The San Francisco call., 1897-08-07

obtained at present, so parents were COM
PEELED TO go from one place to another in
a vain search for the books which the
board has prescribed.
At the Van Ness Avenue Bazaar Judge
Mcguire was one of the book buyers. For
books for one of his boys in the seventh
grade it cost him 50 40, but others must
be purchased before the list is complete
He was one of the few that did not mani
fest Indignation, but sccepted the in
creased tax quite calmly. Another buyer
who came in with his wife and three chill
dren exchanged notes with the Judge and
produced a memorandum showing that
be had paid S. for his boy who was in the
seventh grade and still had two more books
to buy.
The man who talked to Judge Mcguire
was angry for keeps. He said he could
stand the TAX for the books, but that it
would be harI on poor people who have
the most children 10 provide Tor. He
said: This is the last and the worst deal
f.he lot 1t comes, too. when the Super
visors are preparing tax levy that is
monstrous. l do not know what should
be done, but some steps should be taken
to manifest the temper of the people.
Mass-meetings do no good. Men ought
TO march up to the City Hail and pull the
rascals out. So far as | am concerned /
ieel like Hing out my property and leav-
ing the City. We have no protection in
this town from public robbers"
At Waibels bookstore. on Mis- sion street,
near Twenty first, there was another
large throng Of parents and children bent
on the purchase of books. According to
the stories told there every one at the Mis-
sion was indignant over the outrage.
mplaints are expected at the beginning
of every scnool term, but nothing before
has equaled the feeling now manifested
against the Board of Education.
At the Mission the supply of Heart
Culture" was soon exhausted and the
pupils on the sidewalk were talking about
the new textbook. Pacific History Sto-
ries" could not be purchased at the retail
bookstores last night, but a supply is ex-
pected daily. The retail dealers fancy
that the book is published in New York,
but the Whitaker d Ray Company told
CALL reporter last night that this book
was published and actually printed in this
City. The retail price OF the book is 80
cents, but it should not cost more than 80
cents. At the last-named figure a good
profit could be made by the publisher and
the dealers. The book contains 1853
pages. The paper is ordinary and the
binding cheap.
A study of the book is amusing from
one point of view. Harr Wagner is the
au hor of the book, and MIR. Wagner is
the husband of Madge Morris, the poetess.
The book apounds in selections of poetry
Bret Harte is represented by two selec-
tions. Charles Warren Stoddard has two
accredited to his genius. George Eliot,
Joaquin Miller, Keats, Ina Coolbrith ana
Rcllin NJ. Daggett have one each. Madge
hos
textbook. She sings of San Diego Bay
and the Golden Gate, and the length of
each song is in keeping with the stretch
of navIgable water to which the verse is
dedicated.
Hsrr Wagner was Superintendent of
Schools of San Diego County, and is now
the editor of an educational journal. HIS
book is interesting, and IN the main
creditable, but no reason seems to exist
why 1t should be introduced in the sixth
grade of the public schools and in no other
grade. 1t is not in the list of new books
which the secretary of the Board of Edu.
cation gave 10 1HE CALL as having been
recently authorized by the board, and all
the book dealers say that it IS new to
the department The new textbook tells
of notable voyages by the old navigators,
the discovery OF the Pacific Ocean by Bal
boa, the discovery of the Rocky Mountains,
the discovery of gold in California, the
raising of the Bear flag and of other events
"Heart Culture" is one of the ne W books
prescribed for pupils of the second, third
fourth and fifth grades. Its author is
Emma E. Page, who is described as
"organizer and lecturer for the National
Department of Mercy" The book is pub
lished in four separate parts and bears the
print of the Whitaker & Ray Com.
pany of San Francisco. 1t is also copv-
righted by this firm under the date of 1897
1t is printed on good book paper and
bound in board. A weil-known dealer in
books said yesterday, on examining a