The Republican journal., 1872-10-24
Letter From Boston.
Correspondence of the journal.

The New England Historical Society
have recently printed q valuable paper on
one of Names most distinguished sons.
In reading this admirable account of the
remarkable enterprise and unweared in
dustry Of the Hon. John Alfred Poor, all
struggles for place. grasplng ambition,
and lust for money, that too often raises
object servitude into worldly heroism. is
completely dwarfed. You Maine people
must be proud of man who held his
States ACKNOWLEDGEMENT SO near his heart.
and labored so unremittingly to carry out
his projects for her future welfare Why.
it seems a little short of the marvellous.
to follow the march Of his indomitable
will. through years OF unceasing action
when he gave himself or others no ease
or peace, till the gigantic plans matnred
in his own mind were fully established
facts, and Il net work OF railroads bound
Maine as securely to the British Provinces
and to the West, rs though cemcnted by
nature One Of his great AIMS was TO
arrest emigration from the state. Us we'll
as to invite immigration. and a compare
tive View of the population showed that
the former was constantly going ON, and
this, sad he, is great drawback to her
prosperity. ''No finer people are born on
the globe, and those who leave her dis
tinguish themselves all oyer the country
And again, this love of state, the great
motive power during his whole life led
him to say in 1868 Ell there is anything
to do what in me lies for the honor. the
welfare and glory and renoWn Of Maine.
1t is my native state, and inherit per
haps 10 a fault of weakness, y love for
her, as my native land and home have
seen something of other states and other
lands, and until had gone abroad never
knew the true beauty, the inherent great
ness. the wonderful resources of Maine
so rich in natural scenery. So full of all
the elements of wealth and power and
50 capable Of the highest results, Of the
most refined civilization" Slch achieve
mcnts as this interesting sketch by Mr.
futile portrays of the man. his persever-
inc industry, stalwart cndcaV0r and high
hearted courage, will keep his memory
green in the annals OF your state in all
time to come This week the society
publishes separate edition of their pam
phlct with 4 fine steel engraving of Mr..
Poor, which will speedily find is way to
the homes OF his many friends in Belfast
and elsewhere. About once in century
I man OF his force appears to give this
old world u spin on its axis, and few
more centuries OF such, even at rare in
teryals, would make the prosperity Of the
widest territory permanent and secure.
We are in the grasp Of schools. Octo-
Der, now nearly over, Is n sorry month to
iuven les, for it means Il return to the ed
ucational traces, after weeks OF lawless
idleness, and that thorough don't-care-
whether school keeps or-nOt state of mind.
There is something terribly significant
in the number Of schools Just opened and
the columns upon columns of these adver-
tsed halls of finishing or elementary
learning. To people without RESPONSE
bilities to educate it seems rs though there
was more supply than demand, and that
statistics, never known to tell Il lie, must
trip when they tell the public with grim
horror, that the number of children born
each year is on the decrease. But the
truth is these choice and select semnaries
Of learning are not half filled. a few of
the more expensive and fashionable sur
Vive, but every year sees rs many worthy
90 to the wall The reason is obvious
Every female woman nowadays, not
blessed with an indulgent parent, feels the
necessity Of earning her own support, or
rather clothes If she IS paSsablV well ed
ucatcd she opens II little school. il she is
musical she gives music lessons. If She
can write a decent letter her friends give
her no peace till she has thrown her bit of
squirming bait into the sea of journalism.
From sheer necessity or love of further in
dependence she longs to make money
with the rest of the world. and she gen
orally succeeds somehow. if she is pretty
and persevering. OF course school keep
ing is the first avenue opened to an in
tclligent woman. it being the safest though
the most wearing leading 10 a livelihood,
and the consequence is, the market Is
glutted with private schools. Within half
a dozen years the increase has been cnor-
NOUS but many neccs Sarily Stlrvc or
dwindlc away unless supported by the in
iluencc of wealthy friends. Nor is it
much wonder so many lose even the num-
Der of pupils they started with after = few
years trial. Teachers, like editors and
poets, are born not made. A woman, or
man either, must have u certain power of
command, magnetism, and faculty for inn
parting knowledge before they can be sue
cesstul teachers, or make n fortune ont OF
school keeping. The hunbug OF most of
our Wanted private schools is growing
more apparent every day, though 4 few
honest instructors manage to keep up their
m cstige, and still do their best to impart
the elements ol future mental culture.
am sorry 10 say Of the young Ladies' school
Of TO day that it is Il hot bed Of anything
but study. See one of the best and most
fashionable in the city cmptyn@ lis bloom
ing contents of pretty girls about two
O'Clock its we'll worth \ walk over Bea-
con Hill The little witches are chatter
ing fashion plates all panicrs. nattv hats
and French dresses, without, apparently,
the most distant idea of the importance of
learning beyond the languages, and viring
with each other in fine clothes. Where
the fault lies we don't pretend to say.
Girls will be girls, and nobody wishes To-
curtal their bread and buttery happiness,
or thrust them too soon into the next
stages, when they join clubs, write essays
and dip into u bath Of the prevailing
''sm." Besides. worthy women must he
and teaching is their only
means; but fashion is rapidly killing its
own outgrowth The poet Wordsworth
once remarked that ''Schools do no good
Tuition is not education" and beyond u
certain rudimentary drill OF the laxesl
description and q daily social association
with ones playmatcs, schools of the pres
snt day do 90 for nothing. Many OF the
IaX-paying rich men of Boston having
children to educate have withdrawn their
daughters from expensive private schools
his autumn, and are sending them to the
new English High School in Newton
Va