The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1872-06-29
LETTER FROM NEW JERSEY.
HUNTERDoN Co., N. J.
Ta 1870

pen Ill Hduu, us Cne amateur leCter-WflCer
say, for little social chat, or rather qorit
But my gossip l know will seem rathe
dull after the exciting topics lately discuss
ed in your local columns: Big fires, lan'
sinks, Presidential visits, &c. What
God-send are such little incidents to TIN
poor harassed Editor, whom, doubt not
is often driven to the verge of distraction
for the want of something to say, and YET
bound to say something interesting tt
verybody, or else receive the anathena
his readers. He is certainly excusablt
The does now and then draw little upor
Ii imagination.
Knowing that your columns are open tc
al communications upon educational
toes l propose to tell you about oul
examination, which took place in Fleming.
tonthe county town of Hunterdon Co.,
upo the 31st of May and 1st of June
Nomy mortal eyes had never yet beheld
Flemgton until the morning of the said
31st-which by the way you may rsmem-
Der Us very beautiful morning,
steppg from the $50 train, I found the
dust its unpaved streets clinging to my
unhallyed feet. All the towns of Cecil
would ssuredly "hide their faces in the
dust al strew repentant ashes on their
heads 'or ever aspiring to be towns at
all, coul they see this lonely little place,
nestling' costly down among these Jersey
hills. L. graveled Size walks are shaded
with thry naples, which you know is a
tree of sic growth, and handsome outline
and propGons. The tastefully built cot
| tages all snd back from the street and the
door yardare decorated with flowers,
rookeries, nging baskets, rustic urns,
etc. How ratefully these beautiful and
neXpensivernaments strike the eye of
the traveller Possibly there is just little
too much she; for the yards also contain
a great ma. evergreens, and the solemn
funeral shad which they produce does
not accord Enormously with the sunny
atmosphere DIR climate. But the gen.
eral effect is 81.
There are alst as many stores here as
there are in ;ton, and as they receive
their goods direfrom New York, in two
hours time, anwill order from that city
by telegraph an.ing which they have not
got, you can alNs be in style and out of
cash, if so dispos. Pennington is much
nicer place to shon than certain town 1
know of, where ey third window has
written beneath Attorney at Law.
hope the clerks ilat ancient town read
your paper. l WI there last Spring to
buy dress, and ey store 1 entered 1
was taken to one Shy clerk and told
in confidential wahat if he was me he
would purchase off attain piece usually
the ugliest thing he on hand) because
Miss B had pursed one off it a few
days before. 1 Thinks B-must DOS
sess a mammoth clos press or a Sara
toga trunk, if she o all the dresses I
was informed she had yht. Now wasn't
that exasperatlng fol strong minded
female, with her ambitiowerino toward
seat in Congress, and left eye on the
Presidency, to be taken toad-eater in
the county town of herive countyo l
shall just drop sly hiI said clerks, if
you want people to buy, them alone"
especially women.
Well in Pennington thet you alone,
and they appear to drive arishing trade
in dry goods.
! But at this rate l don tow when 7
shall get to the examinat The first
place I went to was the Ii not to call
for sangaree and cigar, alp NV chair
back against the wall andk over the
morning papers while rest | haven't
reached that point in my st-minded ,
ness yet. l only wanted to wthe grim -,
dust of travel Off my beneve counte- :,
nance, and see that my curls L STRAIGHT
down the middle Of plaits and Is. etc.
before appearing before that dr.ribupal
the Educational Board of Hunth CONN., =
ty. No one being visible, rale hell.
which was answered by motriking .
importation from hfin ureeh with +
red cheeks bright eyes and an dance
of long black hair that f1oated OF
course her first movement "asake a
full and complete survey of my te that >,
completed, she waltzed across loom n
once and stopped midway on heurn
passage, and asked: "And what ise's
be wantin." Feeling somewhat mel 7
] ordered cup of coffee, and regrett =
| moment after, for l knew immediat,v l
the leer in that Irish maiden's eye 7 lie
should get the dregs of the breakfasts 6
"biled up" and when she returnets a
not disappointed. Bah! how the naf te
that soul-refreshing beverage is disgl "
by the vile decoctions eliminated in bt II
ing house and hotel, and designated &C CO
On inquiring for the Academy l =,
directed to a handsome brick builo "
standing upon gentle eminence, and s.
rounded by pleasant lawn, ornamen'
with flowers and shrubbery. Arriving
the gate of entrance found twin spi,1
of the teacher persuasion tying up her do
BILE team and blocking the wheels of hi
buggy, and together we enter and are il
troduced to a big, pompous fellow, who
President of the Board. Instantly
compare his clustering manner with til
firm. gentle dignity of our own gentleman
examiner. 1 should judge there wei
present about thirty teachers, the create
number of whom were men. A lady II
marked to me not long since, "what is til
reason if you see alady-like, nicely dresse
women, with an intelligent face, you ma
safely conclude she is teacher; if you Sc
woe-begone frowzy-looking man, ditto.
And this remark applies here as elsewhere
The examination here is conducted yer
much as the examinations are conducted i
Cecil. The questions are printed, and tn
candidates are required to write out til
answers: After the examination, thes
written answers are all sent to Trenton
where they are bound and placed in til
Court House. This is an idea Cecil ha
not yet caught. The certificates issued ar
of first, second, and third grade. TIL
questions upon Reading, Writing, Geogra
ply. Grammar, Arithmetic and Spelling
are the same through all the grades. Fo