Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-01-30

Where the First Schools i'm Washing.
ton Were Located.

Mr.. NICHOLAS CALLAN'S RECOLLECTIoNS OF
THE EARLY SCHOOLS HERE-A TALK WITH
AN OLD BOY WHO WENT TO SCHOOL In JET
PERSONS STABLE.
The venerable Nicholas Callan when asked
by STAR reporter where the first school-house
erected in Washington was located said: "That
I cannot tell for a certainty, for there were
schools here before 1 saw the light. However,
i ought to know something Of the ancient
schools, for / was born over . school room. My
father, who had participated in the Irish re-
belliOn, was held a prisoner OF war in his
native town of Dundock, but having been ed
ucated as a surveyor and being excellent
of his daughters he made his escape and, COM
ing to this country, settled at Trenton, N. j., in
1903. He had known Thomas Hurry An the
in America, and finally learned that he was in
Washington. Father wrote to Mr.. Hurry stat
Ing his circumstances and in reply was in
formed that Mr.. Hurry had q position as q
school teacher tor him II he would accept. This
was agreeable to my father and he came here
teacher in Richard whites academy, which
was located on the corner of 18th and streets,
the very spot where Judge Cox now resides.
There was then a large frame school house
there. subsequently, in December, 1906,
father opened private school on r street. be-
tween 18th and 18th streets-the house is
standing yet, but has been remodelled, and Is
now owned by DR.. j. NJ Toner-and that is the
place OF my nativity. Father kept school there
now live, No. 1892 street, and continued his
school till after the war of 1912, when he &C
cepted government office.
OTHER SCHOOLS BEFORE 1912.
"There were other private schools in the city
before the war of 1872" continued Mr. Callan.
"Mr. Mcleod with Hugh Mcclure had one near
the navy yard, but they afterward moved to
aschool building on the site on which rAbell
Is erecting the S'tn building-F street. between
18TH and 14th streets. Subsequently Mr.. Nc
Leod built a small school house on the south
west corner OF 10th and q streets, and next To-
Gated on 9th street, between g and 81 streets
Perhaps you remember the motto he had over
the door-'Order Is Heavens first law The
school children OF to-day think, would ap-
derstOod what the children of two generations
ago went through. Mr.. Mcleod had his pupils
in their places at sunrise, gave them breakfast
and dinner hours, and when not detained by
failures in lessons they would be able to reach
their homes in time for tea. In the other schools
some the bes, citizens Of the District ee
their education under the strict discipline of
Mr.. Mcleod
WHAT THE BOYS STUDIED.
"The course Of study was not extensive" sug-
gested the reporter.
"The people of that day." said Mr.. CalIan,
"were glad enough If their children could write,
read, spell and figure we'll. Murray's Reader,
watts Arithmetic. and Murray's Grammar to
Cno Will, the DOCKS uk6Q. I0en the
smaller pupils learned to trace letters in sand
on the tops of their desks, and as they advanced
states (much more cumbersome than those of
Then in place of the lead pencil plummets-
pieces of lead, pointed-were used. Having
those sa'e and IN
oooks.pens, ink and paper being much more
scarce than now"
"HOw about music and drawing?" asked the
reporter.
unknown in the schools till half a century after
wards. In the private schools mathematics
appeared to be Il favorite study
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
what do you know of the public schools?"
any father" answered Mr. CalIan, "opened
the school on street, when Mr. White was
elected the principal teacher of the Western
10Th and 18th, which at that time babe fair to
become the principal business street. Mr. Nc
Leods associate, Mr.. Mcclure, succeeded Mr.
White in a few years, and in 1910 left the
schools. OF course do not know of these
changes personally, but heard ofthem. 1 re-
member Mr.. Henry Guild well. He was the
Lancasterian teacher sent out from England in
1872. and continued in the service of the
schools here till some time in the thirties.
There is no telling the result of his teachings
for there are hundr, of well known and re.
spectacle citizens wl.o can say that all their
education was received under him. Mr.. Hen
shaw followed Mr.. Ould. The old building on
the corner of 14th and q streets. formerly used
by President Jefferson as a stable, was occupied
from 1921 for over forty years as the Western
or first district school,"
REcoILE6rIoNs OF oSr on THE oYn DOW.
ono of ,ho oIa - -
' " ''ie yin. oo1s wno al'ehueu ~ the Oh
schooi mouse ~ 14tn ana U streets early in the
fOrties, thus described the school and his school
boy DAYS To a STAR reporter "Eptar;no the
door near the corner of the west end the leach
er's desk was ON the rioht on a nj tforn rootnd
by a couple OF stems Reneath tho dast rs -
large recess. which sometimes was used "a a
Mace of confinement for very Rod 49, m"
desks for the laraer puniIs vere oI Eina ar
ranged twelve i'm n row They were made Of
three pieces of plank The puniis sat ON hanchos
made of pieces OF 6-inch plank nIaned smooth
Along these the pupiIs excentin.r thosa occnnr
ing the end seats slid to theIr nIacaS STbpayya
were about Is such rows and several at The
east end were divided Off nv a hlue 20 'nhric
curtain and constituted the Urls, daoaranonnt
Smaller pupils were allowed 10 sit on the sides
put In those days the attendance was seldom SO
tbGSe da~s b~Vs' w., U~ us LII an nae uesks IN
manage than those of the present dav WbiIe
there were some who fully appreciated the
crude advantages they enjoyed. others regarded
.ne scnooi room, as some 10 at present, u place
W '"Ae hohuay irohi.
ALL ON ACCOUNT OF RAT
al remember" continued the old how fiona
,,. ,,;okn,roa6 unna,-, IN 80 ~
we ~ A"s0s on VI US nad nick
naines-"ho was placed In the Jail under the
desk Here was a piece of chair round and n
lug of blue ink the latter near a rat bo,e 4, thn
-. I.,aoa =. .,.,, o IA 'ao
corner. Aas.eau VI stuu ing DIS lesson 'lngey'
kept ms eye on 'ne Iat hoie. Soon rat came
ou., oIu looclSoo lio.L INC CHAIR IOunu fatal
Wouhu as was ascertalned several days after
~aru iroln .ne touo smell. ingey, however,