The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-07-24
Nv RUDOLPH DE zAPP.

the most faSniondbie ScnOGl IN England.
To royal patronage and environment
were due its prestige and success IN at
tracing generation after generation Of
the privileged class. from which states
men, colonial governors. and generals
were recruited. Yet when II was founded
In the fifteenth century by Henry VI il
was a close copy of the college which
William OF Wykeham had established
sixty years before at Winchester. Il was
q secularized rather than q monastic
institution; II had dual system OF gov
eminent, with a provost and a head mas
ter. There were seventy Kings scholars
| on the foundation. and provision was
made for the education of commercials,
afterward known as oppidans: and there
was a connection with Kings College.
Cambridge. as there was between Win
chester and New College, oxford.
The original buildings at Elton were like
those at Winchester, the chapel being
much grander In architectural lines and
the cloisters smaller and less picturesque.
while the gateways. schoolrooms. and
chambers for collegers IN the two insti-
| tutions closely corresponded one with
another The first headmaster was a
Wykehamist. and he carried the disci-
pline and methods OF work with him 10
the royal college. Elton, like Winchester.
was richly endowed: and while the royal
( foundation was a scource Of danger dur
ing the periods Of intrigue and warfare
between the Roses. the storm and stress
OF Professionalism and reaction and the
/ a % h. g~E
erning body WAS always flexible in
| adapting itself TO new conditions and
succeeded in retaining the bulk Of it's
property One loss during the Tudor per-
Tod was never made good-the provost's
London residence. the Leper's Hospital
which was the site OF St James Palace
with 15s aches on either side OF Picca-
dilly; but the income. after alternately
rising and falling with accessions TO the
throne. ultimately increased BY leaps and
bounds as Elton became the training
school for young noblemen Of the king
dom and sons OF rich men.
With over I.10 students and between
sixty and seventy instructors. il is now the
largest and most prosperous English
public school The development Of the
medieval college in the modernized school
has been more complete az Elton than
at old fashioned Winchester The seventy
collegers still wear gowns in school and
| SUPPLIES IN chapel and have dinner and
supper in the quaint hall, with its
gaudy screen and huge fTeplaces; but
they live more comfortably and have
more privacy than in the old days. the
Long Chamber OF the schOolvard having
been subdivided into cublcals and addl-
tional accommodation having been pro-
vided for them In the newer buildings in
Westons Yard
The thousand or more oppldans. in
characteristic Elton costume. live in
twenty-seven large clearinghouse in
Keates Lane and other streets adjacent
to the college. Some OF these gabled
houses are picturesque. and al are COM
Portable residences. with a separate
room for every student The coIlegers
pay about 500 a year, their scholarships
being roughly estimated as worth about
$500 annually; but few oppidans get of
with less than $1,000 when their en-
trance and school fees. their house pay
ments. their private tuition charges,
their athletic and club subscriptions and
their miscellaneous expenses are footed
up.
In return for the increased cost there
is a varied and comprehensive course OF
instruction in classics. mathematics.
science. modern languages, music. and
art; and men are trained not only for
the universities. but also for the army,
the navy, and the civil service With
the enlargement Of the courses the orig
inal accommodations OF the upper and
lower schools have been supplemented
by many groups Of nineteenth century
buildings, including the new schools, H.
brary, observatory. laboratory. science
schools. Queens schools. lower chapel.
Jubilee schools. and scores OF classrooms
and lecture rooms.
The famous playing fields have also
been enlarged by the purchase OF the
big field known as Agars Plough, and
there are courts for rackets and hves, |
cricket grounds and athletic courses, !
lighthouses. and shooting fields. With all |
these facilities for work and recreation. !
Elton is the most modern, II not the most |
clubs. magazines and newspapers.
In comparison with the compact organ |
ization and close administration Of Win !
chester. Elton is loosely governed The |
students are left 70 themselves. In place |
OF the Winchester projects. armed with |
fun responsibility for the maintenance Of |
discipline. there are praepostors in the |
divisions. each in turn serving for a week |
and acting as a monitor in marking |
attendance and reporting absences. Each |
house has its headhoy, usually In |
the sixth form, who keeps order. The |
sixth form collegers have disciplinary |
power for minor offenses: but only the |
lower master and the headmaster use |
the birch. The block on which the I'M
breeched offender kneels when corporal |
punishment is administered in the pres
ence of two praepostors is a conspicuous |
object in the headmaster's room; but It /
Is seldom used.
The old time theory was that boys |
won't work unless they were constantly
logged. and it brought about a general
revolt against DR.. Foster about the time
of the Boston Tea Party DR.. Keats
logged everybody on principle In his
time; but the birch fell into disfavor
under the rule of practical reformers
like DR.. Hawbrey, DR.. Horribly, and DR..
Ware.
When a boy enters Eton as an oppidan
a tutor Is appointed for his entire course
of study. This tutor, who is usually his
house master. supervises his work from
day 10 day in the pupilroom and keeps
in touch with him as ne passes from
one division or form to another. The
practical value OF an education In this
huge school depends mainly upon the