The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1888-10-26
BALTIMORE SCHOOLS.
AS SEEN BY APPOINTMENT NORTH
CAROLINA EDUCATOR
| t'he Schools are an Honor to the City
and a Pattern to ALI Cities an Inter-
eSting Account.

I know of no city or coUn ry where edu-
cation has a trIner hold or brighter pros
pect than in Baltimore. Having spent a
couple of weeks there very delightfully."-
despite equinoctial gales, and closely in
spected the splendid schools of that hospi-
table community, may possibly stimulate
the pride aud zeal Of our own people by
reporting to the CHRONlCLE a chapter from
my experience. Profs. Wise and McCahan
are the city superiutendents. They are
clever and progressive gentlemen. They
work hard, have much to do, but are fully
up to their official duties. The latter gen
tleman, who was chiefly my guide, made
the educational developments of his beau
tlful city so plain that a stranger could
fully understand them. Baltimore expends
a million of dollars every wear on its pub
lie schools. 1t has one hundred and twenty
eight of these, over thousand teachers
and over fifty thousand pupils. Every
man, woman and child in the city feels
profound personal interest in these schools.
Go where you will and it is not the new
streets, the lovely parks, the stately stores,
the costly public buildings which rule the
hearts OF the people, but their precious in
stitutions of learning
Prots. Wise and McCahau have their
commodious, well furnished rooms on the
second floor of the fine city hall, which is
one of the most imposing ornaments of
Baltimore, and from this point they con
troll the most perfect public school system
| have ever seen. Ipassed through gram
mar school after grammar school packed
by intelligent, studious, orderly children,
with the Primary Department, consisting
of the first, second and third grades, con
stituting the basis of school work and the
Grammar Department, embracing the five
FL
ium of that particular institution. There
WAS no special departure from the meth
DDS of teaching IN our best graded schools,
but the evidences OF SYSTEM more gener-
ousy endorsed, of a line OF teachers ap-
pointed for approved science, culture and
merit, Of a resolute purpose TO use every
educational resource worthy Of adoption,
of a military precision in both study and
disci pline, and of the steady growth of the
richest intellectual character in the school
life Of the pupils. | was particularly i'm
pressed by Grammar School No. 10, on
Park Avenue. In that, as in nearly all OF
| these institutions, the sexes were separat-
| ed. Prof. Elliott, a modest, scholarly gen
| tleman, having charge of the boys in the
| lower part of the building, aud TWO eXpe
! rienced, cultured ladies rulng and fash
| ionlng the girls in the upper part. At No.
| >, on Fremont street, which is an English
| Grammar institution, under the superin-
| tendence OF Prof Smith, the girls and boys
are together, plan which North Carroll
na greatly approves, and the Grammar
| language is made special branch OF
study. In tits school among the teachers
l met little bright eyed North Carolina
girl, Miss Mccoy, and a very stately, faci-
mating Virginia lady, Miss Norris. That
| seemed to me to be getting very near to
| home.
OF course visited Baltimore City Col
| lege, on Harvard street. SO many of the
| successful business men of Baltimore have
| been finished at this institution, that it
| commands much Of the admiration and
| confidence of the city. And it undOubt
edly has many strong points. 1t bestows
| upon its graduates very thorough educa
ton. 1t possesses a number of accom-
plished professors. Prof. Norris, who fills
the chair of latin and mathematics, the
| professors of German and French, anC
the professors of chemistry and physlc
are eentlem Il who would attract attention
| anywhere. And there are other membe
of the faculty who stand as well AS these
But somehow | could not fix clearly in my
mind the distinct individuality If this in
stitution 1t seemed to be a college, anC
yet was designed only for Il high school t
the male grammar schools Of the city. L
has a course of five years and a severe
curriculum, which, in my judgment, maxi
1t TOO unwieldy for high school. If i
We're a preparatory institution for john
Hopkins University, l could easily com
prehend its character and mission. Or /
one year should be taken from its cours
and added to the male grammar schools
it would seem more shapely and signifi
cant. But as it is, it appears like pow
| rf1 II of II m
roaring in the dark
The most perfect and beautiful lnstltu
ton of learning ever saw in any coun
try or among my people, is the Wester
Female High School, on Fayette street, ,nea
Eutaw To this the very cream of the as
piring and scholarly maidens, carrying OF
the honors of the other schools, come 10
their mental jewelry. 1t has a curriculum
of four years, and they are years filled t
; the brim with ju,liclouS and well selecte
learning A similar institution exists /
East Baltimore which did not have tn
time to visit | took this at the openin
of it's DAYS work, and beheld it at its best
Four hundred young ladies, bright, come
ly and attractive, were sitting before m
III the assembly room, with the courtl
; Ylrincipal, Prof. Kerr, and his faculty o
7 The stage, waiting for a tide Of song wit
a bright girl at the organ, the SIMPLE u
terance OF the Lords Prayer, and a stirrin
piece of clamation full of the art an
. | passion OF a trained pupil, to start tn
: struggle of the day. Shall ! ever forge
the simplicity, classic elegance, and pei
7 feet symmetry of that scene. Then off e
Prof. McCahan and myself after the fa
scholars, to see them grappe with soil
learning Through the domain OF tt
pencil and the brush .e pass, where II
senior class is cutting out dream work f'
the future, through the music room Whel
the professor thinks we should halt an
worship harmony, down TO the geometf
recitation, where we tarry to witness
| girls battle with mathematics. Then "
pass on to witness recltatlOnS IN FfenC
and German, and finally stop dead still j
y the room of English Literature, to
n amazed by lady teachers rendering
4 Milton, and class of thirty young ladl
handling Paradise Lost as if the Bin
Bard had himself taught them. We shou
expect this kind of thing at q unlyersit
}. under the accomplished tuition o. She
s ard or Hume, but hardly ever expectt
e to see it in a female high school anywher
II 4 perfect unity of all its parts, each pa
u beiug finished>ln itself, was the markt
q character of this institution. 1t seem
e to me that there could be nothing beyol
:, it, either III appliances, equipment
teachers, thorough experience or actu
results.
Another fayorite Institution of Bal
r more is the Manual Training School, sit
IL ated on Courtland street, near Saratoa
I q ,e,t,<