Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-09-05
OBJ aap spp: aooester GuesOap ylonmg September s. 1871

and two gentlemen driven rapidly over paved
street, and keeping their balance with eXtraordi'
nary skill and grace. The roads, excepting for
short distances in the town, are unit for two
horses abreast, so single horses are always used,
unless the load is very heavy, and then two are
driven tandem There are good many small
shops in the town for the local trade of the 1890
inhabitants ofIthe island butno other business
There is not a factory of any kind, not even one
of the candle factories for which Nantucket used
to be so famous. There is no sound of bell or
whistle, excepting the church bells and the
town crier, and the mild whistle of the steam
boat as it leaves in the morning and comes
back at night. The schools are all
good, and some OF them quite out
of the common course; there is the
"Coffin SCHOOL, established by Admiral Sir Isaac
Coffin of the British navy. He visited the
island in 1926 and found that large portion of
the inhabitants were his kinsfolk. Wishing to
give them some lasting token of his regard, he
bought a school house, and gave a fund of
$500 pounds sterling to establish school for all
the descendants of Trstram Coffin. The in
come from this fund was not sufficient to pay
the expenses of good school, so the pupils
were at first charged 50 so a term: but three
wears attendance entitled them to free tuition
for fourth year. Now the investment is
better, the income has increased, and the charge
is merely nominal, not more than 81 a term, |
believe
The Gent schools" for children, are a cross
between the old dame schools and modern
Kndergartens. The one saw was in pleas
ant, sunny room, with large windows filled
with plants, ana was taught by bright lady, a
graduate of the high school, Here children are
amused, taken care of, and if old enough,
taught to read; some of them are, am told,
not more than two years old, and when they
are tired, have comfortable maps. They pay
fee OF cent each session. These schools are
POPULAR but tthe teachers salary is very varia-
Bile; dependent, as it must be, on the weather,
and the health of the children.
Nantucket, in the days OF its greatest pros
perty, thirty years ago. was considered a very
rich town; and it must still be comparatively
rich, for its 1900 inhabitants have 900, 900 n
United States bonds; 100000 in the savings
jam l@bOVVJVVO ia ANNttoiN plOPSiAJ gnu II
seems to me that must give an average to each
person that very few towns can surpass. The
price of real estate is so low that the stories told
of it seem incredible; the rent of large, nice
house with twelve rooms is from $40 to $50
year; this year small, pretty house has been
sold for S6S. Last year a farm of sixty-fve
acres, with n very large house, two good barns,
all other outbuildings, and $500 worth of farm
ing implements, was sold for $500; and this
year the owner has cut thirty tons of hay there.
A gentleman of great intelligence, who knows
the island well and loves it dearly, told me that
family of four persons could live pretdly on
5000 year, if they owned their house; and on
$3.50 if they hired. Furnished houses let merely
for the summer are higher in proportion; the
cottages at Siasconset bring .S45 to $50 for a
season of four months; and one old house in
the town, completely furnished aud let only as
favor, brings $50 a month. Board at the
Ocean house is three dollars day; at the other
hotels two dollars; and at excellent and home
like private boarding houses from eight to
twelve dollars a week.