The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-12-27
The PRIDE OF THE CITY
SOME OBSERVATIONS ABOUT cCR
PUBLIC SCHOOLS

rbey Ave Conducted-A Practical
Exhibition Of Disefplfne-Fioe Work
by the school Committee and Teach.
,ers-An-EnrOIIment Of 5000 Children
The Wilmington city schools are the
fpride of fine city and the fact that they
CLOSED fer the holidays on Friday last,
reminds us 10 say something concern
ing them.
Professor NJ. C.-S. Noble. the super
.intendent having resigned to accept
the chair Of ~Pedagogics in the state
university, the school opened on the
first Monday in October and have
been %duc without a superinten-
dent during the fall term. After tine
resignation of the superintendent, the
school committees authorized Mr.. Jas.
F. Post, Jr, chairman of school dis
,trict No. 1, and Mr.. James H. Chad
ibourn, chairman Of school district NO.
2 to assume control of the schools for
their respective districts and to have
Joint control of the. high school,.
Since these gentlemen have been in
charge of the schools we have watched
their course with a great deal of inter-
est, and it affords The Messenger a
great deal of pleasure to state that our
schools have been most admirably con-
Quoted under their supervision.
1t was our pleasure a few days &
to visit the HemenWay schol in COM
pany with Chairman Post and Mr.. Ed.
Borden, a member of the school COM
mittee Of that district. 1t was immed-
lately after recess, and we witnessed
a splendid test of the discipline under
which fhn schools r. conducted A
the hour we were at the HemenWay it
was, of course, not usual for the teach
,erS and pupils to convene in their as
sembly room, but for our benefit the
assembly bell was sounded by Mrs.
M. L.. Mcleod, the principal, and it
was our surprise and qualification to
see 500 boys and girls fall in without
asking a question and without con
fusion, bHt in fine order and with mill
.tary precision, occupy their seats in
the auditorium. They did not now
what was wanted, but at the sounding
of the bell, which meant for them to
assemble, they carefully laid aside their
books and proceeded by classes to the
assembly room. At the signal, Miss
Katie Marlborough, the pianist, preced-
ed them to the auditorium and played
while the children filed into the hall
and took their sea1s. 1t took chem only
five minutes to assemble.
After the children had taken their
seats they quietly awaited develop
ments Mr.. Post Informed them that
they had been assembled to let The
Messenger representative observe the
~-thoroughness with which they have
been drilled in observance of the rules
and regulations of the school,. Every
thing goes to the tap of the bell, and
Mr.. Post explained the necessity Of
this sysatm in case Of fire or accident.
We can say efrom observation that the
nn1an &c thnrn.,Dh nn6 n~aa1lopt A &
given signal the children fall into
line and they can be assembled in the
auditorium or the building can be
vacated without the least confusion.
1t was an inspiring sight to look upon
the hundreds of bright and happy chill
dren as they sat in their seats, obey
ing the regulations with the utmost
punctuality. BY request Of Mr.. Post
they sang several rational hymns, in
Guiding "America,' Star Spangled
Banner" n the "Cld North State"
They sang splendid1y and the pretty
: voices Of the great. chorus made the
auditorium ring with the songs so dear
to us all. The singing was hearty and
for such a great number there was
remarkable unison and harmony. AT
the proper signal, the children again
formed and repaired to their respec-
tive class rooms with the same precis-
ion and good order that they assem-
bled.
Upon visiting the class rooms we
found the same excellent discipline.
We found good order reigning every
where, and the thorough discipline un-
der which the school is conducted was
manifested in a most admirable man.
ner. A visitor can enter the class room
and such is the control of the teachers
that the exercises go right along.
Teachers and pupils continue in their
respective duties of the hour. We spe-
cially noticed that the pupils are
bright and apt, and that the teacherS
are self ro,sed AMI ave their business
we'll in hand. We were struck with the
effectiveness Of the system and method
of the management. Our sudden de-
scent upon the school at such an un-
bic hour, ard the observation
thus taken, was convincing proof that
the teachers have their work under the
most excellent control.
What is said of the Hem eawaE
School may be said also of all the
schools. We have frequently visited
the Union School and the Tileston High
School and have invariably been i'm
pressed that they are admirably man
aged by the teachers in charge. At the
Union school, which is under the su-
perior management of Miss Nellie
Cook, the accomplished principal, we
found the same good order and dis
:-cipline in the classes as was observed
at the Hemenway school, which is in
charge of Mrs. NJ. l.. Mcleod as prin-
-ctpal. a teacher of !6nG experience ana
accomplishments.
A spirit of generous rivalry exists
between the schools in District No. 1
;tndSDistrict No. 2. This friendly en-
ulatisl keeps up the spirit of the
schools and increases their efficiency
and usefulness.
Th>e~4ileston High School is one of
the bossted institutions of the city and
is, We kSlieve, the only public high
school in S!he state. During the pres
ent session there has been no designat-
ed 1rinc:ps.' SO: sach teacher has
High School " as inaugurated as an ex-
pertinent, but it became an assured
success and wil1 henceforth be a per-
manent part OF the public school sys-
tenn of Wilmingto.n n. The teachers who
have been in char ge nave been faith