The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1879-11-05
THE uPEAB0DY" PUBLIC SCHOOLS
OF ALEXANDRIA.

the Parish, and to re. :
move any erroneous impressions with
egard to the Public Schools of Alex
tie following statement has
,een furnished US from an Official
Under the provisions of the will
If the late George Peabody, a certain
donation, amounting in the aggre-
gate to something near one and
half millions Of dollars, was set aside
as a fund to be invested and applied,
under the direction of a Board OF
to the advancement OF ed
.ucation in the Southern States. The
following conditions prescribed ny
that Board must be complied with
prior to the granting of aid to any
school.
An attendance of 100 pupils avera-
cling not less than IS, said schools TO
he continued for ten months OF the
e AS the fund is limited, AID
can not be extended to more than
two well.graded schools for the res.
pective races, in the most important
town of each of the parishes: mol
can it be diverted or applied to the
maintenance of other schools
Within a few months after the re-or-
ganization of the Public Schools in
1877, under the present administra-
ton, the number Of pupils in the
Alexandria Public Schools, for the
first time, exceeded the minimum
number of 100, required, and appll'
cation was at once made by the Pres
ident of the Parish Board to the
agent of the "Peabody" fund for
Louisiana, for..the aid provided for,
which was promptly responded to-
Each of the two schools, one white
and m colored, receive annually the
sum of $500 or the two $500, to fur
ther enable the School Board to carry
out their pledge to continue the
schools through the term of ter
months, the Corporation of Alexan
dria has appropriated the sum o
/ forty dollars per month towards thel
: maintenance. Independent of an.
!. assistance from the general fund, i
y will be seen that they receive on
thousand dollars per annum, or sufh
a cient to sustain them three month
of each session. 1t has been the air
to elevate their character and useful
4 ness, by employing only 'competen
and efficient teachers, and they al
t open to every child in the Paris
who may wish to attend them. A
# the preset time, and during the la'
session, every quarter of Rapidt
Parish was represented among I'll
4 pupils. There have been complain
4 that the Town schools were contil
# ued, when those in the country we
I. closed for want of funds, but so lor
8, as they are recipients of the Peabo'
i. donation, it is obligatory to contin'
them ten months. Let the publ
y take into consideration that fact tn
"A these schools have had enrolled Il
he ring the past session about four hu
dred pupils, with an average OF, 50
III two hundred and fifty; we should
so consider that the greater numb
be of teachers throughout the count
ill are not dependent upon their salari
e: and almost invariably seek emple
,rt ment in that way, as auxiliary
re- some other vocation, while teacht
at in the towns are wholly depende
upon them. Indeed it would not
ia possible to retain the services of a
ch competent teacher who was employ
only six or seven months of the ye
lin If our Public School system is
no perfect, it must be admitted that
va present Board has labored zealou
the for their advancement, and "
many difficulties to combat.
The Our present able State Superint
Az. dent, Mr.. Lushsr, has argued per-
nod tently in favor of fewer scho
,eat maintained through a term of
in. less five months at one place, thel
and remove them to other points.
. If this e teachers would be h
and employed, and their efficiency
proved, while greater good in e'
respect would result. There car
,o,d no doubt as to the correctness of
view, and we would urge its adopt
Inc Sour Stomach is instantly relieved
700 a dose of "BLACK-DRAUGHT."
r nj For sale by E. c. TAI
ton
D.. The Winter boom seems to |
come along, and for the past t
l 6 days, we have had cool, bracing