The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-05-21
TOPICS OF THE SCHOOLS.

friend OF our public schools, said to the
writer a few days ago that he would
not send his children to school at all
during the month of June except that
they might hold their place in their
classes. He Is opposed to ten months
school, and had he the power he would
have but eight months school. AS a
tax payer he would be willing to pay
the same amount of tax for eight
months Of school as he now pays for
ten. He thinks the pupils would make
Just as much advancement in their
studies and 1t would be much better for
their health. he would have the teach
ers paid by the year. and the shortening
of the term would rot AFFECT tho teach
ers salaries.
The writer thinks that while this may
be going little to the other extreme.
that nine months in the year is long
enough for any growing child to attend
school. and he believes that the pupils
will do better years work in that time
than they will in ten months. The
teacher should be paid by the year.
That our public schools arc UNDER
growing a crucial test is apparent from
what can be seen and heard all over our
land to-day. Especially is this the case
in the city Of Washington. 1t seems
that for the past two or three years an
antagonism to the schools has existed.
The senate committee on the District Of
Columbia appointed a special commit
tee to investigate the matter Ques-
lions were prepared under the direction
of the chief examiner Of the civil SER
vice commission which were to test the
ability Of the pupils. These questions
were submitted to Superintendent
Powell and accepted by him, and 1,1ss
of the first year high school pupils took
the test. The questions in arithmetic,
were as. follows:
~ Find the total cost Of the follow
ing: 3S pounds of butter at IS cents a
pound, pounds . ounces OF cheese at
1G cents a pound, pounds 10 ounces Of
chees at "a cents u pound.
(2) a man sold three-elghts of his
farm for $500, what was the farm
worth at the same rate?
(S) A builder bought $500 brick at
81 so per thousand, 1920 feet Of lumber
at SIG 50 per thousand feet, and 975
pounds of nails at SO so per hundred
pounds; what was the amount of the
entire bill?
"a What will It cost to carpet room
"a feet long and 81 feet 6 inches wide,
with Brussels carpet Y of yard wide
at 81 "a per square yard, making no al
lowance for matching.
(5) How many tiles 10 inches square
will be required to cover cours 50 feet
4 inches long and 4S feet wide?
(6) A coal dealer bought $40 long tons
of coal at Sc az per long ton Of 2,24o
pounds. and sold it at IS short ton Of
1000. How much money did he gain?
"a A man bought house for $500
and sold 1t for $1,S75. What per cent
did he lose on the cost?
(S) What is the interest on 1920 at
per cent per annum from January End,
1890, to November 90 1899?
CO) The assessed value OF property in
n certain city is three-Afths of the mar
ket value. II the amount of taxes col
lected in one year, on basis of 2IE
cents on the 81 of the assessed value
was S1,3?5.64O, what was the. market
value of the property?
tlO) A merchant sold goods for $24O,
thereby losing 20 per cent of the cost.
For what amount should he have sold
them to gain 10 per cent?
Q1) Divide 11.4S5,125 by 2S%, multiply
the quotient by 63.OS and to the produc;
add 1889 of 114.31.
The average per cent OF the six differ
emit schools that took the test was SIS.
Fifteen pupils worked all OF the exam
pies while 81 per cent of the pupils stood
over 70. The questions in United States
History were as follows:
a. Name the four nations that had
most to do with the discoveries and
early settlements of this country, and
state what part of the country each OF
these nations explored and settled.
(2) Give brief account of the Puritans
or of the Pilgrims, stating why so call
ed, the country from which they came
the reasons for emigrating. where they
settled, and some of their characters
tics, habits and customs.
(3) State some Of the important
causes which led to each Of the follow
ing wars, and the nations and people
involved in each: the French and In
dian war; the Revolution; the war OF
1872, and the Rebellion or Civil War.
"a Select one of the following inven-
lions and write connected story about
1t: /, The Cotton Gin; 9, The steamr
boat; 3, The Telegraph; 4, The Tele-
phone; g. The ElecrIc Light.
90 Name the three branches into
which the government of the United
States is divided. and state in general
the duty of each branch.
The average per cent of answers to
these questions was 5S.1o. Nineteen
pupils making 20 per cent or over
The writer gave these questions as
tests to his eighth year pupils, and the
average made in arithmetic was 4S.4
per cent, while in history the average
was 1893 per cent. The highest in