The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-02-05
HAVE NOT ADVANCED.
Negroes Who Have Been Free for
Over Fifty Years.
Sociological Study Which Seems to
Prove That the COIOred RaceI5
Not ProGressive in the
Best Sense.
Especial Washington letter.

n NEh1 quaint community, lew
N miles north of the capital city,
has been made the subject OF
special study by officials of the bu-
reau of labor. The negroes of Sandy
Spring" have often been spoken OF
here, and the writer has heard of
them for score of years, but only
recently took occasion and time to
go and see them, and study their
characteristics
These people were blessed with
freedom before the civil war. The
community is in Montgomery county,
Nd, on a sandy ridge which consti-
tuteS the watershed between the
PatuXent on the east and Rock creek
on the west and south. The near
ness of the national capital is of
great economic Importance to the in
habitants of the neighborhood, the
southern corner of their territory be-
ing about eight miles north of the
northern angle of the District of Co.
lumbia.
Here, within an hours ride on the
electric cars from the seat of govern
ment of this republic, is a thriving
agricultural community, among
whom live still the descendants of
negro families which have been free
for century and quarter. 1t is
this exceptional fact of a long-con-
tinued free existence in the midst of
surrounding slavery which seemed to
warrant the special investigation of
the negroes of Sandy Spring.
The total number OF negroes in
Sandy Spring who reported in re-
Spouse to questions from the bureau
as to age, sex and birthplace, was $50.
Adding to this number 40, estimated
as not reporting, they obtained a
total of 1000. This does not include
a number of laborers, male and fe-
male, who live in various settlements
just beyond the edge of Sandy Spring,
and who constitute a varying but
considerable part of the working
force of the neighborhood; except,
of course, in so far as such laborers
were domiciled in Sandy Spring al
the time of the investigation.
There are 44S males and SIP fe-
males, a proportion of LAB females
to every 1000 males. This proportion
is very considerably above the gener-
al proportion for the United States
952.S females to every 1000 males.
The Sandy Spring negro children
have easy access to three schools, of
which two are within the borders of
the community and one is a few hun
dred yards beyond it's limits. The
buildings are fairly good for their
purposes, are owned by the county
and are valued at $1,65O. There were
in 10000 five teachers for the three
sch0ols-a male teacher and female
assistant for one, a female teacher
and female assistant for another,
and a female teacher for the third
school. Two of these schools are
considered as successful by those
..ost interested, and the teachers are
regarded as fairly well equipped. The
school term for 1S9S-99 was nine
months. The teachers salaries aver
age about $25 a month, and the sal.
aries of the assistants about $40. The
total enrolment of these schools for
10000 was 391, and the total average
attendance was 221-about one-sev-
enth of the average attendance for
the country. Of this total enroll
ment the number of children belong