Evening star., 1938-09-18

out Of her grip once they were doing
the jackknife over her knee.
0NE character connected with the
school whom the boys all loved
or "loathed" would be more correct
was John, the colored janitor. He was
any Of the teachers desired to send a
note to the home of one of the boys
telling his parents of his misbehavior,
John always took the note, and John
was always looked upon as an enemy
Of mankind.
Upon one occasion, the writer re-
calls, the late ]. Ormond Wilson, for
many years superintendent Of public
schools, visiting our class. to test how
bright we were, asked the pupils what
kind Of articles were made out Of ele-
phant hair. Innocently, many of the
boys told Of various articles, from art
lists brushes to whitewash brushes.
When all had been given q chance. he
embarrassed us with the statement
that elephants had no hair, at least not
sufficient for commercial purposes, and
the laugh, Of course, was on the boys.
This school also furnished its medals
and diplomas, and each good boy was
erpected to get at least . copy Of the
latter. Many of the names recorded
among the flrst-grade honor roll OF
1873 will appear familiar to many.
Here they are: The highest honor, a
silver medal, went to Albert Rheb and
diplomas to William ]. Devan, Charles
Meyers, David E. WILDER, Fred G. Lof-
tus, Harry French. Charles A. Devers,
Robert Dorsey, Charles Hurdle, Ar
thur Lewis, Walter Lockhead, George
McDuell, Martin H. Donaldson,
Charles Behrens and Fritz Burnett.
SNCE no one should be slighted,
perhaps 1t would be best to In
clude the names of the boys in the
three other grades of that year who
distinguished themselves In deport-
ment or studies. In the second grade
William Moran was given the silver
medal and Wilmer Bowen. Horace
Bcall, Charles Crider. George Wylie,
Jacob Bookbinder, Charles Merillat,
John Sinsel, William Martin, William
Perry, Herman Fentner and August
Dahler were those to receive diplomas.
In the third grade George M. Kent
carried of the highest honors, while
John L. Lang, Walter H. Stevens,
James w. Tubman. Robert A. Wind.
Robert B. Webb, Joseph M. Prather.
Arthur M. Donaldson, George E. Bay
liss, Stanley Baker. William A. Fur
mage. Charles H. White and Thomas
J. Martin were recognized with Sec
ondary honors.
Edward Woltz carried OF the medal
in the fourth grade and those who
were second best included William
E. Wise, Ira X. Moore, william Nc
CRYSTAL, Franklin Henry, Robert w.
Talks, Theodore K. Nelson, George
M. Dorsey, Maurice Heilbrum, Oscar
Nauck, John Preinkert, John c. Weld
man, Henry E. Amos. Henry Neu-
meyer and John E. Nelson.
The building to the north Of the
Luther Memorial Church. at Thomas
Circle. was . public school in the
7os and 80s, and here DR.. w. X. Butler
started his free eye. ear and throat
dispensary long while ago.
THE genesis Of the public school
system centers around no less q
parsonage than President Jefferson,
whose chief glory is not the fact
that he was Chief Executive Of the
United States, but that he was .
patron Of education. The early stages
of the school system, 1905 to l845,
were As experimental as everything
else In the new Capital City Of the
new Republic.
Fathers OF the school system
planned ambitiously. Their high re-
| solve was that the schools should
be . model for the rest Of the country.
q complete institution which should
embrace primary, grammar and high
schools and . collegiate course. New.
ertheless. it was first proposed that
the children Of poor people alone
should be instructed free of charge.
All other students were expected to
pay as . tuition charge IS a quarter.
Free education for every one came
later.
Between 1912 and 1928 II reso-
lutions authorizing lotteries for the
benefit of the public schools were
passed by Congress. A portion Of
the revenues derived from this source
was invested in securities and desig-
mated the school fund"
A period Of expansion between 1900
and 1913 brought the school system
Of the District to It's present state,
Today the ideals OF Its early founders
are being realised.