Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-01-01


| ing, with cOmmodlors stairwaYs at each end, form
main characteristic in the first aud second sto-
ries The entrances for the scholars are in the
Easements that for girls at the north end, and Tor
boys at the south end, and they communicate with
rooms for wardrobes, &c The middle part Of the
basement Is devoted to a covered play ground. The
building is finished with vanished pine through
| ont.
The exterior walls are Of messed hricl, with Nova
Scotia stone trimmings and black bricks intro
duced 10 considerable extent feature Of deco.
! ration. handsome double stairway Of granite,
brick and freestone leads to the main entrance, and
above this rises slender, lofty tower OF exquisite
grace, arr anged for clock, bell and observatory.
very fine toned bell, manufactured by Meneely &
| hi1abeFy, oeh founders, OF Troy, n. y, has been
placed IN this tower by the liberal ty Of well
| known citizen, William Dickinson, Esq, at an ex-
| pense of $780, A large clock winch strikes the
hours, from the mandatory OF Howard s Co.
| Boston, has also been placed in il; this, with
| twelve smaller ones In as many different rooms,
costing $1,000 are the gift of another citizen, Hon
Edward Eariel These small clocks are operated
by battery connected with the large clock; thus
uhu9fmity OF ilHe VIII De seeured throughout the
building. One OF Chickering'S grand pianos, cost
| ing $780, is the munifcent gift Of our well known
citizen the Hon. stephen salisbury In these gifts
| we have interesting wants supplied.
! A this edifce assumed external completion, the
/ old high scnOolhonse, by the and of John Cavan-
augh Of Boston, passed over to the north Side Of
Walnut street, and on the east side of it have been
! built boiler house. chimney &c. Boilers have been
placed here by George Walker s CO.. Of Boston,
who are noted for their success in heating public
| buildings, which generate steam fer heating both
! the old and new buildings.
Before closing my remarks I feel that I ought to
| say few words on behalf of the joint standing
| committee on education. These duties have been
rendered laboriOus from the fact that the first
tract did not as Is customary in such contracts in.
| cude any OF these fixtures or cOnvenlences which
were necessary to render the building it for occu-
| pancy, such as apparatus for heating, gas pipes
| plumbing, bells, speaking tubes lig1tnmg rods,
ventilat0rs blac iboards, furniture, fixtures for
chemical and philosophical rooms, UNDERWRITING,
| grading and foundation stones for fence, Then TO
these have added the walton and foundation for
the OLD building, its moving and reftting its i'm
mense retaining walls-the boiler house and CHINE
| ney-these alone in clden times wOald have been
work for a whole season.
They have all been done but not without the
thoughtful attentions ana almost daily visitation of
| some one or more Of the committee.
This building, with lot purchased, has cost up
to December l, 1871, S15l 63lS2 and there OUT
| standing balances due on contracts and accounts
! that VIII amoant to about 5000. About 5000 Of
this is furniture. The total cost is thus about S169
| 50. The coming season there will be pleasant
| opportunity TO finish and complete the grounds,
| which Will bring ont the whole arrangement SO
present of the finest buildings of this kind in
| the country.
The result of these united labors you have here
| to-day in this spacious building, towering high
above its neighbors, structure of beauty and
| strength, unique in its style, and a monument OF
the public spirit OF the citizens Of Worcester, which
| the committee submit as the fulHlment OF their
| trust. And now, in accordance with my duty,
hand the keys to the chairman of the committee on
| the high school, the Hon. 7. Emory Aldrich.
ADDRESS OF HON. P. EMORY ALDRIcH.
Mr.. Aldrch accepted the trust, saying by this
token we know that the wishes and hopes of years
are realized He expressed the thanks of the board,
to the committee and especially to the mayor, for
their faithful supervision, in the erection of the
building, after which he proceeded TO speak as fol-
| lows:
/ have been requested to rive some account of the
| origin and subsequent history of the high school,
NV narrative shall be brief, for there are many
other things to be sad and done this occasion
far instructive and possessed Of higher in
terest than that with which / could hope to invest
the subject committed to me. To begin then with
the origin OF the school, find from an examination
of the pubic records that the toWn OF w orcester
in the year 1874 four years before lts Incorporation
as city, adopted at town meeting in That year
the following resolutions:
Resolved that there be established in the Central
school district a school for the benefit OF all the il~
habltant5 Of the town. to be called "Ihe Classical
and English High School," open to scholars OF both
sexes, and capable of accommodating at least 70
boys and 100 girls.
'This school shall be substituted for tine present
Latin grammar school. and be under the charge of
Il male principal, with such male or female assist
ants as may be necessary to its Thorough manage
ment and instruction The studies in this school
shall comprehend the Latin, Greek and French lam
guages, together with the mathematics, and the
higher English branches usually Taught in academies
and female semlnar1es.
"The course Of stuly shall be>1T=5nred 90 that
those who intend TO obtain a>eTSsicll education NAV
have . epportunI to pSrsue unlnterruptedy the
studies necessary for admission TO colleges and that
those that are gsfons of beng fitted for practical
NE, or OF IsSfsiving thorough English education,
may ~ 92<se equal opportunity for that purpose
sS5ntenporan-o usly with the Dls age of these re-
Solves the town appropriated SO 000Or the erection
| of a new building for the accommodation Of the
| school, and appointed committee to saperntend
| the construction OF tie building, arrange the
| course of studes and frame rules and bylaws Tor
! the government and regulation OF the school.
Samuel Il. Haven, ESD, WaO is Still among Us, the
friend and promoter of all sound learning, ahar
| man Of that committee. 1T may net be wholly un-
interesting passage IN TINS history as showing the
| contrast between the salaries paid to teachers at
that day and the present. to state that the commit
| fee recommended that $500 be raised for the pay
ment of teachers in the high school, Or $1,000 for the
principal, $500 for male assistant SSlJ Tor first
| female assistant and $500 for the second female
assistant There arc now in III school nine achers
with salaries ranging from SitO 10 S-JJ0 ana aggre-
The building which has recently given place to
| this more spaeloas and commol iaus edihca was
| completed and the new school, nnder the name OF
| the Classical aud English High sc1Ool was opened
| August 9th, 1915, with Mr.. bridge G. smith as
principal, Mr. Davis, a sen of the late Hon. John
Davis of this city, as assistant and two female
| teachers and l42 scholars 1t Is noteworthy flct
that the building was completed ana iully furnished
ready for the schoo az an expense less than the APP
preparation. Candldates for admission to the high
school required that dav to pass salts actory
| examination IN Greeneafs Arithmetic, MitGhelps
| Geography. Godsbury's English Grammar, Good
rch's History of the United States, or an equiva-
lent. and write far and legible hand to read and
| spell correctly IN any English book and furnish
certificate of good moral character from their last
teacher or from the PRUDENTIAL or wishing commit
The course of study in the classical department of
| the school embraced the first year Latin lessons,
Arithmetic, English Grammar, Latin Reader and
Grammar and Ancient Geography. Second year,
Ancient Geography, Cesar, Algebra, Arnods Ex-
| prcises lin Creek, Sallust Third year, Sallust
| Greek Grammar Arnolds Il Exercises, icero OVID.
| Fourth year, Ovid, Virgil Greek Geometry, Age
| bra. English departmeDt-ttrst year, Arithmetic
| English Grammar, history Algebra, Geometry,
| Bookkeeping French. Second year, Geometry,
| French Botany, TrgonOmetrY, Physiology, Natural
| Philosophy, Chemistry. Third year, Astronomy,
| Chemistry, Natural Philosophy, Moral Philosophy,
| History Of the United States and of Massachusetts
| and Political EcOl OmY.
| This remained substantially the course of study
until 1852 when the sic II course was changed 50
as 70 conform TO the requirements Of Harvard col
! leqe Tue English course was made more system
| ATTIC. Paley'ss-Gaaol0gY aud Buffers Analogy
were omitted and Smrlia's Phi osophy Of Natural
History was introduced English Grammar and
| Arithmetic were stricken from the high school
course and scholars were required TO finish these
studies, and the standard OF admission TO the l8l
school was raised; and candidates are now required
to pass written examination in the History Of the
| United States Arithm tie, written and mental,
| Geography, English Grammar, Spelling and Music.
| The studies IN the school are now divided into
three distinct courses The hrsl Is for those pre-
plring for college. The second for those VINO wish
10 study the ancient elias lies 10 limited extent with
other studies. The third strictly tugish course.
Thus it will be seen that those who have had the di-
rection of the course OF instruction IN the sch0ol
have from the first endea7Ored TO satisfy tine de.
mands Of the friends and advocates both OF classical
| and scientific learning. This policy has undOubt'
eddy been more in harmony with the wishes Of
friends and patrons Of the school but lis results, as
exhibited in the graduates, have been tar less salts
courses of study been rsued in entirely separate
schools, and under different corps Of teachers. Yet #
all the young mea who h8Ye entered college from
| Worcester during the last twenty-five wears had
pursued their preparatory studies in the high school,
| IL would not have JUSTIFIED the necessary eXpend.
i.ure Of maintaining at the public charge distinct
and separate classical school. Bat the rapid growth
! Of our city, both IN population and IN wealth, and
| the increasing number of youth who are DESTROYS
| OF fitting themselves for the college or university
may, at no distant day, justify and render such
| school necessary to the completion Of our public
scnool system. Especially may this be found neces-
| sary when we take into account the much higher
standard Of scholarship now required Of candidates
for admission 10 any of our first class colleges, and
| 1t may also be found eXpeilent to extend the time
OF preparatory study from four TO five SIX years
| When George Bancroft entered Harvard college
from Worcester, ffty-nlne years ago, at the carly
age of thirteen, the graduates of that venerable in
| siiutiOn left their Alma Mater on graduation day
with little If any larger stock OF Greek and Latin,
and Of mathematics and scientific knowledge, than
young men now required to FOssess to ,ntitle
them TO the honors Of mariCuation. Aud since
that day whole worlds Of scientific knowledge have
been revealed which claim some share of the time
and attention OF every literally educated man, and
it would be worse than folly in organizing our
schools and arranging their courses OF study not to
take notice of these vast changes In the domain Of
letters and science, not to make corresponding
changes in the preparatory studies Of our generous