The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-04-23
THE DURHAM GRADED SCHOOL


1t is the Biggest Thing in Durham ard
Means Much FOR the Future Of NORTH
Carolina -Sup't Toms a Great Worker.
I had the pleasure recently Of visit
\ inr and inspecting the Durham Graded
i School. and / was SO delighted with
/ what | saw, so cheered with hope Of
/ the future OF North Carolina, and 50
| proud Of Durham, that ! venture to ask
for a little space in your valuable col
| umns to tell of my visit.
The school building would be cred
| table to a large city. it was kept neat,
clean and attractive Many Of the rooms
we're beautiful with living flowers, and
| the walls were decorated with pictures
and portraits. Everything showed wise
| and generous action by the people OF
! Durham, vigilant and faithful super
| vision bv the Superintendent of the
| school Nothing was out of place, moth
/ ing was shoddy, nothing slipshod. That
| uninyiting and barrack-lilSe appear
| ance which makes so many schools dis
| agreeable to children was entirely lack
| ing. Instead order. and system and
beauty prevailed. The discipline seem
| ed perfect Everything was as regular
as clock work Not hitch nor jar.
| No confusion or misunderstanding was
| observable The moral effect of sucn
| discipline is beyond calculation The
| lessons of obedience, promptness, reg
larity. system, politeness, order aid
| quick perfeTmonace Of duty, which, sad
to say, children learn in few homes
to-day. are part of the regular pro-
gramme of instruction in the Durham
| Graded School. should say, rather,
| that these lessons run through and give
| tone and color to all the work of the
school.
As to the intellectual instruction, it
| is probably superior, both in scope and
| in quality, to that given fifty years ago
| in the best private schools of the State.
| The poorest boy or girl in Durham has
to-day better facilities of education,
| opportunities for an absolutely better
| education, than had the sons of Gov
ernors and Senators a generation ago.
| What a glorious thing this is! As j
stood i'm that splendid building equip
ped with the best modern appliances
and superintendent by one of the bright
est most faithful and most progress.
siye of our young educators, | could not
but feel proud Of Durham, and hopeful
of North Cardinals future. Forty
years ago / drove through a cornfeld
on that very spot.
The Durham school trains not only
the heart and head, but also the hand
and eve Their course in drawing and
manual training is indeed wonderful.
1T surprises one to see the work they
have accomplished in two years. They
teach drawing, paper folding, clay
| modelling in the primary grades.
In grammar grades the work is car
ried on under the three subjects divis-
ions, construction, representation and
decoration, as the study of drawing is
incomplete without a knowledge of the
facts, the appearance and the decora-
ton of form.
The work in all grades is given d
broad and practical application to ey-
cry day life.
Wood work begins in the fifth year,
and Is taught alike to boys and girls.
The pupils use the square, com
passess, triangles and scale, with accu-
racy and rapidity.
Small objects, such as boxes, steps.
picture frames, are made, but they EN-,
body great principles applicable il
architecture and engineering.
was especially impressed by the
illustrated art lectures. Several note
books were inspected and the lectures
were transcribed most understanding
ly, as we'll as illustrated BY drawings
that showed much comprehension Of
and sympathy with the different types
of architecture, and even small details
of architectural characterization. ]
doubt whether such instruction il
given even in the colleges of the State
We may expect fruits from this plant
ing Durham Will soon become a con-
ter of skilled Industries, a home for
designers, inventors, art workers. and
she Will ultimately, If she perseyere III
this wise and patriotic system Of free
public Instruction. develop and train
mp workmen and industries that put
the finishing touch upon all forms Of
raw material I'm short she will not be
content with crude and rude maaufac-
lures, but will make the finest manu-
featured products in All directions shat
trained hands, trained minds and train
ed characters can provide. This result
viii come only through public schools,
schools that train the eye, the hand, The
taste, the heart, as well as the mind.
Such a school Is the Durham Graded
School. The energy, the skill and Tie
determination of superintendent Toms
aided by the generosity, the wisdom,
the liberallity and the foresight of 4
patriotic board Of trustees, are making
Dr. am no less famous FOR it's schools
tar its factories. 1t is glJri. MS
thing to belong to city that does such
w,rL for it's boys aud girls. have lIaa
much pleasure from visiting la Dur-
llar, the Blackwell flcior.y, t'ie DEie
faete ry, the Erw mills, The Watts
HaRl tai, the Hotel Carolina and Tria-.
ity College, but most pleasure from
scejrg the Durham public schools, for
thesf represent the gre lteas power II
Ill, the greatest prime lie Of all. he MP
J lifdu g of humanity without mGaeY
ard without pri =, regardless 1f sex.
ST I; &c, or condition. May the go "a
evpauj forever.
/