The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-02-17
A RICH MANS SCHOOL.
now NEWPORT NEWS CHILDREN
MAKE 81 VINGS.
spiendId Educational Facilities PROVIDED
for the Families OF the workingmcn at
the Great shipyard.

famed Hampton Roads. is chiefly known
abroad as the site OF the magnificent
snipyard and dry dock established here a
few years ego by Mr.. G. p. Hunting
ton. All visitors to the town 30 to see
and admire the wonderful machinery,
and 10 peer into the depths OF the vast
dry dock that so easily held the city OF
New York, and generally come away
n uch impressed with msns amazing
mechanical power and ingenuity.
But there is one branch of the ship
ward Industries whose work goes on so
silently beside the changing hammers
and creaking chains that its scope and
inheritance are scarcely appreciated,
even By those who daily see. through
sunshine and rain, the tow women and
the many children making their way
toward the neat yellow frame building
standing in an open lot near the shipyari
gate. Vines Chamber over IL, and pretty,
Well-keDt fowerbeds surround IT. From
the windows OF one side the cranes and
derricks of the shipyard are visible;
from those opposite, glinpses or the
shining river may he had and view
Of the scattered houses which compose
the little town. Back Of the house are
Some young fruit trees and lawn stretch
ing rverward, well sOdded, in spite OF
the many eager young feet that daily
race hither and thither upon IT. 1t is an
attractive spot, and visitors always ~
quire what il Is.
"Oh, it's nothing but a schoolhouse,'
Is apt to be the careless reply. "One
that MIR Huntington keeps for the emil
dren Of his employee
Nothing but schoolhouse. Let us see
what work is done here and what eHecls
radiate from it as a center. ana / thlhN
we will come TO the conclusion that very
little Of Mr.. Huntington's money IS better
invested than the modest sum that
monthly pays the expenses or the hunt
ington school.
The shipyard has been in active opera
ton for about five years. and hundreds
of workingmen have been brought down
from other ship-buiding tOwrs or the
North. less skilled material Hooking
from the country round about. ROWS Oh
houses had been built for the con-
venience Of these labOrers, shops anu
chapels sprang up near them TO supply
their physical and religious needs Dut
the chidren-of which the poor man mas
ever his culver full-ran Wild, III restless p,
miscbievous hordes. The public school
of Newport News was already Iui -
OVERLOOKING. and there was no POSSIBILITY
of finding room in il for these niue
aIions TO meet this difficulty Mr.. Hunt
ington built this schoolhoGse' lenceu -
the large playground around II, anu
made il free to all children over sIN'
whose Darents or supporters are ei"
ploved in the shipyard' .o.,,
'rhe opportunities thus offered "eIc zoe
erlv embraced by all classes OF employ 80
from the superintendent down 10 sun
t,orI,non as could neither read nor write
=. ls5U,
me children came troOping in TIL the
building was filled. Since then there
have been times when the building could
not accommodate all who were anxious
10 be admitted. Dull times may come
and the number of workmen be lessened,
hut of scholars there is always a peren-
NAL supply.
THE school building IS divided into four
lofty. well-ventilated rooms, each having
dts own hat and cloak closet. Ihese
rooms can all be thrown INTO one py
means of large double doors ana yet
when these are closed the voices seldom
penetrate from one 10 another. Each
one is furnished with from thirty-five to
forty desks of the most approved pattern.
All available wall space is covered with
blackboards. and on a raised platform
at one end is the teachers desk ana
chairs and shelves and tables containing
books and various kinds of apparatus
1t would be difficult to lind pleasanter
or more orderly school-rOom than these
four In one Of them is an upright piano
on which one of the teachers plays accom-
paniments, while, with open doors, the
children sing together. At O'Clock IN the
morning the school is opened by the req
erent chanting of the Lords Prayer and
the singing of one of the pretty ballads
the children have learned. The doors are
then closed and the duties Of the day are
begun.
In each room are two grades, so that
dilgent scholar would require eight years
to pass from the lowest TO the highest.
They are presided over by principal
and three lady teachers, with one assist
ant for correcting exercises, &c. \ Jani-
tor is employed to keep the building and
grounds in perfect order and attend 10 the
furnace; he also acts as "truant police
man" and goes every day TO the homes
of absent scholars TO find out why they
have not made their appearance.
l will say little more OF the usual
branches of knowledge that are taught
I'm every school than that they are made
as interesting to the pupils as possible
and that the modern methods Of black
board work and topical teaching are
closely adhered TO. The best kinderGar-
ten methods are followed in the lowest
two grades. and a generous outfit has
been provided for that work. Geography
is taught in all the grades by means OF
object lessons. as far as possible; globes,
maps, relief maps, pictures OF people,
places, products and animals being used
to impress facts upon the minds Of the
pupils. They are also taught to draw
maps and TO construct relief maps Of
4 IL srf,f a H. he
teachers reading or narrating appropriate
incidents from the works Of travellers
and naturahsts.
Great attention is paid to handwriting,
and in all exercises the slovenly habits so
common in the majority OF schools are
strictly forbidden. Much care is also d..
rected TO correctness of intonation and
pronunciation in reading, and in their
daily lessons in THIS branch they are not
confined to their readers but supplement
tary reading Of various kinds is furnished
them. The result is that most of the chill
dren are fine writers and readers.
Language work, number work. spelling
and history receive their due share of at
tention, but beyond these the teachers en-
deavor 10 direct the intelligent interest of
the children in many other directions. OBJ
ject lessons are given in all the grades on
subjects often left untouched until pupils
are we'll advanced In their school life.
Zoology, entomology and physiology are
taught by lectures in simple words, dis
carding all technical terms, and illus
trated by plates, sketches on blackboards
and examination of subjects under magni-
flying glasses Lectures on science are
also given. the familiar phenomena OF
everyday life being illustrated and ex-
planned by simple experiments in physics
and chemistry, which each scholar is
In, 81 inc