Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-09
MANASSAS INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL.

The Eventful First Year of an Already
- Prominent Institution.
Rev. Rush r. Shipper. the president of
the board Of directors of the Manassas In
dustrial School, located at Manassas, Va.
has issued an interesting circular. reciting
the successes as well as the vicissitudes of
the institution during the first year of Its
existence. 1S94-1s95.
The school opened October %, 1894, in the
kitchen of the little frame farm house on
the place. with two teachers. DR.. E. p.
Clemens and Miss NJ. E. Vernon, and seven
pupils.
/ Notwithstanding Its humble beginning
and meager accommodations. the char
acter OF its work at once attracted atten-
ton and drew to 1t more pupils than 1t was
possible to accommodate, in spite of the
l. fact that the new building, Rowland Hall,
had been completed and was in use.
| Character of the School Work.,
/ Instruction was given in language, arith-
| metic. geography. history. physiology, vocal
music, carpentry, cooking. sewing. house
keeping. Laundry work and some farming.
The Industrial work was made Coordinate
with the literary work, that Is. the boys
were made to feel that the lessons in the
shop and on the farm were of as much
Importance as the arithmetic or history
lesson; the girls were taught, and they be-
lieved before the term closed that learning
to sew and keep house properly is of more
value to them than a smattering knowl-
edge of the many ologies taught in some
schools. .-..
The school was a real workshop, in
which every workman was inspired with
the spirit Of labor and its dignity The de-
sire to learn to do something skillfuIly and
without waste became SO strong and gen.
eraI that many of the girls asked adnlls-
sion to the classes in carpentry, and few
classes.
In the use of the saw. chisel and hammer
the girls demonstrated beyond all ques ton
the ability Of girls TO learn the use of tools,
sewing can insert patches. sew on buttons.
do little darning, probably much better
than their mothers and elder sisters, who
never attended such a class.
In cooking the girls had one lesson a
week in theatys and devoted the renal ,der
OF the time to real doing, by cooking for
both the faculty and students, thus being
Afforded the best sort of practical training.
A Disastrous C0nflagrntion.
Just at a dhneewhen the school seemed to
be doing the most good. and attracting
much attention from observers in widely
separated sections, fire totally destroyed
Rowland Hall, the only building the direc-
tors had for school and dormitory purposes,
leaving fifty children shelterIess and with
out change q clothing. Pluck and self
reliance, however. sustained the promoters
of the school, and work in the classes was
suspended but a single day, Neither was a
pupil lost by reason of the discomforts, but
ALI enthusiastically resumed work in a
church neargbg. 20 go.
The people OF Manassas came nobIy to the
aid of the unfortupates by. contributing
substantial assistance in the way of money,
LAT or and material toward the erection of a
new building as well as by boarding the
girl pupils for nominal sums, and there
was generous response as well from this
city. Boston and New York. The new build
ing has been put up and is more desirable
than Rowland Hall. containing as it does,
thirty-Eine rooms, and four furnaces with
fire-proof fues. S. 80
a reorganization of the first year shows
that it opened with two teachers and seven
pupils, and closed with six teachers all of
whom = rved without salaries. and fifty-five
Pupils, of whom twenty-five We're boarders,
and were charged s. per month for board,
room and tuition. of which 81 was payable
in money and the balance in labor The
cost per day for each boarding student, for
most of the time, was less than Is cents.
Funds are badly needed to entirely COM
plete the new building and to pay the
teachers next year. The treasurer is H. E.
Baker of 6U9 F street northwest, who has
Just received a contribution of 500 for the
school from Mr.. Leonard c. Bailey of this
city. Prof. II. P. Montgomery is the prin-
cipal and Dr.. E. p. Clemens the vice prin-
cipal The school reopens October l..