The Evening critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1881-1885, 1881-06-27
The New public schools.

to westerly, winds, lower barometer.
The New Public schools.
A CRITIC reporter on Saturday accom-
panied Mr.. Entwisc on n trip to the new
school buildings known as the Henry and
u street schools.
The Henry school building has assumed
an imposing appearance with its large pro-
portions and neat design, and has externally
the signs of rapidly approaching completion.
The building inside is the most commodi-
Gus, carefully arranged and designed in the
District, and affords large, well heated, well
ventilated, well lighted sch0ol-rcons.
The minor details are well arranged, and
the means of exit in case of alarm arc suili-
GENTLY numerous to insure safety.
The stairways, railways and halls arc all
fireproof
The basement affords two very large, well
lighted, asphalt paved play-ro0ms.
The whole design and execution of this
structure are calculated to make healthy,
convenient, pleasant school-housc, and the
architects builders and the Commissioners
particularly, deserve praise for this success
full effort to provide seven hundred and
twenty of the children of the District with
these splendid school facilities.
The location of the school, which has
called forth more comment than the build
ing itself is much better than would be
supposed by those who have read the COM
plants against it,
The view from the four windows is fine
one with a clear outlook toward the north
and east. The situation is such as will pre-
vent the school from ever being closely sur
rounded by other buildings
The action of the Commissioners in chang
ing the location of the police station from
the corner to the middle of the lot at Seventh
and o streets, removes some of the objec-
tions, as the sounds from one building will
rarely be audible in the other, and prisoners
will be taken into the station along Seventh
street, and not in front of either of the
school entrances on p or Eighth streets.
The Henry building will be completed by
the LIST Of July, and the work of furnishing
will Immediately commence.
The street school for colored children
is also nearing completion, and is marked
convenience, and accommodating large
number of scholars in an acceptable way at
small expense to the District.
a Jail Between Two SchOOI-hOuses.
A police station-hOuse Is u good thing to
have on hand as temporary receptacle, a
transient abiding place for those whose ways
arc wicked.
1t should be comfortable, not coy or lux
urious, to make 1t too inviting would be to
set a premium on human frailty. 1t should
be located in u healthy locality; some spot
that is anti-malarial and anti-rhcumatic
The nature of the institution and its object
do not render the best social surrounding
essential. 1t is not necessary to place it OH
a business street like Seventh street. where
it must drive away the shopper, who wears
skirts and shudders at the sight of drunk.
enness and the sound of profanity. II
should not be sandwiched between two pub.
lie schoolhouses. The average young Amer.
lean goes to the bad precociously enough as
it is, in his individual pursuit of that
knowledge which is not to be found i'm books
We do not, therefore, understand why our
triumvirate should hasten their develop
ment downward by serving up under the
very caves of two schoOl-houses crowded
with children every species of matcrialzed
vice.
We thought at first that it was joke,
this clapping of n police station house against
two schOOl-hOuses. But rejecting that there
is q seriousness among the Commissioners in
foolish things and Il f0olishness in serious
things, we find we are mistaken.
1t is proposed to put this pest house of the
immoral dregs o. cosmopolitan city in
close proximity to a nursery Of youth and
innocence.
The market-h0usc, because of its unfitness
for such society as educational establish
ments, was antagonizcd by the very men
who propose to place the cells of Jail in
the place of the stalls of II meat and veget;-
BILE emporium.
If Congress were in session such an APP
preparation ofsSAis square would not be toll
Grated for an Mstant; in the absence of Con-
gress there is no tribunal to appeal to but
the press, and, because we have been mp
pealed to, we protest in the name of prcce-
1n,.k ..ts. al Il.