The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-02-02


the employment of women, but the lack
of good men for the county officials could
not be met in this way. Nearly every
man capable of doing efficient work on
the county boards was gone TO the army
In spite OF all these difficulties the
report of 1850 shows 10000 children still
in the common schools. DR. Wiley
proudly asserts that the future his
torian of this stirring age Will not fail to
find evidences of the moral energy that
this fact implies" He did not yield to
encouragement but labored necessarily
for the betterment OF the system. While
The country was bleeding in the throes
of war we find him planning a system of
graded schools and in 1860 actually get
ting a bin for their establishment
through the House Of Commons 1t was
likewise reported favorably by the Sen
ate committee, but had to be tabled for
lack Of time.
The end was now drawing near. The
distressing condition of the people and
+, the depreciation Of currency made it al
most impossible to continue the school
system. Or. Wiley never for an instance
relaxed his energy, but the task was be-
vond the power of man, and with the
! close of the war the schools went down
for the lack of funds. The superintend-
I ent was in his office in the capitol, busiiy
engaged in receiving reports from the
county chairmen when the surrender OF
General ]. f. Johnston, April 20, 1868.
was announced to him. Even then he
did not cease from his labors. He re-
| tanned his office till October 10, when by
an ordinance of the Constitutional Con-
vention all offices held on April rs, 1865,
were declared vacant.
To the last DR.. Wiley labored faith
/ fully. So we'll had he managed that at
the close Of the war when we'll nigh
everything else sank in a heap OF ruins,
the common school system still had in
vestments. which. though not then avail
able would soon yield a considerable in
come DR.. Wiley was able to say to the
legislature: To-day the common school
system is the most solvent institution
in the State 1t owes no debts. and 1t
has assets that will soon and certainly
be worth a million dollars. He sug-
gested the use of this fund for the con-
tinuance of the common schools by the
States authorizing the Literary Board to
issue $500. 900 in certificates of indebted
ness" in sums convenient for general
circulation bearing one per cent. inter-
est, receivable for all dues, and to be
redeemed in four. five or six years. He
thought that the financial pressure would
be relieved by putting into circulation
such large sum and that the teachers
would be glad to get the certificates.
The plan received strong support, but
nothing came of it and the schools were
crushed by the fall of everything around
them.
With the going out of office DR.. Wiley
closed his official connection with the
common school system, though he never
lost active interest in educational mat
tiers. He had given the best years of his
life to the cause and surely no man ever
laid down his work with better right
to the gratitude of contemporaries and
posterity
A few words must be added about his
private life. AT the beginning of this
sketch mention was made of his mothers
wish that he become minister of the
gospel He did not feel called upon at
that time for the work, but in later life
the matter presented itself i'm another
light He began to study theology pri-
vateIy and in 1886 was licensed to preach
He was fully ordained in 1866. though he
never had regular charge. In 1881 he
received the degree of d. D. from his
Alma Mater.
In later life he was engaged in many
useful undertakings, nearly all of which
We're inspired by patriotic or religious
motives. In 1862. February % he was
married to Miss Mittie Towles. of Raj
eigh She and FIVE of their children still
survive him.
In June of 1869. Dr. Wiley was appoint
ed the General Agent for the American
Bible Society for Eastern and Middle
Tennessee and moved TO Jonesboro in
that State. In 1874 he was transferred to
a similar position in North Carolina and
moved to Winston. Two years later
South Carolina was added to his field.
The same energy and ability which
characterized his work for the common
schools was shown by him in this new
work. In 1876 he was asked to become
the Conservative candidate for the
SUPPLEMENTARY of Public Instruction.
but declined on the ground that the Of
flee having become a political one 1.-THE
arena where honorable and good men not
of my vocation may lawfully strive, is
closed to me by my sense of the oblga-
tions of my sacred calling"
After his removal to Winston, Dr.
Wiley interested himself in the establish
ment of the graded school system in
that city. His voice and pen were given
TO the cause. In his diary of May s,
1883, he writes Yesterday our municipal
election occurred and also election in re-
gard TO graded schools. / had been
writing in all the papers here and l am
rejoiced that of 493 votes cost. 400 were
for them" He was active in the organi-
cation of the schools and was made the
first chairman of the Board of Commits
sioners. This place he held till the day
of his death, January II, 1887.
i The fame of DR.. Wiley's services is
limited neither by State boundaries nor
by the lapse of years. His reputation
was national and his school system was
recognized as one of the best in the
Union. At the National Convention of
Educators to be held in Cincinnati in
August, 1855 Dr.. Wiley was on the
program as zone of the distinguished
| educators who would address the conven-
tiQn" along with Horace Mann. He re-
ceiYed an invitation TO visit the LegisIa-
tuEe of Georgia free of all expenses to
aid in preparing system of schools sim