Omaha daily bee., 1890-01-19

diocese is president. Several small
parochial schools were started about
This same time by the Catholic societies
OF the town.
From 1864 to 1859 the schools were
largely under the care of B. E. B. Ken
nedy, John Evans, DR.. Miller, J. M.
Woolworth, John Rush and many
others who are still residents
OF the city. The buildings we're inferior
but the care bestowed upon their in
mates was superior. Full records of
these schools were kept and turned
over by b. e. b. Kennedy to the board
OF education in 1872, but these records
have unfortunately everyone been lost.
In 1868, the Catholic residents of the
city made a request for a portion of the
public school money to be used in main
tanning the parochial schools. This the
board OF directors refused to pay, even
after an act to give them 81 900 had
been passed by the legislature. To
compromise the matter, the directors
rented the building owned by the
Catholic church on Eighth street near
Harvey, paying 81 900 rent. This wise
arrangement averted all trouble at
that time and the rooms were occupied
until the church society was obliged to
retain them for its own use. Since
then there has been little or no effort
in this direction. There are now about
eighteen hundred pupils enrolled in
the twelve Catholic schools, including
nearly two hundred students of Creigh-
ton college.
In 1868 the capitol was vacated and
the legislature of 1869 presented the
grounds and building to Omaha
for a high school. Six gem
tlemen constituting the board of
tnnnnfa nrnnnt,al H., A. -
islature held their first meeting in the
office OF one of the members, Mr.. j. M.
Woolworth. A Chicago architect, G.
f.. Randolph, examined the building
n pronounced 1t unfit for use. The
treasurer OF the board was qualified by
law to receive the 1888 $40 due from the
state, The regents also thought $l2, 500
was due from the board OF school direct
ors and requested the payment of that
sum. John Evans was then the treasurer
OF the directors and. after consultation
with his colleagues, refused to pay it on
the ground Of illegality. After several
efforts to obtain it the board of regents
resolved to sue the board of directors
for $500. Early in 1870, the directors
offered to pay the regents the sum of
5000, on condition that the suit then
pending should DO withdrawn and the
pupils from the city schools who could
pass examination should be admitted
into the high school and that there
should be one general and harmoni-
Gus system OF grading throughout.
These conditions we're accepted. The
directors, Messrs. b. 70. b. Kennedy,
John Evans and Simpson made also an
other change and one thoroughly in
harmony with Nebraska enterprise and
justice. They established the custom
of paying for the work itself without
regard to the sex OF the teacher, Omaha
being the first city in the United States
to do so.
Money matters being now adjusted.
at the request of the board OF regents
and the board OF directors, Mr.. S. ID.
Beals arranged a system of grading.
Children were permitted to enter
at live years OF age. The child
first or "a" class of the first
grade, each year OF forty weeks
making q grade. Each year was divided
into three terms named "A,""B" and
c. "A" being the frat and "Cn the
third and highest. Four years finished
the primary grades aud four years more
the grammar. line pupils OF the eighth
''C'' who were able to pass the required
examination we're then admitted TO the
ninth grade, the lowest class OF the
High school. This course enables .