The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-08-30
nominated

we were uLd1lIi1CdSIJ ClSSNS
We met and organized.
NV nlan at once. I found General
Barringer very anxious to 40 soIie.
thing to aid the colOred hoo Iiiae
was all the progress we maze.
Not long after that General Barrln-
ger went to Staunton, Va, aIter ne
family who were there on a WISH
While there he met DR.. Sears, Whose
home was there, and he talked with
him about the graded schools. lie
came home ripe for it.
SO we had no trouble in agreeing
to organize. We went through with all
the arrangements, and agreed to give
the observation-disclosures to Rev. X. II.
Griffith, who declined. We were non
plussed, and after ~exhausting our m
genuity to find a suitable man, |
~jocularly remarked to him one day:
Il didn't know what we would 40
unless I took it myself 1t was purely
q joke, for I had no idea of doing II.
But he caught at it at once and saw
that was the very thing; and l couN
get no rest till I agreed that l would
start and keep it till | could tina a
man. We then for NE 70
go on to Richmond, Va, the model OF
whose schools we had adopted, ana
get such information, forms and books
as | could obtain. and if possible, TO
employ a teacher who had experience
in their system.
I found Professor Binford, the su-
perintendent. exceedingly clever and
communicative, and | obtained more
from him than l had expected. 7,
through him, employed a lady who
had been teaching in the schCol-Miss
NJ. II. Barber. We rented the prop
erty OF Miss Hattie Moore just in the
rear of the Episcopal church. The
first corps of teachers was Miss Hat
tie Moore, Miss NJ. II. Barber, Miss
S. II. Miller, Mrs. A. e. Warning. and
Miss Y. A. Walsh. The school open
ed tho second week in November,
1878, with 142 registered pupils the
first Gay. The enrolment reached 179
before the end of November and be-
fore the end Of the term it reached
273. During the first year orr classes
We're increased to six. Miss Maggie N.
Lucas took charge of the sixth class,
In the spring Miss Hattie Moore re-
tired and Miss A. b. Carr was APP
pointed, and after two months re-
signed and Miss Sue M. johnson was
appointed and served to the end of
the term. Thus ended the first year
Of the graded school in Charlotte.
When | accepted the position as su-
p~erintendent. Major c.. Dowd was APP
pointed on the committee and subse-
quently Capt. j. Wilkes was appointed.
The second year the Heuil house
was rented and an old-storc house
on the opposite side of the street. The
school opened the middle of SepteTn-
Der with $50 enrolled the first day.
The teachers were Miss S. Fl. Miller,
Miss NJ. II. Barber, Miss NJ. n. Lucas,
Mrs. a. e. Waring. Miss F. A. Walsh,
Miss u. S. Griffith, and Miss S. A.
Pethune. The entire corps Of teach
ers continued through the whole
term. The enrolment reached 34S
during the year.
In the me1 nfirpo nv tho did Of IO,
r. ?. Waring. the representative in
the State enSate, we obtained the
passage of a bill through the Legisla-
ture. authorizing the levy of a tax, and
the appointment of a school board.
But the Board Of Town Commissioners
refused to call an election to allow a
vote for the levy of the tax. The sur
plus fund had been exhausted, which
was supplemented the first year by
5000 from the Peabody Fund The
second year we obtained $1,000 from
the same source, and with the regular
public school fund and private
contributions we could obtain. we
managed to run through the second
year. The school was then suspend ed
for lack Of funds.
In the spring of 1875, Col. William
Johnson was elected mayor and an
election was ordered that year and
a requisite number Of votes to levy a
tax failed to be east and the matter
went over. Subsequently another cleo
ton was ordered and a similar result
was But 1T was after
wards discovered that by purging the
registration books the required num-
Der of votes were polled. It became
a matter of litigation, and was finally
decided by the Supreme Court in favor
of the levy Of the tax for the school.
So the school was resumed after this
long and unfortunate suspension, un-
der the special law enacted in the
spring of 1875.
Hon. Alexander Mc1ver was Super
intendent Of Public Instruction for the
State and gave his hearty support to
our efforts to establish the school. AT
q public educational meeting con-
Quoted by him in the city of Raleigh
in the early part of 1875, he called
uDon the educators throughout the
state to papers on different
4 ...hioct Of uradod .ol,aa |.