The Lafayette gazette., 1902-05-17

of this character.
The dOrmitOry for girls is an
excellent twO-stOry brick build
ing, one hundred and forty-f five
feet long by fifty-eight feet wide.
and is designed to accommodate,
when completed and fully
equipped, eighty persons. Some
additional work on the interior
of this building will be necessary
before it's full capacity can be
utilized. The building is ar
ranged to meet every require
ment for the health and comfort
of the inmates, containing dor
mitories, bathroom, diningroom,
kitchen, etc. The dormitory is
in charge of a most estimable
and matrOnly lady who gives
careful attention to the moral
and material wel-being of her
charges.
The workshop is commO-
diOus frame building, protected
by a metal roof, and is well sup
piled with the necessary tools,
machinery, etc, for practical
instruction in woodwork. The
power necessary to run the ma
chinery is supplied by a fifteen
horsepower engine and a large
boiler of sufficient capacity to
furnish steam heat to the entire
main building.
THE work of the first session
shows excellent results in all
branches. The students have
been greatly Interested in their
work, and in all their school
pursuits have shown commend
able industry and progress.
THE health of the institute is
almost perfect, no use having
yet been made of the hospital.
''The citizens of the parish and
town of Lafayette have displayed
commendable zeal and interest
in the success of the institute by
voting 2-mill tax for it's benefit.
To make this donation available,
bonds of the amount of SAG, 900
were negotiated, of which $4,000
have been retired, leaving S3S, 900
and the first wears tax, amount
ing to 1926 % (Which was col
lected before the bonds were
negotiated), OF Il total of $43, 296 90
available for the use of the inSti-
tuition.
The treaSurer'S report, which
is included in that of the preSi-
dent, shows fully all the tinan-
cial transactions and disburSe-
ments of the institute.
Your attention is directed to
the future needs of the inStitu-
ton as set forth in the compre-
hensive report of the active and
jealous president.
The Western France Rail
way Company is at present car
rying out experiments at the sta
ton at Dol in connection with a
system of public lighting by al
cohol. The company intends to
continue these experiments in
several other stations on it's line,
with a view to assisting agricul-
turists and to put an end to its
reliance on foreign petroleum.
A Haphazard Education.
Southern Education Notes.
In 1875 the country schools in
the South were of value only as a
beginning. Since then a cOnSid-
erablc advance has been made,
but it is not at all sufficient, says
the Memphis Commercial-Ap-
peal. In some respects we have
actually retrOgraded. During
that quarter of a century the
population has increased about
20 per cent, the number of
teachers has been doubled, the
value of school property has
been quadrupled: but the
average number of days of at
tendance has increased only
from 90 to 40, and the average
annual pay of the teachers has
actually decreased from S165 in
1875 to S15S.75 in 1890. The
amount of money expended per
capita has increased from 81
cents to S1.34. Nothing could be
more humiliating to us than
these figures. Of course we can
plead the desolatiOn of war and
the blight of reconstruction.
After the war the South was
an impoverished section. But
excuses cannot be pleaded much