Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-02-23
THE HIGH SCHOOL PUPILS.
An Interesting Statistical Analysis OF
the Register.

An Interesting Statistical Analysis of
the Register.
CURIOUS FACTS ABOUT THE OCCUPATION OF THE
PARESTs-oDD ANSWERS MADE TO QUERIES
EMPLOYEES OF THE aovERNxENr-wHERE THE
PUPILS LIVE.
The enterprising students of the city high
school are this year publishing a bright fort
nightly journal called The Recie,c. devoted to
the interests of that institution. It is con-
Quoted by staff of six editors, selected from
the different classes of the school. under the
business management Of Mr.. Harry English
one Of the instructors
THE YEARS REGISTER.
The last number, issued on the 14th inst.
contains an entertaining article, headed ''Regis-
ter Wrinkles" being synopsis of the facts
and figures contained in the years register Of
the pupils in the school. This register is a
work OF some magnitude, volume of hun
! dred pages OF foolscap, containing the names
and necessary statistics of some 1000 pupils,
| including all who have been connected with
the school for any length of time since Septem-
Der IL, 1883.
The Rerie,o says: "a perusal of the statistic
blanks, as handed in by the pupils. disclose
many ludicrous mistakes, any amount of simon
pure stupidity, and an extensive insight into
age high school pupil in particular. Upon
entering the school the pupil is given blank
trm to be filled out. requiring the last, first
and middle names; age, class and section;
parents or guardians name and occupation,
ana address. Compelled on short notice to
make this personal Inventory, the amateur
| statistician becomes sadly mixed in the extent
and accuracy of his information. One youth
with commendable exactness gives his age as
seventeen years, seven months three DAYS and
| hOurS Another ia Aad ub ha
Is twelve or thirteen years of age: first puts
! down twelve, then on the second thought
thirteen. Unfortunately neglecting to scratch
out the first guess, he is registered at the re-
lnerkable age of one thousand two hundred and
| thirteen years. At least half a dozen have
entered the figures in the wrong spaces and
declare themselves to be sixteen months and
four days, or fifteen months and nine days,
winch is quite too young for high school
pupils, even considering the fact that entrance
and quarterly examinations have been abol-
ished. One young lady had the good fortune
to enter, SO she states, on September 81.
THE OCCUPATION STATISTICS.
| 1.-The occupation statistics are perhaps the
most amusing. Some of the parents have COM
bined occupations, such as brick manufacturer
and real estate owner government clerk and
gardener A widows occupation is given as
| domestic duties. while the number of resigned
retired (the Office of honor emolument from
which said parent retired or resigned is not
stately, and at LEISURE is appalling. One
pathetic occupation is nothing at present.
while careless and defiant lad writes boldly,
nothing in particular A ladies' tailor is down
as 'taylorist' while the ambitious scion of a
compositor writes typographer.' One is a
| 'bookkeeper and another 'huxter, neither of
which trades or professions is recognized by
Webster. A preachers son believes that
| brevity is the soul of wit and calls his father
ID. D.. Some pampered officials offspring says
| his fathers occupation is government only
! this and nothing more, and another with equal
| terseness and pride says independent Some
| of the answers would I'll the heart of worthy
Henry George with rage, as property owner
| very common and agreeable calling and
| lives off the rent of houses case of the
| pest man wins is registered in one slip where
the parents name is given Mrs. and
Mr., the latter unlmportant addenda being
| written in very small characters in the corner.
The scribe vouches for all these assertions in
| quotations. and will exhibit the originals.
which he has prudently preserved, to all who
| doubt his veracity. So much for the registers
humorous side; it has a serious aspect which
| Is interesting too. After the preparation of
numerous tables and much juggling of figures
| some remarkable results have been reached
"A word of explanation befOrehand-when
it is said for instance. that ten are IN the Navy
| department it is not meant that ten employees
OF the Navy department have children in this
| school, but that there are ten pupils in the
school whose parents are in the Navy depart
ment.
| IN GOVERNMENT EMPLOY.
First as to parents occupation: SIS out of
the total number, or 42.s per cent. are in the
employment of the government 574 or AZ 5
! per cent are distributed among some SO trades
/ and professions. and 119 or 81 per cent (of
which number s. are womenl are unemployed.
| or have no occupation set down. OF the SIS
| government employees, 402, or 1872 per cent of
! the total number are in the departments as
follows: Treasury, So; War. ~; Post Office de-
partment So: Pension Office, As: Patent Office
n; Land Office, II; Navy. 8; State, 8; Coast
Survey, 3: Agricultural, 3; Bureau of Labor, 2;
Bureau Statistics, 2: Justice, 9; Civil Service
Commission, 2, while 50 are entered as gov
| eminent clerks"
! ''Of the remaining 113 government employees,
IL are occupied in the Senate Is in the District
Offices, IA are navy officers. IL policemen. IL
army officers, IL in the bureau OF printing
and engraving, are Representatives in Con-
gress, are employees of the House; 2, fremen;
2, city post-ofce; l, detective; l. letter-carrer.
and /, United States Senator. There are be-
| side such notables as the commissioner of pen-
| sions, rear-admiral. United States navy, as
sistant adjutant-general. United States army
superintendent of lfe-saving service. supern-
| tendent of schools, acivil-service commissioner
the city postmaster, the assistant treasurer of
the United States, and the paymaster of the
United States army. each with one child in this
school, and the chief of the weather bureau and
one OF the District Commissioners, each with
two hildren here.
Chief among the SO occupations of those
not under the government are: Attorneys-at-
law, OIL; merchants. 4S; real estate and insur-
| ance, "a; physicians. 30: contractors and build
ers. 20; carpenters, 10; printers, l6: bookkeep-
ers. l6; grocers, 10; bookbinders, IL: commission
merchants, 10; machinists, 8: 5 are farmers and
8 dairymen; are artists and blacksmiths:
are bankers and bricklayers; are under
! takers. dentists, and confectioners. There isl
plumber, book agent, and drummer, an cleo
trlclan. an astronomer, editors aid an author
One Is the Mexican minister. another the chan
cellor OF the German legation. another an Off
Ger IN the Corean army. And SO on, and on,
and on. for there seems to be no occupation
under heaven which is not represented in this
liberal register
statistics of residence are as follows: Those
living in northwest. G954 per cent: northeast,
1918 per cent; southeast. SOC per cent; south
west, GAG per cent; outside the city, 4l9 per
cent.
THE AGE OF PUPILs.
"a table is also given presenting the age sta
tistics OF the school. In the third (hghest) year
class the youngest pupil is fifteen years, the
Oldest twenty-five years, and the average age.
1872 years; in the second-year class the
youngest is fourteen years, the Oldest TIVE ntv
and a-half years, and the average age I6 90
years; in the tirst-year class the youngest is
twelve and a-half years, the Oldest twenty and
a-half years. and the average age L. "a years.
The average age of the school is 1923 years.
and the average age at the time of entrance to
the school years