The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1918-06-08

superintendent and the children, and
sympathized with the latter. Just be-
fore the strike, she resigned. With
! her went at the same time Miss Part
ridge, the assistant superintendent.
While the girls were on their strike,
we heard a number Of them say they
had only respect and affection for
these two ladies, and the state au-
thorities wisely put the school in
their charge. With them is Miss Aida
Sans, a bright young lady teacher, a
graduate of the East Tennessee Nor
NAL and evidently very competent.
Miss Davis took pride in showing
the reporter the school. 1t is undoubt-
edly nice building as well as a sub
stantial one. The superintendent
Office was neat and well furnished.
| Next to it is a parlor, a spacious
airy, well-Gghted room where visitors
are received, and teachers and pupils
gather for recreation. 1t has a good
piano, victrola, and much music and
records. 1t opens into the school
room, which is furnished up to date
with desks and blackboards. Speci-
mems of maps and drawings by the
pupils are on the walls, and some of
them are as good as anyone can do.
| The scholars are taught up to the
eighth grade, which is enough to
start any girl or boy on the way to a
full education. Beyond the school
room was corridor, running be-
tween the rooms of the superintendent
and her assistants and some others
All these Were furnished simply but
comfortably and in good taste. There
was very well equipped sick ward,
but it was empty.
Upstairs were the dormitories, two
big, airy rooms, each with two lines
of neat and comfortable single beds
running along the walls. There was
a large lavatory and toilet room,
with four bathtubs and all accessor-
les. There was a well-filled linen
closet-the girls do all their own
sewing-and everything was clean
and in perfect order.
Downstairs in the basement was
the dining room, kitchen and store
room. All these were well equipped
and scrupulously clean. The dining
room was quite prettily furnished and
periodically decorated. All the in
mates of the home are as good Amer
leans as you can find.
Returning to the parlor, we found
it full of the girls, who had come in
from their various occupations to
sing few songs for the visitor. Miss
Sans, a good pianist, played, while
nearly all the girls sang. They made
pretty music, too; as good as you can
hear anywhere. They sang keep
the Home Fires Burning" "Joan of
Arc" and other pretty pieces. We
could have listened to them for hours.
But we pulled our watch on ourself
and decided we were due down town.
So we asked for America" and we
never heard it more prettily sung,
after which we came away, hoping We
might once in awhile again have the
! luck of visit to the Florida Indus
trial School for Girls.
/ We think that as long as the state
has the wisdom and good fortune to
keep competent superintendent and
teachers in charge of this school it
will be successful and beneficial. The
incompetent superintendent was not
the only trouble when the school
opened. 1t was strange place for all
the girls and most of them had an
unreasoning but natural hostility for
place of restraint. Any older person
would feel the same way. 1t is becom-
ing something like a home to them
now, and with kind treatment its
"homeliness" will increase.
Most of them are naturally good
girls, and need only a fair chance to
grow up into good and useful women.
Some few are tough, of course; but
their toughness is more their misfor-
tune than their fault. Even these
. stand a fair chance to improve.
The girls are beginning to have a
school spirit" that is, a pride and
interest in the school; a feeling that
it is home and an educational insti-
tuition rather than a reformatory. If
they once become imbued with this
spirit, the work for all will be easy.
| Almost every newcomer arrives with
/
place. This is spirit that it takes
even the best of superintendent and
teachers some time to overcome. But
the older girls can, if they will, dispel
it almost at once, by displaying a
kindly interest in the newcomer and
a disposition to help and sympathize.
1t will be an incorrigible girl indeed
who can resist such treatment. And
if this school spirit is fully developed,
the students can feel proud of it, and
a certificate from it will be a recon-
mendation anywhere that it is known.
The truth is that there is great deal
that student in this school learns
that she can't learn in public school
The honor system prevails in the
school. 1t is no more equipped with
bolts and bars than any other board
ing school. Any of the girls can
break out and run away if they want
to, and under the former superin-