The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1880-12-17

There is nothing in any community of
public schools, and yet there is nothing
which claims, apparently, less attention.
1t is IA well established fact that every
where parents entrust their children to
the care of teachers year after year with
out, In many instances, forming the &C
quiantance ofthe teachers, much less visit
ing the schools for the purpose ofgiving
this important work their personal en-
couragement. True, board of educa-
tion is elected to attend to this matter
and do attend toits general features well
yet there is nothing which 50 stimulates
both teacher and pupil as to feel that in
their daily routine of duties they have
the sympathy of those who are, or
should be, most deeply concerned in
their progress. So much by way of intro
duetion to impressions gained Wednes-
day while making brief calls, in COM
pany with the efficient superintendent,
to the various rooms OF our city schools.
We first visited the Union street build
ing where Mrs. Higgins and Miss Bar
tholomew teach the east division of the
seventh or lowest grade. Every seat in
both rooms was occupied, and the little
boys and girls evinced much interest in
their work and appeared to be under
good discipline. In the upper rooms
we found Mrs. Sedgwick temporarily in
charge of Mrs. Miller's pupils, the east
half of fifth grade, and Miss Nettie
Sixth. Work in these rooms appeared
also to be actively going on, and we saw
no room for unfavCrable criticism. Mrs.
Miller's absence was necessited
by the severe likeness of one
of her daughters. From the
brick we went to the boarding halls,
those delightful u castles of learning
which the board has been compelled to
use because there were NO other rooms
to be had IN the city. Here in the east
building Mr.. Hodge and Miss Edgerton
are doing all they can to instruct the
youth OF the fourth grade in the steps
necessary to be taken before they can be
promoted to the third, which is ably man
aged by Miss NJ. J. Watson in the west
boarding hall and Mrs. o. B. Wharton,
in the room over J. w. Tatham's store,
on Commercial street. After noon we
visited the school over I, D. Fox s. Co.'s
store where Mrs. Morse and Mr.. Hill
have charge of the high school and first
and second grades, also Mrs. WhartOn's
room and the stone building where
Miss Belle Wood and Miss Mamie
Tandy have the west half of the seventh
grade and Miss Maynard, assisted by
Miss Carswell, the fifth and sixth grades
In all these as in the schools visited be
fore noon we found the same evidences
of earnest application on the part ofboth
teachers and pupils. One thing We
could not help noticing, and
that is the overcrowded con
dition of all the departments. In
some there was scarcely room for us to
turn around. Pupils occupy not only
the desks prepared for them, but in seY
eral instances three or four are seated
around the teachers desk. and this I'm
fortunate mortal compelled to roast neal
the hot stove or stand up in some Other
corner of the room. While noticing thi.
feature of the schools our innate wick
edness got the better Of our feeble mora
sensibilities and we heartily wished
that all who chemically vote and tall
against every thing which has a ten
dency to better the condition of the pub
lie schools and tighten the work of the
teacher, were compelled TO attend some
Of these crowded halls until they learn
that their course is not calculated tG
promote the best interests of society.
1.-THE writer is at all competent L
judge, the schools Of Emporia which
three years ago took turn
for the better, are still continuing to
improve, and when, with the completion
OF the new bu ilding, there shall b
ample room for the nine hundred pu
pills now crowded into q space large
enough for only six hundred We shall
expect to see still further, and If pos
sible more rapid progress.
In the person of Prof. Carmichael We
have an enthusiastic, competent super
intendent and assisted, as he is, by an
able corps of instructors our schools
are sure 10 prosper IL they are given
room to breathe freely.