Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1913-08-31

HERBERT d. MASON,
Attorney
cation. The establishment Of any
thing like school system, therefore,
tegan with the arrival OF Choctaw,
Chickasaw, Cherokee, Creek and
Seminole tribes, who brought from
the country east of the Mississippi
some crude ideas Of schools und a
kindly feeling toward them.
The constitutions Of the tribes pro-
yided for "a system Of schools to be
supported by the income from their
tribal FUNDS held in trust for them by
the federal government. Their
schools increased In number slowly
but by 1859 there were 800 or more
primary schools and somewhat over
score of academies and semlnaries
The aggregate enrolment was from
l,100 to 200 pupils. Besides these
schools, there were 35 10 40 mission
schools, with an enrolment Of 1000
children, established among the Five
Civilized Tribes by various Christian
churches.
The Federal government took
hand too, and by 1892 had establish
ed in the neighborhood Of it's agcu-
cies in the western part OF the state
at least 20 boarding and day schools.
Approximately 1900 children attend
ed them. From 500 10 500 more in
that section perhaps, attended Chris
tian mission schools.
In Gie eastern section OF the coun-
try the schools for white children os-
tablishcd prior 70 1889 We're support
ed by local subscription. They were
located in villages, but no record re-
mains Of their number. There were
#.4tsVr F.f
Of the Territory prior to 1889 except
in old Greer county and "No-Man's
Land"
In the spring OF 1889 part Of the
western section Of the present state
Of Oklahoma was opened to white
settlers, and from every state In the
union thousands Of people tlocked
there. The Organic Act was not pass
ed until more than a year later. Dsr-
ing this period, and, indeed, during
the next five years, until patents were
issued lands were not taxable. The
"eighty-nners" I'm many counties at
once undertook by local subscriptions
to provide schools, and by fan a con-
siderable number Of private schools
had been established and teachers en-
gagged.
Beginning VI Public Free schools.
Dy the CIEdlllt AT ldSStu w Nbll-
gress in 1880, the Territory Of OklahO-
ma came into existence. The same
act provided for a system Of free pub
lie schools modelled after that Of the
State of Nebraska, and congress APP
propriated S50,000.00 to inaugurate
the same. Accordingly. a territorial
superintendent and seven county sup
ervisors, one for each of the seven
counties, were appointed. The first
Territorial legislature, meeting in
1890, set aside 1,4l3,S62 acres of land
as a permanent endowment of the
common school and 800, ,42+ acres as
an endowment for the support of the
institutions OF higher learning. The
same legislature by creating bonded
Indebtedness of $4S, 10000 established
three state schools, the State Univer-
sity. the Agricultural e Mechanical
College and one Normal school The
citizens of the towns whore these in
stitutions were located agreed to fur
nish the sites and to bond themselves
Eor additional amounts.
The report Of the first Territorial
superintendent shows remarkable pro-
gress in school matters The Territory
had been organized into school dis
tricts; the dug outs" had been par
TALLY replaced with school houses; a
system OF text books had been adopt
ed; summer institute for school
teachers and n Territorial Teachers
association organized; and a school
journal established. The teachers on
the whole were inadequately prepared
for their work, but the zeal which
they showed partially recompensed
for their spare training and the Ter
ritory of Oklahoma had made a credi-
table beginning In educational devel-
opment. BY the end Of the first year
out OF the total population Of Gl.s32
and a scholastic population Of 2l,335
II had a school enrolment OF 1895.
For the next ten years the develop
ment of the schools kept pace with
that of the Territory, and in 1901, out
of population Of 39S,33l and
scholastic population Of 145S43, II
had school enrolment Of 1851.
The number Of It's teachers had in
creased from 43S to 2,50S; the wage
average OF teachers had risen nearly
80 per cent: the value of its public
school property became S1,947,257 as
against S12,09b.50 Of 1891. and ii had
an enrolment OF about coo students
In its institutions Of higher learning,
the State University and A. & VI. Col /
'ege: and another 500 in its state Nor
NAL school. BY 1903 there had been
founded two more State Normal
schools and an Agricultural and State
Normal school for colOred people and
. university preparatory school.