Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1857-04-02
A Good Movement hall we have
a new building for Public School ?

a new building for a Public School?
Mr. EDIToR:-M Madame Rumor, and an en-
phatic advertisement in the papers OF the
place, indicate that the Academy" the build
ing in which is kept the Public School in
Freehold is about to feel the touch of the
progressive spirit of the age We confess we
had begun to think, that old foggysm had Ia
ken said building under its special attention,
with determination to hand it down to the
remotest posterity, as specimen of the things
that were. But we begin to think differently
now. If there is one thing of public eharac-
ter about Freehold, that is libel on its ener-
gy and intelligence, always excepting the
evening negro parties on the "Hay Scales"
and side walks, and the vagabond boys shoot
ing marbles, and oaths at the same time along
the streets) it is that illarranged, iventilated,
dustgathering, obscenely carved dwelling called
(naost ironically the " Freehold Academy
1t is, in every respect, unfit for the purpose Of
a school, In Freehold District having some
800 children, should be public school of the
very FIRST grade. In this age Of model school
houses, and model schools, there cannot be
such a school in that house. The contrast
between it. and the other school buildings Of
the place, and of the country in general, is
too great for such thing to be- The best of
teachers, with the best Of purposes, may enter
that house as a teacher, and remain there until
he has inhaled "his peck of dust, carried b.
the: winds from the highway, and until he is
sick of the obscene images, cut and penciled
en- the wooden work and walls, doing his best
all the while to teach the young idea to shoot,
and after all he'll fail-fail of achieving what
should be achieved in this age. Chaste
thoughts, good purposes. lofty aspirations, in
either teacher or pupil, soon flag in such an
il-ventilated, un-cleanly, neglected place as
that.
The public school of Freehold should be a
collage for the poor and a preparatory school for
the rich Such, under present circumstances it
can never be. Say not that good scholars have
been educated there in the past. That proves
nothing A Burritt educated himself at the
Blacksmiths forge, and many one has come
to eminence from the log cabin of the western
pioneer. So now and then good scholar, may
graduate at " Freehold Academy but the ma
jority--will remain below medocrity. Now
are there not among the prominent citi-
zens of Freehold, some who will devote their
time, talents and money to this work Some
who will esteem it a privilege to do something
that will bless the young, and therefore our
country, by disposing of the present Academy
and erecting in its stead on better site, one
that will be suitable for the purposes of pub
lie school? Have the Amos Lawrences, the
Peobody's, &C., monopolized all of that spirit
which prompts rich men to look outside of their
,wn homes once in a while, for objects upon
which to bestow favors When gold builds
offices to promote the dissemination of knowl-
,dge, and saving moral principles. it does its
proper work when it gilds selishness, blind
ng the eye and hardening the heart, to the
wants and woes of our kind, it is a curse-a
curse to its owner, and curse to the world
We expect the philanthrop;c rich man, the
Dise poor man, and the +" better sort" of those
n whose cases Providence has given that
or which Hdgar asked, will attend the meet
ng at the Academy next Monday as per
advertisement, and do all they can to encour-
age those who have already moved in this
great enterprise. Good churches, good private
schools, a good Court House, and toerable
iails, we already have. To fill the first with |
intelligent hearers, the second with well pre-
pared scholars, and to keep the last empty, we
want good public school; and TO have
good public school we must have good house. |
And let everybody remember that the pres
emit house is as great disgrace to the place,
as the negro soirees of the Hay scales, or the
marble shooting on the side walks.
INDEPENDENT.
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