Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-05-28
rnE .E.rrrE seasoI sYsrrx.

O1s q the editors Of the AeS EsaR
IAnd J14rsa1 q Edssaiios. WHO Sas re-
oeutlv on the PsciHs coast, hss written
his paper the letter follovinR. which sp
psstea n its issue of NAY lash:
A Eaglishmaa R0mstirnes has dIfi.
eaisy IN eompFe5ss6inR the magnificent
distances Of our great republic. To say
10 him sssi We are nos wathlu the I'm
it, Of oar o~n country, and Rre three
thousand miles from home, would be
ike suggesting thai the breadth of the
United States u as great SIS the distance
fron London 20 Hsrat-
Bat, dear yo4yf.si. your readers must
not suppose thst this neE cou1tFy Is
sEtirely 8 wilderness, that the youth Of
tie male persuasion are iilitsrate eOE-
boys. aud that there are fsg schools. II
any, on this western coast. They eo1ld
scarcely make greater mistake than 20
entertain such = sUpposisioa.
The city Of Seattle, from which We
are writing. - beautifully situated upon
the eastern side Of the soatherly end Of
that magnificent sheet Os water called
by a missioner Puget Sound" Ii IL
anything bat q s0aHd Ii Is placid ex
panse Of salt water extending perhaps
s hundred and Fifty miles, north and
south, and having q varying width OF
Ave, ten, twenty, thirty miles. Ii IS gen
orally Of deep water. and often having
perpendicular, rOl Ky sides, or natural
xharEes of great value and conve-
uieuce. Il is surrounded BY dense for
e.ts of pine and nr. indenting the lake,
or sourd, here and there, with long
eapes or r0onded shores, while now and
/ ~ ~
/ by lovingly extending an arm ihland to
| the base of some tall cliff or lofty
mountain
Beautiful for situation, the JOY of the
| whole country, is the chief city, Seattle,
vieing with its naughty rival, Tacoma,
and putting forth every energy to out
strip her in the race for the grand ter
| minus of she Northern Pacific Rail
road.
But even here i, she american Ps6lie
School. Tacoma has beautiful build
Jog for a private school, the Annie
Wright Seminary for Young LADIES' -
founded by Mr.. G. b. Wright. of Phils-
delphia, a prominent stakeholder IN the
Y. P. r. r., and in the Tacoma Land
Company.
bur IN seattle the people have already
organized q system Of schools, which, in
respect to its plans, its houses, its teach
ers, its pupils, and the actual work per-
formed, would do credit to any Of the
older communities of Ohio or New Eng
land. They have, especially, two large
school houses, for the high school and
grammar school grades, of ttoeire rooms
each, and only two stories high, well
furnished, and equipped with the best
Eastern furniture, blackbeards and APP
paratus.
The school system is under the man
agement of Mr.. Z. =. lngrahsm, a ma
tive of Maine, who i. superintendent of
the schools of the city and principal of
the high school. with a salary of $500.
He is a clear headed man, holding well
defined and exact views upon all eduoa-
tional matters, and carrying out these
views In the management of the schools
with good common seRse aud Fare bust
ness tact.
The grading Of the salaries will show
bow new cOutry, with the advantages
of rapidly growing community of the
better class OF people. can put into
operation, at enc bound, an improved
method of school work, which it would
take years of hard labor and severe
contest to engratt upon an older com
muuity.
Many of our best educators liz all
parts of the country recognize the fact
that the weak point of our schools is in
the primary department. The essential
cause of this weakness lies in the fact
that the primary teacher is paid less
salary than the teacher ia any Other
grade. Superintes dent Ingraham and
the school board of Seattle settled the
difficult problem at once. They ar
ranged the following schedule of teach
ers' wages. No teacher can be employed
by the city without the experience in
dictated in the table:
Eighth grade, primary, $3.50 after four
years experience.
Seyenth grade. primary, $500 after
three years experience.
Sixth grade, primary, $3.50 after two
years experience.
Fifth grade, primary. $500 after one
years experience.
Fourth grade. grammar, $50 aftsI
two years experience.
Third grade, grammar, $500 after
three years. experience.
Second grade, grammar, $3.50 after
feur years experience.
First grade, grammar. 500 after five
years experience.
Increase, $50 pei year for experience
for each additional year for three years
before reaching the maximum salary
This maximum sllary, then. will be for
the eighth grade, $500; seventh grade,
$3.50; sixth grade. 500; fifth grade,
$3.50; fourth grade, 500; third grade,
$50; second Rrede, $500; first grade,
$3.50.
This schedule, IL will be seen, makes
the lowest salary for the highest grade
of the primary school. After the teach
er gets fairly initiated into her work
there. she may decide whether she is TO
like the younger children better than
the older, and if 10, she may be promo
ted Just as fast toward the youngest as
another would toward the oldest. The
grammar school principals have $1,000 a
year, and must have had IRE years ex-
perience. The high school principal
has $3.50 a year, and must had had SIR
years experience. The vice principal
Of the high school or grammar school
has $S50A year, and must have had four
years experience. Each of these prin-
cipals has an increase OF 800 per year
for three years; the vice principals have
an increase of $50a year for three years.
The City Superintendent has $500 for
the first year, and must have had an sx-
pcrience of ten years as teacher or So
perintendant. His increase is 800 q
year for three years. making bis maxi
mum salary $3.50 year.
This system Of salaries Is cordially
commended TO the careful study Of all
Eastern teachers. superintendents and
school boards.