The Portland daily press., 1874-04-20

THE STORY OF A REFUGEE.
Spp,NoF1rID. April IA, 1870.

SPRINGFIELD April IA, 1870 /
Kismet,-it is fated! An old resident OF
Portland 1 passed unscatbed through the fire,
the Ogdensburg agitation and the various
other crises in our municipal history But the
f.uds of the Guelphs and Ghibellines of the
School Committee were too much for me in my
old age, and fed to the wilds OF Central Mas
sachusetts / trusted that distance would |
drown the thunder of the captains and the |
shouting, or at least that the lesser tumult on |
Beacon Hill would divert the attention. In |
vain! I tell you, Mr. Editor, this thing will |
become a matter of national concern-nay
ternational-cosmical 1 had but stepped
from the cars, wrapped in delusve security,
when the newsboy of the country commended
to me, in the professional tone of confidential
disclosure, his last copy of the Republican on
the ground that it told "all about the Portland
School Committee Imbrogio." In another
instant an attentive servitor of the railway
company was seen mopping human gore from
the floor of that depot, and a complex medium
made up of fragmentary newsboy, newspapers.
wearing apparel and nickels, diffused itself
throughout the entire structure. . yes, they
are all by the ears about it in Springfield The
pulpit lends its th6hders and the newspapers
are full of it, And as if the flames needed to
| be famed, one inoffensive, aw-abiding citizen,
has received no less than six copies of your
ah, well-valuable newspaper containing an &C.
| count of the election of Messrs Webb, Talbot
and Thomas. So the question to-day in Spring
field is not who will be Senator, but will Webb,
Thomas and Talbot accept?
So far as local school matters are concerned,
all is peace and harmony. The
MAINE TEACHERS,
whom good salaries have attracted here, are
doing good work and are highly esteemed.
| Mr. Stone the Superintendent, formerly Prin-
cipal of your High School, is quite as popular
here as he was in Portland, and that is saying
good DEAL He has just been engaged III re-
vising and systematizing the course of study in
the schools, laying out with great minuteness
the work of each year and term. Mr.. E.
Brookings, graduate of Waterville and
formerly principal of Cherryfield Academy, is
now master of the Centre Street Grammar
School in this CITY, There is no more enthusi-
astic conscientious and successful teacher in
the State than MIR. Brcokings. Maine ought
to keep these good educators at home
One striking feature in the Springfield
SC hools is the presence of
CHINESE SCHOLARS.
Thirty young people are sent to America
annually by the Chinese government to be edu-
Gated. They remain in private families till
they have learned the language and are fitted
for the grammar schools. The head commits
sioIer in charge of these wards of the govern
ment, Mr. Laisun, resides here and is quite a
princely Mongolian, maintaining an expensive
establishment, with servants, horses and car
rages. The aristocracy of Springfield very
much affect the society Of this heather gran.
dee and his rather interesting family He dis
tributes the pupils under his charge among the
most reputable public and private and private
schools of this and the neighboring States, and
is said to be on the point of making reporo as
to the comparative merits of public and pri
vate instruction.
Springfield prides itself on being kind Of
intellectual and educational centre. Here the
barber is not only artist, but his sign invites
you, not into "shop," but into "physiog-
nomical hair-cutting emporium" Such are
the results of Earning"
JAEL.