The age-herald., 1897-09-28
The Attendance Decreased Under ., Disadvantages.
750 LESS THAN IN YEAR 1896
Superintendent Phillips Looks for an Increase, and Points Out the Handi- caps---No Danger of Smallpox from Old Books.

A. o. Lane, a member of the board of education, said to an Age-Herald reporter yesterday that there was no prospects of the schools being run free this term that at present the school fund on hand amounted to only $253, which, at an expense of $35,ooo per annum, would last only very short time, and no further help would be obtained before January, 1898.
 Total first day, 1887, 1,55O. f-.FFH,
 Td.al first day, 1896, 2.30O-
 Considering every handicap, the en- rolfment on the first day of the school tenn of 1S97-9S was fatemng. Superin- tendent Phillips and the members of the board of education are encouraged, and believe the enrolIneIIt will in few days equal that of 1896.
 At the beginning of the term fin 1896 mo tuition was charged, the schools were absolutely free. 1.-The most serious disad- vantage was not then encountered. In 1896 there had been no smallpox scare, and the s ate was not in the meshes of a lot of quarantine regulations induced by yellow fever on the coast. These facts seriously nd ard the attendance.
 There are many eXcltaible parents who will rot send lheir children to school on account of the erxihHliile smallpox scare and others are actually frightened at yellow fewer at a distance of 276 miles.
 The first day also chanced to be the date of lhe Hebrew New Year, Rozch Hashona, and no children of Jewish par- ents entered When tIrese oh. Idren erlter this morning the roll will be mat erially sixelled.
 The tciaal registrat ton in the colorsd schools was 375, against about double t'hat number in 1896. This leaves a to- tal of 1,175 whites.
 Everything was hurry and hustle aboJl the schools at an early hour. The children came in squads and were quick ly assigned to grades. The tu.tion was collected in advance, and the certificates of vaccination from the pupils will be examined today.
 A considerable number of pupils were in attendance who were riot registered, because khey have not yet been clasad- fled according 10 their courses of study.
 The pupils were ondy held a few hours befora being turned loose to purchase books, and swarmed the book shops all during the afternoon. The reports from the d ffererit schools are as follows:
 HerIlay school-300 which is about half tha number for the first week of last year.
 Powell school-34O, last year 45O for the .first week.
 Paul Hayne-S35, which is 200 less than last year.
 High school-200, against 230 last year.
 Colorsd school-Slater, 175; Lane, 150; Cameron, 50.
 Prof. c. A. Brown is the principal of the Henley school. He succeeds Prof. Roof, who resigned to take the presd- dency of the Howard college.
 Speaking of the decrease, Dr. Phillips. the superintendent, said last night to reporter for The Age Herald: "The falling off in the attendance was due partly to the epidemic scares which have not yet subsided, and in part also to the fact that there are still a great many people out of town with their families
 'yThen, too, Monday being the Jewish New Year, the Hebrew children, of course, did not attend the opening.
 q can't say now just what the at- tendance will reach. We expect to have as large attendance as we had last year when the smallpox and yellow fever epidemics are over."