The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-08-11
London, July 10, 1905.

London, July 10, 1905.
Editors Messenger:
The most enjoyable part of my stay
in Great Britain a been my expert
ence in the elementary and higher
grade public schools. / saw every grade
of work, from that which corresponds
to our first grade in North Carolina up
to and including preparation for col
lege, and the training of teachers N
normal schools. Much of the work was
very good. indeed, many of the teachers
were competent and enthusiastic, and
the children who have bright intelli-
gent faces showed, il their recitatio1s
and school room department, that they
had been carefully and successfully
drilled in accordance with a definitely
laid out plan. | not only inspected the
work in the schooj-room, but as ia: as
possible visited and talked to many
persons connected with the OrganiZa-
ton, management, and government of
the English public schools. Every
where | received a most cordial WEI
come and every one to whom | ap-
piled did all in his power to help me
inform myself as to the public school
system Of Great Britain. And just
here | must acknowledge my indebted
ness TO Mr.. James Sprunt, who put me
in communication with Mr.. A. r. Smith
of Bolton, one Of his majesty's inspec-
tors of schools, thereby enabling NE
to gain ready admission into several
of the best schools in and near to Liv-
erpOol.
One thing that particularly impressed
me in the schools was the sameness
of the personnel of the pupils if [ may
so speak of it. For instance, at Glas-
gov in a school OF fifteen hundred cn!!l-
dren, | was sure that they were all OF
the same stock AMI so I asked the prin-
cipal who was kindly conducting me
about, if they were all Scotch or of diff
ferent nationalitias. We happened just
then to be in a room OF more than nifty
boys from ten to twelve years OF aga,
and on his asking all who were not
born IN Glasgow to raise their hands.
only three hands went up. He then
asked all who were not born in Scot
| land to raise hands and not a hand was
raised. I believe that this sameness
of stock gives sameness of tempela-
ment and lessons the difficulty of dis
cipline. And by the way, we do not
find this sameness of nationality in
| such towns as w: mington, GOldsbCro,
Raleigh, Durham and other North Car
DINA towns. I made notes of nearly
everything 1 saw and feel like have
received much valuable lnfOrmatlO1
about the work that a great nation IS
doing for it's chilCren.l | am sure that
| have already made up my mind as to
where I would rather be born-England
or America.
I have long wanted to see something
of Scotch masonry and while was IN
Glasgow and Edinburgh | had the plea
sure of visiting two lodges that were
iustifiably proud Of their work Inc
masonic brethren in North Carolina
would open their eyes as wide as [ OPP
ened mine were they to see the way the
Scotch masons DO things, and they
would strain their ears to catch every
word lust as | strained mine were tney
to hear the way they say things in all
J of the various forms and ceremonies OF
| Scotch Masonry. l saw work in the
first. third and Mark Master degrees
The Scotch confer the Mark degree in
a Master Mason lodge, or rather 1t IS
| not conferred by a Royal Arch chapter.
| The Mark degree is very much ike
| ours, but the frs and third degrees
| in almost every single detail is SO very
! different from our work it was practl-
| cally new to me, and yet the grand re-
| suit was just as we have it in North
| Carolina. In Edinburgh | visited st.
| David's No. So and the brethren are
| proud of the fact hat it is he lodge
| in which Sir Walter Scott was lnItlat-
| ed, passed, and raised to the sublime
| degree of Master Mason. After the de-
| grees had been conferred, the lodge wa
| called from labor to refreshment ara
| about fifty brethren sat down to a
| quickly provided table and partook OF
| first class Scotch hospitality. There
were toasts, responses, songs, refresh
| ments, more toasts, applause-punctnr-
| ed responses, refreshments. and stu
| more of each of the above, until at
| about half past, well l will not say
what hour of the next day 1t was.
went to my room at the hotel knowing
| full we'll from whom the valley OF the
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