Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-03-11
Education in Mississippi.

|
In your issue of 9Th instant you say, Gala
bama gives nearly third of her state revenue
to education-a proportion unequaled in the
Union 1t is a large feather in Ala
bama's cap that this is so, and that her colored
people are getting their share of the schools"
1t will not detract from this well-earned COM
mendation for me to say that Mississippi gives
much more than one-third of her state revenue
to the cause OF education. Her entire revenue
in 1SS7-the last official report-was 81 .069 ,56S,
and her state appropriations for educational
purposes were S403277. In that year her state
and county expenditures for public school edu-
cation amounted to SS39, 797, and they were
much larger in 1883. OF the 4,341 teachers en-
ployed in her public schools 2,692 were engaged
in educating colored children.
In addition to her public schools Mississippi
has over a thousand private educational estab-
lishments, many of them boarding schools
almost every town having one or more of these.
The boarding schools are necessitated by the
fact that the white population is SO scattered
great plantations that parents are obliged
to send their children to the towns and villages
to school, while at the same time paying taxes
to maintain the public schools throughout their
counties for the blacks. Mississippi's agricul-
tural college and her industrial institute and
college for white girls are the pride of the
state and the envy of her sisters. They are BOTH
like her State university and her Colored agri-
cultural college, free of all charges except for
board In the last year great rivalry has ex-
listed among the towns in the matter of erec-
ton of public school buildings by special taxa
ton, and the result is that many beautiful
structures are completed under contract
The towns Of Meridian, Jackson, Aberdeen,
West Point, Greenville, and Crystal Springs
have appropriated an aggregate Of 800, 900 in
this behalf. Believing this subject to possess
great interest for many of your readers VEN
ture to trespass upon your heavily ladened and
valuable columns. MISSISSIPPI.
A BANQUET FOR THE SrREET-CAR Men,
But few classes of public servants worked
harder during the inaugural period than the
street-car drivers and conductors, and on Sat-
urday night the management of the Metropoli-
tan street railway company evinced its graft
tude for the fidelity Of its employees by treating
them to frst-class collation. at the company's
headquarters on r street. Oysters in various
forms, salads and bountiful supply Of sub
stantials were disposed of, washed down with
coffee and punch. President Pearson and
number OF the officers we're present throughout
the entire evening, and they seemed to enjoy
the occasion as much as the employees, who ex-
pressed their gratitude quite freely.
The SroDDARD LEcrUREs.-At the Congre-
gational church this evening Mr.. Stoddard will
continue his course with his lecture upon the
career of the great Cardinal Richelieu. accom-
panied by numerous striking illustrations.
An ALLEGED INFRINGEMENT.-Messrs. r. Hoe
4 Co. have fled bill against "The American
Printing Press Co." for an injunction and &C.
count They allege that one L. G. Crowell
which were assigned to them, and complain
| that since 1884 the defendant has infringed
upon the patents for said improvements.
The PORTER AppxALEp.-stephen Faulden.
Q colored porter who does odd Jobs about the
the baltimore and Potomac depot, was tried in
| the Police Court yesterday ON charge of steal
ing s2o from Mrs. Eva Hall, stranger in the
| city. During the trial Policeman Acton who
made the arrest, volunteered the information
that at the time Of the alleged theft the pris-
oner wore clothes different from those he was
/ now wearing.
How do you know?" asked the prisoner.
/ ''You was not there"
Witness gave evidence to show that the lady
/ gave the prisoner $40 bill to get changed and
he failed TO return with it. The court imposed
fine of $50 or sixty days. The defendant
appealed
NEW DEVICE FOR CALLING STRExTs.-The
Metropolitan street-railway company is expert
menting with q street-annunciator, which will,
II successful, be placed in all their two-horse
| cars. 1t consists OF box little less than 2
feet square and about inches thick, contain
ing couple Of cylinders, ON which is rolled
smooth-surfaced canvas. The canvas is divided
into squares, the upper half having on II in
large letters the name of street, while the
lower portion Is occupied by an advertisement.
The instrument il operated by the conductor
through the medium Of a knob or strap. When
the car approsches an interesting street the
| strap 10 pulled and the name Of the street il
visible to the passengers, while their attention
| Is directed TO the change BY the ringing of Z
small alarm-bell. This aununicator win do
away With the necessity for opening the rear
door Of the car in cold or windy weather 20
that the conductor may make some generally
I'M Ineligible md apparent irrelevant sound