The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-09-23
It's Graduates Are Now Able to Pass
Examination for College.


It's Graduates Are Now Able to Pass
Examination for College.
To the Editor of the Indianapolis Journal:
The standard of education impaired by
the indianapolis High School must be of
interest to every resident of the city. The
school has had good reputation for many
years. Its graduates are. here and else
where, in every pursuit and calling, and
their general success is the highest praise
for the school Attendance upon it is in
creasing wonderfully, and its power is
growing. There is a great discrepancy.
however, between the number of boys and
girls who come to it every year from the
ward schools and the number who grad
uate four years later Some time since
there was much discussion of the causes
which induced so many boys TO Quit before
completing the course. Girls derive the
greatest benefit from the High .chool, since
a greater proportion of the girls entering
finish the course. The majority of the
boys fail to graduate. This is discouraging
to the principal and greatly limits the
effectiveness of the school 1t is often
cause of necessity, and for that cause
there can be no criticism. But often.
strange to say it is due TO the indiffer-
ence of the well-to-do parent. 1t is
hard thing for man in active life to re-
proach his father for not having sent him
to school when he could easily have done
so. l would give more for the good
opinion of my son twenty-five years hence
inan>, all the world beside. and all the
money he could earn between fifteen and
twenty-one would be poor compensation
for the feeling on his part that had wit
tingly left something undone to secure his
welfare. Still. If looked at from a money
standpoint, 1t is just as true to-day as 1T
ever was that High School education is
not necessity. boy can work and make
money without it, Most money is made by
most men who never saw High School,
much less a college. Indeed. it is not GER
tain but the influence OF college rather I'M
fits boy for the making of money. l re-
duce it to a money value. for that is the
unquestionable cause why many boys
fail to finish their course. Lit
tie Paul Dombey was not SO
sure of the value OF money as his father
The old man knew it would do everything,
but the boy knew it did not save to him
his mother. and his mother was more to
him than money. Money without education
contracts life. 1t takes no long range to see
that, but a complete course in the High
School will tend to broaden life, and bright
en- life, and make life full Of interest and
worth the living. You will see no graduate
of the High School throwing stones at his
neighbours carriage. He has no need TO
throw stones; it has not occurred TO him.
He has in himself something better than
the carriage. He has read and learned how
life may be worth the living, even without
much money. How the worthiest of yester-
day and to-day have had little money, and
how they dare to be poor-it takes. deal
of courage to dare that. A completed course
in the high school is the best thing /
know which will so encourage man.
system which will greatly extend the USE
fulness of the High School and will induce
many boy hereafter to complete his
course. In mathematics, the school has
never been wanting; in languages, especially
the. dead languages. II has been wanting.
and of little use to the boy VINO wanted to
were able 1t IS not so now. If boy would
like to go to college let him complete his
course in the High School. 1t Is more i'm
portant to thoroughly, prepare , for s soege
pared may go at any time: poorly-pre-
pared boy had better stay at home: How
ever it be. there is diploma of high de-
gree in store at cur High School fer thu
boy who completes his course, for he knows
that he will then be well fitted for business
if he chooses to go to business, or to pur-
to follow them This year. for the first
time 1 think, class from the High School
passed the entrance examination to Yale
Harvard and Princeton. They will not all
go IL may be- but do not think any boy
from the High School failed to enter the
college of his choice. Hitherto, boys from
the High School have entered Harvard and
yale. but they were exceptional cases AM
had outside and exceptional tutoring
Professor Hufford has so raised the an
nual requirements that the graduate of the
High School is presumed to be able and is
able. to pass the entrance examination to
any undergraduate university. This places
the Indianapolis High School alongside the
celebrated schools of HARTFORD, Cincinnati
and st. Louis. 1t now gratifies the highest
ambition of every boy, rich and poor, in
the city to prepare for college. Who knows
that the rich boy, when well prepared. may
choose to go. or that the poor boy, when
we'll prepared. may be able to go? Such
high school should, indeed be pride to us
all. 1t is hard enough to send boy away
send him away from home to prepare for
college.
One morning last September 1 asked my
metic' He utterly failed. and YOU exrect
to pass your entrance examination for Yale
next June?" l said You cannot do it." Il
will do it." ne said. IF you will send me to
junior last September, and last June, and
while still a junior, passed his examination
and became freshman at Yale before his
sixteenth year. 1t is true, we have had
and still have good private schools, but the
private school is luxury and expensive,
and there are few who can patronize 1t
without sacrifice. The great majority of
young college men in this city were pre-
pared by Mr.. Sewail. and since he closed
his school we have had no annual classes
of boys going to college. The High School
has come to the rescue. 1t means much.
1t means that the common school now
leads the boys of this city, rich and poor
alike. on equality up TO the very doors of
the greatest college. The rich boy could
always get there, but the poor boy could
not prepare. Professor Hufford keeps in
mind the requirements demanded by the
highest college. He is able, and the teach
ers of the High School are thoroughly COM
petent TO prepare boys for passing these re-
quirements. This is great ambition for
any boy TO attain. 1t is a great thing TO
accomplish, and. unless / am mistaken,
many boys, more than heretofore will COM
plete their course in the Indianapolis High