Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1900-10-30
EDUCATION IN
NEW MEXICO
The Wonderful Progress That Has
Been Made in Public Schools in
Three Decades.
ILLITERACY is VANISHING
One Of the Reasons Urged Against Grant,
ing New Mexico Statehood Has VAN
ished-Most of the Natives Now
Speak English.

AT the late session of the New Mexico
English mission held at Ell Paso DR..
Harwood spoke on the anniversary of
the Freedman's Aid and Southern Ed
ucational Society. confining his remarks
mostly to education in New Mexico.
I'r, Harwood spoke of the great lack
Of schools in New Mexico thirty-one
years ago, when he came to the country,
anu the condition of the people intellec-
tually. He spoke of young Mexican
teacher, teaching private school some
twenty miles from Tiptonvile, then
called La Junta, where Mr.. and Mrs.
Harwood opened their first school in
the territory. "The young man, hearing
Of an American school, came over to see
how it was taught, and to see if he
could get some school books He said
he hadn't book in school. He found
an old paper and cut the letters out and
pasted them on piece of board, and
thus made the alphabet. He made his
spelling and reading lessons in the same
way Mr.. Harwood said the contrast
between those early days and the pres
ant Is surely gratifying to all workers
on educational lines. Hardly 10 per cent
time could read or write.
The doctor showed that when the CEN
sus was taken in 1870 the illiteracy
stood at IS per cent. That of 1880
brnI1uht If 1pwn n kS md that nf 1QQ0
brought it down to 44.49, thus filling the
largest gap of illiteracy ever filled in
ten years by any other state or terri
tory. He expressed the hope that the
present census will show a drop to
about rs per cent. Some others think it
will come down to 20 per cent. but 9TH
ers less hopeful put 1t at 40, but Mr.
Harwood feels quite confident that it
will come as low as 25 per cent. In 1890
we stood better than South Carolina
and Louisiana, and if we can now come
down to 25 per cent we shall likely have
a better showing than seven Of the
southern states.
DR.. Harwood spoke we'll Of the pub
lie schools, the territory having in
round numbers $40; teachers $50, and
about $4,000 pupils. He spoke of the ter
ritorial schools as doing a grand work
for this territory, the university of New
Mexico located at Albuquerque, the
school of mines at Socorro, the agricul-
tlrai college at Las Cruces, two normal
schools, one at Silver City and one at
Las Vegas, the military school at Ros-
we'll, Indian government schools at AL
buquerque and Santa Fe, and the new
government school building on the
Apache reservation at Dulce, at a cost
of nearly 100000. He also spoke Of the
grand work the mission schools have
been doing, not only in imparting
knowledge, but creating thirst for ed
ucation. These, because Of their we'll
informed and ell-trained teachers,
have led the way, actually furnishing
many of the teachers for the public
schools. This being entirely gratuitous
upon the part Of the different churches
and missionary societies, ought to be
app ny tilC pCoPiC " A>S" NASni-
co.
Mr.. Harwood referred to another
hopeful sign Of intellectual progress
found in the fact that so many of the
people, especially the children and
young people, can now speak English.
In his opinion so per cent of the people
in New Mexico can now speak English
instead Of 20 per cent. He says, as he
it, hardly one in ten of the
native men thirty years ago could speak
English, and hardly one in a hundred
of the women and children. He thinks
he had. a pretty good chance to know,
as he had Travelled 10000 miles in the
interest of his missionary work before
the advent Of the railroads, generally
with his own conveyance. Now he finds
that nearly all of the men and many Of
the women speak some English, and
most of the children, except in the out
of the way places, where there are no
public schools, speak pretty good Eng
lish. These are hopeful signs, and ought
to bring statehood.