The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1886-03-11
AN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
THAT WILL EMBRACE INDUSTRI-
AL AND LITERARY TRAINING.
CasWell Farmer Points Out "A More
Excellent Ways of Conducting Public
schools in North Carolina.
Especial Coz. STATE CHRONICLE.

y
iect for which the department Of Agri-
culture was created is in brief To en-
tighten the farmers and develop the
Agricultural resources of the State. Past
experience should convince Us that this
cannot be accomplished by the distribution
of Bulletins, however valuable and lnstruc-
tive. There is but one system by which a
mass of unframed people can be trained
and made effective and the same law or
system of organization viii apply 10 all
bodies, whether for military, political or
religious purposes. If to an intelligent
officer be assigned the task of converting
mass of raw recruits into brigade of dis
ciplined and effective soldiers, this would
be his plan:
1st TO establish school of instruction
and drill for the field officers.
2nd. To require these officers, after be
ing sufficiently drilled, to establish schools
of instruction for their company officers.
3rd To require these company officers
to instruct and drill their non -commls
stoned officers and prlNates Now this Is
The only system BY which the mass of ig
noraut children III the State can be con
verted into n1elIigent and useful members
of society.
| 1st. We must convert the Agricultural
| Department into a school of instruction
! for training teachers to take charge of
county academies.
2nd. We must establish a county acad-
emy in each county III the State for train
! ing teachers for the district schools.
3rd We must have district schools, to
run for not shorter perlod than ten
| months in the year. In connection with
! each Of these schools there must be small
| quantity of land for experimental farms,
and each pupil must be required to per
f.,.,Y, +lin Of anIla1 Ia h0r *
a part of his or her education; for to teach
! the theory of agriculture and horticulture
| without practical application would
+ amount to but little, besides the physical
! development of our children is ust as inn
| portant as their mental development How
can we put this system into operation
! Why, convert the Agricultural Department
into State Agricultural Academy and per
nit each county to send one pupil and the
! Governor to select four from the State at
large, which would make one hundred stu
dents Enroll these into State corps of
OF cadets, as at West Point. Clothe, feed,
and instruct them for two years upon the
| condition they are to teach two years at
| the County Academies.
How TO Meet the Expenses OF the State
Academies.
We have an annual income of $40, 600
| derived from tax on fertilizers and inter
| est from the land script donated by the
1 general gOvernmet of 81, 800, making the
! sum of S41 800. An equal division of this
would give to each race the sum OF S23,-
! 150. Now TO clothe and feed the one hun
| dred cadets should not exceed 1000.
Leaving a balance of -S13, 15O, with which
to pay the salaries of the Professors, etc.
Accepting the tender Of the Exposition
buildings and lands also rendered by the
city of Raleigh We ought to realize a Suf-
ticlent amount from the sale OF OF the
National Hotel building to tit up the class
rooms and barracks iii said Exposition
| building and thus not to cost the tax pay
ers an additional cent for commencing and
supporting the State Academy, and the
present work of the Agricultural Depart
ment should be incorporated with and be
made a part IN the course OF instruction
| at this Academy.
County Academies.
As 10 thee the chief expense would be
| for the buildings and I'D for experiment
| tai farms-and | i,tlioyo these would be
donated by some town OF village IN every
county in order to secure such schools in
their vicinity But not to count on an un-
! certaiGty: We can put up cheap barracks
on the lands set apart for poor house
farms, for we are not after display.
Let each school district send one pupil
! and the county at large two to these Coun-
| ty Academies. Likewise organize these
into corps Of county cadets, to be clothed,
fed and Instructed two years, upon the
| condition they are to teach two years IN
the district schools. The present amount
raised for school purposes will about pay
| the expenses of these Academies.
District Academies.
We already have buildings for these
! IN addition only
| quire a few more acres of land for expert
mental purposes and enough money to
| board and clothe the teacher who would
| be sent from the County Academy, and
| the proceeds from the crops raised on the
experimental farm ought to be more than
sufficient for this purpose. Thus, this
| which we will call the North Carolina pub
lie school system can be inaugurated and
supported without scarcely an increase of
our school tax. But if it should cost US
| double we would be more than a hundred
fold benefited by it. 1t is a progressive
| system giving every two years a teacher
Just from higher school well equipped
with the latest methods of instruction, &c.
1t is Natures System.
Like vigorous tree; the Professors at
she state Academy are the roots, penetrat
ing the soil in every direction and gather
ing moisture and fertility, conveying the
same first to the trunk, the State Acade
my thence through the large limbs (the
County Academcs) which in turn convey
the same sustenance to the smaller limbs
(the District Schools), and these distribute
ii among the smallest twigs the children
at large), causing them to bud and bloom
and III due season to bring forth fruit to
perfection.
| know of no other system to be COM
pared to it. In less than twenty years it
would lift North Carolina from the lowest
to the highest place in the scale OF intell-
gence, and will cause the gloom and des-
pondency overhanging our agricultural in
terest to disappear, as mists and darkness
give place to light and cheerfulness at the
glorious appearance of the king of day.
Then all that is needed to perfect this
system will speedily follow. Every State
will adopt it and the United States Gov
ernment will establish great University
which will be the department of intelli-
gence For training teachers for State
Academies and for disseminating daily
weather and market reports and general
news to each State Academy, and these by
telegraph will transmit the same to the
County Academies, which by telephone
will convey the same to the District Schools,
thence to be carried and rehearsed around
every fire side in the Union.
This system would bind with cords of
steel every State and do more to obliterate