San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1885-11-19
Our Public sehools...pasi and Present.

there was one located, II We mistake nc
on the present Chautauqua Hill, and afte
wards taught in the ''old house by the RI
err" now the section-house opposite the col
tire Of town. For some years after we can
hore, this had been discontinued there WI
no public school here except for the eolore
people, the white pupils mainly attendin
Coronal Institute. which received propo
tionate share of the public money. Thel
were funds on hand to build a new fire.
school house for the whites, but up to 1877
they were not made available for that pul
pose. -r..,
We should have said that this interrel
NUN Of the former free schools was prof.
ably caused by the erection of Coronal II
stitute, under the leadership Of Prof Ho
lingsworth, soon after the close Of the wa,
Under his management the Institute wa
non. sectarian, and we presume the fire.
school was naturally merged with It. An
had the Institute been continued on tina
plan, no doubt il would have continued tn
permanent centre Of our public schools, a
the subsequent wrangling and ill-feelin
been obviated, and the schools would er
this have been we'll established and I'd
vanced.
During 1877 sufficient pressure wa
brought to bear to induce the purchase o
grounds and the building Of the presen
school building. There were some dis
sensions as to the location, a majority O.
those interested contending for more cen
trail place, which was then to be had, while
others wished 1t placed still further out il
the brush than II now is The present 10
cation was the result of a sort of compro
mise. The town and country in that direc.
ton are somewhat more settled up than
they then were. SO that the location il rather
less Objectionable now.
School was opened in the new building
September II, 1877. We copy the follow
ing notice from our file of the FREE Press
of that year Of date Sept. 22nd.:
Zone of the most important events which
has ever transpired Ill San Marcos was the
opening of the Free School ON Monday.
There were Sc pupils the first day, and the
number Is now 60. and will probably reach
rs or OVER,
The above exhibits probably not over
half our scholastic population at the time
referred to. The start made was very fair
one, and we do not hesitate to say, that if
the schools had been put in charge of a
superintendent similar to the one we now
have, been firmly sustained by our local Of
fcials and sound public sentiment, there
would have been no pause in their progress
Such unfortunately was not the fact, and
the consequence WAS that the effort proved
abortive, and the free school children re-
verted to their former state of educational
orphanage, and so remained till the present
year, or for a term of some seven or eight
years, the school house meantime standing
empty and dismantled, or only occasionally
by nomadic Mexicans and others.
Such was the scene which during. all that
time had to be pointed out to the visitor to
our town who inquired as to the condition
of its public schools-a state of things GER
tainly the very least calculated to attract the
better class of immigrants to the place.
But we turn gladly from the dead past
TO the living present. A better day has
iawned upon Cur town, and if teachers, trus.
tees and people are faithful to their trust. il
will prove second to no other step in the
march of progress of San Marcos. A visit
which we made to the schools recently
showed them to be fuU to ouelto,oi',g, and
in excellent working condition. We visited
Ill the departments in the main building,
presided over respectively by Prof. viii
Jams, the principal, Miss Laura Wilcox and
Miss May Joyce. We also visited the d.
'ision more centrally located presided over
)Y Mrs. Duncan. All exhibited careful
and excellent educational and
governmental handling. The total enroll.
nent up TO last week was 1873, and there are
laily applications for admission. As we
earn there are only seats Gin the main build
n9 We preslme) for 164, this condition of
Kings is embarrassing In what direction
hall we look for means to provide another
DOM and fourth assistant teacher? This
& subject which demands the best con-
liberation of our people.
As further evidence of its pressing i'm |
,ortance we will state that it has been ascer |
ained that some forty pupils who would |
ave been entitled to attend our public |
chool, have never been enrolled on the as
essoI . list. and the school has been deprived |
f their pro-rata Of the public funds The
Material for our free schools, it is quite OBJ
ious, is and will be most ample.
We append some pertinent remarks from |
be pen of a well-posted friend of our pub
&c schools:
The pupils are proud OF. their new desks,
be Paragon, which are the best manufac-
lred and were bought at low rates. A
,rge quantity of wood is now being piled
ear the school building preparatory to cold
leather. This incidental expense should
e promptly met by the patrons paying the
fee of one dollar per pupil, Thus
ne scholastic fund would remain intact for
ne extension of the school term. The pu-
ills are systematically graded at present and
he foundation is laid for thorough and
system of free schools. This en-
,rprise is a public necessity. 1t is estab-
shed for the welfare of the children and
lerits the hearty cooperation of all our
tizens. No city can stand idle and escape
isgrace and loss in an age of such rapid
improvements and activity. Then what
7tVoi ou'oitsomenI VI ptORress, OF entef-
rise, of intelligence aud moral sontim emit
IN O city exhibit than an efficient public
,hool system? Thus far our citizens have
ot slumbered on this vital question. One
ore effort must be made. The members
the Board are gentlemen whose business
,mends their constant attention. yet they !
ave cheerfully assumed and sustained the ,
lrdens and responsibilities placed upon ,
ZEN By their fellow citizens.
II is now the duty of the citizens to CO. ,
1erate with the Trustees in all their plans ,
II the welfare of the schools, and particu- ;
rly in the direction Of their plans for con- .
nuing the school nine months. Trmptly
" the incidental fee and the small amount
larged for tuition each month. Other ,