The Placer herald., 1873-05-10
Educational Department.
THE HIGH SCHOOL.

Mr.. EDIroR:-I have read, with great interest,
some of your articles urging the establishment
of high school or college at Auburn, and also
the ideas of "B., in the Argus, on the same
subject As do not look at this question from
an Auburn standpoint, perhaps my views may
expel some delusons that your people may be
laboring under. The cooperative high school,
suggested by "B.," will not meet with favor in
this neighborhood, nor, indeed, anywhere in the
county outside of Auburn school district, unless
the fund can be made large enough to pay for
board and washing of pupils from the country,
which would probably exhaust the entire school
moneys of the county and leave nothing for the
primary country schools You have spoken of
political and religious difficulties that would
surely follow the establishment of high school
at Auburn by school money to be under the man
agement of the county political authorities,
These reasons with those above named, it seems
to me, preclude all chance of making public
high school at Auburn success. The plan you
have suggested avoids. all possible objections
from any quarter; that is, if understand it to be
as follows: voluntary stock association or in
corporation for purely practicable educational
purposes, precuding in the constitution or artl-
ces of association forever the teaching of reli-
gon or politics to the pupils. With such start
and liberal subscription to the stock by the
permanent citizens of Auburn, others all over
the county will come forward and subscribe and
your academy, high school, college, whatever
you may call it, will at once be success. Your
capital stock should be fixed at at least $50, 900;
ten thousand of which you should expect to call
in and expend in erecting your buildings and
opening the school. The remainder could re-
main in the hands of the stockholders, to be call
ed in at any time by installments to meet exigen-
ces or enlarge your building, should the public
patronage require it. Thus each subscriber for
five thousand dollars would most likely never be
called on for more than one thousand dollars
My acquaintance in Auburn enables me to count
on my fingers ten property holders in your town
that would make money by taking the whole
stock and paying in the one thousand dollars
apiece to start the SCHOOL, and if this was done
other people in your town and in various parts
of the county would demand stock and you would
soon be compelled to increase your capital. The
stock would soon be paynginvestment,a and you
cannot easily estimate the increase of the value
of property, business and reputation that would
inure to your citizens from an educational estab-
lishment on this basis. Institutions of learning
have sprung up all over the country, not on as
good n basis as this and not at as eligible point
as Auburn, and are now fourishing and paying
institutions, and why not at Auburn, one of the
best sites on all the Pacific coast You, of Au-
burn, must remember that the county seat is not
Il permanent fixture in your town. 1t may be.
| and do not say but it should be, but as our
| population grows denser the now grumbling
| rI inf bp ORC
nearer and louder until you, with your present
| population and hold on the affections of the peo-
| pie of the county, may not keep the county in
its present shape, or even the county seat. I'M
| agine the lawyers, the county officers and their
families visitors chants the thousands of liti-
gents jurors, witnesses and taxpayers that now
contribute to Auburn, all gone, and nothing to
replace this patronage, and 1T may aid you IN
seeing the necessity of first class educational
institution, that may bring to you pupils from
all classes of religion and politics. and the visits
! of their parents and friends. ] lived in
| Auburn, | visit her yet. / am attached yet to
her beautiful hills, splendid scenery and Spring
| like climate the year round. her hospitable and
wholesoued people, her good society, pleasant
private circles; and with pleasure have written
both these cheering aud warning words. Ma
ture has been lavish in her gifts to Auburn; Sec
to it that you worthy of these great gifts
pardon us-you do see to it; you are the pioneer
that has never tired OF doing good to Auburn
and the whole county, but it is your readers we
are talking to. But l am crowding your col
umns and possibly firing the patience of your
readers AS | see You have department in the
HERALD for this and kindred subjects, | may
| trouble you again Yours Of 1919.
o
| WE received communication for this column
just before going to press yesterday, too late to
set up and get in. All matter for this depart
| ment must reach us as early as Thursday, and
| earles if possible. The communication will APP
| pear next week.