The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1881-08-18
The Miller School.

Inc Miller ScnOO1.
This school was founded, as our readers are
aware, from what remained after long liti
CATION of the magnificent bequest OF one O
Albemarle's millionares. for the practical ed
ucation of the youth of the State. AS much
interest is felt IN this school from the popular
character of Its course OF instruction, we eX-
tract from pamphlet recently issued by the
superintendent, Prof G. E. Vawter, the follow
ing paragraphs describing its discipline and
the duties, work and studies the scholars:
At ga. m. the boys rise, dress, make up
their beds and clean up their rooms. At $50
the doors to the sleeping apartments are lock-
ed, and all boys are required to go to their
respective layatories where they wash, brush
their hair. brush their shoes, and prepare for
the morning worship in the chapel, for which
the bell rings at 6:45. From the chapel the
boys and officers of the school 60 to breakfast
At the bell rings for school, when every boy
joins his squad and is marched by the mont
tors to Assembly Hall. Recitatlons begin at
$3.50 and continue until 1890, when a recess
for recreation is given for thirty minutes. At
IL work is resumed and continues till p. m.
AT 1880 p. m. the monitors make their daily
reports to the superintendent, and at all the
officers convene for consultation. At l:15 the
lavatories are opened, and the boys prepare
for dinner, which comes at 1870. At 2:15 the
boys are assigned their regular manual work.
AT 4;3O the bell rings for rest and recreation
At d the lavatorics are opened, and the boys
prepare for supper, which comes at 6;15. AT
all the boys go TO the Assembly Hall for
study. AT recess is given for ten minutes
after which evening worship is held in the
chapel. Then the smaller boys go to bed
While the larger ones return to Assembly Hall
to study for one hour longer. AT 10 p. M. the
lights are all extinguished except in the Off
GERS rooms
Every boy in the Miller School works in
the shop, in the printing office, on the farm, or
in the garden. They learn the best mode of
feeding and caring for stock; the best mode
of cultivating orchards, vineyards, gardens
and lawns; they learn how to plant a crop
and tend it and gather it, and all this they
learn by having to do it themselves-not by
watching others do it. lll a
The buildings tor the workshops for instruc-
ton for skilled labor in wood anG metal will
soon be completed. In these it is intended to
train the boys thoroughly as practical work
men under the eye of a skilled MASTER scien-
tifically educated. This building is construct
ed on the most approved plan at a cost offrom
$4,000 to $4,000. The shops will be pro-
vided with foundry, with FORCES, lathes saws,
planing-machines of various patterns, floor
ing-machines. &c, The machinery will be run
by a first-class Corliss engine. In the instruc-.
ton to be given in these shops the effect will
to combine the Russian workshop system,
as it prevails in the Massachusetts Technology
ical Institute of Boston, with the method Of
the Washburn machine shops of the Worces-
ter Industrial Institute, in which saleable ar
ticles are wrought by the pupils. Each boy
will begin with the schools of the hammer,
the wise, and the plane, and end his course
with the manufacture of useful articles in
wood and iron by the skilled use of machinery.
For the past three years the boys have been
at work in carpenters shop in the basement
of the main building, under the direction of
Mr.. j. w. Smith. They have made good pro-
gress under his excellent instruction and some
already can do very good work.
The department OF printing and telegraphy
is under the special care of Mr., Baylor. In
printing the boys are not only taught to set
type, but to make corrections in spelling,
punctuation, &c. In telegraphy the boys are
taught to read only by sound. They have an
excellent line (seven niles to Mechum's River
The boys send and receive readily all business
messages. This has saved much expense in
preventing useless trips for teams. In addi-
ton to the regular line there are four other
instruments upon which some of the boys
practice two hours every afternoon. NJ tat1 I'd
A library containing a choice collection of
books has been secured for the use of the boys.
to which they have daily access. In addition
to the regular library a number of the very
best periodicals are taken, suitable for boys of
all ages. The leading religious papers are also
taken and placed in their hands.
A fine collection of philosophical apparatus
has been secured, which will be increased from
time to time. The boys are not only taught
theoretically, but are required to perform
many OF the experiments themselves.
has tod - {,
about six hundred acres, of which one hundred
and twenty acres are of the best bottom lands on
Mediums river. Good crops Of grain are an |
nually produced. The work is done by boys
and they are shown how best to do it. A |
good fence has been built entirely around the |
farm and the upland is being put into grass. |
Good buildings for the accommodation of
stock, for the storing of grain and for the pro-
lection of vehicles and farm implements. have
been erected The school is gradually being
supplied with the very best improved stock |
An orchard of more than 1000 choice trees
has been planted which will soon be bearing
fruit. In this orchard, to which additions will |
be frequently made the boys will be trained
il the best modes OF pruning, grating, bud
ding and caring for fruit trees. A vineyard
containing a choice collection of vines has |
been put out To this we shall add annually, |
and special care will be given to instruct the
boys in the best modes of cultivating the diff |
ferent kinds of grapes, which have been found |
to be of such great value in this county. An |
excellent garden is worked exclusively by the
boys. from which the tables are supplied with |
an abundance of vegetables.
Each boy is required to write home once
month. He may, if he chooses, write home
once a fortnight, and pupils will be allowed to
visit home once year, provided their stand |
ing in the school win justify it. ,.