San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-04-04
NAMES
SCHOOL AF TER
ACNESCOTT0N
Members Differ Over Mer-
its of Bret Harte and
O. Henry.
WHITMAN IS TOO DEEP
Sidney Lanier Wins Over
Longfellow and Harte
Loses to "Brer Rabbit"

Miss Agnes Cotton, who died dur
ing the early part of last July after
nearly half a century of work in the
San Antonio public schools, will be
Officially recognized by the San An
tonic public school board, as one
whose name is worthy of being in
cluded in the list of Texas heroes.
This recognition was demanded by j.
h. Beretta, as his last official act as
member of the San Antonio school
board. his term of office expiring next
Tuesday. when his successor. Henry
A. Rogers, will become Il member of
the school board.
Upon the report by the teachers
committee, that body having been as
signed the duty of recommending some
plan for naming elementary and
junior high schools to be constructed
under the new building program, that
the elementary schools be named after
Texas heroes and the junior high
schools be named after outstanding
names in American literature. Mr..
Beretta called the attention of the
board TO the fact that the members
had intended 10 name one of the ele-
mentary schools in memory of Miss
Cotton.
Pick Southern Poet.
The unanimous opinion Of the board
was that the name of Miss Cotton
should be INCLUDED in the list of
Texas heroes and that one of the
elementary schools should be named
in her honor. The plan of naming
the new elementary schools after Tex
as heroes. followed TO a more or less
degree in the existing elementary
schools. would not be disrupted, was
the consensus of opinion.
The names of junior high schools
are drawn from the ranks of out
standing figures in American litera-
ture, as follows: Ralph Waldo Emer-
son, Henry Irving, Nathaniel Haw-
thorne, Edgar Allen Poe, Mark
Twain, Thomas Nelson Page. Sidney
Lanier and joel Chandler Harris.
The list recommended by the teach
ers' committee of the school board,
excluded the names of Thomas Mel
son Page, Sidney Lanier and Joel
Chandler Harris and included the
names of Walt Whitman, Henry
Wadsworth Longfellow and Bret
Harte. The names of Page, Lanier
and Harris were contained in a sec
ondary list of Southern authors COM
piled by the committee
Have Their Favorites.
Following a prolonged discussion
by members of the school board. three
names from the list of Southern au-
thors were substituted for three
names presented by the teachers COM
mittee on the list of American au-
thors.
Differences Of opinion on the re-
spective merits of the authors brought
forth lively discussion by the board
members. J. X. Beretta asserted that
q. Henry was greater writer than
Bret Harte. while DIR. jeremiah
Rhodes held brief for the latter. Mr.
Beretta objected to the name Of Walt
Whitman on the grounds that al
though Walt Whitman was great
man. yet he was little bit too err
ratio and that he was too deep for
popular appreciation. Mrs. Byron
Eastburn staunchly defended Long
fellow. but her defense was over
come by the champions of the South
ern poet. Sidney Lanier.
The teachers committee recon-
mended that Irregularities in salary
schedules should be remedied and that
the matter should be settled before the
next teachers election.
Attorney Fee Paid.
Protracted discussion was aroused
by the presentation of bill from the
school board attorney. Bruce Tea
garden, for S1400 in addition to the
retaining fee of 5000 paid annually.
as compensation for his services in
examining titles and closing deals.
Payment of the total fee of $1,000 was
recommended by Guy =. Mcfarland.
chairman of the finance committee.
Mr.. Teagarden had devoted a large
amount of his time to school matters,
due TO the S2.000.00O bond issue. Mr..
Mcfarland said. and in his opinion.
the attorney was entitled to the fee.
While the other members of the
school board were of the opinion that
Mr.. Teagarden had given valuable
service. yet they stated that they had
been under the impression that his
fee would be covered by the monthly
retainer Of so. When the motion
authorizing the payment of the fee
was placed before the board, ii car
ried.
The finance committee recommend
ed the adoption of the permanent bud
get for the current year. and also the
expenditure of $1,000 for the erection
of warehouse for the storage OF
school supplies.