The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1896-01-02
Sr.oo A YEAR.
MARvvlLLE PUBLIC SCHOOL.


ia the town OF Maryville stands an
old delapidated story brick build
ing. Strangers seeing it fer the
first time have been known to ask,
"What is that old building for? Is
it the jail?" "Why no." they are
informed, "that is the public school
building" us it possiblew they
exclaim. Yes, it is the fact.
This old building was built in
1850, rs nearly as I can find
out. AT any rate find that
there was opened that year in this
building girls schoo! known as
the east Tennessee Masonic Fe-
male Institute" The object of the
school, as given in See. H. Of the
bylaws Of the hoafl OF trus-
tees, is as follows: Otis establish
ed by the Fraternity If Ancient
York Masons of East Tenn. ITS
pecnniary object and design is the
gratuitous education of the desti-
tute of our own order throughout
the state, as well us the daughters
of all others complying with the
regulations herein after specified.
The first President of the Insti-
tute was Rev. Fielding Pope. There
Were three or four teachers. Mrs.
Mary S. F. Wallace taught good
while. Prof. Knabc was teacher Of
music. A good many pupils were
in attendance during the years that
the school was kept open which
was until the outbreak of the war.
The school consisted Of two depart
ments, Preparatory and Academic.
The course of study was good and
comprehensive.
For number Of years after the
war an Academy was conducted in
the building. For some time this
was under tire administration Of
Prof. Sharp. During that period
the free money WAS put into the
Aaademy. Sometime in the '7O's
the County bought the lot and the
two lower stories of the building
from the Masons paying them eight
i IL
From that time to the present ONLY
the public school has been taught
in the building.
There are now only four rooms
in the building available for school
purposes. Perhaps this was ample
for the purpose twenty years ago,
and quite sufficient 10 years ago,
but if any one will inspect the
rooms, and consider the number of
pupils numbered to this school, he
must zee that it is intirely made
quate to present needs. For the
last five years there has been an
enrolment each year of from $50 to
BOG pupils, the majority being in
: the lowest grades. The average
: daily attendance during the pres
ent term has been 200. There being
only four teachers this makes an
average daily number to each
6 teacher of 55. This is too many for
any one teacher to do justice to
, himself or pupil.
> | wish especially to call attention
: of the citizens of Maryviile to the
u rooms and their furnishing. Two
q of the rooms are comfortably large
: and are seated with modern desks,
d The upstairs room is fairly comfort.
n able when the weather is not
| severely cold. 1t is heated by u
f stove in one end and fireplace in
the other. The room Immediately
/ below is heated in the same way,
# except the stove is nearer the mid
0 die of the room, thus giving little
more space for the teachers desk
# and recitation benches, A good
/ deal might be said against these
e two rooms, but they are SO vastly
!. superior to the other two in every
e respect that their defects sink into
y insignificance.
: The rooms in which the first and
second and part of the third grades
are taught are only 16 X 10 feet
They are furnished with home.
h made decks designed to seat two
J, children. They ale each provided
$ with an old plank back board
!. measuring about s 3 feet. In
J neither one is there room foI 8
:. teachers chair or table! And rs
Miss Caldwell, teacher of the End
II grade says, "worse still, think o.
j. having IL recitation bench lonG
e enough for only ten, when you haVt
e a class of from fourteen to sixteeni
n WHAT do we do with the sui lus
children? Why. just move sons
of the little fellows from the fron-
! seats without desks to sit witt