The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-09-05

AUTUMN and the Public Schools-Edst Riuer
Bridges-Croton WdteT-Hdagisgs and Jus
tiee. t 1. fffIt 90 f., :. -,f f-..-
New YORK, Sept. 8, 1867. /
To the Editor of the Press:
1t is expected the carly autumn will intro
duce better state of things in the weather.
An occasional dryness of the atmosphere has
already appeared. Among other signs o; a
change of the seasons are the cool nights, the
closing up of the excursion season. and the re-
opening of the public schools. Did it ever
occur to the reader what an immense affair the
public schools of New York are? The term
which commences on Monday next, after va
cation of seven weeks, comes home to the
to the thought and talk of our 200 900 pupils,
1t is consequently pretty important item to
New York children. The school system is a
credit to the citizens. A report recently made
TO the British Parliament says that New York
has more schools under local control than any
other place on the face of the earth. They are
open to all, white or black, rich or poor, and
books and stationery are all supplied "ffee graz
It's" The whole number is 255; teachers en-
ployed, 1900; aggregate amount of teachers
salaries, 81 100000 The whole cost Of the de-
partment of schools for the year 1867, will be
So 400 900. The total value of school property is
over $6,O000OO. During the year 1866 the
whole number of pupils was 226, ,9O3 The Col
lege of the City of New York formerly Free
Academy)is is the summit of the free education
al system. It is open to all the scholars who
can pass the test of admission, and furnishes a
full classical or scientific course equal to that
of any college in the land. From the bottom
=
to the top ladder of advancement, the marked
feature in the educational system ofNew York
is that it is free, not one cent being required
from the infant of four years to the college
graduate. This is not all New York does. 1t
raises, by the State school tax, for the support
of schools in other parts OF the State, which is
retained by the State Government for distri-
butiou. over and above what is expended in
the city for city schools, the sum of S2,572 293
What other community in the world raises
such vast sums for the education ofthe young?
Even New England must stand back abashed
before such princely munifcence for the good
of posterity!
The boring for the foundation of the bridge
across East River, progresses favorably. Inc
drill has gone 20 feet into solid material .pi'
bridge, which is to be wire suspe nsloh o''uso
and will cross near Fulton Ferry, VIII nave '"e
extraordinary span Of 1900 feet; longer g , than an
onv snsnension span in the worid. IL VIII DC
srnnorted by four cables from two towers, one
a. Nav York side and one on the Brook
~ ,rln side of over 800 feet in height allowing
anund,nt space for the tallest mast to pass un-
Jarneath. Another bridge is also in progress
across to Blackwels Island Appearances in
dicate that in three or four years these great
works will be completed, affording to the large
! population now dependent on ferries, the
means of rapid and easy locomotion across
| East River.
have alluded frequently to the Brooklyn
| Water Works, and now take ocrasion W say
few words in relation to the Croton Oh ne"
| York. In the elevated portions OF tne city II
has been difficult to obtain the Croton with
any considerable force, as it would not rise