Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-06-06

THE sTUDENrs-MosT OF rHI BOYS 60 ABROAD
AFTER GRADUATION.
| Special Correspondence of The Evening Star
GRANADA. NICARAGUA. May 5. 1891.
| WE WERE WALKING ABOUT THE CITY
| w OF Granada and when at Q short dis
lance from the plaza a great brick struc-
ture was noticed. 1t was of the style OF
the monasteries Of the Jesuits as seen
| throughout the world. Approached by short
| nights OF stone steps and broad paved space the
soiemnity OF the place was such that could
sight within be had one expected it would
surely reveal stern-visaged inmates Of the
cioister. Great doors. heavily spiked. seemed
TO forever shut off communication with the
world and no one was III sight near by At the
Sides OF the approaches were massive coplngs of
stone while over the gateway, to the right of the
main portion Of the building which appeared
10 De The chapel, hung three bells in a row.
Al the entrance to the left was a sign which an
nounced that the door below it led to the I'm
stituto n de Oriente."
THE NATIONAL COLLEGE OF NICARAGUA.
"Here is quartered the National College Of
Nicaragua for boys" said my companion, with
suggestion at the same time that We visit
the institute. A rap on the door caused it to
be opened and we saw within rather Q staid-
looking boy Of perhaps thirteen years Of age.
VINO, however, had the bearing of q man,
dressed as he was in the conventional style of
Diack clothes, which, among the well-to-do
classes, Is the proper attire for all places and
all times. An inquiry for the director resulted
IN our being led through the ante room to the
court yard. where q number of boys, ranging
IN age from ten to twenty years, were standing
| about In groups or seated alone, apparently
preparing their lessons. Mr.. Jose Yzaguirre,
| the director, is Cuban by birth and has the
qualities that would insure him respect in any
institution of learning. His assistant is Prof.
victor Lesage OF Paris, who is also well quail.
ned for the duties imposed upon him.
A walk through the institute and visit to the
| class rooms was suggested. The style of archi.
| to be poorly lighted. Everywhere the floors
| were Of sun-dried brick. large and square, the
rooms commodious and with high roof. for the
greater part of the building was but one story
In height, the rafters and their covering being
in plain view. The walls were generally white
washed.
THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM
The curriculum OF the school includes all the
branches of one of the standard colleges in the
states. The laboratory seemed well equipped
with appliances for demonstration and expert
ment. The most interesting feature of the
place was the museum of natural history and
although the collection there is incomplete 1t
is the best to be found in Nicaragua. There
are about $50 mounted birds Of the country, a
variety OF minerals, Indian pottery and other
articles arranged on shelves about the ROOM
The collection OF insects is quite large and is
PROBABLY as complete an assortment of insects
OF Nicaragua as exists i'll America The collec-
lions have been made and mounted by pro-
lessor OF the college and are now receiving more
attention than ever before. In the court
yard. lying PROSTATE, exposed to the action
OF sun and rain, and where the boys of the
school can them as seats and hack
them at will, are several images Of about
SIX feet in height, having been dug up on the
island OF Sapotero. in Lake Nicaragua, that
| island being, according to the discoveries of
archaeological students throughout this region,
the locality of the most advanced aboriginal
settlement in the country. 1t is strange to note
that the formation OF the faces of these images,
which are still well preserved, resembles greatly
those OF Phpnician gods that may be seen in
the principal museums Of tho world. Mica
ragua lacks a national museum where relics of
this character could be accumulated and exbib-
TIED. As ruleS such things, discovered from
time to time, find their way to private houses
or are taken from the country to be added to
collections abroad.
FORMERLY HOME FOR THE JEsUIrs
The present home Of the institut. was
formerly refuge for the Jesuits, who were
compelled to leave Guatemala by government
decree about ten years ago. They remained
here but short time before President Zavala
| took action similar to that of the neighbo.
republic. and the Jesuits were again invited to
| leave the country. The old monastery was
vacant for some time until the college now
| occupying it took possession. In no form does
the church have direct authority in its manage
| ment.
| The students are recruited from all parts Of
the country and number about five hundred,
| one-half of whom are domiciled within the
| building The bulk of thesa ind in
long room, and SO greatly has the school grown
That the accommodations are not sufficient for
comfortably housing the boys. Their beds al
most touch one another in the dOrmitory and
fairly cover the floor, which. elsewhere, is of
sun-dried bricks. Even the corridors about
the patio are called into use to find room for
| the cots. Early to bed and early to rise" is
the almost universally obeyed motto of Mic
aragua. and it is applied to the regimen of the
| students. The early morning is cool, and day
light does not find one pair OF closed eyes in the
| do,mitory.
MOST OF THE STUDENTS STUDY MEDICINE.
Several Of the class rooms are well furnished
with desks and the drawing room contains a
number of models. A number of blackboards
arranged about the room showed creditable eff
forts of the students, well as did sheets of
drawings hanging on the wall. The main class
room is In the courtyard. where lattice work
| which forms its walls permits the free circu-
latlOn OF arr Two hundred and fifty bows can
be seated in this room. The students have a
gentlemanly bearing and appear to be inter-
ested in their work. Their studies begin at
O'Clock in the morning and they are not finally
dismissed until pm, though long recess at
noon is given: Quite large percentage of the
boys graduating here 60 abroad, usually to the
states, for their further education. though both
England and France are chosen by many for
that purpose. They almost uniformly study
medicine. which is the case among those going
abroad from all parts Of Central America
to be educated. and consequently the most
common title met here is that of doctor
1t would seem that the agricultural colleges
OF the states would receive a quota of those
seeking education, if merely unitarian end
were sought, rs the great wealth OF Nicaragua
lies in the development of her agricultural
riches. But a small portion of those who ro-
turn to their homes with a diploma and the
suffix OF N. d. to their names ever devote them
selves exclusively to the practice of medicine,
their residence abroad generally being re-
garded desirable as securing them q polite
education. However, several Nicaraguans,
graduates Of medical schools. have remained