Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-09-29
Present Sys-
tenn 'SHandi-
caps Leave 1t
Still Superior
to That Which
Educated To-
days Leaders
in Capital's
GivM, Business,
Social Spheres.
By John Clagen Proctor.

II 40 Wv kldbul al Jlldb t1lC1C ok1OulO
be at least a few children who
were not tickled pink to return
L to school at this season. How
ever, 1t Is more than likely that in
this respect human nature has
changed but little, if any, in the
last hundred years or so, and we
find the little people constituted just
about the same as they were, most
likely, In George Washington's day
and before. Indeed, some children
are born restless, are nervous and
lack concentra ton, and for no par
ticular reason at all, just hate to
be boxed up when their minds are
on swimming, fishing. playing base
a. bah, foot ball, or doing something
OF less profit than acquiring an edu-
cation.
Some-many old enough to know
better-even carry their dislike for
school to the extreme, and indulge
In playing the ancient" game OF
hooky, or truancy-deemed a more
elegant way of expressing it-not
realizing that if a liberal education
Is to be acquired. the time must be
made up later, and, most likely, I'M
der difficulties such as are not usually
encountered in youth. Few old-timers
did not do the things, when they
were young, that they would not
argue against today. but they paid
the price for doing it, just as the
present Indifferent student must also
do later on.
The school children of today en-
Joy privileges and are blessed with
conditions which their parents did
not have and could not expect, as
the present generation can easily see
by glancing back few decades and
observe the type Of buildings which
were then called school houses. Some
Of these structures still are standing,
but many have disappeared and only
pictures, In some cases, give us a
means of illustrating comparison
between those Of yesteryear and to-
day. There are many things which
are near and dear to all, but few
indeed will have more lasting i'm
p1CoolOI uHOll Jul JIld1 tllc
humble, little schoolhouse where we
learned our A, B, Cs, and how to add
2 times 2. Many great man has
Travelled thousands of miles from his
palatial home, just for view of
the little, one-room, red, frame build
ing where his education and his
career began.
OF the early many school houses in
washington which have disappeared.
In some instances, not even q picture
Of the building remains. Some, how
ever, are still standing, though gen.
orally dilapidated and uncared for.
To many Of the younger generation,
their history is unknown, though per-
chance, their parents or grandparents
might have attended there in their
youthful days when they, too, like the
school children of today, knew little
Of the problems of life or what was
In store for them.
Only recently, the writer visited
Georgetown to see q school building
erected 81 years ago, and where many
IN old resident of the west-end re-
ceived his rudimentary education. OF
course 1t Is not being used for school
purposes now, since other buildings
much larger, better equipped. and
more modern In every way have gen.
orally taken the place Of the early
school house.
THIS particular building, known as
- the Threlkeld School, is located
on the northeast corner Of Thirty
sixth and Prospect streets. Thirty
sixth street was not always a num-
bered street, for "once upon time"
1t was known as Gay street, and, still
later, Lingan street. The school was
named for John Threlkeld, one of
Georgetown's early mayors, whose
home, known as the Cedars, occupied
the site Of the Western High School.
The Threlkeld home was also occupied
by the Cox, Murdoch and other old
families Of Georgetown.
Capt. James Macubbin Lingan
CASUALLY referred to as Gen. Lingan) =.
for whom Lingan street was named.
was an oficef in the American Revo-
luton and q close friend to Gen.
Washington. He was In politics .
Federalist, the party organ Of which
was the Federal Republican, printed
at first In Baltimore. Alexander
Contee Hanson was the editor. and,