The Progress., 1893-04-01
NYRNA'S REALM.
WEEKLY CHIT-CHAT.

WV magt i1cent courage anu vi amy
etNNb ,o,,,e n. n woman who has done
a. elevate the standard of educa-
nO' q, North Louisiana than any other
'ro,,an. This monument, the Kate
noro Nelson Seminary is Shreveports
st distinguishing land mark-on the
Ia Of progressive education, and a
''.,,o.nost whose index finger points TO a
,,,o,ion of the highest moral, as well
intellectual ira ming. Its principal
,o,,der. Miss Kate Page Nelson, a
.,,,hsr of the NelsOn-Page family of
,T,,o;nia is a woman Of peculiar strength
character. Running along the line
:, intellectually she is masculine IN de
,slopment, business capacity being un-
...,a,lv developed, having stuffed all
hranches. and everything that could
- unon progressive education. for she
=. n, educator by nature. Along the lines
o,tenderness, ., sympathy, charity and re
snemeut. she is very womanly indeed.
uor,s is not character TO be learned by a
oosual acquaintance, for the surface Is
deoentive. in that her hahitual exercise of
a;scipline. and daily manipulation OF
,,,s;ness details. rather conceal the depth
:, her noble womanliness. | have seen
hsr life behind the scenes, have nursed
asar ones with her i'm severe illness,
,brough DAYS and weeks of nervous anx-
,o,v been with her when the Angel Of
noath lowered over her home, and her
AGAR old mother passed TO the Better
land. and know the true inwardness of a
hasr that seeks TO hide IFS noblest
oharit,es from the world. Miss Nelson
becun her career as n teacher in Shreve-
nort In the Fall of 1872, as principal of
,be one public school here. At that time
the public school system was in rudi-
rentary state, and great prejudice ex
it'd against il: indeed II was thought a
deqradation to patrOnize the public
school, The revolutionary courage of
Miss Nelson's ancestry stood her in good
need at this crisis. and with the self
reliant energy so peculiar TO her, she re-
yised and improved this poor system,
eleyating both its standard and its stand
ing From an opening with perhaps
hfty pupils, she, with two assistants, I'm
,.bed the first term with 175 in attend
ance. She taught here six years, giving
the public schools in Shreveport an i'm
petus upward and onward that has car
ried them TO a position second TO none III
the State. After leaving the public
school, she taught a private school one
year. aud then conceived the idea of a
Seminary, and so sprung into existence
the Shreveport Seminary, chartered in
1880, and for nine years domiciled in the
old BATTLE House." on Edwards street.
another educational landmark OF
Shreveport. having been some years pre-
viously the private school OF Rev. J.
Franklin Ford
Always progressing, and enlarging her
work, Miss Nelson planned aud accom-
plished the building of the handsome and
complete edifce that now bears her
name. and sends out of its doors each
year an increasing number of young
women, bearing the impress of her indi-
viduaIity and influence upon characters.
thoroughly ira ned TO make the highest
and best use of life's opportunities. In
these years Miss Nelson has trained no
less than one thousand five hundred
young ladies', which speaks whole vol
umes for her experience. She Is very
hard TO please in the matter of assist
ants, as none but the most thorough and
competent can satisfy her.
The present. term she has i'm all four
teen teachers and professors-maDy of
these are specialists IN their departments
and 192 pupils enrolled. English, Latin,
French, German, art, music, physical
culture and elocution are taught i'm their
highest perfection, There have been AZ
graduates from this school; some of these
have made successful teachers abroad,
andfour are teaching at present in the
shreveport public schools. OF those who
passed through the State Normal School
before entering upon duty as teachers.
Prof. Boyd says:
No cohege In the eState mas sent US Det-
yer prepared students, or more exemp-
ary pupils. They have never failed, l
oeueve, to accomplish the difficult feat
ofenteling the senior class. and complet-
ing the course the first year."
The home life of the Seminary is very
beautiful. The comfort, and affectionate
regard Is very like that of one large fam
ny. The interior of the building is much
nandsomer than its exterior-the comfort
an health Of the inmates having been
eonsldered paramount in every appoint
ment.
Mss Nelson is better known by the re-
su'ts OF her work, than by personal
prominence, for In her busy life she de-
pends solely upon her own brain. and
nerve, and energy, aud has not the time,
nao che the inclination, for multiplicity
Of ofoccupations.
one has locally been represented as an
eoeuy Of public schools, but this Is as
a