Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-04-29

TALLAHASSEE. April s6.-Editor Morning
Neacs: Accepting of a previous invitation
from Professor H. N. Felkel, Superintendent
of Public Instruction for Leon county, | re-
Gently visited with him the public schools Of
the city. In addition to good lands and con-
venient access to market the intending immi-
grant mnst be assured that there are good
schools This Tallahassee can boast of. The
West Florida Seminary, during the
present scholastic year, has numbered
one hundred and five pupils. 1t is a
graded school with primary and academic de-
partments, conducted by competent and expe-
rienced teachers A college curriculum has
been adopted and diplomas conferred on those
The old fashioned crGnlnsigg system of public
examinations has been discarded and the new
and better way of written examinations
adopted The consequence Is that thorough
ness alone is the test of the pupils
advancement. Among the male pupils the
military system has been introduced, and
the young cadets in their bright gray
uniforms viii doubtless attest their proficiency
in drill at the coming fair next month. The
Lincoln Academy is a colored graded school,
with a principal and four assistants The
principal informed me that the largest attend
ance during the session was two hundred and
ninety. The school furniture was modern, and
/ found all the appliances of f1rst-clasS school,
There were four grades, but those in the first
grade were not as far advanced as had rea-
son TO expect This was not owing TO the fault
of the teachers, but of the pupils who. after
reaching certain limit, were satisfied that
they knew enough,
The tuition in all these schools Is free and
the session varies from seven to nine months.
find the attendance in the public and private
schools of Tallahassee during the present year
is as follows:
White public schools. ols....................1 105
White private schools. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 81
Colored public schools. ols......................2 800
1oGau. az
This speaks well for both races Though the
whites pay nearly all the taxes, yet the negro
race enjoy the same advantages from the com:
mon school fund. Florida is not forgetful of
the claims of all who call themselves citizens.
If we are to have the negro among us we must
educate him, that he NAV think for himself
and vote as his reason may dictate. To keep
him in ignorance would be to foster danger
Gus element in the body polite, make him the
tool OF designing men, and thoroughly unfit to
use the elective franchise. 1t is well known
whites by five to one. But the attendance of
pupils shows that not only in Tallahassee is
the educational interest of the colored race
looked after, but in the country also.
Prof. Felkel informs me that during the
present year there have been fifty free schools
10 Leon county-tweAty- -one whites and twen-
ty-nine colored. The total attendance was
1850 pupils-4l0 whites and 1540 colored.
Length of term during the present scholastic
year, five months for the country schools and
seven months for the city schools The amount
expended will aggregate about six thousand
dollars This seems to be q better showing
than in some counties in q neighboring State
We can therefore boast not only of our pro
ducts, our railroads. but OF our free schools as
well.
This being Memorial day, our people have
not been unmindful of those who wore the
gray" The beautiful plot of ground in the
City Cemetery, where our Confederate dead
are buried, has been cleaned up, and though
no formal Grafton was pronounced, some of
our ladies assembled and quietly decorated
the graves of their fallen heroes, thus cherish
ing the memory of those who fell in cause
they believed TO be right. To further perpetu-
ate the memory Of those who fell in different
battles. the ladies of this county, after much
praiseworthy effort last year caused to be
erected handsome monument in the Capitol
grounds. In Quincy the day is more formally
observed, and an Grafton is to be delivered by
Governor Bloxham, whose facile and graceful
delivery always command attention, and win
for him the plaudits which his oratorical pow
ers deserve.
The near approach of the Sd of May reminds
me OF the coming Middle Florida Spring Fair
Great preparations are being made, and it is
confidently expected to prove a success Not
only will Middle Florida and Thomas county,
Georgia be well represented but it is expected
that there will be many visitors from a dis
tance The ladies OF Tallahassee are to meet
at the fair grounds on Tuesday, the 3D. and
decorate the exhibition hall with the rare and
beautiful flowers Of this section. and with the
known taste of those engaged In this work
may safely say that the floral display will be
unrivalled. The 3D. and 4th will indeed be gala
days. Children and flowers will abound for
the schools will give a holiday, and Middle
Florida will show that she is waking up
On and after June / steamer is to make
semi-weekly trips between St. Marks and Apa-
lachicola, stopping at st. Teresa and Rio Car
rabelle, on James Island. This viii be great
desideratum. Heretofore those who have sum
mered there were disappointed because of the
slow and uncertain communications saiIboat
from st Marks. But now, since it has been
determined to put on a steamer, a new impe-
tus will be given to the various embryo sum-
mer resorts on the Gulf coast. A hotel has
been built at Rio Oarrabelle and another will
probably be erected at some other point; for
now that steam communication is assured, not
only will Tallahassee and vicinity and Apala-
chicola be represented there during our
long summer season. but Thomas coun-
ty, and even Columbus, Georgia, will
contribute their quota of visitors. We NAV
not rival Tybee in surf bathing but for the in
vigorating sea breeze and sport in fishing, our
Gulf coast resorts are Incompatible.
In your special telegram of Saturday MCLEOD
of the Land Of BIo11ers was represented as ad-
vancing with an axe on Fitch OF the Economist.
when the shots were fired. In justice to the
former, will state that the evidence at the
Cleod was entirely unarmed when Fitch fred
the first shot, but afterwards seized an axe and
rushed at Fitch during the subsequent firing.