Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-19
Nearly $4,000 Pupils Have
Been Enrolled.
THE PROSPECTS GOOD
APPARATUS IN BUILDINGS FOR
sTERILIzING DRINKING WATER
Congestion in Mckinley Manual Train
ing School Matter of Comment
The Central's Growth.


Of 1gO4-'OJ
This is my busy day" said Superin-
tendent Stuart in his office this morning,
indicating that he considered it no easy
task to set tie vast educational machine
in motion quickly and smoothly.
The opening this fall is under favorable
conditions in most respects. as foretold IN
The Star. and the prospects are bright for
a good year. A little overcrowding In the
high schools and in the graded schools OF
Georgetown and the trouble OF introduce
ing apparatus for typhoid fever prevention
are the only clouds on an otherwise clear
horizon. But in spite of the congestion not
q pupil turned away today. nor will
any be who answer the requirements of
the board of education.
We may not always be able to let a Guild
60 to the graded school he she prefers,
said the superintendent good naturedly,
but we always send each one who applies
to some school.
AS for the youngsters who started to
school this morning, they are both happy
and sorrowful-happy to be among their
playmates and to see their favorite teach
ers again, and sad because the care-free
days of vacation are over for another nine
months
In the High Schools things are starting
with good deal of animation. Plans are
under way for a splendid cadet regiment
this year; foot ball players are being looked
over. and new courses of study arranged
under the revised system which is being
inaugurated this fall.
What grade are you in?
Fourth, Miss teacher; who's
your teacher?''
"Oh. I've got Miss -, and she's all
right. too
And SO the topic uppermost in the minds
of the boys or girls in the District is school.
with a capital S 1t has begun and they
must devote the best part of their time
to 1t for IL long time-for an endless time
ii seems to them now.
Sterilizing the Drinking Water.
The emergency fund granted the school
board for use in sterilizing the Potomac
water for drinking purposes in the public
schools is being used to the best possible
advantage. but it is recognized that its
benefits can only reach so far and
farther. Every school building has been
provided with boilers holding ten gallons
each-three or four to a building-and with
tWo-burner gas stove. All this was done
Saturday The purchasing of these articles
last week was not an easy task. there
was not time to wait for orders to be filled
from Out-of-tow firms and the supply in
the city was somewhat limited However
enough were secured that the demand about
cornered the market.
Il Is not hard to see under what difficult
ties the school officials are forced to labor
in this connection. 1t takes from two to
three houis to boil ten gallons of water on
al
times as long for the desired quantity to
cool. as there is no ice. Under the circum-
stances it will be impossible to supply the
children with all they can drink. So the
teachers have been instructed to ask the
little people TO drink as little water at
Schooi and as much at home as they can
In some instances the spigots have been re-
moved IN the schools. SO that the water
may not be had even if some unruly Young
ster is willing to defy the laws of nature
ana take big swallow of typhoid germs.
Parents or the school children are urged
10 Cooperate with the teachers in this mat
Ter and help their charges to get enough
water OF the pure sort The school board
has not yet been able to ascertain whether
nlterS can be purchased with the money
given 1t. The bull has been taken by the
horns in the providing of the stoves and
boilers. it is believed. and other precautions
VIII De taken as soon as possible.
Medical Inspections.
The schools will enter this fall upon the
second year of the school medical inspection
The success of this work last year has,
1t is believed, insured it's permanence in the
local schools. The number of cases of COM
municable diseases was materially decreas-
ed last year by strict adherence to the sys-
TEN. according TO the records. which are
Kept with the greatest accuracy. The work
Is carried on along lines laid down by the
health officer of the District and approved
by the Commissioners and the board of
education. Some minor changes the results
of last years experience. have been made
this fail.
the fact, which he made known last spring.
that all the normal school candidates at
that time had passed the strict physical
examination required to be taken before
they could enter the normal. This he
thinks. speaks well for the local schools as
far as physical training goes for the girls
had nearly all been through twelve years
of it in preparation for the teaching course
The congestion in Georgetown. previous
ly reported, Is not regarded as serious. a
new school building was asked for some
time ago in order that this condition might
be relieved. and IL will be made a part of
the boards recommendations this year.
As 1t is. 90 the pupils Rock
creek now on half time who would
otherwise go all day.
The two new school Buildings. the Gage
and the Ludlow. will not be ready for
cupancy for two weeks. owing to delay
IN the furnishings. but the pupils destined
to occupy them provided for on half
time in nearby buildings.
Training School Lacks Room.
The congestion In the Mckinley Manual
Training School. 7th and Rhode Island
avenue. is worse than ever this year There
was very large growth last year and now
there is growth of nearly a hundred pu-
Pills. making the total number so great that
all cannot be accommodated In the build
ing. Last year some were housed in the
central. but now this school is also in
creased in numbers and the Mckinley over
flow has had to occupy quarters in the
Henry, graded school several squares
from the Mckinley building
The superb .tendent of schools made an
EFFORT last year to turn pupils away from
the Mckinley, not only because there was
not room for them. but because he believed
the growth there to be abnormal and un-
healthy. All his efforts, however were
without avail. as has been shown. The re-
suit Is that the individual does not get the
notice he should in this school and facili-
ties for instruction are limited to a great
extent.
An interesting feature of the opening of
the schools is the distribution of supplies,
which has been in progress for two weeks
from the headquarters at the Franklin
building. 18th and * streets northwest
This work Will not be completed in three
weeks more. Books paper. pencils pens
INK and all manner OF articles of station
cry are being sorted by a force of clerks
and loaded on delivery wagons, marked for
the proper divisions. Over 5000 spoilers
had to be replaced this year which. say
the officials, is good sign that spelling Is
at last receiving the proper amount of at
tention in the District schools. AS many
as eight or ten thousand readers had to be
replaced. and other books in smaller num-
hers. The sum OF 10000 was expended for
IN.aaa