The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, December 12, 1897, Page 22

0o <2 THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL SUNDAY, DECEMBER 12, INTERVIEWS WITH REPRESENTATIVE CALIFORNIA EDUCATORS' SAMUEL T. BLACK, State Superintendent of Schools in Cali- fornia, was born in the lake disurict of Englanc j “My parants came of old ‘true blue Presby \ stock,” said Mr. Biack. home was in Scotiand, but I ood in tbe region made Lake poets—Wordsworth, cats and Byron. Here Igained ducation and though buta lad acher and servea five antice in the public tional methods in from ihose by the educ *When still a young man,” continued Mr. Black, “I came over to Wi-consin 1d taught school there for one term. But I was dissatisfied with that locality, continued my travels until I 8 Francisco in 1868. Here | iche and drift- | ®0 ded in ia again I dia not find my ing noribward 1o Yuba Couunty I settied down to teaching a little country school in the minin: town of Camptonville, pember that in this schoot I had pils of all ages and in vari- catic It does me good then of some man e his mark in vhe world and 1 hig first training school up north. ty 1 went to Butte in 1573, € ot the Chico schools, was ap ed ( perint held tne my steps southward to t for tudied law of the Su- three al e 1 also of cases, however ““It was some time in 1881 that T moved | to Oakland,” said Black. *‘Here I taught for six years in the Tompkins and Durant schools. The year 1857 found me in Ventura, iere 1 established a high | school—tt 3 one in that region— i which wes supported byan annual tax. | Three later I became County Super- intendent at Ventura,”” In 1804 every one interested in schools knows, Mr. Black was electea on the Re- publicen ticket State Superintendent of Ll e ! eran Educator of C 1ifornia. of the ancisco is (he history b York fam M- arly tr and nai Scheol in Norm aining of teachers, was one ols of the kind established ne United States. Denman arrived in California on the | 17th of September, 1851. Two months later he began teaching in the Happy Valley School, thus becoming the head of the first public free school in San Fran. ci The smail building in which this school was held stood at thut time near the corn Second and Minna streets co eighty pupis. But this nber increasea so fast that in 1833 it ame nec in er of tained n be cessary to move the school to | larger quarters on Bush street, near San- | some. This in turn becoming over- crowded, the school was established the next year in a brick building erected for it on Biockton street. Worn with his school duties and seeking rest, Mr. Denman in 1857 retired to a ranch near Petaluma. As an expres- | sion of their estrem, the teachers peti- | tioned the Board of Education to have | thisfirst publicschool, which he had organ- | ized and labored so faithfully to advance, | named after him, the Denman Grammar School. But in out 1859, unable to further refrain from active work, Mr. Denman returned to8an Francisce and was elected Superin- | tendeat of Public Schools. In 1862 be was | sent to Richmond as war correspondent | for a San Francisco journal, and while | sway witnessed severai terrible battles. Returningagain, Mr. Denman served four | superintendency. | the children in the city | citizens. JAMES DENMAN, terms as principal of the school named | and dignitied into a courthouse under | Judge Almond. Later it was degraded | into a police oftice until demolished 1n | afrer bim. He was also re-elected to the It was in 1865 that he established a medal fund of $1000, th» proceeds from the interest of whieh were to be annually expended in procuring medals for the brigntest’and most deserv- ing pupils of tue Denman School. Mr. Denman continued his ship in tnis school until 1389, when he resigned and has not since been con- nected with educational work exceptasa member of the Board of Education and as ‘ atrustee of the Sia'e Normal School at San Jose until 1892, having held this posi- | tion just twenty-seven years. | Grammar | principal- | W5 )l e b In speaking of the history of the early | schools of San Francisco Mr. Denman said: *The first American school in 8 Francisco was organized in April, 1847, a small shanty on Broadway and Pacific street, west of Du- | pont. Here weye coliectea from twenty to thirty pupils, then comprising nearly al! | It was a private ¢ tuition fees from | contributions of the | This school was taught by Mr. Marsten, who is entitled to the honor of being the first Yankee schoolmaster on the Pacific Coast. “Later in 1847 active measures were first taken by the residents of San. Francisco to organize a public schoo!, which re- | sulted in the erection of a comfortable one-story schoolhouse on the southwest part of Portsmouth Square, fronting on Clay street. An engraving of this old buiiding has been preserved in the ‘an- nals of San Francisco’ asone of the-most valuable relics of the past and its memor is cherished by ihe early pioneers with many pleasing associations. Every new | enterprise here germinated into existence; | here the churches held their first meetings | and tne first public entertainments were civen. Aft'r the discovery of gold this | building was deserted for school purposes | in the block between inst.tution, -upported the scholars and the | of San Francisco again, in 1850, opened 18 8 “On F of School Trustees 0ok place. These com- | menced the organization of a new chool. | The census of the town was also taken | and the population found to numbsr 800, | of whick fifty were school children. “TIhe first regularly organized school under the management of the Trustees was opened in the follow:ng April, being taught by Rev. Thomas Douglas of Yale. This school was successtul until the gold craze in 1849 depopulated the town, leay- ing the teacher minus scholars, Trustees and tuition. So be closed scnool and joined in the general scramble for wealth. “However, undi-couragel by these temporary backsets, the Common Council public school for the purpose ol educating the flood of new school children pouring into San Francisco. The Trustees hired Mr. Pelton and his wife as te salary of $500 per month. This school, which began with three pu rapidly increased until broken up by the great fire of 1851, “‘About the same period the Happy Valley School was opened in a little ai- lapidated building on Second and Minna streets, of which I became principal and which was supported by tuition fees— though it was also free to the poor—by voluntary contributions and appropria- tions from the Common Council. Mean- while several private schools had been siwarted in various parts of the city, and there were also a number of large parochial schools taught in the base- ments of Catholic churches. “Finally on September 1851, the Common Council of San Francisco passed a ‘free school ordinance’ providing for the organization and support ol the ¢ommon schools of the city. This Council also elected the firss Board of Elucaiion in Caliicrnia In the followine October. T.J. ruary 28, 1848, the first election | caers with a | STATE SUPERINTENDENT BLACK. Nevins was elected the first Suverintend- ent. and so ou the 17th of November, 1851, system of public schools was | really inaugurated. During the first year the board organizet seven diffsrent schools in this city numvering 791 pupls. | In 1554 a colored school was opened and | in 1839 one for Chinese. “As 10 the high schools,” said Mr. Den- an, “ibe first one in exisience in San rancisco was started in 1853, on the pres- | ent site of the old Boys' High School. 1t | was not until 1864 tnat the girls were sepa- rated and the'r high school established in the brick building on the corner of stock- ton and Bush streets. “‘Some time in 1855 the Legislature of California passed an sct by which the | Catholic or ward schools became a part of the public school sysiem in this city, and ail teachers except those balonging to our presen | the di ent religicus orders were em ployed by the city Board of Education.” | | WS e | Ons of California’s Native Sons. s Chipman, erintende ta Clara County, is a Nativ born at Taylorsville, in | Piumas Coun He attended school in the Berryessa and Pala districts, in Santa | Clara County, and later went throngh tie San Jose High School. In 1873 he gradu- | ateda from the State Normal School, in the ame city. Mr. Chipman first taughtat | Ballards Bar, in Yuba County, but soon | returned to take charge of the Evergreen school, near San Jose, where he remained for one vear. Later he attended Santa Clara College and devoted himself to the study of Latin, chemistry and metaphys- | ics. During all this time, though but a voung man, Mr. Chipman was a member of the County Board of Examination, as | it was then called. In 1874 he was elected | City Superintendeni of the San Jose schools, which office he heid for two terms, and was elected the third year, but | resigned to take charge of the Lincoln Grammar School. Alter teaching one year in the Grant Lemuel J. Schools n Sa Son, for he was | | Iastitute, a school | started and Mrs. R. C. Hammond became Grammar School Mr. Chipman was, in 1878, elected County Supevintendent, which position he has ever since hel this year making the nineteenth of his flice. In 1878 he also became a member of the State Board of ucation until the 1iopiion of the new constitution. The high grade of'excellence which the schools of Santa Clara County have at- tained bears witness to tne caretul per- sonal supervision, the untiring energy and the bigh ideas constantly maintained by its Superinten lent. “The buistory of education in San Jose runs away back to 1811’ said Mr. Chip- man. *At that time there was a parish school, taught by Rafael Villaincencio and attended by the children of the pueblo. Between that early date and 1851 we have little or no record of im- portance, but in the latter year t::ere was opened a Protestant school, known as the San Jose Academy, Rev. E. Bannister being the teacher. In 1853 the Bascom for young ladies, was the first principal. *“In March of the latter year a commit- tee of San Joee c.tizehs organized the fir-t common school in this county, selecting Rev. Horace Richardson as teacher, and in the following _une another common school was opened In the Baptist church. | “The Legisiature early recognized the importance of giving the children of the State proper facilities for scquiring an education, and a general school system was adopted for ali the counties. ‘The first school districts in this county bered fiiteen, and were organ zed in 1855. Some of the teachers or that day are still living, Freeman Gates was tue first County Superintendent, but, unfor- tunately, lis reports have all been lost. The repert of Superint-ndent Hubbs for 1855 shows that in Santa Ciara County there were fifteen public-school teachers, (67 pupils in actual attendance, and the | that year wus | school $9037. expenditure for L. J. CHIPMAN, Superintendent Santa Clara County Schloos. *No furiher rzcords can be found unti we come to 1863 and learn that in that year the number of teachers had increased to seventy-three, the number of pupils to 4043, while the sum ot $21,956 was expend- =d in the schools. “Comparing the latter figures with those of the county to-day we see what a wonderful progress bas been made in the educational line, esp: cially as only public schools were mentioned in the above re- ports.’” wi el ey e Some Curious Old Kecords Come to | Light. | The Board of Trustees of the Moreland Scheol District in Santa Clara County re- cently received from S. C. Rogers of Charming Dale, Arizona, a book entitled, “First Record of Moreland School. From 1852-1854. Compliments of 8. C. Rogers, texcher.” This old book contains some interesting notes of the struezles and trials ex- verienced by S. C. Rogers, teacher, clerk, commissioner, secretary, collector of sub- scriptions, well-digger, carpenter and general man of work about the school. minutest details are scrupulously kept. “Cash for one blankbook, one broom and one water-bucket. ’ The list of those subscribers to the ischoul fund who would pay in cords of wood or in hauling timber and doing other work is also recorded and their de- | linquencies carefully noted. This is one entry: “Received the sewing of the brown mus- lin for the schoolhouse of pupils at school durinz the hour of inter- | mission of several successive days.” Inanother place is the record of school | attendance, certain columns being de- | voted to the registration of the ‘“male | puvils,”” others to the ‘female pupils,” | with their corresponding lists of “age in All records of expenditure down to the | the female | | vears.” On some days the record reads: ‘Vacant, as teacher went to attend the Presidential election;” or | finished up the schoolhouse during these days.”’ The (atter work was carefully recorded as follows: District No. 2 to S. C. Rogers, Dr.: To two days’ work of carpenter and self. To time spent in going to buy wiudows, ete. To cash spent jor cleaning out the well, 88 follows: To Beuj. Ricker (in the weli). To his twe helpers. On one page is found this note: *In consideration of the foregoing receipt I took a draft for not only the sum of $235, butalso included §61 50 charged for repairs on the schoolhonse. This draft wasona brm in San Francisco, bus was disap- proved and returned to the county from whese Treasursr it was obtained. The ‘Treasurer had absconded, robbing the treasury of its entire contents, and thus the above is totaliy lost to the under- signed unless the county or State in some way make provision for its collection.” On another page appsars a bit of pathos: “The above account was discontinued be- cause so many patrons of the school failed to deliver their wood or pay for it. Some moved out of the district, etc. The next teacher can therefore make a new ar- rengement and start in anew forthe wood, making such reierence to this account as he chooses.’’ * Progress and Methods in Santa Clara, M ss Edith Cneney of Stanford Uni- versity has recently been appointed special teacher in the new g_\'muau\uml& vV 4 . the Santa Clara High School. During the last year $200 worth of § plementary readers have been purchased for the school, which also contains gram- mar-school classes in the same building. In each of the latter there isa library with books on many aifferent subjects | adapted to the age of the pupiis. The Christmas edition of the Santa Clara News will be issued by the boys and girls of the High School. Thé pro- ceeds of this edition will be used to fit up the lot in Santa Ciara which the School Department has turned over to the boys of the High School for athletic purposes. The managing editor 1s A. B. Critten- den and the business manager W. Gard- ner. News editor, Lee Atkinson. Re- porters — Reginald §fcswain, Marian How, August Roll, Edmund Pogue. Ed- itorial writers—W. Gardner, Mr, Cutter, | Isabel Kersell and Miss Kimball. Miss Lovell will manage the society de- partment, with Mr. Baker as assistant. Miss Roll will grind out the literary **stuff,” In speaking of the changes in the course of study in Santa Clara: County, M. Bland, principal of the High School at Santa Clara and president of the County Board of Education, said: “We are at presant scheduling the work for the grammar schools in this county along the lines of mathematics, English, literature and bistory. An attempt will be made to correlate these subjects so that they will work into each other to better advantage. Also, according to State Su- perintendent Black’s idea, we are arrang- 1ng a course of supplementary reading to be earried out in ail the schools. The tendency is to put arithmetic and number work in the higher grades, and lay more stress on the language work in the first three grades. Weexpect this plan to ac comphish beneficial results. #Considerable attention will also be given to nature study. No distinct course will be followed, but we will recommend that each teacher require his or ber class to do a certain amount of observation study both in the field and of specimens. This will better prepare the grammar grade pupils for laboratory work in the High Schools. “These changes in the course of study will be completed at the end of the pres- ent school year.” The citizens of Gilroy, Santa Clara County, have recently voied bonds to the amount of $12,000, for the purpose of erect- ing and furnishing a building which will be occupied by the High Schcol classes. wite The Oakland High School has just re- “Teacher | ceived a consignment of new casts. a question which Las occupied the Bociolozist and left him perplexed, since ire no exact data to be gathered on bject, and as science has failed to add to our information the romancist has naturally chosen the theme as one favor- able for mystical development, and has given us thrilling stories of a mystical, blood-curdling charzcter about the doings of these unholy associations. Whenever a mysterious suicide occurs, for which there is no apparent motive, the idea is revived, and lately we have heard a wonder!ul yarn about a suicide club at Seattle. I do not believe in this alleged club, because Seattle is far too busy and practical a place to harbor any such absurd ideas. Further, suicide clubs, if they are to be of any use atall, do not give jlieir members twelve months’ grace before committing the pledged hari-kari. Buch an interval of time for reflection would be suflicient to shake the deter- mination of even the most enthusiastic member of a self-destruction association. Btevenson, out of the fuilnessof his fer- tile imagination, knew better than to place Lis characters in such a false posi- tion, . When Prince Florizel, playing the part of an Uriental Calivh in the midst of pro- saic London nignt life, stumbled upon a modern suicide elub, be found that a short shrift was dealt out to those upon whom the fatal ace of spades fell. The pro- prietor of the ciub, who was carefu! to take no vpartin the game nimself, dealt, and three times the cards went round the table without the fatal ace turning up. Af last, as the story gees, it came to the Prince himself, although he hai only re- cently joined the club. He knew he was doomed, because by the same deal Lis slayer, who held the ace of clubs, was ap- pointed. The president of the club, who was a sbrewd, practicai man of business, arranged matters so as to save the vicuim all tie bother and anxiety of putiing himself out of the world. Next morning & brief paragraph in the paper announced that such and such a man had fallen into the river from the embankment and been drowned, or Lad tumbled off the upper parapet in Trafalgar square and broken his neck, or had taken poison accidentally in a chemist’s snop, and the thing was done. Stevenson’s scheme, though it sounds very practical onthe face of it, was really too fanciful and luxurious for everyday use. The expense, in the first place, was prohibitive. It cost £40 to join the ciub alone, and who ever heard of an intend- ing suicide going deliberately to his death with the equivalent of $200 1n his pocket? JHe would have spent the money rather 'han waste it on a club which could do nothigg for him that be could not do for himself, The idealsuicide club should be | free as air to al! who choose to join, but | vreferably membership should be made compulsory on political bosses, offic>- holders and wire-pullers generally. The existence of such a club, run on proper lines, would provide a wholesome check | and the suicide’s corpse was treated with | on politicil corruption; it would requure | earnest and sincere men to face the risks | of office and prove their willingness to serve their country by dying for her. None others need apply. As to the method of working such a club, it is obvious that if tradit onis to be held in any estimation, it should consist of only thirteen members. Why, I know not, except that a hoodoo is populariy supposed to rest upon the number thir- teen, and the supposititious Seattle Club, | I notice, included exactly that number. If | we accept the belief that the first who rises from a table of thirteen will die within the year, then there is something appropriate in the selection of the num- ber. But if the thing is to be done properly there should be no dealing of cards, draw- ing lots or any such arrangements which merely cause hideous suspense. The deed should be accomplished swiftly, sharply and at the moment, =0 that the fated mem- ber shoull have ao chance to repent his tolly, or to go insane by brooding over the crime which he had pledgzed himself to commit. The members should meet as often as might be considered necessary— perhaps once a year would do—ata sump- tuous banquet. And ai the conclusion of the merry repast, when men’s heerts were lightened by the wine, when every one wore, as Ibsen puts it, *Vine leaves in his hair'’ then a final bumper of the choicest vintage should be served. With dus sol- emnity the toast of the departing member should be proposed, and all should quaff the draught together, mnone.knowing which one out of the thirteen cups was poisoned. One member would fall speech- less in bis chair and the Coroner's jury would bring in a verdict of death by apoplexy, heart disease or anythin: else which acomplaisant doctor could be found to certify. To preserve the club from ex- tinction anew memuer could be elected at each meeting, and tous tue institution would become permanent. An association of this kind, run on sound business lines, would, I venture to predict, render valua- ble assistance to this long-suffering coun- try. Perhaps our state of civilization is not sufficiently advanced to permit the ini tion of such a scheme and people will, vprobably, for generations to com r- eist in adbering to the old-lashioned in- dividual method of felo de se. Strange as it may seem the English gommon law, | upon which ali our jurisdiction is based, had a good deal to do with the fostering f this solitary habit. In strong contrast to the teachings of the ancients, British law, from the earl'est days, regzarded felo de se as a crime of the greatest magnitude, | even mors indignity than Ithat ,of a murderer. If two persons agreed to com- | | mit suicide together and one failed in the | atiempt then the survivor was deemed, zuilty of murder. Such a Jaw, rigorously | enforced, after the fashion of the old | | brutal *davs, struck a death blow at the | | of clubs or associations de- | formation signed to promote the habit’ of suicnie.l EXISTENCE IN THESE DAYS? every surviving memb rmight be hanged, an untoward hastening of events which even the most confirmed self-desiruction- ist would consider undesirable. If this Jaw ber would be in the position of A WOULD-BE SUICIDE'S FEAR OF BEING KILLED., was enforced here there wouid be no more rumors of Seattle or New York suicide clubs, for every mem- the - | pened, a policeman hove in sight. | If one member committed suicide then | wouid-be suicide who chose Golden Gate | Park as the scene of his final departure, Taking up a picturesque and striking attitude in the center of a grassy lawn, with an appropriate background of dusty statues and half-finishea bridges, he vressed a revolver to his temple. An- other moment and all would have been over, bat, luckily or unluckily, as it hap- The | zuard an of the peace was too late to reach the suicide, but he had an insp'ra- tion—a thing rare enough among members of the police to be considered remark- able. Drawing his own revolver he threatened the desperate man with in- stant death if he did not hold up his hands. Of course, to save his life the vic- tim complied, and he was spared to en- joy, I bove, happier days. There is a great difference: between commilting suicide and being killed. The ancients, and especially the Jews, regarded suicide in a mucn more phil- osophical light than we are supposted to do. The Bible, as a curious student has discovered, nowhere mentions suicide as asin, and it is obvious that, under the Mosaic code, seli-destruction was at least regarded as justifiable. Indeed, there are instances where large bodies of Jews have deliberately killed themselves to escape capture. Thus, Josephus tells us that, afier the fall of Jerusalem, the siege of Mar-ala was undertaken by Titus. The resistance was stubborn, but when the city finslly fell the market place was found heaped with the bodies of the de- fenders. Only some women and children survived to teil the tale. Finding capture inevitaple, the desperate Jews chose ten of their number as executioners. Each man bared hisneck and waited in patience for the blow. Then the ten chose one of their number to perform the like office for them, and finally the only survivor of bundreds set fire to the building and lay down to rest with his brethren. In fact the question of the moral justifi- cation of suicide is one which has per- plexed ethical philosophers from the days of Plato, Marcus Aurelius and Seneca down to the present time. The Stoics and their adversaries the Epicureans agreed upon one thing, and considered suicide defensible under proper conditions. Christian teachers, on the other hand, have always refused to admit any justifi- cation for self-destruction, und both the Roman and Anglican churches refused ecclesiastical burial to the self-murderer. The barbarous Enclish law, up to <o re. cent a date as 1823, even airected the burial of the body at a crossroad, a stake driven through the heart. This law was but a survival of the vampire superstition of the middle ages, was generally held that the souls of sul” cides became those most dreaded of all supernatural beings, the fiendish ghouls who haunted the churchyard at dead of night. The idea, like many otber occult beliefs, had its origin in the east, for when Europeans first visited India the Hindus of the Malabar coast were found to hold that the spirits of suicides and murderers constantly appeared and flui= tered about as phantoms. Yet it is little more than sixty years since the statutory justification for such a faith disappeared trom the British criminal code. Those who wish to see how differently the ancients regarded the matter need only turn to the history of Seneca, the famous follower of Pythagoras. It was in the bad old days of Rome, when Nero was busy furnishing material for modern novelists and playwrights. Seneca, who held the d:fficult position of tutor to Nero, found, like many others, that too close contact with this monarch was undesir- able. The breach between the philoso- pher and his pupil widened, untit at last Nero, 1n aa unusually clement mood, sent Seneca an order to destroy himseli. An- other time he might have had him burnt as, & lamp, like a Cnristian, baut, for- tunately for the philgsopber, the Em- veror was lenienf. Seneca and !his wife Paulina determined to die together, and their veins were opened at the same moment, 80 that . they might slowly bleed to death in the presence of their iriends, But Nero had a weakness for Paulina, Seneca’s wife—perhaps this had something to do with the order—so he had her wounds bound up, while Seneca was enjoined to urge on the happy dispatch. Bleeding being found too slow Seneca took a dose of poison, then a hot bath and finally resorted to suffocation by steam. All the time he held a formal reception, and the words of wisdom which he ut- tered under these trying circumstances were treasared up and handed on 1o pos- terity by his friends. ‘While men of this heroic stamp lived suicide clubs were a superfluity, and we" moderns, beings of a weaker if more en- ligntened race, had better follow Milton’s admirable advice: Nor love thy life nor hate; but what thou liv’st Live well; how long or short. pero:it to0 heaven. J. F. ROSE-SOLEY. —_——————— An old and good remedy for nervous headache which is feit at the base of the brain, is campnor. It is most effective when applied to the part and rubbed for a few minutes. e It is the custom in Lima, Peru, to keep animals on the roofs of the houses. A calt makes its first appearance on the roof and never descends until it comes down Wwhen the opinion | as beef. N q