Evening star., 1937-10-24
By John ClagNt Proctor.
G TuE urriter fau, dove oor

~ looked at the old Central
~ High School, on o street be-
n tween Sixth and Seventh, the
impression he got was that it was 6
gloomy, dismal sort of place, ano
yet it is just about the same as il
was when used for high school pur-
poses, and not the Abbot Vocational
School that now occupies the building
Indeed, there seemed to be something
absent, something lacking around the
old school, the spirit seemed missing
and to an early resident some of its
former charm had disappeared.
Perhaps this impression was not
justified, or it may have been just
imaginary, if you wish to call it that
but at least the High School Cadets
. had gone, and there seemed certain
absence of life and animation through
out the entire neighborhood as COM
pared to the days when this splen-
did body of young men drilled in the
school yard and along o street. q
training that brought them to such
soldierly perfection that caused the
inimitable Sousa to dedicate to them
the High School Cadets March," and
fitted so many of our city's fine boys
for Army and Navy life, where many
rose to high rank and acquired ma
tional regulations.
And the early teachers we're not
there-those who did the pioneer
work, who started the ball rolling and
kept it moving in the right direction
z. A. Paul. the principal, for instance
and Messrs. Frank Angel, T. E. Rock
ford, T. r. Lane, G. r. Israel and
the Misses M. A. Scott, F. M. Crane,
L. M. Dame and M. D. Browne, who
were in attendance when this school
first opened its doors in September,
1882 A very small faculty, but an
efficient and an outstanding one, as
their work and their labor will testify.
MISS GEORGIA LANE, the prin-
cipal of the Girls Advanced
Grammar School, was not present at
the opening of this school, having
been granted leave of absence for one
year on account of i'll health. Indeed
1t was she who had blazed the way
with her advanced grammar school
for girls, in 1876, in the Seaton Build
ing, that resulted in the forming of
the Washington high schools in 1880.
However, Prof. Paul, who had taught
the boys in the old Thomson School,
carried on the work with such thor
oughness, aggressiveness and with
such earnestness and enthusiasm that
his praises are still sung by those who
studied under him and learned to ad-
mire him for his kindly and lovable
disposition, and even to this day, near
" so years after his tragic death.
there are many men and women in
the District of Columbia who revere
his name and recall his friendship.
Prof. Paul was a native of Haver-
hill, Mass, and graduated from the
high school at Lawrence, in that State,
and from there he went to Dartmouth
College, from which he graduated in
1875, Immediately after which he came
to Washington, having received an
appointment as teacher of the gram
mar school In the first division. In
the following year he was selected to
take charge of what was then called
the Advanced Grammar School for
Boys, the beginning of the present
high school system for white children.
This school was of an experimental
character, and because of the objec-
ton that existed in some quarters to
the establishment of a high school, it
was not at first called by this name.
However, this class was composed of
81 boys and they were graduated in
1873. Not only was Mr. Paul the
principal, but the only teacher as we'll
In the school at that time. Subse-
qGently the Boys Advanced Grammar
School and a similar school estab-
lished for girls were united in the
present Washington High School.
DROF. PAUL'S sudden and unex-
pected death caused a distinct
shock throughout the Capital City,
among the high and the low. the rich
and the poor, for he was such like
able gentleman that all branches of
society, with whom he naturally came
in contact, felt his loss most keenly,
and no educator who has passed away
in the District has been mourned to a
greater degree and shown more gen.
uine consideration than that shown
this estimable man.
It was during the height Of the edu-
cational career OF this popular school
official when the accident occurred
that bore him off to lands unknown,
from whose realm no traveller e'er re-
turns. 1t was on March 81, at about
$50 o'clock in the afternoon, that
Mr.. Paul left his home at 2410 Four
teenth street, then in row OF new
Seneca stone houses which still stand
between Belmont and Chaplin streets,
though remodeled for business pur-
poses, Belmont street then being known
as Staughton street.
He was an enthusiastic wheelman
and member of one of the bicycle
clubs when this exhilarating sport
was at its peak. His outing upon this
occasion was to Whitney Close, an
old estate of 43 acres, lying to the
north of the well-known Schuetzen
Park property and east Of Georgia
avenue. Park road, once known as
Whitney avenue, separated the estate,