The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-05-24
The Graded Sebool


In company with Prof. j. B. VIM.
principal of the Austin public
schools, STATESMAN representative
visited the graded schools yesterday.
AS soon as we stepped into the build
ing the evidences of industry were to
be seen on all sides.
The graded school building is on
the west side of Rio Grande
Mesquite; is of substantial
dressed stone, plastered throughout
inside, and capable of accommodating
about five hundred pupils.
THE PRIMARY GRADES.
The first grades are the D and G
grades of the primary department,
under the careful and painstaking
tutilage of Miss Pattie Smith and
Miss Lucy B. Howard. There
are one hundred pupils in these
grades, and the STATESMAN
representative was treated to some
interesting exercises by the pupils,
showing rapid progress in orthogra-
pny, reading, pronunciation, empha-
sis and numbers. In the matter of
pronunciation and emphasis, a branch
of early training in which most chill
dren are generally deficient, the little
fellows exhibited really wonderful
progress and showed that their
teachers have the true idea of
laying solid foundation on which to
build the after-strueture of higher
requirements.
In the B and A grades of the same
department were found Miss Willie
h. Smith and Miss Maud B. Caring
ton in charge. Here was the same
evidence of earnest labor in behalf of
their pupils, and the love
and respect on the part of the
pupils towards teachers was a
sure sign that these young ladies had
been successful in inspiring their
youthful charges with that love for
acquiring knowledge without which
no teacher can be success. These
young ladies have each fifty pupils in
their rooms.
THE GRAMMAR GRADE.
In this department, as in the
primary, the course covers four
years. The D and C grades
are in the charge of Miss
Sallie McAlister and Miss Pattie
TONNES; and in the room of each was
found about fifty young misses and
masters intent on their reviews and
examinations in the studies of geog-
raphy and grammar. The Superin-
tendant asked some of the more inn
portant and analytical questions per-
tanning to each branch, and in Io in
stance did any pupil fail in answer
ing, while some of them gave such an
swers, especially on the governments
of the world, which showed an under
standing of political geography that
would do honor to older heads. 1t
showed that Misses McAlister and
TowneS have not been satisfied with
\mere recitations.
Miss Octavia Clifton is in charge of
the b and A grades of the grammar
school, and more efficient teacher
could not be found. In her room
were about forty-five pupils, all
in the higher studies OF
the grammar school.
The pupils were just haAding in the
papers for their written examination
in practical arithmetic and history,
and an examination of these papers
by the reporter convinced him that
pupils who could write such accurate
answers on the subject of history-aS
to epochS, government and constitu-
tional without the aid of
aught, save the memory of their
studies during the session, would not
become rusty" in long time-if
ever.
THE HIGH SCHOOL.
1t is in this department that the
pupil, after having toiled four years
each in the primary and the grammer
grades, first begins to metamorphose
from a mere pupil to a student. The
male department is in charge of Prof.
T. E. Woodson, and the female under
the watchful eye and careful training
of Miss Aurelia Brown. The meth
DDS of study in this department par
take of the dual character ,of the
high school and the university.
We examined several papers on
English literature, the pupils showing
that they had familiarized themselves
with the subject, from the advent of
Geofrey CHANGER, "the morning star
of English literature" down to the
stem of Scotch despetic philosopher
and author, Thomas Carlysle.
The teachers will close with the
closing day of May. and taken all in
all, it has been a very successful year.
Under the present management Aus
tin has one of the most efficient sys-
TENS of public schools in the state,
and. excepting San Antonio, the best
in all Texas.