The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1905-05-20
IMPORTANCE OF
GOOD ENGLISH
MARKED IMPROVEMENT IN LO-
CAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS
AWo sample Class Exercises, One of
7th Grade Pupil and One of a
Pupil In 10th Grade-Neat Writing
and Correct Orthography.

A very marked Improvement in
the use of English has been made in
the various grades of the local public
school during the past year. The
pupils are getting a much clearer
idea of the basic principles of our
language than it is usual to find in
the public schools. There are daily
language lessons in some form in all
the grades and in the higher grades
original compositions are frequently
required. The following were hand
ed In few days ago as ordinary
class exercises, the first by seventh
grade pupil and the second by one in
the tenth grade. Both are very
neatly written and both are publish
ed verbatim. They we're not ''hand-
ed i'm for that purpose but the ed
itor asked Prof Joubert for the priv
elige of publishing them as samples OF
ordinary daily work The import
ance of the use of correct English
and the proper development of pow
ers of observation and description as
a part of the training of young men
and. women for both business and
social life cannot be overestimated.
Following are the sample exercises
referred to:
The Southern Negro
| BY 9TH Grade Pupil
These people are natives of Africa
They were brought to America in
slave ships, many years ago. Ships
would go over to that country and
kidnap them or coax them on board
the vessel and then bring them to
this country.
Before the civil war, the negroes
were slaves. They had to work in
the fields and pick and seed cotton.
If they did not do their work they
would be tied to stake and whipped
with blacksnake.
| The negroes are not very well ed
ucated. Some of them are very
superstitious. Their education is
growing better from day to day.
Schools have been established for
their benefit.
After the civil war the negroes
were set free. They had the right
| to have farms, to be citizens, and the
right to vote.
A Description
| By 10th Grade Pupil
There are so many beautiful spots
on San Juan Island that only a few
of these are familiar to those living
in Friday Harbor,
Branching off from one OF the
county roads, is one which winds in
and out among the trees until it
reaches the main road again. The
first and last few yards of this road
are very rocky, but this drawback is
well compensated in the comparative
smoothness of the rest of the driveway.
I On either side of the road are trees
Of all sizes, from tiny ones just begin
ming to grow to the very tall trees.
At the foot of these, and along the
sides Of the road are tiny wild flowers,
SO low that they barely peep above
the grass. Moss, in all shades OF
green, and strawberry blossoms COW
er the ground far into the woods.
This road winds in and out among
the trees, whose branches overhang
far over the road in some places.
No matter how hot the day, here It
is always cool and shady. A path
iuts off here and there, seeming to
ask passersby to try this new and
seemingly unknown way OF retreat
into fhe woods.
This road deserves q characteristic
name to distinguish it from other
roads.
| The music Of Little Bopeep, the
charming operetta to be given BY
n,nils Of the public school June 2 for