The bulletin of Atlanta University, 1896 no. 74

              NUMBER 74.                                       ATLANTA, GEORGIA.                                     MAY,    1896. ATLANTA    UNIVERSITY ATLANTA, GA., Is a Christian Institution, unsec-tarian in its management and influence, wholly controlled by an independent Board of Trustees, and receiving no aid from city, state or national government, or benevolent society. Has 265 students in College, Normal, College Preparatory and Sub-Normal departments, under 23 officers and teachers. Trains teachers and leaders of their race from among the sons and daughters of the Freedmen of the South. Has sent out 285 graduates from College and Normal courses, nearly all of whom, together with hundreds of past undergraduates, are engaged in teaching, and other useful work in Georgia and surrounding States. Owns four large brick buildings, on sixty-five acres of land, one mile from the centre of Atlanta, Ga., library of 8,000 volumes, apparatus aud other equipment—all valued at not less than a quarter of a million dollars. Having no endowment (except about $33,000, mostly for special objects), the Institution requires at least $20,000 a year in donations from its friends, to continue the work now in hand, and a fund of about $500,000 to put that work on a permanent basis. Annual scholarships of $40 each are asked for to provide for the tuition of one student for one year, over and above the nominal tuition fees paid by the student. Subscriptions of $100 and upwards, or any smaller sums, are solicited for general current expenses. Remittances of donations, or inquiries for further information, may be addressed to Pres. Horace Bumstead, D. D., Atlanta, Ga. At the request of the senior classes the faculty have voted not to have any orations or essays from the students upon commencement day. It is expected that an address will be given by a graduate from the University and another by some distinguished public speaker. In response to an application from President Bumstead the Trustees of the Slater Fund at their recent meeting voted an appropriation of two thousand dollars for the next school year to Atlanta University to assist in maintaining the normal department of the Institution. The same amount has been received this year, but it has been devoted to industrial work. Mr. Henry H. Williams of the class of '76 recently came out to the University to bring his donation. Mr. Williams is one of our thrifty graduates and Mrs. Williams who is a graduate of the Normal Department, is a true helpmate to her husband. When he was a boy in school he "toted" bricks one summer instead of teaching because he could make more money and he was glad of the opportunity of climbing a high building because the pay for such service was larger on account of the greater risk incurred by the laborers. Rev. and Mrs. A. C. Reed, who spent the winter with us, have left for their old home in Manchester, Vt. Mr. Reed has assisted in preaching and Mrs. Reed in Bible study and both have been helpful in many ways. Students and teachers alike wish that the climate had proved so favorable to these good friends as to admit of their returning next year. It is a source of gratification to know that their intimate knowledge of the work of the University gained from this long personal observation has not lessened but increased their interest in the Institution. It is intended always to keep the subject of temperance prominently before our students. Recently five -minute talks have been given by some of the teachers at morning devotions and the Y. M. C. A. and Y. P. S C. E. have given several Sunday evenings to the subject. Also, Mrs. Georgia Swift King of the normal class of 1874, who is president of the State W. C. T. U. number two, has been invited to lecture before the school. While teaching in the country during the summer months our students do a large amount of temperance work. Most of the graduates are total abstainers and have great influence in favor of abstinence. Letters expressing appreciation of the Bulletin keep coming to us. We are pleased that some of them speak of special interest in the graduates' letters. The graduates in these letters are naturally compelled to use the pronoun in the first person a good deal, but it seems to us that they do it with becoming modesty. In order to tell their story the pars magna fui cannot be eliminated. The coin-holders sent out for subscriptions to the Bulletin still continue to come in and in many instances, small donations accompany them. The result is encouraging and gratifying. If "97" does not appear on the label of anyone who has sent the subscription price for a year, will he kindly notify us? A few of the coin-holders with money enclosed have been received without any writing on  them. At a recent examination of candidates for the position of teachers for public schools in Georgia, which was uniform and held on the same day throughout the State, the following is the list of words to be spelled: Hygiene, diagonal, occurrence, ambiguous, gratuity, classical, deleble, indelible, emphasis, maintenance, supersede, stomach, tympanum, potatoes, tobaccos, sacrilege, abstinence, mellifluous, annually, canvasser. The minimum allowed on any subject is sixty per cent., and perhaps the fact that a large number of candidates failed in spelling, indicates an advance in the methods of instruction in Georgia over those of old times, when the "blue-back" played so prominent a part, and spelling was considered all-important. The Congregational Convention of Georgia was held in the First Congregational church in Atlanta April 1. It was an imperfect meeting because of the absence of many of the delegates. In fact, only one white delegate was present. The moderator had sent some notes around to the effect that he had declared the meeting off. But in spite of this notification the delegates assembled and Rev. L. B. Maxwell of Savannah was elected moderator. Rev. H. H. Proctor of Atlanta read a paper on the "Promotion of Spirituality in our Churches." Notice was given of some proposed amendments to the constitution and it was voted to hold the next meeting with the First Congregational church in Savannah. It might be well for the Congregational Home Missionary Society to furnish to each of its agents in the South some standard work on the "Essentials of Congregationalism."