Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1868-10-15
Public Schools.

FROM circular OF the Ouperfn-
tendant of Public Instruction of
the State we make the following
extract, being part of letter re-
ceived by him from the Rev. Bar
mas Sears, D. D., Superintendent
of the Peabody Fund:
eff city or town needing aid
will provide Free Public Schools,
properly organized, for all the chill
dren of a school going age, number
ing not less than 700, and will do
it at an expense of not less than
$4,000 to themselves. ere aoill add
$1,000 TO that sum. For half that
number of children (350) and half
the amount of money raised ($l500)
aoe aoiH give $500; and we will
give in that proportion for other
schools an any one place, if they
are properly organized and grad
ed, when the pupils of that place
number not more than 700 or less
than 100"
Most of our readers are doubtless
aware that Mr.. George Peabody
has provided a very large sum for
educational purposes in the United
States; and from the Directors
of that fund the above offer Of as
sistance comes. We must now de-
eide whether we need assistance,
and whether we will avail our
selves of the benefit. No one who
knows anything of Our condition
will deny that we stand greatly
in need Of assistance. Shall we
avail ourselves of the preferred
aid /? If so, we have clearly point
ed out to US in the extract given
above what we must do. II we
raise Public Free School of 700
children, at en- expense Of $4,000.
they will add $1,000 to it; and
in that proportion for any number
of pupils down to 100. We do not
know what the scholastic popula-
ton of Fayetteville is.but we know
that there are about 150 pupils at
tending three schools in town, and
atleast so more who are attending
other schools or none at all. There
are at least $50 or 800 scholars. in
Fayetteville and its immediate vi
cinity. Then we have the scholars
to get the money on, the other
requisite is to spend some Of our
own money in building up Pub
lie Free School. We have had
occasion often before to ask our
people to spend their money in
building up schools and other i'm
We should be sorry
to see our people spend,hrifts, and
should be equally sorry to see them
close-fisted and penurious !; for
while one course would fritter our
wealth away the other would hem
us in so close that the sunlight !
would never reach US. But when
we ask the people to put their
in schools, in turnpikes, in
&C., we are not ask
ng them to throw it away. we are
asking them TO invest it safely and
for themselves, and for
he general good of the oommuni.
y.
We urge our citizens, therefore,
o take this matter in hand, and
push it forward with the energy
is Importance demands. Let Us
lave schools and educate our chill
lren if we can do nothing more for
hem. Wemay accumulate proper
y, but in these ''disjointed times"
t may be Of little service to your.
elf or your family; but the
knowledge stored in the mind is
lot subject to the changes of for I
une and cannot be stolen. Use
he perishable treasures then in
toring up the imperishable.
But we cannot dismiss the sub
ect without calling the attention
f our readers to another point,
t is conceded on all hands, that !;
s a people increases in intelli-
,ence, vice and crime decrease
Vow there are numbers of children