THE DALLES TIMES-MOUNTAINEER.
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THE DALLES PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
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COURT. STREET SCHOOL.
THE DALLES PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
The public school system of The Dalles includes the usual
eight grades (or years), comprising the primary and gram
mar departments, followed by three years of high school
work in mathematics, science, history and English. In the
primary and grammar grades, efficient teachers are doing
conscientious, faithful work, drilling the children of the
city in tne common branches, to the end that in later years
those children may become intelligent, self supporting
members of the community.
The conditions of modern life are such that the parents
and state do not discharge their full duty to the rising gen
eration by providing for the mere material wTants of shel
ter, fcod and clothing, but they should also provide that
training of body, morals and mind necessary for the com
plex twentieth century civilization which the children of
the present will soon enter as the creative and controlling
forces. By general custom, the public schools look chiefly
to intellectual development, leaving the other items mainly
to home and kindred influences. The high school offers to
many who could not otherwise obtain such advantages, an
equality of opportunity in preparation for life work that
does much to offset the conditions of inequality arising
from birth to poverty or to fortune.
The high school course in mathematics includes one
year's work each in algebra and higher arithmetic, and one
half year in plane geometry; in science, a half year each in
physiology and physical geography, one year in physics, and
a half year in geology; in order after the eighth year work
in United States history, follow a half year in civil govern
ment, a year in general history and a half year in political
economy; in English three years continous work is pro
vided, as rhetoric, English classics and English literature.
In addition there is an optional years work in book-keeping
and commercial law.
All work done in The Dalles high school is honored by the
State University and The Dalles graduates are admitted to
the preparatory course with 45 credits, this being 17 credits
(one year's work) less than the minimum required for ad
mission to the freshman year of the university work proper.
Under a complete system of public education such gap
would not exist between the high schools and the State
University, although there are only three public schools in
Oregon that have the full four years' course of study and
whose graduates are given 02 credits by the State Uni
versity. As The Dalles district is exceeded in wealth and
population by only four districts in the state, and as nine
public high schools are on the University accredited list for
45 or more credits, it is seen that the work of our school
ranks no higher than should reasonably be expected from
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JOHN GAVIN.
our favored circumstances. The present enrollment in the
high school department is 112 but as 35 of these are in the
Eighth A, or grammar grade work, the true high school en
rollment is 77. The eleventh grade now numbers 1G in
regular attendance, the majority of whom will probably
complete the work and graduate in May, 1S98.
The present total number of pupils enrolled is 752, with
G70 in average daily attendance. A nine months' school is
maintained at a total present cost of .$11,500 per annum.
The corps of teachers is as follows:
East Hill Trimary School Miss N. Cooper, 1st and 2nd
B; Mrs. K. Roche, 3rd, 4th and 5th B.
Academy Park School-Miss S. rhirman, 1st; Mrs. E.
D. Baldwin, and Miss M. Flinn, 2nd and 3rd A; Miss L.
Rintoul, Gth; Miss T. Rintoul, Gth A and 7th B.
Union Street School Miss F. E. Rowe, 1st; Miss E.
Cooper, 2nd B; Miss L. E. Snell, 4th; Miss C. M. Cheese,
4th A. Gth B.
Union Street Annex Miss E. M. Ball. 5th.
Court Street School Miss M. Michell. 7th A and 8th B.
High School Miss M. Hill and Mr. J. S. Landers.
John Gavin, principal.
As Avill be noted above five school buildings are now
owned by the district. The Academy Park and Court
Street the cuts of which appear in this issue, were erected
in 1880 and 1882 respectively; the former, as its present
name implies, was the "Wasco Independent Academy, and
the latter as a public school. Public opinion at that time
was divided as to the advisability of erecting the Court
Street school, and it was claimed the Academy building
would provide suitable accomodations for many years in
the future, and consequently it was needless to erect a
new public school to remain vacant; so the proposition
met with aggressive and determined opposition on the
part of many citizens, but was affirmatively decided by a
majority vote of the taxpayers. Time has proved the wis
dom of that decision, as during the most prosperous years
of the Academy, the public school attendance continuously
and rapidly increased, although at one time about 200 stu
dents were enrolled in the various departments of the Was
co Academy, and much thorough educational work was ac
complished by that institution.
When this property with its eight acres of school grounds
passed to public school ownership in May, 1S94, it was sup
posed by many that the building question was settled for a
long period, yet in January, 1805, every school room was oc
cupied . So rapid has been the increase of pupils that in
January and February of this year the people of the dis
trict authorized the board to provide for the erection on the
Academy grounds' of another brick schoolhouse. This
building with furniture will cost $19,000, and will be ready
for occupancy in September, 1898. As planned by C. J.
Crandall, architect, it is 94 feet by G9M feet ground di
mensions. The first floor is divided into four school rooms,
the entire second floor is arranged for the high school de
partment. This will be divided into main room, two reci
tation rooms, laboratory and combined library and prin
cipals office. The north side of the basement will serve for
fuel room and location for the two large Morgan furnaces
which will heat, on the warm air principle, and also by
means of special stacks provide ventilation for the entire
building. The south side is to be supplied with a concrete
floor, and the Morgan system of closets and urinals. Water
for the ordinary use of the entire building is to be supplied
from the Academy Park spring. However, connection has
been made with the city main, and by means of a stand
pipe, water is carried to the roof and each floor, to be used
as fire protection. Hyloplate blackboards will be placed in
each room.
Brown & Kocher have completed their contract for the
basement work, and French & Sylvester are planning to ac
tively carry forward the superstructure upon the opening
of settled spring weather.
The administration of school affairs is well looked after
by Chairman O. D. Doane, S. B. Adams and G. A. Liebe,
directors, and George P. Morgan, school clerk.
Taken all in all, the public schools of The Dalles fairly ac
complish their purpose in the community, are appreciated
ACADEMY PARK SCHOOL.
by the citizens at their full worth, and creditably train the
youth of the city, distinguished as the Gateway of the In
land Empire.
John Gavin is serving his sixth year as principal of the
public schools of The Dalies. He was lorn and reared in
Greene county, 111., and attended the village school; began
teaching a country school along the Illinois river and con
tinued two years in the service of the district; next served
two ye a re in High school work at Roodhouse, 111., as as
sistant principal and the following four years was princi
pal of the same school. Before leaving his native state he
systematically devoted each summer vacation to profes
sional study, and graduated from the teacher's depart
ment of the Northern Indiana Normal school in August,
1887, and after a special course of study at Bushnell, 111.,
was granted a life certificate upon examination in August,
18S9. He was enrolled in the law department at Valpa
raiso, Ind., in 1891, but owing to eye trouble did not com
plete the work; was admitted to the Oregon bar" in 189G.
J. S. Landers, assistant principal of The Dalles public
schools, is an Illinoisan by birth. The close of the great
civil war marks the beginning of his existence, and the com
mon schools of his native state contributed to his educa
tion. The first eighteen years of his life were spent with his
parents on the farm, but the removal of the family to Van
burensburg, Illinois, caused a change in his earlier inclina
tions. He was installed as teacher in the village school,
and taught it successfully for four terms, his vacations
meanwhile being spent in further preparation for teaching.
In the spring of 1885 he entered the Northern Indiana
Normal School at Valparaiso, Indiana. Here he finished
the teachers' course the next year, and entered upon the
scientific course. This was completed with the highest hon
ors of a class of sixty-seven students.
After graduation, Mr. Landers returned to Illinois to
teach. During tne next eight years, he was engaged as
principal at Filmore, Irving and Mascontah, and had been
superintendent of the Astoria (Illinois) schools one year,
when he resigned to come to The Dalles. After one year as
assistant in the High school of The Dalles, on the resigna
tion of Prof. Gavin, he was elected principal of The Dalles
(schools, but resigned the position later in Prof. Gavin's fa
vor. Mr. Landers is well qualified for the position he holds
and is giving universal satisfaction.
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J. S. LANDERS.