The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-03-27
WHOLE NO. 456.


WHOLE NO. 456.
other citizens are invited TO be present. Nothing
in the shape of sectarianism is allowed TO APP
proach the schools, from first to last. but good
moral character, as well as a good common
school education. such as good knowledge OF
arithmetic, grammar, geography, DC is made in
dispensably necessary to gain an Abundance into
the High School. Besides the principal, who
has the general superintendent OF both rooms,
and one assistant, who teach the mathematics,
languages, &c. in each department as their SER
vices are required, and male assistant, who is
employed in the room appropriated to young
men, female assistant has the special charge
OF the room occupied by the young ladies'. All
the scholars, both male and female, may pursue
their studies to any desirable extent. Young
men fitted for the colleges. In addition to the
teachers enumerated above, there are three wr
ting masters, whose sole business is to give in
struction in penmanship, in the High and Gram
mar schools
The Catholics make about one-eighth of our
population. Five of the Primary school teach
ers, and three in the Grammar schools are Ca
'hoiics. In consequence OF the just and liberal
policy OF employing fair proportion Of their
denomination in the public schools, the Catholic
priests and parents take deep interest in them;
ana thelr children consequently all attend, but
mostly where Catholic teachers are employed,
,nough there are no regulations on the subject.
There are over four thousand pupils in all the
Tree public schools and more than six hundred
Of these are Irish Catholics The schools are
all under the management of the school Com
mittee, consisting OF six gentlemen, one FROM
each ward in the city, chosen annually, by bal
LOT, majority of all the votes cast being neces-
sary TO choice. The Mayor and Aldermen
ar a1. ffr5n nhare rf ,ba II k..e ,L<
have never yet exercised any influence in it,
The Committee employ the teachers, fix their
salaries, prescribe what books shall be used in
the several schools, and in fact exercise gene
raj superintendent and control over them.
According TO the report of the Auditor for the
year ending Dec. 81, 1910, the city debt was
$143,450 TO- The real estate owned by the city,
cost and is worth $466,50 49, The whole
amount of debts due the city, is $26,2OS o.
The amount Of personal property held by the
city, IS S9,s03 81; The appropriations, for all
during the year, were $98, 34S As. or
this sum, $47, 1913 SO were for the support of the
public schools, and the building of new school
houses. In 1920, the valuation of the property
on the spot where the city now stands did not
exceed 100000; in 1910 the assessors books
show it to be S12, 100000
Before the town was Incorporated, in 1925,
and at the very commencement of operations for
purposes, number of enterpris-
ing and intelligent mechanics obtained an act Of
by the name of "The Middlesex
Mechanic Association. Some seven or eight
years afterwards, the Locks and Canals Com
pany gave them a lot ofland, worth about $4,000,
at central point Of the city, and the associa-
ton by the aid of individual subscriptions, but
more especially by the aid of the several manu-
featuring companies, which gave the very libe-
raj sum OF 1880, proceeded to erect thereon
a spacious brick building. Besides stores in the
basement and lower stories, it contains in the
upper, large hall used principally for lecture
room another large one, used as reading
room, being richly supplied with newspapers,
pamphlets and reviews from all parts Of the
United States, and some from the Canadas and
Great Britain; and room containing la5ora-
tory for the purpose of making chemical expert
ments, and Government room; also, room
for the Mechanics library, consisting of more
than 1000 volumes, and another appropriated to
the use Of sThe Middesex Society Of Natural
History" whose cabinet already consists Of
more than 1000 specimens, principally minero-
S25, 600
The City Hall, owned by the city, cost $780,
900. The basement story is occupied for stores
room for the Common Council, one for the
Mayor and Aldermen and City Clerk, and an
other for The Treasurer and Collector. Nearly
the whole of the second story is thrown into a
spacious hall that will accommodate twelve
hundred persons. II is used for political meet
ngs, and free discussion of moral, religious
and other questions, and lecture room for the
Lowell Lyceum and the Lowell Institute, which
are literary associations, and furnish lectures on
literary scientific and moral questions, weekly,
during six months of the year. These associa-
lions sold, the present season, about one thou
sand tickets each, from the proceeds of which
the expenses of the lectures paid The lee
lures are given regularly on Tuesday and We'd
nesday evenings. The audiences are mostly
composed Of operatives from the mills. Besides
these regular lectures, there irregular ones on
all sorts of subjects, almost without number, du-
ring the Winter months. There is also a well
furnished Museum, in central part OF the city,
which is place of considerable resort by por
ton of our citizens.
We hare no Theatre. "A large one was built
about seven years ago, but the proper authorities
refusing to license it, and an appeal being made
TO the citizens, they were sustained by over
whelming majorities. at several public meetings
legally called, after full discussion of the sub
ject. But the manager and his friends proceed
ing to open the house, sell tickets, and perform,
he was prosecuted, and driven out Of the place.
After many unsuccessful attempts to change
public opinion the Theatre has recently been
pulled down, and a block of dwelling houses
erected on the spot where it stood: and it seems
to be well settled that no theatre will ever be toll
Grated by our people. Their opposition, how
ever, does not arise from a want of intelligence
or taste TO appreciate the drama, good singing,
good music, or any chaste and good theatrical
performances but from firm conviction that
modern theatres, Nth their miserable occom-
ponimenfs, are Of a degrading and immoral
tendency.
Lowell has spacious and we-furnished Mar
ket House Of brick three stories high, and $50
feet long by As wide, with % stalls for meat,
fruit and vegetables. In the second AID third sto
ries are the Court rooms, forthe County Courts,
and the Police Court of the city. The building