Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-08-01
Curtis Letter
From Las Vegas
CONTINUED from Page one,

had their titles confirmed, The re-
mainder OF the grant Is being survey
ed and plated and will DC held for
the benefit OF the community until
disposed OF. The proceeds OF all sales
are paid into the public treasury. Ten
thousand acres were recently present.
ed 10 the National Association OF Fra
ternities for the use OF the sanitarinm
mentioned. The remainder OF the land.
will be leased for use as a common
grazing ground under procpr regula'
tons.
Las Vegas IL becoming quite an edu.
cational center, and Is the seat Of the
New Mexico Normal University. the
only institution OF the kind between
Lawrence, Kas., on the east, Colorado
Springs on the north and Los Angeles
to the west. II Is years old,
and under the direction OF Professor
Edmund J. Vert. formerly OF Stevens
Point. Wis. Is doing a great work In
educating teachers for the sadly ne.
elected schools Of the territory. Last
winter there were eighty-seven stu.
dents. Thirty were Mexicans and
thirfy-five were men,. For two years
summer schools have been held for the
benefit Of teachers who are employed
during the winter. Last summer only
thirty.seven took advantage OF the
opportunities. but this year seventy
are here and more are coming. There
are only eight Mexicans In the mum
Der.
According 10 the most reliable re.
ports, the schools OF New Mexico are
IN a deplorable condition. There are
few school houses except in the mod.
ern towns. In the countries where
the natives are In the majority II is
customary TO rent rooms az s21ic con-
yenient hacienda, and few OF the
teachers have ever seen any school
but their own. They have no know.
ledge Of the science Of teaching; they
have had no experience, and very little
education; many can scarcely read
and write. and most OF them are ap-
pointed for political reasons. or the
500 school teachers In New Mexico at
least COO are Mexicans. More than
half Of them are men, and they are
paid from $50 to SIS a month, which
is considered large compensation In
this part OF the country. For that
reason the positions are sought after
by politicians and their friends, and
although there Is a state board of edu.
cation. which Is supposed to supervise
examinations and Issue certificates,
It Is possible for almost anyone with
a political pull to obtain a temporary
permit 10 teach a country school.
The political considerations have been
regarded as mor important than the
educational. Until this spring the ter.
ritorial superintendent OF education
has been a Mexican. usually with very
little knowledge Of pedagogy. The
present superintendent Is Professor
Hiram Hadley. an Indiana man. VINO
has been teaching for fifteer years in
the agricultural college, ana brings
into the office 1sa', ability and expert.
ence He Is recognizing the entire
system, and is making reforms as
rapidly as circumstances will permit
Everybody tells me that the city
schools have done wonders for the
coming generation and that the ratio
OF i~lfteracy which has been SO high
in New Mexico Is rapidly decreasing
as the older people die and the
younger ones enter the schools. There
has been a great change in the Ian
guage. Almost all the young people
In the territory can speak English,
while In the cities Spanish is seldom
heard nowadays, whereas only a few
years ago It was the common language
OF trade. There has been a similar
change In the customs OF the people
and In their dress. Sombreros are
getting very scarce. and the girls are
wearing hats instead OF the black
shawls which their mothers invari.
ably wore over their heads. The an