The National tribune., 1906-07-19
An Historic Corner In San Francisco.

An Historic Corner In San Francisco.
For many years the attention of the
public had been drawn to the Lincoln
School Building by the statue of the
Great Emancipator standing In the front
garden, as a tribute to the memory OF
the man loved for his human virtues,
but imm mortalized for his role in the
glorious drama of Nation.
Through the halls of this school, once
held to be one of the architectural mon
uments of San Francisco, have passed
many boys who as men have won In
their various fields of work honor for
| themselves and fame for dear old Lin
coin Grammar and its loved teachers.
To-day one of its former pupils. d. j.
| Oliver, Jr., takes active part in educa-
tional affairs, being a member of the
| City Board of Education, and now en-
gagged in promoting the work Of recon-
struction of school buildings which were
burned in the late disastrous fire in our
city.
| At the close of each school year there
assembled at the Lincoln, for written
examination, the pupils of the grammar
| schools who were entitled to entrance
| to either of the two High Schools of the
day-the Boys High and the Girls
High. How changed in few years! So
numerous did the High School recruit
| ing field become that this practice was
discontinued and the Lincoln was rank
ed as only one of the many schools.
though eminently the Boys School. of
San Francisco.
In this business heart of the city
stood the California State Normal
School, which had been deserted in the
'70's for larger accommodations.
Through the portals of this frame build
ing so dear to the hearts of many have
passed students who have since filled
prominent positions in the adminstra
tinn nf Federal and State nnlipipS The
talent has added laurels to the legal
profession, and they have found their
way to fame through the avenues of
art. science and literature. In the spe-
cif1c work of education are enrolled the
names of men and women of this school
who contributed not a little to the
foundation of character of many who
have faithfully toiled and won we'll
merited success.
Vivid in the memory of San Francis
cans is the Market Street Primary
School. For many years this school
with its faculty held prominent place in
the school affairs of San Francisco, at
its location on the same historic corner
near Lincoln Grammar. until the busi- |
ness of the city encroached so much
that the building was bodily moved to
Seventh and Market streets On the |
former site were erected stores. the in |
come from whose ground rent was a
source of considerable revenue to the |
School Department. However, the fire |
approached on that memorable April |
IS; its only formidable adversary water. |
was absent, and no powers of persua-
sion could prevail against this new At |
tia.
Still another chapter in San Fran
cisco's school history was written by the !
Webster Primary. also located in this |
notable section. Who can ever forget |
it's able Principal. Agnes Manning? She |
had endeared herself to the profession
by her pioneer work in the interest of
the Teachers Mutual Aid Society. Al
ways the advocate of measures that
tended to promote the welfare of school
children, the originator Of many ways
and means that advanced the pedagogic |
profession, she stood unsurpassed in
loyalty to the life work in which she I
mad attained success. Passed to her re-
ward years ago, she was spared the |
heartache Of seeing the devastation of /
the scene of her faithful labors.
For six years the Commercial High |
School occupied quarters in this same
locality. This school, greatly in de-
mand to subserve the growing interest
Of large, prosperous mercantile CEN
ter. had an enrolment of 500 pupils.
The commercial work. in connection
with the academic branches, made it
one of the most popular High Schools
of this city.
Not only have thousands Of children
been deprived of school accommOda-
tions and this historic educational sec
ton Of San Francisco been obiiterated /
by the devastating fire, but other heavy
losses are felt in the destruction of /
building used as an art studio. On the
upper floor was collected the drawings
of the school children, the pride of the
department. These represented the as
sduous work of the teachers and the
ar eCtn nf q
pills. On the lower floor was the music
studio. Here was collection of music I
used in vocal training in the schools.
To this sanctum repaired after school
hours the teachers who loved to meet /
Miss Estelle Carpenter. the inspiration
of Song" and join with her and the |
children in the singing. More than any
thing else. except the school building
itself, Is felt the loss of the daily sing
ing conducted by the Nightingale of
the School," as a Japanese student
naively called her. To the children this |
building means loss for which dollars
and cents cannot make full compensa-
ton.
Yet the fraternal spirit evolved by
this great affiiction which has come to |
us imbues the little ones with the en-
couraging hope that soon again they |
will meet in the schools under the di-
rection Of teachers they loved, and |
preciate all the more since they have |
been deprived of facilities for school
attendance.
All this tells of but one section of
great and prosperous San Francisco. |
Yet the story is only one half told; for |
with this lament of the day pupils goes
up one from the evening school. Here |
met every evening for instruction in |
these three capacious buildings at Fifth |
and Market pupils whose duties called |
them to work in the daytime, foreign |
ers who thus became better acquainted |
with the laws and requirements of the |
country OF their adoption, men and wO-
men In whose cases earlier opportuni- |
ties were either neglected or impossible |
to seiZe-all organized into a school
system of which this. known as the Lin |
coin Evening School, had the largest |
enrolment of all similar institutions in |
the United States.
The retrospect of these fearful days, |
when 1t seemed that doom was impend- |
ing and that no human power could |
avail, is ever attended with the bright |
ness and cheerfulness born of undying |
hope in the recuperative power of the |
dear old city-the inspiration of the
Mission Padres, the pride of the Span |
ish cavalier, and the sunburst glory of
the Pacific coast.
"OId IrOnsides."