Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-11
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

Fifty years ago Warrington was gllf-
fering from inadequate school accom-
modations, even Is today IL lacks q Suf-
fcient equipment for the educational
More But Not Higher" PROPOSAL
School Buildings Urged. "a:
for the erection Of . high school, the
plan eventually yielding the structure
on o street between Sixth snd Seventh.
The Star Of January 10, 1881, said:
"If all things were ~ ttey should
be, nobody, we presume, would object
TO the erection Of q high school In
washington. such - was proposed BY
the meeting Of . number Of cttiAens
held the other evening about that 70.
suit; but Is 1t right to spend the public
money for that purpose until AccomEno-
dationS have been provided Tor giving
all the children IN the city q chance ut
the rudiments of an education? The
theory Of our public school system, Is
we understand It, contemplates . COM
mon school education to all, instead Of
collegiate education TO few. After
that Is secured q few branches that
would enable boys and girls 10 earn q
living by industrial pursuits II neces-
sary ought TO be introduced. The tend
ency of things lately has been in the
direction Of making college professors
Of q few and withholding from others
any education ct ala practice that
IL nearly a. injurious In its effects upon
the former class Is 1t - On the latter,
Washington has an abnoEmally large
school population to support, and for
want Of means to erect adequate school
buildings Is obliged 10 house the lower
grade schools in all sorts Of UNIT quar-
tiers, miserable novels that viii not rent
for any other purpose, damp, dark, cold,
condemned by the health Officers and
branded by the physicians Is the direct
cause Of much Of the sickness amongst
children. In one case the school 70
over q plumbing establishment and the
studies are interrupted by the hammer
ing Of the workmen below. In another
case the building II an old shell, too
market house. In others, the buildings
located below grade in mud holes are
30 damp that not only were the pupils
made sick, but the teachers were 30
crippled with rheumatism and the like
that 1t was necessary TO suspend the
schools. At the same time, the pres
sure upon this grade Of schools II 20
heavy. that sixty or more pupils are
loaded upon O teacher, while half
CklAL humber WOUlQ Dc m ample puEQcu.
The great need Is for the erection Of
a number Of school buildings Of medium
size, accommodating not more than
eight schools each These should be
distributed through the different dis
tricts at convenient points Of access
where children can reach them readily.
I'VE want no more great snowy
shams-Shot-tower. lighthouse edificeS
built for the glorifcation Of . few
school ofiicials. which can never be
properly heated nor ventilated, which
are at an inconvenient distance from
the homes Of q majority Of the pupils,
and which, when reached, require q
climb to the school rooms about equiva-
lent to that ofSthe Capitol dome. Until
q sufncient number Of practical COM
mon sense buildings are provided In all
the districts sufncient for the accom-
mediation and common school educa-
ton OF the great mass Of children, there
should be no diversion Of the school
funds for the erection Of q great SNOWY
edifice ut the cost Of 4200, 900 for the
higher education Of q few"
~
THE bill for the punishment Of va
grancy in the District Of Columbia, IS
passed by the Senate yesterday" says
The Star Of January IS. 1881, appears
to be deficient In an
AoodIumS important item. In the
at Schools 6s sst s:ctiG e. U %HSn
such IS steamboat landings, banks,
- - - haaNna