The following is a complete list of all the normal and graded schools conducted by the American Missionary Association in the South:
Gregory Institute, Wilmington, N. C., Washburn Seminary, Beaufort, N. C., Lincoln Academy, All Healing, N. C., Skyland Institute, Blowing Rock, N. C., Saluda Seminary, Saluda, N. C., Brewer Normal School, Greenwood, S. C., Dorchester Academy, McIntosh, Ga., Storrs School, Atlanta, Ga., Ballard Normal Institute, Macon, Ga., Allen Normal and Industrial School, Thomasville, Ga., Knox Institute, Athens, Ga., Normal Institute, Albany, Ga., Normal School, Orange Park, Fla., Union School, Martin, Fla., Trinity School, Athens, Ala., Normal School, Marion, Ala., Emerson Institute, Mobile, Ala., Burrell School, Selma, Ala., Green Academy, Nat, Ala., Industrial Training School, Anniston, Ala., Carpenter High School, Florence, Ala., Le Moyne Institute, Memphis, Tenn., Warner Institute, Jonesboro', Tenn., Slater Training School, Knoxville, Tenn., Grand View Academy, Grand View, Tenn., Pleasant Hill, Tenn., Cumberland Gap, Tenn., Crossville, Tenn., Chandler Normal School, Lexington, Ky., Williamsburg, Ky., Meridian, Miss., Jackson, Miss., Almeda Gardner School, Moorehead, Miss., Helena Normal School, Helena, Ark.
Total number of schools, 84; total instructors, 408; total pupils, 12,604.
Theological, 113; Collegiate, 55; Collegiate Preparatory, 151; Normal, 1,455; Grammar, 2,770; Intermediate, 3,241; Primary, 4,937. Total, 12,604.
Some of these schools are located in the remote districts of the South among what might be classed the neglected classes of the colored people. It is a hard matter to correctly calculate the real worth of these institutions.
DORCHESTER ACADEMY.
Dorchester Academy, McIntosh, Ga., is but one type of a class. It is in the rice fields of Georgia. Beginning with one teacher, it now numbers 413 pupils, five of whom are in the advanced normal grade. The principal writes us: "Although my boys and girls wear dark skins, and come from the rice fields and turpentine swamps, and their native speech is sometimes little better than a jargon, still I would not have hesitated in an exhaustive review of as much of the work of the year as could be covered in two days' examination to have put them beside boys and girls coming from far more favorable surroundings. It was a thorough test and was well met."
This is a school which, with many variations, may stand for many. Next, we advance to schools of higher grade, such as Beach Institute, in Savannah; Gregory Institute, in Wilmington; Ballard Normal Institute, in Macon; Allen Normal, in Thomasville; Orange Park Normal, in Florida; Le Moyne Institute, in Memphis; and Avery Institute, in Charleston (which has merited its place among chartered institutions); and in the entire field twenty-seven more, each deserving consideration, which together form a system of schools where disciplined and experienced instructors are preparing youth for worthy life and many to be worthy teachers for their less privileged people. These schools, though unlike in their environments and characteristics, are yet similar in purpose and not dissimilar in their courses of study. Northern visitors often express surprise in their discovery of the quality of their work.
In referring again to Le Moyne Normal Institute, I will say it was founded in 1871 by the American Missionary Association, and named after Dr. F. Julius Le Moyne of Washington, Pa., who gave some $20,000 for that purpose.
The course of study is English only, including the training of teachers through a good normal course and with considerable attention to manual training, including woodworking and printing for the boys, and sewing, cooking, and nursing for the girls. The school was originally designed to accommodate about 250 pupils, but has grown to a capacity of over 600 in regular attendance, with an annual enrollment of over 750. The buildings are good and well adapted to the work carried on in them.