The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-04-30
Rapid Growth and Urgent Needs
of the Public Schools.
MusTKEEPPAcE WITH THE CITY.
what Studies Should BE PurSoed By
Pupils In Public schools-Amouns Of
school Property Owned By City.

OF the attention oil the school pOard. Inc
question Of what studies can properly DO
pursued in the public schools has been es-
pecialiy brought to The front by the law
aboiishing the high school. Speaking on
these and relative questions, Superintend-
ent +. J. Barnard said yesterday:
The Seattle school system is enphaticaliy
common school system In every sense Of the
term, and every suggestion regarding the course
Of instruction the erection Of necessary build.
tugs has been made with that understanding.
Nothing has been done 70 increase the EN-
cheney Of any one department at the expense of
another, bat on the contrary. the improvement
Of our city system ~ . whole, regardless OF de-
psrtmenis aud localities has been the only aim
OF the board Of education.
To properly manage and instruct the GOO pu-
pills in our schools, that is 20 say. to have per-
feet system all of the children entering school
are classified rs pupils OF primary schools,
1unior grammar schools, or senior grammar
schools, as the abilities of the individual will
permit At this date there are l,a2l pupils
rolled in the primary schools. ,26l In the junior
grammar schools, and 265 pupils in the senior
grammar schools.
Tho primary and Junior grammar schools are
located In ten main buildings and eleven
rented rooms or temporary "shacks' in va
rious parts OF the city, the mixed grades at
Salmon Bay and Ross not being included.
o. the ten main districts, but the pupils being
older. stronger and better able TO walk. are
brought % one building, where q single corps OF
teachers can perform all the work and thereby
reduce the expenses very materially. The senior
grammar school is az present located in the
Central school building, in unhealthy quarters
OIL tie third floor. in rooms never intended for
school rooms, but which were in fact atfics.
Three rooms OF the Central proper used reci-
tation rooms are comfortable ones.
The school now enroils Do pupils, with 20S be-
longing at date. There are 100 pupils IN the
highest class of the junior grammar school
ready TO enter the senior school in eight weeks.
making a possible total for mex. year OF so to
60 pupils. with an incoming class the year toll
lowing OF 22l pupils. To provide suitable quar-
tiers Tor the present school and also anticipating
the future. the board voted asking the people
for authority TO erect q building on . lot pur-
chased for that purpose, situated between
Senecs and University and Thirteenth and
Fourteenth streets.
As far n numbers are concerned there il no
doubt wha, ever OF the necessity of this build
ing-but a few OF our people maintain that the
Junior grammar schools give enough of an edu-
cation--that q knowledge of the "three Re-
readin' 'ritine aud 'riihmstic-is sufficient, and
hence the senior grammar school should b
abolished
boy IL years old today will become q full
hedged citizen in the year 1900. The children OF
today are the citizens Of the twentieth century
with all that that implies.
Modern industrial progress IL marvelously
great aud the common schools must keep pace
with it. sea,tle's progress has been wonderful
and will be greater in the future. The schools
must keep up with the procession, even more,
must keep ahead OF II, that those coming from
the East may know where to bring their chill
Gren.
six hundred and six,y-one cities tevery one
reported In the United States commissioners
sfstistics) maintain high schools
VIII Eastern people moving to Washington
pass BY spokans's beautiful high school build
lug. with its splendid equipment, and Tacomas
elegant quarters and richly endowed manual
training school, seeking some city with less de-
sirepie advartsgesf
The cry Of the .'thres RS" 10 delusiou and q
snare.
situated as We are. I'm the midst OF undevel-
oped riches, with our mines and farms TO work.
our railways TO be built. our trade increased,
our whole state TO blossom aud bear fruit, We
may we'll read Herbert speneer's answer to the
question:
"Whst knowledge is the most WORTH"
For. leaving out only some very small iasses,
what are all men employed in? They are en-
pioyed in tho production, preparation and dis
uibniion oil commodities. Aud what does eff
cheney In the production, preparation aud
distribution OF commodities depend? 1t de-
icaus on the use OF fpetno1s 1tte1 10 the Tospec-
tive natures of these commodities: 1t de Ponds
on an adequate knowledge of their physical,
Chemical or vital properties. rs the case may be-
For all the higher arts of construction some
acquaintance with mathematics is indispens-
able. The village carpenter who. lacking ra-
tionsl instruction, lays out his work by emperi.
cal rules learned in bis apprenticeship, equally
with the builder of britannia bridge makes
hourly reference TO the laws of auantitative
relations. The surveyor. of whose survey the
land Is purchased; the architect in designing a
mansion TO be built on It; tho builder in pre-
pairing his estimates: his foreman in laying out
the foundations: the masons i'll cutting the
stones, and the various artisans who put up the
fittings. are all guided by geometricai truths
Railway making is regulated from beginning 10
end 10y mathematics. alike ia the preparation OF
plans and sections: In stalking out the line; in
the mensufation of cuttings and entertainments.
IN the designing, estimating and building of
bridges. culvcrts, viaiuets. tunnels and sta
lions And similarly with the harbors docks
snG piers anu various engineering and arcHi-
.eetural work that fringe the coasts aud
cvoTspread Ike lace of tho country; AS
We'll IS the u.ines that run underneath IL Out
ef geometry, toe. as applied 10 astronomy the
art 81 navigation has grown; aud 50 by science
has been made possible that enormous foreign
commerce which supports large part of our
population snt supplies with n.sny ueces-
saries aud most al our iuxuTies. And NOWADAYS
even the farmer. iot the correct laying out OF his
drains, has recourse TO the ieyel-that is to geo
metrlcst princs pies When from those d.
visions of mathematics which deal with
space aud number. some small smsiteriuy
Of which Is gayoa Ia schools, Ne turn
To- that other division which deals
with force. OF which even scarcely slaattering
is ever given, We meet with smother large cisss
ei activities Aicn this science pres;Ges over
GA shc application oI rational mechanics de-
peads fhe success Of nearly ell modern manu-
fsciurc The properties o. the lever. the W heel
and axe. etc. are involved in every machine
every machine IS solicited mechanical the
oreTa: aud to machinery IN these times We owe
nearly all production. Trace the history of the
break iast roll. The soil out If which IL came
was drained with mschine-made tiles; the sur
face vss turned over by n machine; the reed
was put in by machine; the wheat was reape.
thrashsd and winnowed by machines; by
machinery IL VAS ground aud bolted:
ard had the dogr been sent 10 Gospori 1t
might have been made into biscuits by
r,sohina Look around the room IN which you
cit. i, modern. probably the bricks IN its walls
were machine made. by machinery the flooring
was sawa and plsned. the Inaatel-sheli sawn
snd polished, thu paper hangings made and
printed: the veneer on the table, the Turned
legs Ct the chairs. the carpet, the curtains. are
al products Of machinery. Aad your clothing
= sin. figured or printcd-ts Row wholly woven,
nav perhaps even seweo by machinery. Aud
shc volume you are rssding--are net It's leaves
sshrleNtea By one machine aud covered VITA
these verbs by ano;aers Add to which that
for TIE means Of distri button ever both
land aud sea We are similarly indebted.
Aad then Let II 10 remembered that according
o. the pr1acipies of mechanics are we'll or i'll