty-Hye OF the seventy-hVe eounes
made any report These give l60J2S Cue nuh!Der OF
money expended The enumeration OF persons Of schOo
ase, giving tho number Of 32i,JSJ, is said tO fa lar
short oi Tie actual number"
In Louisiana there has been period OF careful reor-
gnzatOn or the public school system, rather than OF
cauna work Of the state. Tho loss Ot the interest on
tue trust lund for the year by unconstitutional act
haf Of The 100000 appropriated by the State proved
very prcjudieal TO the country districts where the
number OF schools. Ia the parishes reported aggre-
gate attendance OF white children 16,OI2, aud ot
oOlOred than mite children III tue State.
Tue Secretary OF the Board of Education OF Texas,
statistics OF the schools the present year have not
yet oe"n received, adds " Under our present law
schools have prUsDered as they never have belOlc"
Arkansas has provided for 237 normal boucficares,
VINO are entitled 10 four years tree tuition. There
course, and thlryOne iu tue preparatory school At
Pine Blum there is branch normal college for cOored
teachers arranged on nearly the same plan and entitled
10 the same number OF benehclaries.
Ine school population Of Tennessee in 1877 was
227.6I3. 43,O43 being coored an increase OF 33.l63
over the enrolment Of the previous year. The schools
tion given IN the attendance The amount school
money durug the year was 81 S423, which is S12O311
tins dlminutlon funds the number OF schools was
iuo. eased by sO7, and that OF teachers by 79l.
West Virginia Is OF the lenst huctuatlng OF the
Southern States IN regard TO educatOn ana its history
Is that OF u slow but steady growth The number Of
Yer Sa pas % yt%F
the previous Year f7Sl0. Or these l25,332 actually
ancs OF 1928 the preceding year. and increase
IN the average daily attendance or lll91 There
an increase also OF l6l In the number OF teachers
pOyed The total value OF school property tho state
II II 7l4 600 being All increase tho preceding year
Sg2l 3O7 being decrease of S85,27 caused mainly
oy reduction IN the rate Of teachers salaries and in
1nin The nast year the income OF the fund was dis
tributed AZ follows: Virginia S15.35O; North Carolina
Fonda. 81 900; Alabama 81 100; Texas $S $50; Miss
issppl. 5000; LOuisiana, $1,000; ArEansas, $4,000;
Tennessee, Si4sOOOs west NiIAIula' TO'oOO
The Board viii meet again ut ii a. to-day.
For several years the trustees of the Peabody Educa
tinnnl Fund have concluded the first days labor Of
thar annual meeting with a dinner AT the Filth
Avenue Hotel Last evening dinn;r was had in
Ine new dming-ruOn, and was all elaborate mat
ter of ten courses party being nearly three hours
At the table, which beautifully decorated with
dowers There covers for twenty-six but Mr.
BuTchard Hayes, tue Presidents son, was
absent Robert c. winthrop aud Mrs. Hayes
sat at the head OF the table. At the right hand
were Bishop Whpple. Secretary Evarts, Miss Granger
General Richard Taylor, Miss Eyarts, L. Lyman, Miss
Barufs General A. H. H. Stuart. Mrs FOltz Ex-Governor
Aiken Mrs Barnes. Hamilton Fish and Mrs. Waite,
wfe of the Chief Justice were at the other end OF
tne table. At the left band OF Mr.. Win
throp we're Mrs. Hamilton Fish, President
Hayes, Mrs Sears, chief Justice Waite, Mrs. McGuIe,
(ienerI Barnes Joseph W. Riggs, Samuel Wemore Miss
Stuart and DIR. BarnHs Sears Mrs. Hayes a drab
six with darker trimmings lOOpod with flowers.