Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-18

Written FOR The Evening Star.
There is patriotism enough in the aver
age American remarked distinguished
man to Star reporter. which can be de-
pended upon under any and all circun-
stances. but 1 am sorry to say that as
far patriotic songs are concerned the
American generally, man woman. gives
hut little attention to them. They enjoy
them well enough when others sing them,
but somehow they do not learn them
sing them as do the people of other
tons. There may have been a time in our
history when our people learned the words
and sang our patriotic songs. but that time
is passing, or, indeed. l might say. has
PASSED away. 1t is rare that on the occa-
sion of patriotic gathering the audience
can be enthusad sufficiently to join in sing
ing our national hymns. Take the Star
SPangled Banner, for instance. How few
there are. even among school children. who
know the words of more than the frs.
stanza. OF course. they all know the air,
ard a few. very few, know the words or a
portion of the words OF the first stanZa,
but beyond that they cannot 60 1 was re-
Gently guest at gathering in a large
parlor ir this city. Some one suggested
that the entire company should join in
singing The Star Spangled Banner. The
invitation was accepted and the song went
we'll enough until the first verse was sung.
Then they all failed, and out of about thir-
ty-five people there but one knew the
words of the remaining portions of the
Song. All kinds of excuses were made but
the fact remained that they could not get
through with it, A search was made
through the house for the words, but
though nearly all kinds of modern songs
and music could be found for our hosts
were what are called musical people. The
Star Spangled Banner could not be found.
The next suggestion was that My Coun-
try tbs of Thee should be sung. That
was even a worse failure. There Were
Eot five persons in the company who could
give the words of even the first verse. How
different this is IN other countries. In
France every one. man. woman and child.
can sing, and does sing the Marsellaise.'
Germans who did not know every word of
The Watch on the Rhine and a half
dozen other national songs?
X x x
The idea of the publication in The Star
of last Saturday against the perncious
habit of 'crowding' studies on the children
of the public and other schools impressed
themselves forcibly on me-" said a we'll
known official to a Star reporter. Il went
through the whole matter with my own
nine children and now my wife and my
self are enjoying what Josh Billings clever
" termed the second crop of children
our grandc hildren, of whom several are
already attending school. Like the speak
err reported then, 1 would not put the slight
est thing in the way of any ambitious
child, aspiring to and making a record
and having that record the best that can
be made, but there is something else in
life than records, for good as they may
be in school life they are forgotten in
few years after the child grows into col
1ege. university or business professional
life Often child makes record at the
expense of what is much more important
his health. Isrealized this fully with my
own children and even more with my
grandchildren Teachers, that is the
binary teachers. may and do know a great
deal about the science and art of teaching,
but they are apt to look at things entirely
from their own standpoint; with them the
brightest child is the easiest one for them
TO handle. and unconsciously at times they
allow a child to go too far; that is, to make
too many records. They encourage the
idea that the child that leads the class
Is getting the most education. This is not
always true, though it may be to a GER
tam extent. They also alarm the children
into believing that if they were to miss a
day now and then in their attendance or
1ail III lesson now and then in their
studies their education would be wrecked.
This is not true. After we grow up, we
find that there are days that we do not do
as well in our various occupations as we
do in others. They are our off days as it
were There are also off days with school
children, and II parent can discern them
II is his or her duty 20 give them a recre-
alton on those days instead of forcing them
to schools at these particular times. Here
Is where ,crowding comes In. OF course
there is such thing as laZness. but the
careful parent can distinguish between
them A child that leads a class in twen-
ty-hve days out of thirty year in and out
Is not likely to be guilty of laziness in the
true meaning of the word. School teach
ers themselves have their off days and
In some instances they are more frequent
imam with combined number of pupils
but somehow they can not get 1t into their
heads that children are similarly affected
X X
1t Is pretty well known to those who
have informed themselves on the subject
that Major LEnfant. a French engineer.
laid out the plan of Washington" said a
leading physician. who has given a great
deal of attention TO a study of the early
history of this city, land that Andrew FL
licott was employed TO complete the work
the big property owners of the day being
combined against L'Enfant for the rea-
son that some of the lines laid down by
him ran into their property. as they under
stood 10 the injury thereof. and that Ell
iicott did finish it. 1t is not generally
known. however, that Ellicotts powerful
engineer assistant was coiored man, Ben
born and raised at Ellicott City, Md His
remains are in a cemetery there unmarked
ard neglected. though he was the first COL
ored man 10 distinguish himself as a math-
eInatician and civil engineer in the history
of this country. He possessed a wonderful
genius for mathematics and the exact
sciences. and long before he had gained
prominence as civil engineer was the
author of an almanac which ranked as
standard authority. Among others who
were attracted by Ii was Thomas Jeffer-
son. who freely admitted that the work of
Baneker deserved and commanded his
praise Baneker was sixty years of age
when he ran the lines for the city of Wash
1ngton. He is described as a fine looking
specimen of a man, very distinguished in
appearance. having a head and suit of
white hair not unlike in general appear
ance 10 the late Frederick Douglass He
wore drab coat of superfine broadcloth
and Quaker hat. with broad brim 1t is
not known exactly how much was paid
to Baneker for his services, for engineers
In those days did not command the sal
aries of the present times. Eiicott himself
CnIy received five dollars per day and ex-
penses for his services, which. the records
show. Jefferson thought too much. In the
letter to Major L. Enfant relieving him of
the work President Jefferson states Eli
oott is 10 go on to finish la wing off the plan
and IT,.