The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-26
P STREET Site OPPOSED
lexington Citizens Object to a
COlOred School.
Complaint Made of nm Apparent Eff
fort to Group the Institutions for
Negroes in That Vicinity-No More
Needed in the NeighbOrhOOd. d.

| The discussion recently awakened
1 among residents of lexington and vicin-
ity by the proposal of the Commissioners
| to erect a colored school on p Street
| northwest, adjoining the Slater colored
| school, was continued last night at the
regular monthly meeting of the North
Capitol and lexington Citizens Associa-
tion, at the United Brethren Church. As
a result of their action the Commissioners
will be asked to defer the erection of n
building on the p Street location. The
members of the association state that
there is no necessity for another colored
school in that neighborhood, and they
argue that the establishment of school
there would bring coiored children from
distance. This state of affairs, they pre-
dict, will have a depreciating effect upon
the value of property. and would prevent
white people from coming to live in that
1 section.
At the last meeting of the association
the Committee on Schools, of which Mr.
A r. Serven is Chairman, was instructed
to ascertain just how many colored school
children there were in lexington. and
whether there was need of another school
building for colored children of that part
of the city. Mr.. Serven last night re-
ported that in the Slater School there
were ili children, and OF this number
only 10 per cent lived in the immediate
vicinity. He stated that four entire grades
had been transferred TO she slater School
from the John +. Cook School. on %
Street, between Fourth and Firth north
west, and that most of the pupils iived
20 the southwest of the Slater School
| Consequently the pupils who would at
| tend the new school would come from
| even more remote parts of the city.
1t appears that the location OF the
| school on 7 Street beside the Slater school
was the result OF strenuous Objection 10
| a former site on n Street between First
and Second Streets northwest. This site
| was abandoned and the Street site
! chosen. The Board of Education recon-
| mended that the school be located south
| os n Street Advertisements for property
| by the Commissioners met with no reply
1 on account of the small appropriation
available. Mr. Seryen stated that Com
| missioner Macfarland informed him the
| Il Street location was fixed upon because
| the Slater School was already there ana
! the colored manual training school Fear
| by. The Commissioners felt that the To-
cation there of another coiored school
| would make little difference to the value
of adjoining property.
The lexington people foresaw in this
action possible Capitalization of all the
| colored schools in their neighborhood.
| They grew indignant over the matter
| Hence the action last night authorizing
| the School Committee to confer with the
Commissioners to ask that the erection
| of a building be deferred for time. 1t
| was urged that each member of the asso-
| citation throw his personal influence
against the colored schools.
Mr.. A. ID. Smith called the attention of
| the association to the fact that proprie-
tors of slaughter houses out on Seventh
Street were in the bit OF driving droves
of hogs through the streets of lexington
and vicinity. He said that this practice
was a decided nuisance and urged that
some action be taken regarding il. As a
result Mr.. w. w. Porter made a motion
instructing the secretary to write to the
Commissioners and ask that the practice
be stopped. The motion was unanimously
carried. Several members made bitter
complaint that the grunting and squeal
ing of the animals as they were driven
to the city in the early morning had dis
turbed their peaceful slumbers. Others
related tales of dire destruction to lawns
and flower beG caused by porkers which
escaped from the droYes
In connection with the service of the
North Capitol Street ears il was stated
that a new schedule had been inaugura ted
by which three extra cars would be Itut
into service during the hours of the day
when traffic was especially heavy. The
service was reported to be better than
usual at the present time. but was stiIi
far from ideal. Considerable other rou-
tine business of an unimportant nature
was transacted before the adjournment
of the association.