Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-02-17
IN NEW ORLEANS.
THE ATTENDANCE OF COlORED
CHILDREN AT THE SCHOOLS.
Exceedingly Anxious to Learn In to q
Certain Point-Enects Of Education
Upon the Coiored Laboring
Mana Problem.
Now Orleans Cor. Chicago Times |

| New Orleans Cor. Chicago Times
In passing through the streets Of New Or
leans the stranger is jrnpre 5sel by the large
! number Of colored girls and boys whom he
I sess going TO and from their schools The
I schools for coiorel chi!irsn arc very largely
+ attended in New Orleans, AMI as a rule, the
pupils ara said to be quite proficient in the
rudimeHtary branches They learn to read,
write, and do sums in arithmetic quite
readily, but very few OF them, | am told,
exhibit any desire TO climb the hill Of knowl-
edge much higher. They arc exceedingly
anxious to learn-up to a certain point; but
when that point is reached they consider
themselves fully educated" and, with rare
exceptions, are not ambitious to explore the
mysteries Of science or wrcstle with the class
les But some of these exceptions are really
notable At tho Leland university, an in
stitution in the suburbs OF the city, which
has an endowment out Of the Peabody fund,
there are number Of attendants who have
become excellent classical scholars One Of
them-an Old man Of ~ and quite black
who, ten years ago could neither read nor
write English, has not only acquired good
knowledge Of that tongue. but has also
become highly proficient in Greek and Latin
am told that he is familiar with wide
range Of cla~s literature, aud that he will
devote the remainder Of his life to tue teach
ing OF the dead languages
Very few, indeed Of the rising colored gem
tlemen in this city are growing up in abso-
Lutte illiteracy. The colored youth who can
not read the daily newspaper. or write let
ter TO his girl" finds himself target for
the ridicule OF his associates The desire
10 escape the reproach Of being ,n ignorant
niger leads many colored boys and girls to
study their readers AMI their spoilers who
would otherwise neglect them. and thus a
sense Of pride rather than thirst Tor knowl-
edge induces them To put forth efforts To
keep pace with their more eager and ambi-
tious companions.
The little smatterinS of education which
most of the colored youth of today are re-
ceiving In the city-on the plantations the
"nigger,' are not so forward-does not in all
cases, an told, have a tendency to increase
their immediate usefulness to the com
mUnity. There is universal complaint to the
effect that few colored women under 30
make good servants The old and the mid
die aged-those who were born in slavery
and whose heads hav. not been turned by
look larnin' are in greas demand for
hOu enoli work, because 50 | was told by q
New Orleans lady-they know their places
understand their duties. and are no; Consumed
by a dev curing ambition to shine III the world
of society and OF letters. Tbs col orei female
rho Is educated, on the contrary is prone TO
look upon household service as somewhat
beneath her, and only accepts it US dsrnier
resort She Is not anxious to excel In tee
art II cookery, or TO gain reputation as y
waiter OF chambernIaid. She demands
special consideration from Ter employer
upon the score Of her attainments and &C |
eompliShments, and her object in life is {,
make n brilliant matrimonial alliance, to
rise in tie social scale, and 10 become the
head Of her own establishment. Her amJi- /
tion l. very laulable, ~ TO sure, and all that.
bit it is exceedingly inconvenient to those |
who are dependent upon her for their daily 1
rationS
And So with the young coiorei men who |
are graduates from the primary schools. 1
They do not care to bs coachmen. or bar /
bers, or whitewashers, or Transfers. or por-
ters, and only accept such employment IN |
der the pressure OF diro nece -sity and until /
they can do something better They wish 10 /
lie lettercarriers, OF poll or bank |
cashiers, or palace-c.r Gi;nitaries. Thi. |
Is laudabe apibltiun, but highly
incoayenigni to tbs hsnShty Caucasian who
may employ one OF these scholarly per
IN the capacity of tram
ster, Tor instance, or whitewash--
I'VE Ike to sec the colorei men getting
along said former STAKEHOLDER 10 me
a day or two ago alter he had been snumer-
ating some of the shortcomings OF the "e,iu-
Gated niggers" when engaged in humble can
Payments I'VE like to see them acquiring
and accumulating property. ana
displaying an ambition ~ rise in life We
keep up their schools and help their churches
and try 10 encourage them IN all their Efforts
la better their condition. Bur, really, in 80
doing, We seem TO he destroying the source,
u supply for many departments OF labor.
and more especially of female labor. The
problem which l. thus being raised really
promises to lie a serious one, both for the
coiorei people and FOR the whites