Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-05-02
EssEx.-On the last Tuesday of March, a

EssEx.-0n the last Tuesday of March, a
graded school district was organized at
Essex Junction, under the act of the last
Legislature. The district comprises the
whole of that formerly known as District
No. l, and contains about two hundred
children of school age. The usual officers
were elected, and a committee appointed TO
procure plans and recommend location for
school buildings At subsequent meeting
this committee reported, and a vote was
taken to build. The Prudential Committee
were directed to employ as many teachers
and have as many schools as shall be neces-
sary for the accommodation of the children.
tax of thirty-fye cents on the dollar of
the grand list of the district was voted for
this purpose. In regard to location of school
buildings some difference of opinion was
manifested, some fayOring the present loca-
ton with an enlargement of the grounds,
and Others fayoring more central location,
on an elevated plat of ground Just west of
the depot, which Mr.. D. II. Macomber pro-
! posed to give to the district for that pur-
pose. Having rejected the former by
decisive vote, the motion to locate on the
latter was received with more favor The
efforts Of the people at the Junction in
favor of free schools for all the children in
the district are very commendable.
Mr. Nelson Kellogg has sold the farm on
which he and his father before him had
lived for more than sixty years, few miles
northwest Of Pages Corners, to Mr. Sever
anee, Of Colchester, for s., 800, and removed |
to Essex junction, where he has bought a
house and lot of Mr. l.. \. Hill. for |
81 500
Mr.. II. N. Ballard, of Burlington, has |
SID his farm in Essex, known as the " Hunt
farm, about midway between the junction
and the Centre, to r. II. Davis, for the sum
of S25, 200. The farm comprises about four
hundred acres of land, with an elegant
modern dwelling-house, and outbuildings
Mr.. Billiards. auction Of household furni-
ture, dairy and farming implements, cattle
and horses. was attended by a large crowd
Of people, and passed off satisfactorily.
J. 5. Nichols has sold his farm near f. F.
Whitcomb's to Mr.. Messenger, and removed
to the Centre, into the large new boarding
house, built last summer by his son.
Mrs. DR.. Butler has quite a curiosity in
a house plant called the Waxen Hoya-if
that Is the correct rthography-which,
after five years patient waiting for fruit,
has bloss0med once during the past year.
and now has on it eight clsters of buds,
coming out from the same stalks with the
former from on oh f,f MI i.b Etc.,
to thirty stems about one inch long, each
surmounted by a beautiful star shaped
flower. Each flower is about the size of
ten cent coin, has five yelyety petals Joined
together toward the tip and of a delicate
pink hue. In the centre Of this is another
star of a yellowiSh tinge. with oval petals.
the central points of which are tinged with
the brightest crimson shade, nterchanged
with delicate light green. Completing
the whole, and in its centre, Is 4 tiny open
space from which exudeS a tear drop. clear
as crystal and of exquisite sweetness. The
plant may not be as rare a. are its bios
SONS, but in this respect it is a curiosity |
which challenges the admiration of all who
behold it.
Upon retiring from their Office. the Board
of School Directors of Essex, directed their
clerk TO enter upon their records a summa-
~ of the results Of the two years trial Of
the town system of schools. From that
summary we are permitted to make
the following extracts The whole num-
her of weeks school taught was SOS or 299
per year. The whole number of scholars
enrolled was about LOCO. The aggregate
attendance was g., $50; the average daily
attendance was 2Os.sl. The total cost Of I
the schools for the two years was 81, 727 10;
cost per scholar, 1896; per week $50.
The per cent. on the average grand list of |
the town for the two years, required to pay
the expenses Of the schools was pc cents on |
the dollar. Every child in town having
the requisite qualifications, had free
tuition for one or more terms in the High /
School ut the Centre in connection with the
Essex Classical Institute.
For the coming year the Board proposed
to continue the Advantages of the High |
School, place a school of 2S weeks in each of
nine school houses more than that if desired
at the Centre, and one Of shorter duration
to two Others, If ten scholars could be gather
ed and would have laid a uniform tax there
for of tircHty-fre per cent. Under the dis
trict system only one district has voted /
a school of . weeks. the remainder voting {
Il shorter term, and finding themselves COM
PEELED to pay larger tax than that pro-
posed BY the Board. besides foregoing all {
the added advantages Of High School.
The store formerly occupied by Written
* Brown, rs a glove shop, has been neatly !
reftted. and will soon be filed with a stock
of new goods under the proprietorship Of g.
H. Brown. Mr. Brown retains the office of
Postmaster, and gives satisfaction.
Essex has population of 2,022. There
are within its limits three hotels, five stores,
two groceries, one book store, one drug :
store, one printing Office, two harness and
four shoe shops. three meat markets, three
blacksmith and three wheelwrEht shops five
churches and one literary institution. 1t has
one doctor for every two hundred inhab-
itants, and no lawyer.