The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-15
frs, Of that system in the United States.


Mss Char.ot.e Ann Taylor opened q
| female boarding 5chcoi near the house Of
General Van Ness, February 10. 1873. She
J44ght the common English branches
| French. Italian, music. drawing, ami lie
| wo.k. Miss Taylor was native of Lon
don. England. her career as a teacher
in this city vas eminently successful.
Ia 1915 she moved her scnool 10 G
! Street. near DR.. Ezy's house For the com
mon Englizh branches. together with plain
sewing. marking, etc, she charged $40 per
quarter; for French and Italian, $3.50 per
quarter extra. while for music, painting,
dancing, and drawing there was no extra
! charge.
| Ezekiel Hildreth. then late of Harvard
College, opened a school on F Street, Jan
uary 10. 1915. For the classics he charged
$, per quarter, and for other branches, S.
per quarter.
Mrs. Howard announced that she had.
''at the solicitation of several families OF
distinction" removed her seminary 10
Washington and opened it on June s. 1915,
teaching therein the common and higher
English branches, and all kinds of plain
and fancy needlework, as well as French,
music. and dancing.
1t would take a very large amount OF
space 10 enumerate all of the preceptors
who ministered to Washington's intellec-
tual acurishment. James Enoch Ambush.
a colorea man. began April 5. 1888. large
school in the basement OF Israel Bethel
Church, on Capitol Hill. and continued it
in various places for ten years. until 1915.
when he built a school house on f Street
south, in which was established the Wes-
leyan Seminary. 1t maintained success
fui existence until August, 1865. Dir. a. u
bush later On studied medicine, and =
came botanic physician.
Inauguration of Public Schools.
The plan for the establishment OF public
! schools attracted early attention in tn S
city. in June. 1904, committee appoint
ed by the chambers of the City Council
| reported bill which they advised being
made into law, and which, among other
things, provided that the superintendent
of the public schools in the city of Wash
ington be placed under the supervision of
thirteen trustees, seven of whom should
be chosen by the joint ballots OF the
council. and six to hold their appoint
ments for life by contributing to the pro-
motion of the schools as provided Tin the
bill. The following provision is also noted
in this bill:
THE tax already laid. or to be laid, on
slaves and dogs, on licenses, on carriages,
and on hacks, for Ordinaries and taverns,
for the retailing of wines and spirituous
liquors, for billiard rooms, for theatrical
and other public entertainments, for
hawters and peddlers, shall be appropriate
ed TO the support of such schools as shall
lie established under this act.''
The two chambers Of the council, within
three weeks after the passage Of the act,
agreed to appoint thrAe of their Owe num-
Der to take all necessary preliminary steps
for carrying the act into effect, and they
nor
solicit subscriptions at a distance; and az
time to be fixed upon, all persons who
should have contributed SO or mere were
to meet in person, or by proxy, and elect
the six life members.
The bill was passed by the first cham
Der unanimously, July 3, 1904. the mem
bers being Cunningham, Smallwood, Her
ford, Smith. Alexander, Carpenter, Rapine.
Blagden, and Bromley. In the second
chamber the vote for the bill was Nicholas
King. Mr.. Hodgson, and ]. c. King. and
against it. Andrews, Sinclair, Mccormack.
and Jones.
Thus has measure destined to be
of incalculable benefit to the city, by en-
tightening the minds and impressing the
morals of the rising generation. by res
cuing the metropolis from its darkest re-
greet, and by rendering it worthy of the
esteem of the rising nation. failed for the
I
dignant comment in newspaper on this
action Of the municipal legislature. Twelve
| members of the two councils voted for
| the BILL and four against ii, thus causing
| its defeat.
The movement for the establishment Of
| a public school system in the District
was destined for ultimate success. A
! meeting of the board of trustees was held
August s, 1904, at the Capitol> Thomas
y,rTn ~ bio I-,,g,H
was chosen president of the board, but
as he was absent, Robert Brent was
chosen president Of the meeting, and
Nicholas King secretary. The entire board
consisted of the following members:
Thomas Jefferson. Robert Brent, John
Taylor. Nicholas King, Gabriel Duval, John
Dempsie, Thomas Tingey, Thomas Munroe,
William Brent William Cranch, George
Blagden, James Barry. and Samuel II. .
Smith
On September 10, 1904. the board pub
lished their bylaws for the establish
ment of the academy. These provided
that this initial step in the founding of
a system of public instruction under the
name of the Permanent Institution for
the Education of Youth in the City of
Washington, should consist of as many
schools as circumstances would permit
At first, however, 1t consisted of but two
one of which was situated, under the pro-
visions of the act within half mile of
the Capitol, and the other within half a
mile of the Presidents House subject to
removal. Poor children were to be taught
reading. writing. grammar, and arithme-
tic free Of expense. while the price OF
tuition TO others was fixed at s. per
quarter.
The board was authorized to appoint a
principa! for each school, who should re-
ceive for his services $500 per .nnum in
addition to the tuition money of pupils
until they amounted to fifty. and beyond
as determined by the board. But out of
this income he had to pay schcolhouse
rent, as well sustaining the expense of
his fuel and other necessary incidentals
besides, and the. salaries of his assistants
There was provided a committee of three
for each school, styled the Superinteuding
Committee, whose duties were to see to
the admission OF poor children etc
Robert Brent was vice president of the
board and Washington Boyd secretary.
An Opening Educational Wedge.
The Washington Academy was opened |
January 20. 1906, Mr.. White being principal, |
at the schoolhouse on Pennsylvania Ave |
nue.. west of the Presidents House For |
the admission of pay pupils application was
made to Mr.. White, and for the admission |
OF those whose parents could not afford to |
pay, application was made to the Superin- |
tending Committee, consisting at that time |
of Samuel H. Smith, Nicholas King, and |
Thomas Munroe.
The school in the eastern part of the |
city was opened May 10. 1906, il. a commo- |
dious brick building owned by Daniel 1
Carroll, north Of Stelle's Hotel. The Rev.
Robert Elliott, A. NJ, was the first prin-
cipa' in this school. The same rules re-