The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1905-12-23
WASHINl GTON
THE CITY OF MAGNIFICENT DIS
TANcES.

q :
THE CITY OF MAGNIFICENT DIS
TANcES.
A Collection of Events Occurring
Among Afro-Americans Of the Cap
itaI of this Great and Glorious Ma
ton for our Many Readers.
Special Correspondence THE APPEAL.
Washington, Dec. 20-This week the
one hundredth anniversary of the pub
lie school system in the District of
Columbia is being celebrated
George Bell, Nicholas Franklin,
Moses Liverpool, unlettered, just from
the house of bondage, have forever
linked their names with the District
of Columbia as the pioneer builders
and founders of the first school house
and school for the Afro American
race" says Assistant Superintendent
Montgomery of the public schools.
Associated with these three is a
long list of men and women, few
white, but mostly Afro American, who
through superior intellectual endow-
ments and training became teachers
of the American children, cover
ing a period of quite half a century,
Investigation reveals the fact that
the beginning of education for the
Afro-American race here was as early
as that Of the white, the former open
ing a school in 1907 and the later in
1905. Written records reasonably com
plete show the attempts made by the
whites. but tradition only tells the
story for the Others
Thus in every section of Washing.
ton and Georgetown schools were
started, springing up rapidly and shed
ding the light of learning into every
nook and corner, inspiring and uplift-
ing. The multiplication of places of
education kept pace with the growing
population, an indisputable evidence
of the thorough appreciation of the
value of knowledge
"The war was in 1861. Scarcely a
year had elapsed when the exigencies
of the conflict gave the Afro-American
a status and sent the Afro-American
people in large numbers to the federal
capital as 'contrabands of war
'The efforts to educate this human
flOtsam led to the Inauguration of the
educational movement which may be
fifty characterized as the philanthropy
ic period, because the northern heart,
religious and secular, responded to the
new and strange demands.
!. "By act of Congress in 1852 the con-
troll of Afro-American schools was
placed into the hands of a special
board called the board of trustees of
Afro-American schools for Washington
and Georgetown Thus it is seen that
in the very beginning the manage
ment and initiatory work Of public
education was placed under the care
of the Afro-American race. To get
"a square DEAL however, it was nee
essary for Congress to enact the law
Of july %, 1866, the language of which
was clear and explicit as to schools
for the Afro-American This imnedi-
atelv placed at. the disposal of the
trustees funds adequate to the inaugu-
ration of system of public schools
for thes two cities.
John w. Patterson. then member
OF the House of Representatives from
New Hampshire, prepared the section
which rendered the law effective as
to the Afro-American schools. His
name is honored aud perpetuated in
the Paterson School, in which annual
" are gathered hundreds Of the chill
dren Of the race for whom he has rem
dered such signal and far-reacing
service. ~
prior to the full force of this last
act Of Congress in 1861 there were
five schools, with seven teachers and
$50 children. AS previously stated,
the, first public school was opened
March l. 1864. in Ebenezer Church. on
Capitol hill The erection of the first
public school house for Afro American,
children occurred in 1865 at I'd and c.
streets southeast. where today stands
the Lincoln School"
A reception was rendered Monday
evening by John Wesley. A. NJ E..
Zion Church. in honor of Bishop George
w. Clinton, D. D., of Charlotte. N. G.
Rev. F. J. Grimke, D. D., was master
Of ceremonies.
w uS1 OSlldCOi CullOul WAS informed
of Mr.. Yates intention to seek his
toga he said:
II had supposed Mr.. Yates would be
a candidate. and so far as I am con-
cerned it is entirely agreeable. I have
no fault to find with anybody becom-
ing candidate. and do not expect to
have any personal controversy with
him or any other man 1 anticipate
he will feel that way himself, though
know nothing about that This is
free country, and everyone has the
right to run for any Office he desires.
hope everything will be entirely
agreeable Mr.. Yates will hustle, but
| am content to leave the result in the
hands of the people,
Senator Cullom will not make a
campaign for the Senate He will not
go home until next fall He will stand
pat on his record. His friends are
satisfied that the dignified manner in
which he has represented the state
and the influential position he dccu-
nilS will o911c1. 1ic rot,,r,, II ;, 90 =