months for each school, though some of them were kept open eight months. They were located at places as follows, viz: Wilmington, (normal,) New Castle County; Wilmington, (primary,) New Castle County; Dover, Kent County; Seaford, Sussex County; Smyrna, Kent County; Christiana, New Castle County; Odessa, New Castle County; Laurel, Sussex County; New Castle, New Castle County; Newark, New Castle County; Delaware City, New Castle County; Camden, Kent County; Newport, New Castle County; Summit Bridge, Kent County; Mount Pleasant, Kent County; Dutch Neck, Kent County; Slaughter Neck, Sussex County; Frederica, Kent County; Fieldsborough, New Castle County; Middletown, Kent County. NUMBER OF SCHOOLS IN OPERATION. "This fall we have six schools open: at Wilmington, 1; Middletown, 1; Odessa, 1; Mount Pleasant, 1; Summit Bridge, 1; Dutch Neck, 1. We hope to open about half-adozen more the 1st of December. Money is very hard to be obtained by the colored people. They receive their wages mostly in produce and groceries. The association has not funds to sustain the schools, and the colored people exerted themselves to the utmost to meet expenses last year; and this year are unable to do very much for schools. "The teachers' board was paid by the colored people themselves in all cases except in those of the Wilmington schools. The salaries of the teachers was $12 per month, which was paid in part by this association and in part by the colored people, the association paying from $3 to $6 per month according to the necessity of the people. However, at Middletown, Newark, and Fieldsborough and New Castle the colored people themselves paid both board and salary. The whole number of pupils enrolled at any one time was 1,040. The largest average any one month was about 800. MONEY RECEIVED FROM WILMINGTON AUTHORITIES. The board of education of this city has appropriated and paid over to the treasurer of this association, recently, $1,000, to be used for the support of the Wilmington schools f but this is an inadequate sum to meet expenses. Sorry that I cannot, on account of the short notice, give you a fuller statement, I respectfully submit this. General JOHN EATON, Washington, D. C. А. С. РЕСКНАМ, Actuary Delaware Association. SCHOOL ATTENDANCE AND ILLITERACY. We are indebted to General Francis A. Walker, Superintendent of the United States Census, for the following table of school attendance and illiteracy for the State of Delaware. *The population of the State, as given by the United States Census for 1870, was 125,015, of whom 22,794 are colored. Total. Native. CANNOT WRITE. Foreign. FLORIDA. The information from this State is meager. Education encounters fearful obstacles. Hon. T. K. Beecher has been appointed superintendent to fill the vacancy occasioned by the death of Hon. C. Thurston Chase. The reports received by him have not been such as to furnish in season the information which he desires to forward for use in this report. We give the following extracts from the report of the trustees of the Peabody fund which, with the census returns of school attendance and illiteracy, furnish the only data in the possession of this Bureau, relating to the educational matters of the State: PEABODY FUND. [From the report of Hon. B. Sears, of February, 1871.] By the new school law approved January 30, 1869, but not put in operation by establishing schools till near the end of the year, the governor appoints, the senate approving, the superintendent of instruction and the county superintendents. There is a State board of education similar to that of Virginia. Each county constitutes a school district, over which is placed a board of instruction, composed of not more than five members, who are recommended by the representatives of the county, but appointed by the State superintendent. The population is too sparse to admit of the ordinary district or township plan. On the 1st of May last, 26 counties out of 39 were reported as having organized their boards, and opened schools. These schools, 250 in number, with an attendance of 7,500 pupils, were to be supported partly by the State tax, and partly by the county tax. The former, which was hardly sufficient to maintain schools for two or three months, was greatly reduced at a special session of the legislature, held after the schools had commenced, and the latter, always variable and uncertain, was, in most instances, too inconsiderable to furnish any sufficient relief. In many towns, however, the schools were kept up by means of private enterprise and liberality. This was the more necessary from the fact that private schools had very generally been merged in free schools. Contributions from the Peabody fund have been made to the following towns: Tallahassee.-The West Florida Seminary, at this place, was converted into a public school last year, and made free to all. Our donation was $1,000, which is continued for the present year. The president of the board, under date of June 21, 1870, writes: "For the first time we have been enabled to have a free school for both sexes. It has worked well. Minor schools have been broken up, and, by consolidation, we have been able to employ an efficient corps of teachers, who would devote themselves exclusively to their several departments." St. Augustine has the same appropriation as last year, namely, $1,000. Dr. Bronson, the superintendent, writing October 14, 1870, says: "The school has been opened, and is now in suceessful operation. I am quite sure there is not so good a school in the State. The expense to me has been large, and I should like all the aid you can give.” The writer, though sending no children to the school, gave it $500 the first year. The mayor, in acknowledging the receipt of the money contributed by the Peabody fund, remarks: "Our school has been a great success, for which we are much indebted to yourself and Dr. Bronson." Key West.-The county superintendent writes: "We have in the city, now in operation, two public free schools, one white of 216 scholars, and one colored of 172. We have raised for school purposes $2,500, and shall probably raise more by subscription. We shall open more schools as soon as our means will allow. We are endeavoring to make our schools first-class graded schools." I have promised the city $1,000, on condition that the schools be continued ten months, and not less than seven teachers employed. At Gainesville is the East Florida Seminary, with a primary department, which is adopted as the public school. For 100 pupils in this school we pay $300; and for a colored school of 200 we pay the same amount. The board of trustees informed me that while the primary department, supported by the county and by the Peabody fund, was in a flourishing condition, the other department, depending on the State aid, will probably be obliged to stop unless we can afford it some additional assistance. The teachers receive their salaries in State scrip, which is worth only 23 cents on the dollar. The board, therefore, applied for a special appropriation of $400 in addition to the $600 already proffered. It is believed that with this aid, in a time of extreme exigeney, the seminary can safely rely on its regular support from the State in the future. It has educated many of the teachers now employed in the public schools; and the new appropriation asked for was heartily recommended by Superintendent Chase just before his death. It was made accordingly. "The schools of Pensacola," observes the county superintendent, in his letter asking for help, "are public free schools, and properly graded as far as is practicable, and the instruction is the best we can get. We employ five teachers, with accommodations for 250 or 300 pupils, and there is no doubt but that we shall have that number." This application was approved by the State superintendent, and a donation of $600 was aceordingly made to continue the schools through the year. From Monticello I received the following representation: "Our public school has recently closed its second year under the present management, with a very thorough and satisfactory examination. We desire to carry on school as we have done under the impetus given by you, and to offer to every white child in the county of Jefferson a thorough English education. Can we rely upon the aid we have thus far received from the Peabody fund? We have already raised more than half of our usual subscription, and if we can receive the assurance of aid from you, it will do much to stimulate the generosity of our own people." The request was complied with, and $700 appropriated as formerly. For a public school in Madison the late Superintendent Chase made arrangements according to the instructions given him, pledging $500 from our fund. He said, "The best and most intelligent citizens unite in the proposed plan.” The school at Lake City receives $500, under the same circumstances and on the same conditions as heretofore. To the city of Quincy the sum of $600 was given for a school of 216 pupils, to be instructed by four teachers. Owing to the unfortunate act of the legislature, passed during the session of the school, reducing the tax, the teachers could not be paid their full salaries. A controversy which arose between the committee and the teachers, and a consequent dissatisfaction among the people, resulted in a diminished attendance. Ocala has an excellent colored school of over 100 pupils, kept ten months, under the supervision of the county superintendent. It occupies a spacious building, erected by the Freedmen's Bureau, and is designed to be a school of high character. We contribute $200 towards its support. In Apalachicola a good colored school of 100 pupils, which was under the supervision of the county superintendent, received a donation of $200. List of officers in the department of public instruction of Florida, Hon. Charles Beecher, superintendent, Tallahassee. Post-offices. Gainesville. Abe's Spring's Bluff. Lake City. White Springs. No. 5, J. P. & M. R. R. Uchecanna. Vernon. We are indebted to General Francis A. Walker, Superintendent of the Ninth Census, for the following tables in advance of his forthcoming report: |