The Wichita city eagle., 1881-11-24
ADAY In OUR CITY SCHOOLS.
The Life, Character and Death Of Our Lament
ed President.

| II is fifty years since the eyes Of James A.
Garfield opened and looked out for the first
time from the log cabin to the tall forest trees
Of Cuyahoga county, Ohio. Some weeks ago
it occurred to Prof. Copley that if the Nation
makes holiday out of Washington's birth
day, il would not be out of place for the
schools TO celebrate in an appppriate manner
the anniversary OF the birth Of the late Pres
| ideDt. Accordingly it was announced in a
| teachers meeting and arrangements made,
and SO it came TO pass that last Friday, for
about an hour and a half, every school in
! Wichita studied the life of Garfield. Now,
there are sixteen school rooms in Wichita
and il was impossible TO visit all and witness
the exercises which took place in each one.
| We shall give what happened in two or three
| rooms as samples of what took place in eve-
ry school room in the city. To Prof. Copley
himself are we indebted Tor all the other
| facts and details which will be found not on
ly of interest to teachers and scholars, but
we hope to every parent in the city:
At the Fourth ward building every room
was decorated with flags and eyergreens,
some with mottoes and some with wreaths,
and in every room hung picture Of Garfield.
Passing upstairs we came, first, upon a re-
lief map of North America, drawn and mold
ed by Frank Redfield and Arthur Dyer. By
the way, this relief map business is some
thing new for Kansas schools and we believe
Prof Copley brought the idea back with him
from his visit the past summer to the Boston
and Quincy schools.
In the high school room We noticed some
Ohio, by Willie Van Zandt and Eddie Mead,
each one showing Mentor; one Of Washing
ton City, by W lille Oliver, showing where
Garfield was shot, and the White House, and
the prison where Guiteau is confined; one
of New Jersey, by Frank Bidwell, showing
Elberon; and most interesting of all was
ground plan of the Garfield home at Mentor
Fisher, a relative Of the family and a visitor
at the house during the summer of 1880.
Miss Wood, the principal of the high school,
was absent on account of ILLNESS and Prof.
Copley himself had taken her place. The
following is the programme of exercises:
Reading-Garlield's record, Julia Barwise;
essay-Garfe!d and Lincoln, Byrney Slosscr;
poem-After the Burial, Clara Lynch; bio
graphical sketch-Gsrfield, Maria Dimes; po-
em-Memory. Nettie Miles; reading-Reso-
lutions from Wichita, Anna Leichhardt;
song Columbia the Gem Of the Ocean, the
school; poem-Garfield, Mamie Mead; read
ing-Masonic Connection, Willie Oliver;
reading-Why should they Kill my Baby!
Artie Smith the question-and-answer draw
er-contest led by Prof. Copiey; presenta-
ton speech-Mattie Lynch song-Ho! Reap
crs of Life's Harvest, school.
The sketches were well prepared, the one
by Miss Dimes deserving especial mention
for its symmetry and the plain, straightfor-
ward manner in which the story Of Garfields
life was told. The reading by Anna LEIGH
hardt and Mamie Mead was especially good.
But the speech by Matte Lynch, presenting
to the school from the A class an elegantly
framed picture of Garfield, was really clo-
auent and fairly merited the round OF APP |
plause which followed it. The question-and
answer contest was an exciting race among |
the pupils to see who could ask the most |
questions about Garfield which no one else |
could answer. The game was kept up over |
fifteen minutes when Jesse Stone was de-
clared the winner, with Mabel King and
Frank Bidwell tie for the second place.
In Miss Kings room the decoration was
very complete. Pictures of Garfield and Lin
.oln wreathed with eyergreens and surround
ID by festooned flags were at each end oil the
,oom while the blaekboards were covered
With beautiful maps. The best maps were
lrawn by Albert VanZandt, Del, Craddock,
Belle Wells, Libbie Butler and Winnie Good
10. The following is the programme in Miss
Kings room:
Essay-Gariield's childhood, Gail CALDWELL;
School and College Life.
ernest Abbott; essay-Garhelds Political
nd Military Life, Harry Dunbar; essay
iarieId's Last Hours, frankie Hay dec
Dead Chieftain, Albert Van
.andt; reading atching the Ships, An
lie White; recitation-Garfeid's Death, En-
ia smith; reading-Our Martyred Presi-