458 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



tions may be made for these states as are found necessary after the 

 proposed system of education has been put into operation in the states 

 where the great masses of negro population are found. Counting Mary- 

 land, there are practically 500,000 square miles of this country that 

 are densely populated with colored people. 



One schoolhouse for each sixteen square miles would make the 

 average distance about a mile that each child would have to walk. In 

 no case would this distance be as great as three miles. This is seen by 

 forming a square, each side being four miles, and by placing the 

 school house in the center of the square. These buildings, however, 

 may be placed nearer together or farther apart according to the density 

 of the population. 



A schoolhouse with grounds may be secured for $500, which property 

 may be kept in repairs with funds mentioned later. Teachers in most 

 localities may be readily secured at $40 per month and six days per 

 week, so that the expenditure below may be regarded as quite suffi- 

 cient. 



A teacher at $50 per month for ten months — $500. His time may 

 be divided between two schoolhouses, he teaching five months at the 

 one and five months at the other, or he might teach alternate days at 

 either schoolhouse, in which case he should live about halfway between 

 the two. In the latter case, which seems preferable, the pupil has less 

 time to forget what he has already acquired and besides he may be of 

 considerable service to his parents. 8 



Beginning at eight years old, the child should be required to attend 

 school six years. If it attends school a longer time, payments for the 

 same should be made. This money may be used to help in part to 

 keep the schoolhouse in repairs. 



About thirty thousand schoolhouses are necessary for the above 

 area of territory. These houses would require an initial expenditure of 

 $15,000,000. All of this sum need not be used at one time, as it will 

 take several years for the consummation of the system and in the 

 building of the houses. The yearly expenditure for the thirty thousand 

 teachers, fuel, etc., at say $250 per house is $7,500,000. This is about 

 the cost of jpne battleship. 



In the six years of primary study these children may learn good 

 behavior, discipline, reading, writing, arithmetic, geography, spelling, 

 elementary grammar, elementary history, something about farming. 

 The average pupil in the primary school will for ages to come be more 

 adapted to working the land than for any other occupation. The ex- 



8 A successful system is in operation in the University of Cincinnati among 

 some of the engineering students, who spend alternate weeks at the university 

 and at their employers' factories. These students are thus able in six years to 

 earn their way through the engineering course. 



