The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-02-02
CALVINHENDERSON
WHEY FATHER OF
OUR SCHOOLS
(Cqtinued from Page 1O.l

MS post nafactef1St1caliy in advance of
all other eager to launch another one of
his cheshed enterprises. From this
Goldsbor meeting originated the Edu-
cationalAssociation of North Carolina
As usus DR. Wiley was the originator
organize and moving spirit of the I'M
dertakig. Committees on organization
rembelhip and program were appointed
with d Wiley as chairman of each The
ofganiztion was made secure. The re-
port o the meeting to the State papers
says: Rev. G. H. Wiley, in response to
a genial and enthusiastic call, address,
ed tn convention in an appropriate and
instrItiYe speech of nearly an hour. He
vas stoned to throughout with marked
atterion mingled with wonder at the
facts disclosed Every citizen of the
Old lorth State present felt his blood
couing more rapidly and his heart
beang quicker as the speaker detailed
Elemental progress of her sons. We
ma, not presume to give an outline of
Mr. Wiley's speech-it was such as
eviced a thorough and accurate knowl-
eide of the subject he handled" The
netting after little more business, ad-
formed subject to the call of the special
diTeduy lnSuIlO0eQ.
This Goldsboro meeting was followed
other meetings in the following towns:
Slisbury, October, 1856: Warrenton
ily, 1857; Statesville 1858: New Bern
$3.50; Wilmington 1850; Greensboro 1860.
nd Lincolnton 1862. The Legislature of
$50 granted to the association an act OF
Incorporation by which it was allowed
TO hold property to the value of $50 900.
il was authorized to publish the North
Carolina Journal of Education and was
granted $500 from the State Urea ury for
four years. The association was thus on
the high road to greater usefulness when
it fell to pieces amid the thunders of
war.
Dr. Wiley considered the Educational
Journal and the Teachers Association as
his two chief aids in promoting the COM
mon school system. He labored long and
faithfully; he met and overcame almost
insuperable difficulties, and placed his
State at the front rank among the South
ern ssterhood of States in the matter of
the education of their children.
Such is brief outline of DR.. Wiley's
plans and methods But the important
thing to know is what were their re-
suits. Early in his career as Superin-
tendent he had felt justified in saying
that great moral revolution was si-
lently going on in North Carolina. The
spirit of education was showing itself in
the industrial progress of the people,
the growing attachment for home, and
the generally awakened confidence in the
resources of their State. One small cir
cumstance was a significant sign There
was greater demand than was ever be-
fore known in North Carolina for build
ing material, everywhere felt and per-
vading all classes. Every second man,
he declares, was on the lookout for
plank, and the people were repairing and
iehtting their houses, originally built for
temporary purposes, and making. them
permanent. The blight which had fallen
on the State was about to vanish under
the touch of his strong hand
Let it be remembered that so thor
oughly had the careless habits of the old
system fastened their clutches on the
State, DR.. Wiley could at no time present
full and accurate statistical reports.
Enough however, was gathered to show
the effectiveness of his work.
DR.. Wiley's first report was made to
Governor d. s. Reid and is dated January
/. 1854 1t is mainly a review of the
situation, the reports received by him
not being sufficient to give full and ac-
cnrate statistics. For the year 1853 he
reports in the common schools Ss.379
children; in 1856 there were in seventy
three counties 1l2 ,632: in 1858 the mum
Der had reached t5.S55, and in 1860 we
end in the common schools 1885, chill
dren. In 1855 the number of school dis
tricts in the seyenty-fivc counties re-
porting was 1905, and each year follow
ing shows an ever-increasing number till
the year 1860 swells the number in
elghty-one counties to grand total of
3,iSS. The number of schools taught in
1856 In the counties reporting was ,905.
against 1854 in 1860. Throughout the
period the average length Of the school
term was four months. In 1859 the sala-
ries reached their maximum average at
$2S per month. We have already seen
the results of his plan for the supply
and Improvement of teachers and it of
itself is enough to convince us that the
general efficiency of the system kept
pace with its growth.
In his management of the finances of
the common schools DIR. Wiley showed
such skill that he was enabled to make
The astonishing statement, II feel bound
TO say that money is not our greatest
need" We have already seen how he
was handicapped at the outset by the
failures of the cid system. Let a few
eloquent figures tell the story. In the
year 1850 the receipts of the public
school fund were $129. 255. "a; the dis
bGrsements were 1874 ,596.f1 The year in
which DR.. Wiley entered upon the duties
Of his office the receipts We're $780,, 250. rs;
the disbursements S139, S6516 Each sue
ceeding year shows constant increase.
In 1859 in the eighty-one counties re-
porting the receipts were s379,S42.64 and
the disbursements $236,410.57; while the
year 1860 found that in eighty-one coun-
ties the receipts amounted to $4eS. $50. So
and the disbursements to 1866, 64112. The
report OF 1857 showed that the amount
expended on each pupil was 81 66 2-3.
and the cost to each parent was Sc %
cents per annum. In the report of 1857
new phase OF DIR. Wiley's ac-
tjvitios-a report of the amount of spe-
cial school tax collected during the year
In this year tifty-nine counties reported
sT6.160 collected; and in 1860 siXty-five
counties reported $75.929.2S or an average
for each county OF $i.16S.15 which would
make for the entire State $500 1890.
Such was the condition of the common