St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-05-26
Want 4 HIGH SCHOOL
The Citizens Of South Mime
apolis Make a Lusty
Kick For One.
The congregational Club Dis
courses the Old Testa-
ment at Length.
Leo Heilpern Finishes His
Testimony--Now the
Arguments.
Capt. Judson N. Cross Has
Another Proud Day
in His Calendar.

The citizens of South Minneapoli!
want a high school and mean to have
one.
Tollefson's hall was crowded last
night with South side citizens who came
together to discuss the need of high
school in that section of the city.
George Beardsley was elected chairman
and w. E. Atkins secretary. The first
| speaker was Judge j. j. McHale. lie
| spoke of the progress made by the Min
neapolis school system, and commend
ed the wisdom shown by the propoga-
tors of the system in almost all cases,
but it was his opinion that the sonth
side had been neglected in recent years.
Prof. S. Ofedat followed He had
served Oh the board of education and he
was loaded for the meeting. He made
a strong talk, even if it was, as he said,
the second speech in English made by
him III eighteen years.
IF there is one thing said Prof. Ofledat,
that would fire me with eloQuence, ii IS the
present condition of South Minneapolis
where the children are starving for educa-
ton. AT least one year ago. and almost for
two, South Minneapolis has needed high
school building
The professor then described the
boundaries of the South side high
school district. it comprises all the
territory between Tenth avenue south
and the river out to Eighteenth street,
and from there to the Minnesota river,
all the territory between Chicago ave-
nue. and the Mississippi. In this dis
trict are twelve school districts and
parts of four others. Last year there
were 10000 school children in Minneap-
oils, of whom $500 lived in the South
side district. This year fully one-third
af h. AA4a ,lNn,, &c fa,,a In hn
South district.
For one-third of the whole number
of school children said Prof. Oftedal,
1--WE demand at least one-fOurth OF the
school facilities"
He then gave some figures to show
how the demand for increased facilities
on the South side has grown. Since
1874 nine new school buildings have
been built in that district, having eighty
school rooms. South Minneapolis is
populated with young families, and the
number of children demanding high
school facilities will grow more rapidly
in the future than in the past. 10
illustrate: In 1884 there were in this
district 625 high grade pupils. In 1891
there are 1884. In the normal school, a
fair sample. there were, in 1887, only
nine pupils in the Fifth grade, and none
above. This year there are in the
normal PSI pupils above that grade.
Last year there were SO pupils to go
to the high school from this dis
trict. This year there are 120. He
prophesied that the increase in this
district in the next three years will be
at least 60 per cent. According to con-
sentative calculations. this will give
the North side district 1872 high school
pupils in 1892 204 in 1898. 336 in 1894, a
total of 900 high school pupils. The
central high school cannot accommodate
all these, and all of them could not go to
the central high school If there were
room for them.
Prof Oftedal recalled his efforts for
the South side when the addition to the
high school was built. He said then
that it wasn't needed as much as
North side high school. TO prove it he
stated that last year the average
attendance at the Central high school
was but 500: this year it was but $50,
showing that the attendance at the Cen
trail high school does not increase as
the number of pupils in the city. There
is room in the Central high school for
400 more pupils, while South Mime
apolis school facilities are too confined.
That's where the injustice comes in.
1t costs the city $50 per pupil per year
az IuO aQdnS SCilOOi. dO IiO OCIlldl
high school SS4 per year per pupil.
ut is not the teachers that cause this
difference" Numbered the professor,
''for we have as good teachers in the
Adams school as there are in the city:
and in Prof. Jordan we have principal
second to none; but you find the differ
ence in cost caused by the luxuries up
there. There you find palace, with
beautiful corridors and spacious halls.
L don't object to that; but what | do
object to is the supplying of such mag
nificence to them when plain necessi-
ties are denied to the people of another
part OF the town."
Prof. Oftedal was che cred roundly,
especially when he referred to the
Adams school teachers and Prof. Jor-
dan. Lars NJ. Rand, Frank NJ. Nye
and others spoke, commenting on Prof.
Oftedal's figures.
A set of resolutions, setting forth the
need of South Minneapolis for a high
school and commencing the course
Of Luther Jaeger and NJ. F. Gjert-
sen, we're adopted. A resolution
offered by Jacob Stoft, calling upon the
South Minneapolis aldermen secure
bonds for South side high school, even
if some other improvement must be
abandoned, was also adopted. A COM
mittee of nine was appointed to confer
with the board of education on this mat
ter.