Durango semi-weekly herald., 1902-06-09

cuiated tnat am In favor OF putting
children in that school house. | shall
not hesitate to express my opinion
on that building. I was surprised on
examining 1t last Sunday to see the
condition that 1t is in. On the ground
floor several feet above. the walls are
l6 inches thick There Is not a crack
m the building. except over one OF the
window arches, that could Just put
the blade of my knife through. There
Is not brick broken where the ell
Joins | would put 1000 children In
there II they were all mine. The ex-
pense would be much less to fix up
this building than to build new, or
make an addition to the High school
have had more or less experience In
building during the last twenty years,
and in my candid opinion. it Is the
best wall in town. 1t is better to re-
pair this building. not only from
financial standpoint but because It
can be done quickly and easily, and
VIII give place for the pupils next
fall He went on to explain further
how the ventilation drainage. etc,
could be improved at small cost, and
in several other ways showing the ad-
vantage of repairing the Longfellow
building
The subject was further discussed.
arguments being brought up in favor
of and against the LongfelIow build
Ing, its location etc. and also the
suggestion to make any addition to
the High school. as well as the cost
in each case.
The motion was then made and sec
onded that the Longfellow school be
repaired. The vote was two in favor
and three against repairing the build
ing.
1t was then moved that Mr.. Weaver
and Mr. Sanford be appointed com
mittee to draw up plans for the erec-
tion Of a new S-room school building
to be constructed in the middle OF the
Longfellow ground, on a modified
plan of the Park building. The mo-
tion was seconded. and the vote was
in favor of appointing the committee
named for the above purpose.
Martin p Miller, who is to receive
his A. b. from Yale college this
month. was elected to teach English
and History in the High school dur
ing the next school year, and the meet
ing adjourned.
MI, Downs speaks very favorably OF
the increase in the school attendance
Turing the past year The census
showed 1852 of school age in the
town, while 1,125. or about two-thirds
of that number We're enrolled In the
schools One hundred and twenty
eight of these we're enrolled at the
High school being the largest number
in attendance in the history of the
| school, 1t never having before reached
he 1000 mark. There were about 80
High school pupils last year. and next
year it is expected that there will be
l5S enrolled. For four years there
has not been boy graduate; this
year there We're FIVE. In different
years. there have been with one ex.
ception. three girls. eight girls, seven
girls and the like upon the platform
for graduation; this year there were
| nine girls and five boys, or fourteen
in all Mr.. Downs thinks that this In
crease is undoubtedly due to the In
PRODUCTION in our schools of the elec.
| tive system The school in which
he taught in Denver increased In four
years from so to over 400 after the
elective system was introduced. This
school in Durango has increased from
so or 30 to 1913. during Mr.. Downs
stay here. or 80 per cent in 2 years.
Thus It can be seen that the oppor-
tunity to elect studies is received fav-
orably both by the parents and the
children. No two pupils elect exact
ly the same studies, and this privilege
Of taking what they prefer, affords
good expression of individuality.
Each pupil must have gained 10 points
in some one language for the years
work 10 in Mathematics for the year.
10 in history, 10 In English and 10
science. Only 80 points are required
each year Mr.. Downs had four
classes graduate under that plan in
Denver. and says he never saw such
independence OF thought as those
pupils showed. The time will come
when there will be such an all-around
education offered. says Mr.. Downs,
both of book learning and of hand
work. that the pupils will rather be
In school than out of 1t. Industrial
and commercial training is as much
In demand as as literary education.
Comparatively few Of the pupils go
to college much larger number
will want an education that will fit
them for Industrial pursuits or for
business With such range OF
study furnished in the High school.
the boys and girls will be so busy that
they have no time to make disor-
der In the rooms and the more they
become interested In their work. the
less need there will be for discipline.
, II those who stay away could be put
down to the microscope Of some hand
, work, there would be no trouble In get
! ting them to attend school, and no
disorder among them when there.
| Manual training combines both doing
/ and knowing. and for some 1t is the
J only education practicable.
Q The gypsles who are in town are
7 hard looking lot, and are making
thurgoIvgs ohnoyioug hv persiatent