Evening star. [volume], February 18, 1940, Page C-4, Image 34

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

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Half-Century Mark Reached by Western High School After Proud Service
aagg , • „ . •
ajja— ■ . I— » II ...I .———— ■■i— ' ■ ■■■ '
Notable List '
Of Graduates
Is Presented
Georgetown Made
Its Own Record
In Education
By John Clagett Proctor.
Georgetown is quite a place, his
torically and in many other respects.
But of all the things that it has been
noted for since a part of the Rock of
Dunbarton was laid off into building
lots in 1752, during the reign of King
George II, education has certainly
been one of its foremost, and as
early as 1780 we find the Rev. Dr.
Stephen Bloomer Balch renting a
little frame building which he used
as a schoolhouse during the week
and as a church on the Sabbath.
This modest structure, we are told,
was on the north side of M street,
near Thirty-third, where later stood
the carriage factory of Cook Sc Jar
boe. True, Dr. Balch did not do his
first preaching there, for, during the
preceding year, when he was passing
through Georgetown, he was invited
to preach, which he did several
times, in the German Lutheran
Church, a log building on the comer
of Wisconsin avenue and Q street,
then in the charge of Rev. Clement
Brooke, an Episcopal minister.
Dr. Balch was not only a pioneer
preacher in Georgetown, but one of
the earliest educators as well, and
no man did more for the advance
ment of religion, for the enligljtment
of the people, or for the uplift of the
citizen than did this worthy man
during the many years he filled the
pulpit in Georgetown.
Georgetown University, founded
In 1789, was not far behind Dr.
Balch’s school, though the former is
still with us and going forward with
flying colors, while the latter is only
recalled by the historian.
There were many early schools
west of Rock Creek; generally pay
schools, of course, but well worth
mentioning, anyhow. Of the private
schools, Richard P. Jackson men
tions the school taught by John
Kellenberger, which he states was
near the Bank of Columbia, and
James Graham, who taught in a
building on the lot where the resi
dence of Philip T. Berry stands.
Continuing, he mentions: "Matthew
McLeod, in a frame, building on Gay
street. The Rev. James Carnaghan
taught a classical school, of high
repute, until 1823, when Rev. James
McVean conducted his classical and
mathematical academy on West
street, which was afterward con
ducted by Rev. Mr. Simpson, from
1849 to 1857. Miss Lydia English
taught a ladies’ seminary at the
corner of Washington and Gay
streets. William R. Abbot conducted
a classical academy on West street
until his death in 1852. A Lancas
terian school was conducted by the
Jate Robert Ould on Beall street,
Jn the building occupied by the late
McKenney Osbourn. A school was
also taught on High street by John
McLeod: also, at another period of
time, by Rev. William Allen. A la
dies’ school was also conducted by
Miss Searle, and a military academy
by Capt. Cobb, on Prospect Hill.”
During the next few months West
ern High School oftir ils, teachers
and students are going to celebrate
the 50th anniversary of that school,
^culminating with a banquet at the
Mayflower Hotel on May 2. In this
'connection it might be interesting
to many to trace briefly the George
town public schools from the be
ginning of the Lancasterian system
down to the period of the high
.school.
Originated Abroad.
This early system was introduced
-In New York in 1806, having been
originated abroad by Dr. Andrew
Bell, a Scotsman, in 1787, and per
fected by Joseph Lancaster at a
later date. In 1810 the Corporation
of Georgetown decided to try out
this system of education, and
erected, in 1811, the building which
is still standing at 3126 O street,
as a school house.
-• Here George Dashiell became the
first teacher and, as shown in a
report published October 8, 1811, he
proved a very successful and com
petent instructor, and it was he who
suggested a similar school in Wash
ington. However, for some obscure
‘reason, Mr. Dashiell was succeeded
by Robert Ould, who was sent out
by Mr. Lancaster to take charge
Of this school, and it was not long
before he had as many as 350
pupils, all in a single room, although
-:e7ew years later, in a report dated
November 8,1815, it was stated that
‘‘Georgetown has built a com
mtxflous and comfortable house for
Hh«f' Lancasterian School, in which
more than 600 children are taught,
At top: The first graduating cjfiss of Western High School,
1893. Front row, left to right? MfnbsMountz,Daisy Sobyom,
Bessie Davidson, S. Duncan Bradley, president of the class; Mabel
Almina French, Faith Lynch, Sally Smith Cox. Second row from
front, Isabelle Turkenton, Mabel Whitcomb, George R. Linkins,
Beatrice Laura Pelz. May O'Neal, Guy Elliot Davis, Carolyn Clay ■
Rittenhouse, Violet Fassett, Laura Belle Willett, Temple Langford
Perry. Third row, Maria Tavenner, Cora Henrietta Pimper, Ivah
Maude Bennett, Lewis Harvie Taylor, Mary Jane Moore, Mamie
Whelpley Lightfoot, Mary Edith Leetch, Lucy Walton Falls, Vir
ginia Brown, Natalie Baldwin Huntington, Nellie May Ossire,
Edward Osborne Craig. Standing at back, J. Hawley Taussig,
Jessie W. Rawlings, Arthur L. Benkert. Above: Miss Edith C.
Westcott, first principal of Western High School.
and from which instructors have
been sent forth and are now dis
seminating education from this
alma mater throughout the United
States.”
A much later Georgetown school
was the Threlkeld, located on the
northeast corner of Thirty-sixth
and Prospect streets. The former
had once been known as Gay street,
and, still later, as Lingan street.
The school was named for John
Threlkeld, one of Georgetown's early
Mayors.
School on High Street.
Another old Georgetown public
school, remembered no doubt by
many an early resident, was the
High Street School, at the junction
of what was once High and Market
streets, now Wisconsin avenue and
Thirty-third street. This building
was of frame construction, 58 by 30
feet, with basement and two stories.
The contract for its erection was
awarded to Mr. Simms in May, 1860,
and the school was opened In Sep
tember, 1863.
But Georgetown did not have an
up-to-date public school building
until the Curtis building was erected
in 1875, at a cost of nearly $100,000.
However, even this building, which
stands on O street between Wiscon
sin avenue and Thirty-third street,
was not used entirely for school pur
poses, since space was set aside for
the Peabody Library and the Lin
thicum Institute. And here also wks
The Curtis School building, first home of Western Hiffh School, 1890 to 1898.
h---■■■ ■■—— -■-—__•
the headquarters of the fifth school
division, the supervising principal
being Bernard T. Janoefc.
Hiis Well-known educator died in’
1916. His public school career began
in Brightwood, where he taught until
1874, when he went to Georgetown,
and when the system there was con
solidated with the Washington sys
tem proper he was made supervising
principal, which position he held
continuously until the time of his
death. He was a member of the
Association of the Oldest Inhabitants,
and undoubtedly had much to do
with bringing the Western High
School to the West End.
Future, Prospects.
In his report of June 30, 1889, Mr.
Janney had this to say regarding the
prospect of obtaining a high school
for the fifth division:
“The new building to be erected
on U street in this division will be
beautifully located. Its comparative
isolation makes it well adapted for
the nucleus of a high school or a
branch of the existing one. There
are pupils in the high school now,
graduates, from the eighth grades
bare for the last three years, and 54
candidates for the coming year, all
of whomfwfe or will have to walk
oter two miles to school and two
back, making four miles a day, with
an armful of bodes, or pay two car
fares, at a cost of nearly 50 cents
per week.
“The time required in going to
and from the present high school
each day, whether on foot or in the
cars, is at least one and a half hours,
in all sorts of weather.
“It seems that the establishment
of such a school in this division
next year would be wise.”
The Western High Schod became
a reality in 1890, and Miss Edith C.
Westcott was assigned as its princi
pal. It began its career with an
enrollment of 54 students, which in
creased during the first month to 64,
but, before the year had ended, had
dropped back to its original number
of students.
For eight years it occupied quar
ters in the Curtis Building and went
to its present site, at Thirty-fifth
and R streets, in 1898, when its
opening was celebrated on October
29 by the rendering of an impres
sive oratorical and musical program.
Always of interest is the first
graduating class of an educational
institution, and to the columns of
The Star of June 22,1893, the writer
is indebted for the list of those
Georgetown girls and boys who re
ceived their diplomas on that event
ful evening at Convention Hall,
Fifth and K streets, over the
market. All the high school chil
dren of the city received their
awards upon this occasion, but just
now our interest is centered on
Western, and their graduates, as
follows:
vlvan Maude Bennett, Virginia
Brown, Sally Smith Cox, Bessie Da
vidson, Lucy Walton Falls, Violet
Fassett, Mabel Almina French, Rose
Bernard Heitman, Natalie Baldwin
Huntington, Mary Edith Leetch,
Mamie Whelpley Lightfoot, Mary
Jane Moore, Agnes May Muntz, May
O’Neal, Nellie May Ossire, Beatrice
Laura Pelz, Temple Langford Perry,
Miss Ivah Maude Bennett
(Mrs. L T. Jones), first grad
uate of Western High School.
Cora Henrietta Pimper, Carolyn
Clay Rittenhouse; Mayday . Solydom
Bella Willett, Arthur L. Benkert,
S. Duncan Bradley, B* Osberne
Crai*, Guy Elliott Davis, George R.
Linking, Jesse Weems Rawlings,
J. Hawley Taussig, Lewis Harvie
Taylor.
Notable Occasion.
This was certainly a great occa
sion for those .who tyok such a
praiseworthy part in it.
The president of the Board of
Commissioners, John W. Ross, pre
sided, and J. T. Mitchell, president
of the Board of Trustees, gave an
introductory address. Gen. Leonard
C Wood, wno commanded the
Rough Riders when they went to
Cuba with the famous ‘Teddy” as
his lieutenant colonel, and who
came near being selected in place of
Gen. Pershing to command the ex
peditionary forces in the World War,
delivered the address of the eve
ning, the diplomas being presented
by Col. Myron M. Parker, whc? was
one of the District Commissioners at
that time.
But, although the combined com
mencement at Convention Hall did
not meet with the disapproval of the
Georgetown students, yet they evi
dently wanted just a little home
affair of their own, and so, on the
day preceding the big affair at Con
Mr. Fields Hands Out Some Helpful Advice to Anxious Mothers on Care of Babies
By W. C. Fields.
Rarely a day passes that I do not
receive letters from anxious mothers
soliciting my advice and counsel on
the care of their nippers. Only last
Sunday morning I was reading one
of these pathetic missives as I
trudged down to the cellar in search
of a eucalyptus log. (I always keep
a supply of these on hand in case
I contract a dry throat.)
The letter was from one Mrs. O.
Waldo Pearlfender and it read, in
part: “What can we do with our
3-year-old Junior? He becomes
positively violent whenever we try
to give him a bath."
It was an interesting coincidence
that just at the moment I was read
ing those lines my gaze fell on an
old washing machine—ball-bearing
with a rutaper crank—which I bought
for Mrs F. as a wedding present.
It is outmoded now, but it was con
sidered a whiz in its day. Mrs. F.
was very proud of it and often
sobbed audibly with sentiment as
she heaved at the crank.
But, gentle readers, the point is
that the moment I viewed that noble
engine, I knew what I would write
to Mrs. Pearlfender. “My dear Mrs.
P.,” I would caution her, “due to
an unfortunate experience of my
own, I have come to the conclusion
that bathing children too often is
apt to be extremely dangerous.”
Used Washing Machine,
qnly too well do I remember the
heartbreaking incident that oc
curred when my nephew Kermit
came to live with us 20 years ago.
During the first month we tried to
put the little fellow in the bathtub
twice. Once he stuck his baby fbot
down my throat and on another
occasion, in my eye. Ultimately
Mis. F. and I seized him unawares
and emptied him into the washing
machine. Mrs. F. then fell to at
the crank, and little Kermit bounded
about in the vat with a heart-warm
ing rattle. We repeated this treat
ment several times with good results.
Alas, one day while Mrs. 7. was
doing yeoman’s work at the crank,
I was called to the telephone and
forgot to tell her when to atop. Half
an hour later I deaeended to the
1 cellar. "Halt!" I cried, and snatched i
the cover off the vat. Too late!
The soapy water had shrunk Kermlt
to the size of my grandfather's
beaver hat. H I had not had the
presence of mind to run him hastily
through the wringer, thereby bring
ing him back to his normal height,
he might have spent the rest of
his life as a midget with the circus.
While still phrasing my answer to
Mrs. P. in my mind, I found a suit
able eucalyptus log and started for
the stairs. My eye lit once more
on the trusty washing machine, and
I speculated sadly on the fact that
the women of today must dress and
taxi to gymnasium clubs for their
exercise. There they must content
themselves with a rowing machine,
or tossing a medicine ball, which
is much heavier than a basket of
wash, and more awkard, having no
handles.
I was just about to mount the
stairs when the doorbell rang vio
lently. When I opened the front
door, there stood Mrs. Neville Pratt,
a friend of long standing. I in
vited her into my tastefully-ar
ranged sitting room and sat her
down on our horse-hair sofa. I
stood silent as she gazed blankly
at the opposite wall, where hung
a stuffed giant sardine under glass,
bagged by a distant relative of my
family.
Weeps Over Brace.
“I suppose you wonder why I
come to you at this unearthly
hour?” she whispered hoarsely.
She had me flummoxed. Does
she want to borrow the lawn mow
er? I asked myself.
She spoke again: "It is about
our little Nkthaniel. Last Wednes
day we had the brace taken off his
teeth, and he has wept bitterly ever
since. What, Mr. Helds, oh, what
are we to do?”
"Madam!” I cried, deeply shocked,
‘Do ycv mean to tell me you have!
no comprehension of the child
mind? Without his brace' he feels
positively undressed!”
You see, my friends, it takes only
a little discernment to solve the
problems of youth. Understanding
that comes of a willingness to en
ter into ****** thoughts ***** feelings
sw -
—even Into their games. Nothing
could illustrate this better than an
experience I had several years ago.
During a very hot August I was
entrusted with the care of my
little godson Nesbit, and every day
I would take him for a stroll in an
improvised carriage made from a
soap box, the sides of which were
emblazoned with a well-known
manufacturer’s name.
One especially warm afternoon I
placed Nesbit in the soapbox and
wheeled him down to the neighbor
hood tobacconist. As we approached
the gutter on the far side of the
street, I doffed mv hat to a young
lady whom I felt sure I knew. My
heel caught on a banana peeL I
lurched forward, bearing down oil
the handle of the makeshift go
cart. Little Nesbit catapulted Into
the air and I toppled face-first Into
his perambulator.
W. C. ruidt damomtrating hit gnat MU In Via ear a of
babiw. ' —Pout Mam Photo.
A precipitous hill was before me;
11 was in a desperate situation. It
called for calm nerves and grit. As
a boy I was nicknamed “Gritty” by
my playmates. As I bumped wildly
over the cobblestones I noticed
many little boys plunging downhill
in contraptions similar to mine.
Suddenly a strong breeze whisked
my white derby hat into the middle
of the street. A horse stepped on
it. I was bereft of the last vestige
of dignity.
Upon my arrival at the bottom of
the hill a gentleman with a flag
raised my right hand, patted me on
the back and shouted, “The winner
of the Soapbox Derby!” I said,
“This is a soapbox all right but I’ve
lost my derby.” The crowd roared
with laughter and applauded the
clever rejoinder for fully 15 minutes.
Newspaper photographers were
flashing bulbs all about me. Women
tossed Jewelry. Then another
official stalked to the fore and
rasped, “This little rosy-nosed lad
looks more than 6 to me.” So, sub
sequently, I was disqualified as
being overage (I still think I might
have gotten away with it had I had
the presence of mind to ditch my
cigar). But the resultant publicity
made a deep impression on the
housewives all over the nation. They
realized I was a man who under
stood the child mind.
That is why, as I previously
stated, rarely a day passes that I do
not receive letters from busy
mothers asking me to take care of
their babies for them, offering the
union rate of 40 cents an hour.
Naturally it would be Impossible
for a busy man like myself to In
terrupt my researches at the neigh
borhood race trade for even one
afternoon, so into each reply en
velope I slip a brief compendium of
hints dealing with the most trouble
some problems in bringing up chil
dren. X regard it as my master
piece, and out of pure bigness of
heart I reprint a bit of It herewith
for the benefit of my readers. -
EXCERPTS PROM THE FIELDS
FLAN (SERIES D).
Problem of Xhet-^A child should
never he given M*e kmmlrtee or
com on the cob until the first little
toofums have appeared.
Problem of Sleep.—Until a tot is
at least 3 it should be packed off to
bed by midnight, even though the
party may be just getting really
started. It should be warmly cov
ered and have plenty of fresh air.
I hesitate, however, to advise that
a child sleep outdoors. I tried this
practice several times myself, but
never got a decent night’s sleep
policemen were forever waking me
up and cautioning me to git goin’.
Problem of Christmas.—When a
lad is about 8 he is apt to become
quarrelsome on Christmas Day and
insist on playing with his new elec
tric trains. Fathers should be very
firm in such cases, asking the boy
or girl who he thinks paid for the
trains anyway — Santa Claus?
(Young ladies have taken me for
Safita on so many occasions I'm
beginning to hate the name.)
Problem of Education—It is im
portant for boy children, at least, to
learn to count money at the age of
4, since it is high time that they
were out selling papers. If small
for its age the child can sell tab
loids.
Problem of Difficult Questions—As
a child grows from infancy to ado
lescence it will, from time to time,
belabor you with a series of baf
fling questions. To lessen the bur
den an the American parent, I pick
three of the knottiest questions and
supply Fields-tested, foolproof re
plies. '
1. Question (occurring at the age
of 4, about 2 am. in the morning)—
Daddy, can I have a glass of water?
Answer—Certainly, sonny boy, if
you’ll bring me one, too.
2. Question (age 10)—Daddy, why
were you kissing the maid last night?
Answer—It’s a tarradiddle—a fib!
Besides, she mistook me for the
plumber.
2. Question (age U, the day be
fore the big football game)—DEAR
GOVERNOR 8 TOP AM STRAPPED
STOP CAN YOU WIRE TWENTY
DOLLARS?
Answer—NO STOP MALI PAR*
KMT. ••
The cadet corps of 1910 on
the campus of Western High
School.
vention Hall, there was presented at
the Curtis School an Informal pro
gram that, so It is said, “for excel
lence could hardly be rivaled.” This
entertainment was held in the large
class room, formerly Curtis Hall, and
was intended as "a farewell exhibi
tion of talent.”
Miss Westcott, Principal.
Miss Edith C. Westcott, the first
principal of Western, built up a
school that compared with any high
school of the District, and upon this
particular occasion she was right
fully proud of her boys and girls
whom she was naturally very much
interested in. and who. undoubtedly,
had an affectionate regard for her.
This worthy woman is said to
have been the first to introduce into
Washington schools the gymnasium,
the lunch room, periodical confer
ences with parents and finally the
Parent-Teacher Association. Prom
a class of 54 pupils in 1890, she left
a school of 800 scholars and 25
teachers, after serving Western for
24 years.
It was during the latter part of
Miss Westcott’s administration that
this school was severely damaged by
fire, which occurred on April 24,
1914. It was an early morning
blaze, first being noticed shortly
after midnight. Chief Wagner,
known to many Washingtonians of
doubtful age, was there with all the
fire-fighting apparatus he could
muster, as was Fire Marshal Nichol
son. A shortage of water favored
the fire and retarded the efforts of
the Fire Department .with the re
sult that considerable damage was
done before the blaze was got un
der control.
Quarter-Century Service.
Dr. Elmer S. Newton, who suc
ceeded Miss Westcott as principal,
and has filled this position so ac
ceptably for about a quarter of a
century, is a very delightful gentle
man to meet, and through his good
offices the writer was able to meet
one of his assistants. Miss Irene
Rice, who proved obliging and help
ful.
Dr. Newton entered the public
school service as a teacher of chem
istry and served in this capacity
some years before being promoted
to his present post. He is an alum
nus of Amherst University, and a
classmate of the late President
Calvin Coolidge and Dwight Mor
row.
During the half century that
Western High School has been in
existence, many young folk have
been graduated, who later achieved
distinction in the many activities
of life. Naturally, we, of Wash
ington, are always proud of our
fine men and women, and we Ilka
to single them out, not only for
home consumption, but also that
outsiders might see the kind of men
and women whom we turn out
from our publio schools, of which
there are no better.
Of course the list of distinguished
alumni here given is not complete,
and if time permitted ever so many
other names could well be added, all
equally as honorable and distin
guished, but the following limited
number must suffice for the time
being:
Ruth M. Stauffer, head of the de
partment of English of the District
of Columbia public schools; Robert
L. Haycock, first assistant superin
tendent of District of Columbia
schools; Sibyl Baker, director, Com
munity Center activities of the Dis
trict of Columbia; Herbert E. Win
lock, director emeritus, Metropoli
tan Museum of Art; Thomas Hart
Benton, Missouri, famous artist;
Robert M. La Follette, jr„ United
States Senator, Wisconsin; Mrs.
Winifred Mason Huck, former mem
ber of Congress from Chicago;
Frank Havener, member of Con
gress from California; William Rad
ford Coyle, former member of Con
gress; Ernest G. Draper, member
of the Board of Governors of the
Federal Reserve Board; George L.
Harrison, president, Federal Re
serve Bank of the New York dis
trict; Robert V. Fleming, president,
Riggs National Bank; Harry C.
Blanton, Federal judge; Eastern
Missouri district, St. Louis; Wnw
Louis Kayser, dean of university
students and professor of European
history, George Washington Uni
versity; Berge Korff, fellow of Car
negie Institute, working in
rays; Admiral Josefti K. Taussig,
United. States Navy commandant,
Fifth Naval District, Norfolk; Ad
miral Bruce L. Canaga, U. 8. N,
once advisory chief of staff to min
ister of marin# in Peru: Maj. Gen.
Thomas Boloomb. commandant.
United States Marine Corps;
Charles W. Pirn per, president, Se
curity Storage Co.; Marjorie mnw*n
Rawlings, awarded Pulltser Prise In
fiction, 1939; Fulton Lewis, jr.. news
commentator, and Sylvia Meyer,
harpist with the National Symphony
Oramtam.