BANCROFT 
 LIBRARY 
 
 •O 
 
 THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
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 IVIicrosoft Corporation 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/educationinnewmeOOnewmrich 
 

 EDUCATION IN NEW MEXICO. 
 
 // ^ 
 
 -jr:hie'(d:rt 
 
 OF 
 
 HON. Vv^. G. RITCH 
 
 TO THE 
 
 COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION. 
 
 M'or the year 18^4. 
 
 SANTA FE, N. M. 
 
 MANDERFIELD &; TUCKER, Pkintkrs. 
 
 JS'eto Mexican Office. 
 
—2^ 
 
 The FITRST AUTH-ORITATIVE ACTION 
 
 -fwfavor of public schools in New Mexico, as appears froilP 
 th€ journals of the proviuciai and departmental junt s of the* 
 territory was April 27th, 18*22, immediately folio win<yf the 
 war for the independence ot Mexico. These bodies at that?- 
 timo passed a concurrent resolution declariiJg- it the duty, and 
 that the provisional governmjent would, provide means for 
 the education of the youth of the province. Brevoort, iu a 
 pamphlet recently issued on Kew Mexico, says in this c^n- 
 nection: — "Those bodies regularly made provision for the 
 education of the youth of the country in primary education. 
 They donor appear to have ever established any ii stitution 
 of learning here, or indeed to have contemplated giving any 
 but an ekrmentary education to the youth. The salaries pro- 
 vided for the teachers were small, ^nd those at tha capital 
 were paid from the public treasury hy appropriation, while 
 iu the diiferent jurisdictional pcn^tidos, into wiiich the coun- 
 fry was divided, the prefects thereof were required to see 
 that schools were provided; and w^ere maintained by local 
 taxation or fvcm. a retained portion of the revenue collected 
 for the general treasury." Here, it is w^ell to remark, that the 
 peons, or slaves, w^hich until the emancipation proclaniat on 
 constituted a majority of the population, of course i-eceived 
 no benetit of even of these primitive advantages, nor have we 
 a right to suppose in this sparcely settled country that theser 
 advantages extended much beyond the county scats and 
 towns of some size. The writer continues: *'But since t lie 
 change of government at that time, and the inauguration of 
 new" laws, usages and customs, the state, until within the last 
 three or four years, had ceased in New" Mexico to atford any 
 encouragement whatever to the education of the rising gene- 
 ration in the Territory, whose legislatures have allow ul one 
 generation at least to grow up without any provision, so far 
 as they are concerned for its education." 
 
 The present school law, the substance of which was set forth 
 in mv last annual report, was enacted b, the legislature of 
 1871-72. This 
 
 LAW WAS SLIGHTHY MODIFED 
 
 by the last legislature, but is still very far short of a good 
 practical school law and very far short of what the intelligent 
 peo])le of the territory have a right to expect. The act of 
 73-74 provides for annual reports from the Supervisors and 
 Directors of public schools to the Territorial Superintendent;: 
 and from the Superintendent to the Governor. Said report 
 to contain the ''number of schools," with the number of 
 ••pupils taught"; the ^'number of teachers, male and female", 
 with salary; the number of /'pupils in each precinct" with 
 '•average attendance"; and the '^branches taught." "In case 
 of the sickness, or inability of any of the members of the- 
 board of supervisors, to fulfill tJunr duties," the president of 
 the board is "authorized to discharge the duties and exercise* 
 the power oi the board of the county." Per diem of board; 
 fixed at $3, payable out of the county funds. 
 
— 3— 
 
 The Siipcrinteiident of public schools is made ex-officio 
 Territorial Librarian, vested with the duties and to receiver 
 the ^^emoliiments." This would give the otficer a salary of 
 $300 per year for the performance of the duties of tlie two of- 
 fices. Stationery and blanks are also provided. 
 
 In this connection it may also be stated that the list of 
 exemptions from taxation were reduced and a stringent law 
 enacted for the enforcement of the collection of taxes. 
 
 The latter enactments, if properly enforced, could scarcely 
 fail of materially increasing the amount of the school fund. 
 It may also be remarked that the Governor has, thus ihv 
 failed to appoint a Territorial Superintendent under the new 
 law. It is obvious that the j-adical defect of the law, in not 
 vesting proper authority in the superintendent, and the beg- 
 garly pittance of a salary, are sufHcient cause, for the failure 
 to appoint. No person, who possesses the proper experience 
 and ability to till the duties of the office in the present un- 
 organized condition of the schools of 1:he territory; to say 
 nothing of performing other duties required, can accomplish 
 anything at all satisfactory under the law or for a moment 
 afford to accept it on the salary, in this land of high prices and 
 expensive travelling over magnificent distancee. The moral 
 grandure of the position certainly would be a rather poor 
 compensation. 
 
 The present condition of the schools, 
 
 is represented in iha following tabular statement for the 
 vear 1874. 
 
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--5— 
 
 Total No. private schools 31, number of children in at- 
 tendance 988, No. of teachers 68, English or Spanish — 7 E. 
 U E. <fe S. 10 S. School fund, $48,118. 
 
 Pueblo Indian schools 8, number of children in atten- 
 dance 170, number of Teacliers 10, teachers wages $50, per 
 month, English school, fund $5,277. 
 
 Grand Total, Number of schools, 167, number of 
 children in attendance 6578, number of teachers 221, English 
 or Spanish— 24 E. 45 E. &>. S. 98 S. school fund $81,918.34. 
 
 The above statement lacks two counties of making a com- 
 plete showing of the present condition of education. The 
 statement given is based on authenticated returns from the 
 respective counties represented; and so far, is as reliable as 
 it is possible in the present unorganized state, for^ obtaining 
 statistics. The funds, of several counties stated, is only the 
 available fund; the amount being partly for the uncollected 
 tax of last year; and so much as was collected this year, at 
 the time the reports were made respectively. 
 
 Educational Progress. 
 
 Casually viewed, educational progress will hardly be ad- 
 mitted. A close examination and a philosophical view of the 
 situation in {^11 its bearings is doubtless necessary to discover 
 progress during the past year. From inform:ition gleaned 
 from the rejjorts, Jrom private sources and from the press, 
 we tind sufficient to warrant tiie belief, that there has been sub- 
 stantial progress in the cause ot popular education. No 
 small item is a growing belief aiuong the people that schools 
 are a necessity; and a demand for them beyond the ability of 
 schools boards to meet the expense with the present fund. 
 While the number of schools and the attendance is not ma- 
 terially different from tliat stated in my last annual report, 
 there is, in the counties reported, a reduction in the ratio ot 
 teachers to pupils ot ten per cent; making an average of one 
 teacher to tliirty seven pupils; in the same counties there are 
 forty schools in which the English language is taught were 
 there were only eighteen last year; while there has been a 
 corresponding decrease of exclusively S{)anish schools, lu 
 four different counties reported, books liave been furnished 
 to the poor children; and a healthy commencement has been 
 made in the furnishing of school rooms with suitable fur- 
 nature and apparatus. There appears also, as evinced in 
 newspaper discussions, a concentrated move for uniformity 
 of school books by counties at least. The discussion will 
 doubtless result in enlarged views and it is also to be hoped 
 in securing the latest and most approved models. 
 
 The public school system proper, of New Mexico, now only 
 iu its third year, started without a single public school house 
 in the territory, without even a desk, blackboard or school- 
 book, with no experience whatever in their organization or 
 conduct among tke masses of tlie peo])le, in ten out of thirteen 
 counties; with competent teachers scarce, and school board* 
 when 710^ uneducated to a proper appreciation of I he w' 
 
— 6— 
 
 of competent teachers, were pressed with more application* 
 for the establishment of schools than their limited funds 
 would provide even at moderate wages. Hence, all things 
 considered, we confidently submit there has been substantial 
 progress in popular education. 
 
 There is likewise a growing ambition among the youth to 
 learn trades and every available opportunity, with the pre- 
 sent limited number and variety of trades represented, is im- 
 proved with alacrity. It is gratiiying to know that the 
 native youth show an interest and skill in the learning of 
 trades worthy of emulation by youth who boast, and not 
 without reason, of much higher primary advantages. 
 
 Of private school.s. 
 
 There has been more marked jjrogress in private schools 
 -relatively, than we are able to record of the public school. 
 Thus, at' the close of 1874 we find reported thirty-one of thii 
 class of schools with sixty-eight teachers where there were 
 last year but twenty-six schools with fifty-three teachers. 
 The reduction in the ratio of teachers to pupils is about forty 
 per cent; making an average of one teacher to fifteen pupils 
 or less than one half the average in the public school. On 
 the other hand, the report this year shows five more select 
 schools in which Spanish is taught and five »less in which 
 English is taught. Of the thirty-one select schools twenty-one • 
 are confined almost exclusively to the primary branches and 
 ton may be regarded as academic and in the main devoted to 
 
 SECONDABY EDUCATION. 
 
 Of the latter we give the following list with details : 
 SANTA FE. 
 
 **St. Michaels College'' under the direction andmanagement 
 of the ^'Christian Brothers'', and chartered under an act of 
 the last Legislative Assembly:-— numbers five teachers, fifty- 
 eight pupils and has an income arising from tuition and 
 board of $7,690 00 
 
 The *' Academy of our Lady of Light", under the 
 direction and management of the Sisters of Lo- 
 retto, and also chartered under an act of the Le- 
 gislative Assembly numbers six teachers, fifty nine 
 pupils and has an income from tuition and board of 7,890 99! 
 
 LAS YEGAS. 
 
 Sisters of Loretto number five teachers, seventy- 
 two pupils and an income of 4,80QQ(^ 
 
 San Miguel Collegiate Institute of Rev. J. A. An- 
 nin, which, with tuition books and stationery is free 
 to all, has two teachers, thirty-two ])upils, average 
 attendance, and an income for the general mission 
 work derived from the Board of Foreign Missions, 
 except $300 local subscription. (The mission pro- 
 perty consisting of school house, church and resi^ 
 deuce and is owned by the board.) 1,800 00 
 
MORA. 
 
 Sisters of Loretto, number seven teachers, eighty 
 ■pupils and income of * 5,500 00 
 
 Christian Brothers, number eight^teachers, eighty 
 pupils and an income of 6^000 06 
 
 LA JUNTA. 
 
 Methodist Episcopal Mission School of Rev, 
 Thomas Harwood, free to all has three teachers forty 
 two pupils, average attendance, and a net income 
 -derived from voluntary contributions and for tuition 
 :and board of 1,000 00 
 
 TAOS. 
 
 Sisters of Loretto, number five teachers, fifty pu- 
 pil and an income of 4,500 00 
 
 Presbyterian Mission School of Rev. James M. 
 IRoberts, free to all, has two teachers, average atten- 
 xiance of thirty six pupils and income for the gen- 
 eral mission vsrork derived from the Board of 
 Foreign Missions, except $250 voluntary contribu- 
 tion for tuition, of 1,250 (^ 
 
 LAS CRUCES. 
 
 Sisters of Loretto, numbertbreeteachei^s, twenty 
 pupils and an income of 1,500 <B 
 
 Total income of seconda;ry schools, $41,430 00 
 These schools are uniformly open ten months of tihe year, 
 iind include in their curriculum the higher english branches, 
 :«panish, frencli, german, latin and greek. 
 
 Here we wish to acknowledge the courtesy of Hon. Jose D. 
 }8ena, in furnishing the data relating to the Catholic paro- 
 .chial schools of the ^^Ohristian Brothers'^ and "Sisters of 
 Loretto", above enumerated; and to add his qualifying note; 
 that "the annual income of all the schools, (here referred to) 
 except those in Santa Fe county, is estimated; and is as near 
 icorrectas it .could be made from the information obtainable. 
 
 New schools to be started. 
 
 Incidentally, we learn that the Sister* of Loretto are about 
 starting schools, — one at Sapeilo and another at Bernalillo. 
 At the latter place, through the munificent liberality of a 
 citizen, suitable buildings ar<e in course of construction for 
 the accomodation of one of tlies-e parochial schools for secon- 
 dary education. 
 
 At Las Cruces, in the catholic diocese of Bishop Salpoint, 
 buildings are erected and nigh completed for the accomoda- 
 tion of St. Joseph College, to be opened in the spring. 
 
 It is proper to state that most if not all of the schools under 
 the *'Christiaii Brothers'^ and ^*Sisters of Loretto,'^ receive i^ 
 portion of the public school fund and supplant, measurably 
 ixi least, the public schools of their respective localities. At 
 
-8— 
 
 Albuquerque and La Junta, and possibly in other localitieff^ 
 the Jesnit Fathers have the controll of the public schools ancl 
 are paid out of the public schools funds. In Las Veg*as tliey 
 succeed to the public school as soon as the contract expire** 
 with the present teacher. 
 
 The La Junta Academic Scpiooi^. 
 
 Professor Harwood, the ouly representative of the several 
 schools whose report embodied any considerable remarks ex- 
 planatory, says of his school at La Junta; that it is in its fifth 
 year, starting with less than a dozen scholars mostly a. b. e. 
 darians occupying a amall room improvised for the time. 
 ' A good two* story building has since been erected of ample 
 size and in modern style. Theschool roll includes pupils IVoni 
 many se(;tions of the territory and even from neighboring' 
 territories, boarding in apartments that some time since 
 ceased to be of sufficient size to meet the increasing demands 
 for admission from abroad. Fifteen applicants were rejected 
 during the past year for w^ant of room to accomodate them. 
 Additional apartments are being added to the boarding house 
 and hopes are entertained of soon being able to accomodate 
 the fiill demand for admission. The school roll shows an at- 
 tendance of seventy scholars during the year, 38 boys and 22 
 girls, with ^n average attendance of 42. While no scholar is 
 excluded from inability to pay and the rolls show that one 
 half the pupils are on the free list, the school receives no 
 part of the public school fund. In closing his report Profes- 
 sor Harwood says: ''We are determined with Gods blessing,, 
 to build u]) an institution of learning second to norie in the 
 Territory.'' 
 
 The M. E. Mission Schoojls. 
 
 In addition to his labors as the principle of the La Junta 
 school during the past year. Professor Jlarwood has been 
 (miployed as Superintendent of the Methodist Episcopal Mis- 
 sions of New Mexico. In the time thus engaged, we learn 
 from his report he has established three additional mission 
 schools; one each at Civuelita and Peralta and another at a 
 village near Socorro. The latter place is distinctly a Mexican 
 town without a single American resident, and the teacher, is 
 thereon invitation of the people of that village. He is fur- 
 nished with subsistance, a house and is promised as much more 
 pay as they can afford. These three schools have something 
 over twenty pupils each ar^d have an encouraging start. 
 
 Presbyterian Mission Schools. 
 
 Professor Annin of Las Vegas, in his report referring to 
 the mission property at that place says : — ''It seems to me it 
 might properly be submitted to the consideration of the pub- 
 lic or of the proper authorities^ wiiether one who teachers a 
 free school and incurs considerable expense to keep up the 
 school^ and in furnishing the pupils with almost all book*^ 
 paper, ink, etc., might not be exempt from school taxJ' 
 
— 9— 
 
 Pro^SBor lioberi:^ of the Taos school saj^8 : '*(Uini3«r Hi?? 
 la^t year our school has been quite well sustained; our pupils 
 arc advancing" very nicely indeed/' 
 
 The incompleteness of the returns which confines inforniri- 
 t.ion relative to the ellicieney and progress of the secondary 
 schools to general reports, with the exceptions noted, in i% 
 subject of regret. 
 
 The Puebi/O Indians schools. 
 
 The last annual report of the Pueblo Agent shows 8 s<"hoolrv 
 with 10 teachers, being an increase of three schools and hav- 
 ing 228 pupils enrolled and 170 attending; an ittcrease in at- 
 tendance of 08 over last report. The average ri umber of 
 months taught is 8, an increase of 2 months. The branches 
 taught were reading, writing, arithmetic and geography. 
 Considering the short time v/hich tliese schools have been im 
 continuous operation, coramcjidable progress has been 
 made. Of school houses, one is owned by a pueblo vil- 
 lage, four are rented and three the use donated. With th<r 
 exception of $300 paid by the board of missions — the school 
 fund is paid by the government. Under the efficient manage- 
 ment of the late agent, Mr.E. C. Lewis, an iiicreased interest 
 in schocfls v/as awakened among these Indians and before the 
 fiscal year was completed he found three applications lor 
 schools on his hands which he was unable to sa|)piy for want 
 of funds and from a source where they had previously refused 
 to have schools except in Spanish. The interest evinced by 
 these semi-civilized people in the education of their cliildren, 
 is specially interesting at this time when their tribal relation 
 possibly may be exchanged for that of citizenship. 
 
 It i^ likewise well in this conne(;tion to mention the recom- 
 mendation of Agent Lewis, in his last report, for the esta)>lish- 
 mentof a training school for the education of native teacJiern 
 not only in the English tongue, bur likev/isein the mechanical 
 arts; one object being to separate the pupil from daily inter- 
 course with his tribe and to substitute daily and exclusive 
 intercourse with English speaking people. In this manner, 
 t-eachers could be su]>plied who v/ere familiar with their 
 native tongue as M'ell as the English language and a much 
 greater ellicieney given to the schools and to the develop- 
 ment o^ the tneciuinical arts. It is due to the cause of civili- 
 zation among these Indians to express a hope that the recom^ 
 mendations otthelate agent, in this particular at least, will re- 
 ceive favorable attention at the hands of the goverriment be- 
 fore the responsibilities of citizenship are legislated upon 
 them. No intelligent person at all acquainted with the peo- 
 ple of this territory but wliat will fully recognize that thv* 
 percentage of illiteracy is deplorably high already, and tliat 
 it could liardly be otherwise than suicidal to increasing it 
 with the addition of several thousand pueblo Indians, not 
 one of whom, among the adults at least, can (^ither read or 
 write the English language or any other language for thai 
 matter. 
 
—10— 
 
 Schools among the Navajo Indians. 
 
 The reservation for this tribe is equally divided between 
 .New Mexico and Arizona. While Ft. Defiance, the head- 
 quarters of tlie agency, is situate over the line into Arizona thi' 
 <;oniiniinication with the military and the outside world is in 
 :md through New Mexico. The agency is associated with 
 this territory by the government for all purposes, hence may 
 properly be mentioned in this connection. The treaty be- 
 tween the government and the Navajos require a school 
 teacher and school house with books and apai atus for each 
 thirty children that can be induced to attend school. There 
 are on the rolls 3000. children belonging to this tribe. The 
 work of organizing these schools began about two years ago. 
 From Agent Arny, we learn there has been two schools or- 
 ganized and are now in successful o])eration with one teacher 
 each and an attendance of about thirty pupils each. One 
 of these schools has for its object education in the English 
 language and is attended by both Mexicans and Indians; the 
 other school is industrial and is doing much towards giving 
 practicable experience relative to agriculture and the mechan- 
 ic's arts. There are some thirty pupils that can read in their 
 lirst reader. Other schools are about being establish and will 
 be increased in numbers, as required by treaty stipulation as 
 ■fast as parents can be induced to send their children, and 
 until schools are provided for the whole number. 
 
 Lpjgtslation Needed. 
 
 It is much easier to find fault than to carry out systems of 
 schools already established and much more difficult to glean 
 the essential provisions of the American sytemsand practical- 
 ly adopt them to the y>eculiarities of New Mexico. However 
 well ])lanned a school system, it is a work of time to make it 
 effective under favorable circumstances and much more so 
 with a people so very generally unused to school systems of 
 any kind. It is not worth while however to despise the day 
 of small (liings, but to take encouragement so long as pro- 
 gres.^ is apparent and push on. To this end there is need of 
 farther legislation. 
 
 First. — An iniM-ease in the salary of the Superintendent of 
 public instruction and with such qualitying clauses as would 
 secure experieiice and competency, to the end that» modern 
 free schools may be established on a permanent basis. 
 
 Second. — Vesting such superintendent with discretionary 
 power and authority in details of organizing the schools, 
 of reports to be made and in the qualification of teachers. 
 
 Third. — Legislation that Avill authorize the organization of 
 fcchool districts where there are sufficient population, insuring 
 to them an equitable share in the school fund and the grant- 
 ing to them the ])()W^er of voting local taxes for the purpose 
 of building school houses, purchasingfurnit lire and apparatus 
 and the supplying of any deficiency in the public school 
 fund necessary to the securing an efficient free public school 
 for ten months of the year. 
 
—11— 
 
 Fourth.— A normal school for the education of teacliers, 
 located at some central point and worl^ing on the model of 
 those in Illinois, Wisconsin or other of the states in which 
 the greatest progress in free schools has been made. 
 
 Fifth.— It should be made the duty of chief school ofHcers 
 to look well to the standard of qualification of teachers includ- 
 ing morals, intelligence and experience, and to admit no 
 teacher unless he or she was unexceptionable in morals, and 
 amply advanced in other essentials to meet the demands of the 
 school in which employment was to be given. To this end 
 -competent school officers should be designated by law to 
 frequently visit the schools and to make examinations and re- 
 port on the progress made. Teachers should be held to a 
 istrict accountability; and, we repeat, morality should con- 
 ^Btitute a distinct factor in their composition. 
 
 Sixth. — Girls should liave equal chances in every particular 
 with boys in school advantages. 
 
 Impkovements needed. 
 
 • 
 The schools are embarrassed for want of suitable accomo- 
 dations and other items, the necessity of which, nre recogniz- 
 ed, and for want of funds necessarily remain unsupplicd; but 
 are being, and will in most cases be supplied as fast as prnctic- 
 able. Chief of these is the want of proper school build- 
 ings fu mature and apparatus. While probably more 
 schools have been started, than are made etficient with the 
 school fnnd at hand, there are still in the territory nearly 
 double the number of children without the advantages of 
 schools of any kind than there are children on the school 
 rolls. The remedy for this Vv^ill be found in a more faithful 
 assessment and collection of taxes; and an equitable distribu- 
 tion of the school fund accompanied by the local i-ight to vote 
 an additional tax. Evening schools might be made advanta 
 geous for adults in the towns and neighborhoods when the 
 population is sufficiently numerous. Parents could do a good 
 service by visiting the schools, and thus lending encourage- 
 ment by their presence and alfording to them an opportunity 
 to judge understandingly of the efficiency of the teacher, who 
 holds so intimate a relation to the future well being of their 
 children. Many boys of a tender age are kept employed ag 
 herders and in other occupations during the summer months 
 when they should be attending school. Good free public 
 schools are a necessity in every community from whatever 
 stand point viewed. If the territory is to be made to 
 keep pace with the enterprise and i)rogress of the day, cer- 
 tainly we must have good free public schools; emigration, 
 skilled labor and capital cannot be expected in any consider- 
 able force where they do not exist. 
 
 Schools of Mines. 
 
 The great variety and richness of the mineral deposits and 
 the immensity of wealth in these latent resources, should long 
 since have prompted the establishment of one or more schooU 
 
-lO . 
 
 — lu 
 
 of mines in the territory. No country affords a better oppor- 
 tunity lor the practical study of mineralogy; and no country 
 \7oukl receive a greater proportional benelit from the esta- 
 blishment of such school. The interests involved would seem 
 to make them worthy of favorable consideration by the legis- 
 lature. 
 
 During the past year two public school houses have been 
 added at an expense of $1500 and $500 respectively. The 
 school terms very from one month to twelve months. 
 
 Not to exceed one quarter of the schools arise above 
 l>rimary instruction. 
 
 The highest teachers wages paid from the public fund is 
 $50 per month. In a few instances this amount is increased 
 by private subscription. The loTvest wages paid is $10 per 
 month. The school terms for the year vary from one month 
 to twelve months. 
 
 Girls not admitted. 
 
 ^ Girls are not generally admitted to the public school. This 
 arises from a belief quite generally prevailing in the territory 
 that there should be separate schools for girls; and not from 
 indisposition to provide for them. In Mora county, if wo are 
 correctly informed, separate schools have been established 
 for girls. Girls are also provided for from the public 
 funds wherever the schools of the *'Sisters of Loretto'* 
 have been established. Mixed schools are the rnle in 
 Colfax and Grant counties and it is possible there are other 
 mixed schools in the territory of which we have no know- 
 ledge. 
 
 iSpeaking of this class of scliools, Jean Paul Ttitcher says: 
 **To insure modesty, I w^ould advise the educating of the 
 ^exes together; for two boys will preserve twelve girls, or 
 two girls twelve boys, innocent, amid winks, Jokes and im- 
 proprieties, merely by that iriStintive sense which is the fore- 
 runner of matured modesty. But J will guarantee nothing in 
 a sdiool where girls are alone together," and still less where 
 boys are.'' 
 
 School Financks. 
 
 The amount of the available public school fund for the last 
 year gleaned from the reports of all but two counties is $28,- 
 623.31, being about $1,200 less than the amount reported for 
 the whole territory last year. It would seem that under the 
 greatly reduced exemptions and the stringent law of 1874 for 
 the collection of taxes, that tlie available school fund should 
 liave been considerably more than that of the year previous. 
 Thus, on examination of the assessment roll we lind the 
 whole amount of the assessment for 1874, for both real and 
 personal property, after deducting exemptions and including 
 the county of Lijicoln as assessed in 1872, amounts to $7,603,- 
 772, (an assessment, by the way, less than one third the amount 
 that it should be as we are credibly assured, and considerably 
 le"?s than. one half the amount of the assessed valuation of the 
 
—13— 
 
 territory of Colorado before there was a rail road within itB 
 bounds). One quarter of one per cent, being tlie amount of 
 the ])i"operty tax lor scliool purposes, the amount under the 
 above assessment shoukl be $20,079.55 
 
 Takin.ic the number of votes polled at the last ofen- 
 
 eral election; bein<^ some 25 per cent less than theac* 
 
 tual numl)er of voters in the territory, as the amount 
 
 ])ractical)le to collect and we should have from this 
 
 . source for the school fund 17,092.00 
 
 Amount of school fund if all collected $D7,17l.b[) 
 
 Thus the scliool fund f<fv 1874 is $9,500 less than it should 
 be under a very low assessment. The collection of revenue 
 by tax on real property, like the school lav/, is new; indeed, 
 was enacted the same session of the latter; and also like the 
 school law will ])robably requii'e a little time to reduce to an 
 approximately tljorou^ili working. Hence, we have a right to 
 expect the school revenue to increase from year to year. If 
 Colorado with a population of 39.884 before railroads had 
 reached the territory, had an assessed valuation of over 
 $16,000,000 we are certainly within the bounds of probability 
 to estimate the assessable value of property, real and per- 
 sonal in ISTew Mexico with a present population clearlv over 
 100,000, at $25,000,000. if such' estimate is correct;— and who 
 has a right to question its correctness, if New Mexico is en- 
 titled to become a state and is capable of maintaining tlie ex- 
 pense of a state • of. the Union; as her people generilliy 
 believe tlie fact to be; we say, if such estimate is cor- 
 rect, the school fund of New Mexico to-day should be $80,- 
 000 in place of the insignificant amount now paid into the 
 treasury for that purpose. That it is destined to reach that 
 amount and more, in a very few years, under the present per- 
 centage we hardly think will be seriously disputed. Manifest- 
 ly, there has been a neglect, if not an absolute dereliction of 
 duty, on the pa?t of the revenue officers, of the territory. 
 
 The disbursements of the school funcl of the territory is as 
 follows : 
 School house and grounds, Santa Fe, $1,500 00 
 
 Paid for rent of school rooms, 1,443 50 
 
 Teachers wages, 18,639 35 
 
 Per diem of scliool board (an illegal charge, as 
 
 will be seen by reference to law of 1874,) 656 50 
 
 Books, furniture and incidental expenses. . 2,405 72 
 
 Total disbursements, $24,645 07 
 Kent of schools rooms, school furniture and incidental ex- 
 penses, are in very many cases eitlier donated by individuals 
 or paid by local subscription. 
 
—14— 
 
 School Officebs, 
 
 The Presidents of the schools boards 
 officer of the respective counties are as fo 
 
 County. 
 Bernalillo, 
 Colfax, 
 Doiia Ana, 
 Grant, 
 Lincoln, 
 Mora, 
 
 Kio Arriba, 
 Santa Ana, 
 Santa Fe, 
 San Mig'uel, 
 Socorro, 
 Taos, 
 Valencia, 
 
 County seat. 
 Albuquerque, 
 Cimarron, 
 Mesilla, 
 Silver City, 
 Lincoln, 
 Mora, 
 
 Plaza Alcalde, 
 Pen a Blaiica, 
 Santa Pe, 
 Las Vegas, 
 Socorro, 
 
 Fernandez de Taos, 
 Tome, 
 
 and chief executive 
 Hows : 
 
 Chief School officer. 
 Mariano S. Utero, 
 E. P. Mczeck. 
 Pabk> Mel end res. 
 John A. Ketcham. 
 L. G. Miu'pliy. 
 Dolores Romero. 
 Jran Garcia. 
 Andres C. doBaca. 
 G. Ortiz y Alarid. 
 Lorenzo L(;pez. 
 Matias Contreras. 
 A nice to Valdez, 
 Manuel A. Otero. 
 
 The Peabody Fund. 
 In 1866 that liberal philanthropist, George Peabody, made 
 a most munificent donation ($2,000,000,) to a board of trus- 
 tees for the promo tiou of Education in the South, without 
 restriction of race or condition. Through this fund Educa- 
 tion in many of the Southern States has taken great strides 
 in advance. As this fund was doubtless intended to amelior- 
 ate the condition of a country in which the column of igno- 
 rance had been largely augmented, in the body politic, by 
 conferring the rights of franchise upon the late slaves, and as 
 New Mexico comes within the South and within the condi- 
 tions named; it would seem that she too ought to be consid- 
 ered in the distribution of the Peabody Fund. 
 
"i