The Portland daily press., 1868-04-09

Retreating winter sends us Parthian ar
row. We shiver and grumble while the am
bilious plants wish they had kept at home
just little longer.
BANKRUPTCY,
Sixty-nine cases in bankruptcy have thus
far Ecome before the Register for this District,
Seth May Esq. The whole Indebtedness Of
the different parties amounts to something
like half million dollars. That of John B.
Jones, of Lewiston, who got involved with
the Androscoggin R. r., is much the largest,
being near one hundred thousand dollars
The sixty-nine cases show a very small per-
centage of assets. Only two parties have
yet been discharged. There WILL doubtless,
| be quite number of new cases before June
1st as after that date no one will be able to avail
himself of the law, unless he obtains the con-
sent of a majority of his creditors, or can pay
fifty cents on a dollar.
INDIGENOUS OPERA
Our civilization has become so far sublimat-
ed that we now venture upon producing our
own Opera. Keep your distance, o! We melo-
dous band of Europe. In Central Hall, on
the evenings of the 18th and 10th of this
month, will be brought out ''The Opera of
JhO, COmpOocu ny NlIs LIZ w DditdTu. uOreC-
to by the wife of Rev. J. A. Lowell-all of this
| city. The vocalsts will number about fifty,
with an orchestra as follows: L.W. Ballard,
LIST violin; A. P. Winslow. End; FL. N. John
son; cornst; r. L. Pennell, organ; Frank
Wood, Piano. Appropriate scenery has been
secured. We are looking for fine 'time."
Like the Portlanders we shall soon be clam
oring for an Opera House. 1t is to be hoped
that when our City Buildings are put up, pro-
vision will be made for large and suitably
appointed Hall-much better than anything
we now have.
Last Thursday evening Gov. Chamberlain
delivered, in Central Hall, his lecture on the
Surrender of Lee." The Governor came at
the invitation of the Lewiston Post of the
Grand Army of the Republic, Captain j. P.
Ham, Commander. In spite of the very bad
weather there was large attendance. After
defraying all expenses the Post have balance
of some seventy-fve dollars.
On the 23d Cough is to give our citizens his
lecture on "Habit." He always meets with
hearty reception here. The last lecture of the
course at Lisbon Falls, was delivered Satur-
udy evening, by G. B. Stetson of Auburn
| Subject: "Roads." This course at Lisbon
| Falls has proved very acceptable one, and
has evidently done the village good-stimulat-
| ing, somewhat, the social and educational
| spirit
BUSINESS.
Just now it cannot be said that trade is very
| brisk with us; but in other things there is con-
| siderable activity. Building starts briskly on
/ both sides of the river. Our cotton and WOOL
| en- mills are running much as usual, and the
bleachery is full of work. The manufacture of
shoes has been very lively for some time,
| which helps Auburn more than this city; but
it is now easing away, the spring orders hav-
ing been mainly filed This business contin-
ues to grow both in Auburn and Lewiston; the
manu- tacturers are using machinery more and
more; but, in this respect, we are behind Mas
sachusetts. The Auburn Savings Bank,
which is to be managed in connection with
the First National Bank, has just commenced
business and will, without doubt, prove pop
ular and prosperous institution.
EDUCATIONAL.
At last the village district Auburn, which
contains some seven hundred scholars, has be-
gun to move for better public schools. A
meeting was held last Thursday evening
when it was voted to build one new primary
school house and to enlarge another to double
its present capacity. Also, a committee con
sisting of Messrs. G. B. Stetsou, E. f. Pack
ard, r. Dresser, A. NJ. Pu lsifer and E. Stick
ney was raised for the purpose of conferrint
with the Trustees of the Edward Little In
stitute relative to the conversion of that insti
tuition into High School. There is pros
pect that this can be accomplished. Ifso
then the public schools of the villagecan be
at once graded and placed upon a good
footing. The property belonging to the Insti
tute is worth some twenty-five Thousand dol
lars, and the location for High School mos
admirable.
Everybody feels that the Institute has ac
complished the work for which it was estab
lished many years ago, and that it is impossi
BILE to have good public schools until the tnsti
tute becomes the head of the public system
Without exception the public schools are mis-
cradle in every village where there is privat'
academy to divide the interest.
The academies of this State have had thei
day. Colleges must look to them no longer a
feeders. Each college should have its own pre-
paratory school, or vastly better, should modi
fly the preparatory course by throwing ou
Greek wholly and the major part OF Latin, de
manding but little or nothing more than wha
constitutes good common school educatio
such as every boy should have (but does nc
now get) at the end of the Grammar schoo
or certainly at the end of the first year in tn
High school, to wit; A business knowledge
arithmetic, many of the facts of mechanics
, with some of the demons trations, portion {
algebra, logarithmic tables, and some of tn
applications of algebra to geometry also, geos
| raphy, both political and physical (no grea
amount of detail;) also drawing with the elt
: ments of botany and mineralogy, and the lead
}. ing facts of astronomy and chemistry; also
s fair acquaintance with some fifty volumes
: the worlds best literature, from the earhes
times to the present, and commendaole eas
: in descriptive composition; also decent iaciiit
# in reading French, with about six months a
,t tention to Latin The common school educi
ton of every boy should certainly include {
much. and with proper textbooks and props
L instruction, every bright, healthy lad can a
e ouire so much by the age of fourteen or fiftee
>. Something near this should constitute Il
i preparatory studies for college. Every Graz
ID mar school would thus be made feeder of Il
k college, as no special course of study would
n required, but only that which every boy shou
m have. These, with a modified, enlarged al
l. elective college curriculum, our three coleg
lie would not make their present meagre sho
IN ing of less than two hundred students o
,e would soon be flooded.
is hope the bigwgs will excuse my presuni
- ton.
:, With our new State Superintendent
~ schools-a capital ore-I look to see mu
done for the betterment of public educatie
be for know he does not belong to the old
e. gies," whom the Japanese very properly
ge nominates the toad-in-the-well party"