Princeton Public Library - African American History

AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY, PRINCETON, NJ - 1850-1899

1894 School News
*The Princeton Press,* Sat., June 30, 1894:
WITHERSPOON STREET SCHOOL EXERCISES.
The closing exercises of the Witherspoon Street School took place in the A. M. E. Church Thursday afternoon at half past two o'clock. The building was entirely too small for the number who desired to enjoy the occasion. The pews, the aisles and the galleries were crowded as well as the doorways. The program was as follows: Prayer,.......Rev. I. W. L. Roundtree. Chorus, "Flower of Liberty,"...School. Instrumental Solo, "The Merry Prin- cess,"................Hattie Hall. Recitation--"Education," Annie Gordon. Recitation--"Good Advice," Mary ...........................Booker. Solo--"Learn to Live and Live to Learn,"...........Florence Easton. Piano Duet--"Vaillance Polka," Ed- ............ward and Annie Gordon. Recitation--"God Bless our Stars Forever,"..........Archie Scudder. Recitation--"I Won't Tell," Roger ...........................Gordon. Motion Song, Girls of the Primary .......................Department. Piano Solo--"Germania Waltz," Annie ...........................Gordon. Recitation--"Columbia's Reply," ...................Andrew Hageman. Dialogue--"The New Scholar," ....................Several girls. Exercise Song--"The Blacksmiths," .....................Several boys. Recitation--"An Inquisitive Cus- tomer,".............Annie Vansant. Solo--"Thank You, Pretty Cow," ....................Louisa Forman. Essay--"Idleness,"........Hattie Hall. Recitation--"A Little Boy's Troubles," ....................Reeve Robeson. Duet--"Speed Away,"..........Annie .........Gordon and Chester Davis. Exercise Song--"The Thunder Storm,"...Girls of the Interme- .................diate Department. Piano Solo--"Mary's Pet Waltz," .....................Edna Disbrow. Recitation--"The Smack in School," ......................Mabel Davis. Piano Duet--"Auf Wiedersehen Waltzes," Cora Davis, Maggie ..........................Vansant. {Leone Simpson. Motion Song, .........{Emma Long. {Rachel Vansant. Recitation--"The Modern Cain," ....................LeGrand Onque. Piano Solo--"Kiss Waltz," Edw. Gordon. Recitation--"Vacation,".....Birdie .......................Washington. Duet--"Long Time Ago,".......Annie .........Vansant and Annie Gordon. Recitation--"Regulus," Willie Robeson. Essay--"Faithfulness Necessary to Success,".............Sophia Hall. Solo--"When the Robins Nest...... Again,"................Cora Davis. Concert Recitation--"Excelsior,"... ...Girls of the Intermediate Dept. Distribution of Prizes. Presentation of Certificates. Closing Chorus,................School. Benediction,......Rev. Wm. D. Robeson. It was the general opinion that the exercises, as a whole, were better than in previous years. The distribution of prizes was made by the Rev. L. W. Mudge, D.D., who also gave a short address of congratulation to the school. Mr. A. P. Denny spoke explaining the nature of the prizes and the conditions of their bestowment, and called attention to the excellent piano, now it [sic] the possession of the school but not yet fully paid for and asked for contributions toward this object. The certificate of the Board of Education was given to Sophia Hall. Rev. Mr. Roundtree made an address speaking of the excellent work accomplished by the school and the influence of such educational advantages on the future of his race. The Witherspoon St. School of course does not compare in the number of scholars with the Model School nor do the scholars, as a rule, remain so long under the tuition of its teachers, but the school is evidently accomplishing good work and deserves, as it receives, the confidence of the community.

1894 School News

The Princeton Press, Sat., June 30, 1894:

WITHERSPOON STREET SCHOOL
EXERCISES.

The closing exercises of the Witherspoon Street School took place in the A. M. E. Church Thursday afternoon at half past two o'clock. The building was entirely too small for the number who desired to enjoy the occasion. The pews, the aisles and the galleries were crowded as well as the doorways. The program was as follows:

Prayer,.......Rev. I. W. L. Roundtree.
Chorus, "Flower of Liberty,"...School.
Instrumental Solo, "The Merry Prin-
    cess,"................Hattie Hall.
Recitation--"Education," Annie Gordon.
Recitation--"Good Advice," Mary
    ...........................Booker.
Solo--"Learn to Live and Live to
    Learn,"...........Florence Easton.
Piano Duet--"Vaillance Polka," Ed-
    ............ward and Annie Gordon.
Recitation--"God Bless our Stars
    Forever,"..........Archie Scudder.
Recitation--"I Won't Tell," Roger
    ...........................Gordon.
Motion Song, Girls of the Primary
    .......................Department.
Piano Solo--"Germania Waltz," Annie
    ...........................Gordon.
Recitation--"Columbia's Reply,"
    ...................Andrew Hageman.
Dialogue--"The New Scholar,"
    ....................Several girls.
Exercise Song--"The Blacksmiths,"
    .....................Several boys.
Recitation--"An Inquisitive Cus-
    tomer,".............Annie Vansant.
Solo--"Thank You, Pretty Cow,"
    ....................Louisa Forman.
Essay--"Idleness,"........Hattie Hall.
Recitation--"A Little Boy's Troubles,"
    ....................Reeve Robeson.
Duet--"Speed Away,"..........Annie
    .........Gordon and Chester Davis.
Exercise Song--"The Thunder
    Storm,"...Girls of the Interme-
    .................diate Department.
Piano Solo--"Mary's Pet Waltz,"
    .....................Edna Disbrow.
Recitation--"The Smack in School,"
    ......................Mabel Davis.
Piano Duet--"Auf Wiedersehen
    Waltzes," Cora Davis, Maggie
    ..........................Vansant.
                      {Leone Simpson.
Motion Song, .........{Emma Long.
                      {Rachel Vansant.
Recitation--"The Modern Cain,"
    ....................LeGrand Onque.
Piano Solo--"Kiss Waltz," Edw. Gordon.
Recitation--"Vacation,".....Birdie
    .......................Washington.
Duet--"Long Time Ago,".......Annie
    .........Vansant and Annie Gordon.
Recitation--"Regulus," Willie Robeson.
Essay--"Faithfulness Necessary to
    Success,".............Sophia Hall.
Solo--"When the Robins Nest......
    Again,"................Cora Davis.
Concert Recitation--"Excelsior,"...
    ...Girls of the Intermediate Dept.
Distribution of Prizes.
Presentation of Certificates.
Closing Chorus,................School.
Benediction,......Rev. Wm. D. Robeson.

It was the general opinion that the exercises, as a whole, were better than in previous years. The distribution of prizes was made by the Rev. L. W. Mudge, D.D., who also gave a short address of congratulation to the school.
Mr. A. P. Denny spoke explaining the nature of the prizes and the conditions of their bestowment, and called attention to the excellent piano, now it [sic] the possession of the school but not yet fully paid for and asked for contributions toward this object. The certificate of the Board of Education was given to Sophia Hall. Rev. Mr. Roundtree made an address speaking of the excellent work accomplished by the school and the influence of such educational advantages on the future of his race. The Witherspoon St. School of course does not compare in the number of scholars with the Model School nor do the scholars, as a rule, remain so long under the tuition of its teachers, but the school is evidently accomplishing good work and deserves, as it receives, the confidence of the community.

WITHERSPOON STREET SCHOOL. GRAMMAR DEPARTMENT. A Class.
Sophia Hall,	78 6
B Class.
Hattie Hall,	88 1	Florence Onque,	75 8
Willie Robeson,	85 0	Edna Disbrow,	75 4
Archie Scudder,	81 6	LeGrand Onque,	73 5
Carrie Lake,	80 5
C Class.
Willie Jones,	70 4
INTERMEDIATE DEPARTMENT. A Class.
Annie Vansant,	91 3	Jennie Coursey,	78 4
F. Robeson,	83 0
B Class.
Lulu Tillman,	81 0	Bennie Lambert,	72 0
Louisa Forman,	76 2	Lizzie Jackson,	70 0
Bessie Vansant,	74 0
C Class.
Johnnie Baker,	88 3	Reevie Robeson,	79 3
Helen Bunting,	85 4	Mabel Davis,	76 4
Chester Davis,	84 3	Mary Battell,	73 2
John Doughty,	81 1	Willie Miller,	72 3
PRIMARY DEPARTMENT. A Class.
Rose Nixon,	91 0	Clarence Nixon,	75 5
Victoria Vactor,	85 5	Douglas Irons,	73 7
George Schenck,	81 2	Mary Denny,	73 7
C. Hendrickson,	79 7	Florence Easton,	70 0
Lizzie Long,	78 7
B Class.
James Jackson,	79 3	Clara Watkins,	74 5
Mary Booker,	76 6
AWARD OF PRIZES.
Primary Department--Roger Gordon, 70 demerits, 1st prize, "New Chatterwell stories." Victoria Vactor, 89 demerits, 2d prize, "Worthington's Picture Album." Intermediate Department--Louisa Forman, 19 demerits, lst prize, "Paul and Virginia." Lizzie Jackson, 28 demerits, 2d prize, "Worthington's Annual." Grammar Department--Archie Scudder, 17 demerits, 1st prize, "Blue Jackets of '61." Birdie Washington, 20 demerits, 2d prize, "Lady Jane." First General Prize, Grammar Dept.--Hattie Hall, no demerits, ex. grade 88.1, Webster's Dictionary. Second General Prize, Grammar Dept.--Sophia Hall, no demerits, ex. grade 78.6, Longfellow's Poems.

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