The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1900-10-18
A PUBLIC SCHOOL MAP.
A Good idea That VIII be Devel-
ODed at Once.

The following extracts from a circu-
lar jest sent to the county superinten-
dents of education indicate the pur-
poses of the State department Of educa-
tion to prepare MAP of the Public
Schools Of the State:
Il wish to include in the annual re-
port a map of each county, showing
the location Of every school house in
the county-without name, however,
circular indicating a school house for
white children and a cross indicating
q school house for negroes. send you
an outline map of your county and beg
that you locate upon it, as indicated,
all schools that are to be operated
during the current scholastic year.
Please send this as soon as possible. l
wish to have the State Map of Schools
exhibited at the fair
The outline county maps which have
been thus distributed were made in
the office of the State superintendent
Of education by his talented aids, Mr..
W. T. McGhee and Miss Isabel H. D3-
Wis. 1t only remains now for the
county superintendent to be as pains
taking and accurate in locating the
schools upon these maps, and from the
joint labors of all these will result in a
most valuable educationa. record.
Should it be ready in time to be ex-
hibited at the State fair, it will add to
the attractions of the public school
exhibit.
The idea Of the map comes from New
York, and in an interesting way. Mr.
Wm. NJ. Dunlop-an old student Of DR..
Joynes at the Washington and Lee
University, by the by-a civil engineer
from Roanoke, Va, while located here
experimenting the building OF the Sea-
board Air Line Railway bridge over the
Congaree, told Superintendent McMa-
han how, when he was employed some
years ago on the New York canal
works, he had seen in the capitol Mt
Albany large outline map Of the State
of New York covered with dots which
represented all the school houses IN
J that great State. So numerous are
these dots that the general effect Is al
most as If one were looking at map
of the stars. However, closer eXami-
nation, and a comparison with a politi-
cal or a physical map Of the State, will
show up significant facts. The supply
of schools for the children OF the peo-
pie has its logical and inevitable rela-
ton to other conditions in State, such
Is density Of population and general
prosperity, which are themselves in
large part dependent upon the physical
features Of the country. For instance,
map of the schools Of South Carolina
/ will certainly show, by absence OF
schools, stretches Of swamps, pine
wastes, and sandhills, and will also
show, by sparsity or nearness OF
schools, the relative number Of the
white and the negro populations on
The coast and toward the mountains.
There is special reason for wishing
at this time an accurate map OF the
schools Of the State This year Is the
last Of the century and the 33d OF the
existence of the public school system
Of South Carolina-with the century
closes the first generation Of public
school education in this State. 1t Is
fitting. therefore, that the annual re-
port OF 1900 should review the growth
and development Of the public school
system since its establishment in 1868
and show in fullness the results now
reached. Superintendent McMahan
proposes to present, for the different
fyears, comparative statistics OF the
different years, comparative statistics
of the number Of pupils, ofteachers.
and of schools, the relative supply OF
teachers to pupils and Of schools to
square miles, the amount Of money
expended on the schools, the average
salary paid teachers, and the average
length of the school term. He wishes
also to compare the school taxes OF
South Carolina with the school taxes
of New York and the New England
States. showing the proportion OF such
.axes to the taxable valuess in the dlf-
rerent States compared.
In connection with this historical
and comparative study. one can wei!
see the value of putting on permanent
record a map of the schools or the
s,tate-which, never attempted here be-
fore will summarize to the eye the
geographical facts of the school supply
in this State at the time OF passing
from the old century to the new. Such
q man will be consulted in the years
10 come by students of our educational
| Idenartment