Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1866-08-30
brandon.
GRADED scHooLs-EDUcAroSAL REFORM.

ceded to be one of the most temperate, ,
healthy, beautiful and enterprislng viii
lagos in the State. In fact, we do not
hesitate to affirm all this. Our morality
and industry are almost proverbial Our
freedom from private grog-shops kept
for public patronage where death is sold
by the pint, and exemption from those
clark avenues of crime" whose stains
"taint the blood Of coming generations,
are the surprise of all who come into
our midst. We boast Of one of the finest
halls in the State. We have many beau
tiful residences, and population of
something over three thousand law
abiding, liberty. loving inhabitants. Our
grand list figures nearly fifteen thousand
dollars, or about half of that Of Rutland.
Our people are generally happy, because
they are healthy, and healthy because
they are temperate. That our natural
scenery is beautiful and picturesque is
acknowledged by all who come within
our geographical limits. In many re-
spects, in short, we have almost model
village.
And yet, with all our boast of moral
| ity, health ard wealth, industry, intelli-
gence, and natural and artificial beauty,
there is still ample r0om-actual need
of Improvement in all these. Reform is
the watchword of all intelligent minds.
Progress is the very stepping stone Of
the nineteenth century. Onward is the
natural and rightful course of all human
beings, and the course invariably de-
sired and pursued unless warped by
prejudice, retarded by ignorance, or
blinded by superstition. Hence, we be-
lieve no one who is familiar with the
existing condition Of things here, and is
willing to acknowledge his honest con-
victions, will deny the above assertion,
that there is ample need of social reform,
intellectual advancement, and artificial
or physical Improvement, even in Bran
don, although zee think we are already
far in advance of some of our sister
towns.
Several years ago it was plain to some
that the educational system of our viii
lage was, like many Others, sadly defec-
tive, and altogether inadequate to the
demands. For years we have been in
the habit of having private schools to
accommodate one class, and of sending
another away from home to be instruct
ed, because our pu bile schools did not
afford sufficient facilities to meet the ne.
cessities of these two extremes. The
Brandon Literary and Scientific Insti.
tuition" has occasionally been in mod
erately fourishing condition, especially
while the novelty Of new broom lasted
But it's influence has always been cir.
cumscribed, for many years, at least not
because of lack of competent teachers
but because the wants of the people de-
manded something more than could pos.
sibly be obtained at a school of tina,
character. Hence, the fact has become
more and more apparent that we have
long needed, and must soon have, a rad
zeal change in our educational system
And the unanswered query has been fol-
some time What shall be that change
What plan or system of school will be
best adapted to meet our wants AND
after long elaboration and some inves.
tigation we believe it has finally come
to be the general opinion of all, save 8
short-sighted, selfish few, whose number
is fast becoming beautifully less, that we
need, and shall soon have
A GRADED SCHOOL IN BRANDON,
similar to many others already existing
in various parts of the State. So strong.
indeed, is this feeling, that, so long ago
as last spring, the two village districts
called one or two special meetings for
the purpose of taking some action which
should finally bring about this result.
At those meetings in both districts the
vote was almost unanimous in favor OF
establishing Graded School. A COM
mittee from each was appointed to con-
fer with the other, and also with the
committee of the Board of Trustees OF
the Seminary, for the purpose of obtain
ing consent to the use of the Seminary
building. Consent was cheerfully given
to this request, on condition that the
building be kept in good repair and a
school constantly in vogue. The his
tory alone Of this Institution is suffi-
Gent argument in favor of the total iu-
adequateness of the past and present
| system of schools here and of the press
ing want Of new. The building will
need much repairing and some additions
before it becomes serviceable. But this
will be far cheaper than to erect new
| buildings, doubtless, "in these DAYS, so
famous for high prices and enormous
taxes
On the evening of the 23d inst, Hon..
j. s. Adams, Secretary of the VT. Board
of Education, agreeably to an invitation