Arizona weekly citizen., 1889-04-20
ST. JOSEPH'S ACADEMY.
An Institution that Reflects Credit on Tucson and Those Having it in Charge.

This institution is one that is credit to Tucson and adds much to the reputa- tion now enjoyed by this city of having more and better institutions of learning than any other city in this territory or New Mexico, and being excelled by only few of the larger cities in California. This institution was first established about twenty years ago by six sisters who came from the Mission convent at south St Louis. The school was first located on Camp Street in the adobe school house adjoining the cathedral, the new building now occupied only having been completed about two years ago. Since the arrival of the
 FIRST SISTERS IN TUCSON
 they have done much work on the Pa cific, all of which has been directed and conducted from here. They now have besides the academy and hospital in Tue son, an academy at Prescott, one at Yuma, California, one at Yuma, Arizona, one at Oakland, two at San Diego and one at Los Angeles, California, where there are engaged in the work over seventy sisters, and the different houses are all in a prosperous condition. Each institution under the guidance of the sisters of St Joseph are required to be self-sustaining, and were any of them to become a burden on the others they would be closed up. The sisters of St Joseph originally came from France in 1886 and they are scattered all over this country and have done much for the good of humanity in every part of the United States.
 THE BUILDING HERE
 A CITIZEN reporter yesterday took oc- casion to visit the academy in this city. It is large structure, built of massive stone 15O feet in length and 70 feet wide, with projected front of about 20 feet in which are located the reception rooms on either side of the entrance hall The building is but one story high at present. The main walls are about 30 inches thick and were built so with view of adding one or two more stories when increased business de- mands and the support will justify its final completion The halls are wide and this in connection with the thick ness of the walls renders it one the cool est places in summer to be found in Tucson. The interior of the building is handsomely finished in polished wood and everything about the place is kept in perfect order. Not speck of dirt was seen at any place. 1t Is petitioned into chapels, school rooms. bed rooms, dining rooms and kitchen; also music room in which are kept five pianos. | There is
 A SMALL DEBT
 yet on this building, but is is gradually being diminished. Twelve sisters are engaged in the academy, nine of whom are employed in teaching, the other three attending to the domestic duties incident to boarding school. All are under the supervision of Mother Con- zaga, the Superioress.
 The dining rooms, play rooms and music and school rooms were all visited, and each was a perfect model and found to be in faultless condition. About 90 scholars are now enrolled in the schools, including the pupils who board and those who live at home and attend dur ing school hours The attendance, how ever, will not average more than 80. The rooms are all spacious and each provided with all the improvements conducive to the health, happiness and comfort of the pupils, Though the in stitution is Catholic one, yet members of every denomination are received, but | for the maintenance of order all the pu- pills are required to observe the regula- tions adopted for their improvement. THE COURSE GF INSTRUCTION embraces christian doctrine. orthogra- phy, reading, writing, grammar, compo- sition, arithmetic, bookkeeping, algebra and geometry, modern and physical ge- ography, with use of globes, aetronomy, history and biography, rhetoric, litera- ture, natural philosophy and botany, French and Spanish; music on the pi- aNo and guitar; drawing and painting, plain and ornamental needle work and all kinds of fancy work; also calls | thenics.
 The Sisters of St. Joseph hope the time will soon come when they will be able to clear the building from de5t and complete it as planned when they will have an academy of which every citizen of Tucson will feel proud.