Evening star., 1897-04-10

SChOoIs-ISf4s
creased accommodation and facilities, the
councils, on December s. 1874, passed the
act providing for what may be considered
the present system-a government by sub
boards.
This bill authorized the election of a sub
beard of three trustees for each of four
districts into which the city was divided,
Witl4 the mayor (Mr. Seaton) as president.
]. Abbott J. F. Hartley, Peter Force Thos
Donoho. ]. c. McKelden. Noble Young, w
M. Ellis, J. P. Ingle. Thomas Blagden, 1.
Mudd and A. Miller and organized with w
j. Mccormick as secretary, December %.
That this board was an efficient one is
shown by the record it made and the re-
lief it provided for the two original
schools. McCormick's and Henshaws S. by
Increased accommodation: in fact to the
impetus then given the cause of popular
| education by the board of trustees may
| the great progress since made be attributed
in large degree. In the two old schools
| there we're to be found pupils whose homes
were two miles distant, and as but two
additional schools were to be added their
proper location, In view of the large eX-
panse of the district and the diversified
settlement, was a subject of much difficulty
10 carr out the maxim The greatest
good to the greatest number" would seem
| 10 have been proper. but when there were
Two or more crowded neighborhocds in one
district the example set in locating the frs.
school tMcCormick's) seemed to be forci-
bic argument After much deliberation and
conferences with the mayor and councils
the locations agreed upon were the east
side of 9TH street. near F Gn judiciary
square at that period open and unm-
proved. an unsightly water course running
| from the northwest corner to near 4th and
| + streets), and 9Th between d and E streets
| southwest With such celebrity did the board
especially the members of the second and
fourth districts) work that the new schools
were In operation in September 1915 Dr.
Tobias Watkins was the teacher in the
second ana MI Henry Hardy In the fourth.
Paying Teachers From Fees.
Even before the fee system was recog-
nized bv law there were assistants paid
| from the tuition fees and monitors recon-
penseo by the appearance Of their names
IN the reports of the teacher and trustees
| The assistants compensation depended en-
tirely on the payment of tuition and their
duties were to take charge of the female
departments and the smaller pupils-the
girls then being few in number, usually
not more than one-fourth of the total for it
| was recognized that the education of the
| males was much more important than that
OF girls. In the Western School Mrs Hem
shaw was her husbands helpmeet in
school, as well as at home, and continued
as assistant till 1S52-a few years under
Mr. keliy's princpalship. he having sue
| ceeded Mr.. Henshaw in 1919.
BY the Wy, the Henshaw family was
| much In evidence in the schools half a
| century ago. the father and mother as
teachers and four children as pupils, three
1
| ing teachers, Misses Frances and Harriet
| Henshaw and Mr. Henry Clay Henshaw,
| all serving in the sos. With the estab-
| lishment of the district schools Mr. and
| Mrs. 5. +. Randolph were appointed as
| sistants to Dr. Watkins, and Mrs Emma
d. E. n. Southworth the assistant in Mr.
| Henry Hardy's school. Mrs. Southworth
! vas Tor number of years in the schools
| before she earned name as an authoress
| Mr.. J. 4. Goldsmith was subsequently, the
assistant in the third district
| Probably the most important step taken
| In the cause of popular education was that
| OF November !, 1SiS, in the passage of the
primary school act creating ten such
| schools, and authorizing FIVE assistants in
| lhe district schools All of these schools
We're opened within two months of that
| time. The wisdom of this action was ap-
| parent at once; indeed, with such rapitiity
| were the fourteen schools filed up that
the hgures stood FORTH not only as an
| argument for that period, but for the fu-
| ture, Tor the number in the district schools
! TINS year was an increase of from 80 to
40 and the primaries had SG4 pupils, an
| aggregate of 1929 in the fourteen schools
! the smallest primary numbering 81 and the
! largest 132. Among the teachers were Mr.
Samuel Kelly, who a few months there
! after succeeded Mr.. Henshaw as princi-
| pal Oh the first district, and Mrs. South
| worth, who had resigned the assistantship
| In Mr. Hardy's school to take one of these
| and Mrs. NJ. E. Rodier, whose term of ser
vice in tine Washington public schools ex
tended over quarter OF q century
| Through the establishment of these pri-
| mary schools great impetus was given
| TO popular education in the District, for so
| successful We're the teachers with their
! pupils that their schools speedily attracted
the attention and commendation of hosts
| OF friends throughout the city. and num-
| bers of the children of the best families
were attracted to them.
Old Teachers.
| The measure of their influence on the
| o1 l.Iia ts,
| of the most successful teachers of after
| years are the fruit of <hem. Among these
may be mentioned Misses Mary Awkward
| (of the Peabody, Eliza Titus Ward. Fannie
| E. Hoover, Sallie E. A. Rodier, Isabella Ac-
ton. Rebecca st. John, Seviila Davis. Emily
| Robinson, Jennie Free, Sallie Dalton Mary
| e. Rowe, Annie Van Horn, Mary A. Lee,
| Fannie Gudgin and Josephine Lee. The
| boys, too, of these schools have made a
good showing generally. Thus the half
| and half schools took long stride, and
| with the change of system, the abolish
| ment Of the tuition fee. and the direct care
| and more direct management through the
| general and subboards of trustees the
| number increased from two to twenty eight
| schools. from less than 800 to 5000 pupils,
| and the cost from less than 1000 to SIS, 900
from 1874 to 1854 A large proportion of
l this increased cost was, however for rent
| OF SC hool buildings, the corporation owning
1 but four (the district school buildings)
This cost. however. did not prove objection
| able to the mass of taxpayers, for the
| general improvement was so apparent to
| all who were the least conversant with the
| schools.
Though it was common in the '4O's to re-
gard '-readin'. ritin' and 'rithmetic" as
| all sufficient for those attending the public
| schools. the course taught, even when there
| were but two schools. embraced more than
'the three RS" for grammar, geography
| and history were included as important
branches. to which others were added be-
| fore the date Of the establishment of the
| fOur districts The pfghf-hnnr ry1Io vuoc In,
force, under the old regime. especially in
summer and seven-hour system in win
| ter, and even then the teachers found It
| difficult with half-a-dozen classes, and
| pupils of all ages. to reach the end Of the
routine daily. These hours were somewhat
| reduced in 1874 and among the rules adopt
ed one permitting the teacher to have
| large portion OF his school to answer the