The Savannah morning news., 1904-10-05
PEOPLE MOVING
To SAVANNAH
AS PERMANENT RESIDENTS
SHOWN BY INCREASED ATTEND
ANCE AT PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

A Clear Gain of at Least 20 Families
shown by the High SchOOI-Prin-
cipals of other schools Report
New FamiIies-Exact Figures Can
not Be Obtained Until Detailed Re-
ports are Made-Much of Increase
in the First Grade-Certain Fac
tors Which Must BE Considered in
Estimating City Increase.
That there has been lively growth
in the population of Savannah since
the close of the public schools last
June is certain. The increased attend
ance at the schools this year shows
that conclusively.
There is a total increase in the
white schools of the city, as shown
by the reports of the teachers, of 334
and in the colored schools of 107.
The majority of these are additions
to the first grades and are new pupils.
The High School shows a clear gain
of seventy-two and of this number
twenty are the children of families
which have moved to Savannah since
1t is impossible at this time to tell
just what increase in the population
is shown by the increased school at
tendance. The figures show merely
the number of children seated. These
children may or may not be the chill
dren of families whteh have moved
into the city and the fact that the
schools opened this year on a Mon
l. La
year may also account somewhat for
the increase.
Supt. Otis Ashmore is confident.
however, that the large increase in
dictates a growth in the population of
the city. With regard to the first
grade pupils it may be said that these
are either the children of families,
which have recently moved to Sa-
vannah, or that they are children of
older residents. but who have hereto
fore been unable to enter the schools
owing to the age qualification.
There are also many children who
have been in the schools during the
last year, but who dropped out be-
fore the close that have re-applied for
, admission. Taking everything into
consideration, however, it is safe to
say that there has been a steady in
crease in population, though the eX-
act increase cannot be shown until
a more definite report is made to Supt.
Ashmore.
First Grades are Crowded.
The greatest congestion is in the first
grades, and especially is this so at the
Anderson Street School. There are suf-
ficient children on the waiting list
there to form a new grade, and unless
new families had moved into the city
the increase could not have been so
large.
There is also a congestion at the
Barnard Street School, school located
in one of the most settled parts of the
city. All of these children can be ac-
commodated by means of transfers, or,
at least, such is the outlook, but the
increase here shows a decided gain in
population.
The country schools have not vet
been heard from, and it cannot be told
whether the county is keeping pace
with the city or not. 1t will probably
be found that many of the country
residents have recently moved into the
city and thus swelled the school popu-
lation here.
Increased Population Certain.
''That there has been an increase in
population" said Supt. Ashmore, 81
regard as almost certain, though l am
unable TO say to what extent it has
taken place. There are several things
which must be taken into considera-
ton in making an estimate, and in ac-
counting for the increase.
I'm The first place last year the
schools opened on a Friday and on a
Jewish holiday This year they open
cd on Monday, and an increased first
day enrolment is to be expected. Then,
too. / do not now have the statistics
with which to show how many of the
children are of new families. 1 am
certain, however, that the complete
reports will show an increase in the
city population"
OF the seventy-two additions to the
High School at least twenty are chill
dren of new families. In making their
applications to Principal Train, the pu-
pills registered as graduates of COM
mon schools in South Carolina, Vir-
ginia, Kentucky, and other states. This
makes it certain that there are at
least twenty new families who have
taken up residences in Savannah since
last June.
The Principals of the other schools
also report the names of many chill
dren that do not correspond to the
names of others in the schools. This
seems to indicate new families, though
the extent of the increase cannot be
estimated, owing to lack of the neces-
sary detailed information in the re-
norts.