The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-05-10
Entered at the Postoffce at Whining
ton. n. c.. as Second-Class
Matter April il. 1873.
CATIONAL WORK BEFORE THE
WAR.

pdlSH mas OpeLeO anu 1OSeihoI Ay
cock is leading in it, and his lieuten-
ants are pressing actively in the same
wise way. Education is very much
needed among whites and blacks. Read
ing and writing are prerequisites, and
a better education for all is a desidera-
tum. How many people who pass for
educated are really so?
But we are at present concerned with
a phase of education that is ante-bel-
Ium. The progress made by North
Carolina prior to the greatest of all
modern wars is not known to all read
ing natives. and is a sealed book to the
people in the north. They have not the
faintest idea as to what vas accom-
plished in this derided old state, which
led in popular education all the south
ern sisterhood of states as it did in the
war lead all others in the number OF
its troops and their terrific sacrifices.
A state voting 1850 whites in 1860,
actually giving 1000 to death in behalf
of the sacred cause forever lear to
every true. manly soul.
In the State Normal Magazine ia
most commendable monthly every
way) for April there is a paper from
the accomplished Mrs. Annie G.. Ran
dali. on Calvin H. Wiley" 1t is well
done. and contains no little matter we'll
worthy OF public consideration. She
has utilized the report of the first sup
crintendent of public Instruction made
i, 1855. 1t will read like a fairy tale
to the "witlings' who laughed at staid,
fonest, progressive, self-contained
-Sorth Carolina, and it will surprise
many a native who passes for being in
telligent. In that year-six years be-
fore the great war-there were five
male and nine female colleges. How
many are there nova? In 1855, the pop
ulation was less than 1000, 900. Now it
has some 1900, 900. There were in 1855.
272 academies and 1900 common schools.
Did you know that? There were lao, 900
pupils attending. OF all the adult
whites there was but one illiterate in
fifteen. How is it now? Has there
been any genuine progress, in proper
tiontion to population, in forty-six
years? The school term was foul
months. There were 1000 children be-
tween six n twenty-one a of
not attending school,. That beats North
Carolina now out of sight, The state
like Captain Bill Mallory's militia COM
pany in the early forties has adj
Yanced backward" DIR. Wiley calcu-
lated that by 1888. there would not be
more than two per cent of white illit-
crates. How many are they?
Let us copy from Mrs. Randalrs in
structive paper:
From the same source we learn that
North Carolina a a larger school
fund thai Maine, New Hampshire, New
Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, Massachu-
sets, by $500, 900; or Georgia by ST.
200, 900. She had more colleges than
Georgia, one hundred more academies,
and two thousand more common
schools. She had more colleges than
South Carolina, one hundred more
academies. and nearly three times as
many children at school. With a pop
ulation Of $4,000 les than Virginia, she
had as many academies n five or six
hundred more public schools. The
same was substantially true in COM
pairing Tennessee with North Carolina.
She was in advance Of any of the slave
states and abreast with some of the
northern and New England states. She
gave her teachers better salaries than
did Connecticut, g Hampshire,
Ohio. wisconsin. Illinois. Only Mass
achusetts paid higher salaries. The
latter paid an average monthly salary
of STATS. North Carolina paid $28.75.
She gave her male and female teachers
nearly the same salary. In other
%nTaC fhnro yVaC q Qrpqf l~Scr6nancV.'
He held that educated women were
better school teachers than were men.
In 1858. the school fund exclusive of the
swamp lands. was 81, 155,sS2. In pri-
vate schools 81, 200,0 900 were invested.
The private schools for girls were very
numerous-at Salem Raleigh, Green's
bero. Murfreesboro. Townsville. Ashe-
vile. Charlotte. Hillsboro. Warrenton,
Lenoir. Mt. Pleasant and Wilson. Some
towns had two or more of these schools.
Mrs. Randall omits Oxford famous for
its male and female schools since 1920,
and in 1853, it had two popular and eff
fcient schools. one the Baptist female
college. It had also the great school of
J.. H. Horner, and about that time
PROFESSOR ASHDSI u. bEONL d - VI lhC
university of North Carolina, had a
classical school at the now celebrated
orphan asylum. Professor Horner said
to US once that Professor Brown was
the very best instructor he had ever
known and he himself had been edu-
Gated by the late distinguished Will
liam ]. Bingham. father of Major Rob-
ert Bingham. and his more eminent
brother William. the author of the I'M
excelled Greek and Latin Grammars.
There were also excellent schools for
boys at Raleigh 'Oovejoys) and all
around the state. There were also a
few mixed schools. boys and girls. The
first was by the Friends at New Gar
den. in Guilford, established in 1888.
<.Catawba college, Clinton collegiate
institute. Mt. Vernon Springs academy,
naL D;d0o literary commercial inSti-