Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1881-04-18
EDITOR MONITOR:

Dear Sir,-At your request send you statement
of my connection with the recent trouble with Mr..
Dow and Mr.. Utford. During the last vacation MIR.
Dow, who has been sending his boy to Glover to
school, came to me and wanted his boy to be taken
into my room this term Mr.. RawsOn and examined
him in arithmetic with view to admission if qualih
ed We found he was just ready to enter the class
in the grammar school. He said he could not pass
an examination in geography, so he was not examin-
ed in that. 1t was decided that he should take the
studies of both the and classes and he was nOti-
fed accordingly. He neglected to take geography,
and spoke TO him about it, and he told me his father
did not wish him to study it. About this time Mr..
Uford's boy dropped geography, and had thus far
neglected to take history which the class were Just
beginning. l informed the trustees how matters
stood, and day or two afterward was informed by
Mr.. Baldwin that the trustees had unanimously decd
ed that the boys must take the studies of their class
| or be suspended The next morning told the boys
what they must do and told them if they did not have
their books the next morning they would be suspend
| ed. On entering the room the next day found Mr..
1 Dow and Mr.. UHOrd there. asked the boys if they
were ready to take the studies required of Them and
both replied that they were not. then told them
they suspended and SAID to the teacher that she
would neither call their nor hear them rece.
| Mr.. Dow then wanted to know why l did not put
them out, said they wanted to see how did it, said
he thought did not have anything to do with the
other schools and that the trustees putting on
me what they did not dare to do etc. did pro-
pose to discuss the question there, and after few
words left the room and the men followed. both of
them giving their boys orders they passed to
attend every recitation The same day the teacher
had occasion correct Mr.. BOWS boy, thing that
never has failed to raise storm from Mr.. Dow and
he took his boy out of school saying he would make
no further trouble. Mr.. UfOrds boy continued to 60
school. and made several attempts to recite and
was only hindered by threats of punishment. About
week after, the teacher had occasion to correct Mr.
Uffords boy and receiving nothing but an impudent
reply, after sharp struggle punished him. The next
morning MIR. Uford appeared in the school room.
When the teacher came about five minutes before
nine, he commenced excited manner to tell her
that his boy had done nothing, that he to protect
him. that she had dubbed him senseless and when
| tIoh NNv cd Shn IN i'm
he would bring her sticks. The scholars of the two
upper rooms nearly all there and were fockng
to the hall and doors to see what was gong
stepped to the door, and told him he disturbing
school, that he ought to have the teacher at her
boarding place. instead of before the school there and
that he must leave the house Then with face livId
with rage and screaming at the top of his voice, he
stoImed up and down the room, swinging his club
calling old william, threatening to prosecute the
teacher and put her under bonds keep the peace
and adding to all this, personal insults, that man
who has the least claim to be called gentleman will
use. A day or two after his boy expelled from
school, The trustees afterward agreed to from
geography if the boys would take history. Mr. Dow
agreed to this and sent his boy to school, but when
Mr. Uford refused to accede to the arrangement, anC
as the two men making common upon the
school Mr.. Dow thereupon took his boy out.
AS can be easily seen the whole trouble arose from
S the determination of the parents that their boys
should not follow the course of study prescribed b.
the trustees. We require in the grammar school tha
scholars should take reading spelling, arithmetic
geography grammar and history, all that scholars
the we nave III tnab TOOtO TAKE nOJLlDl
but what they should take Scholars of good ability
get the academy from IL to IA years of age.
then have full permission take any study they like
a This is the first time to my knowledge that scholar
have refused for good to follow the
As to the right of trustees to lay down such
n there be but opinion, among those who hav
% had any experience in school. Every graded schoC
in the state is managed in this way. One of tn
prominent educators of this state writes us that i
y their graded school, all scholars in class hav
# exactly the same studies and adds 1.-The hav
right to prescribe of study and to requir
scholars to follow the course" and that "the yer
st existence of graded school is that there shall be
e prescribed course Of study actually folto1ced."
u Very truly.
IL ERNEST c, BENJAMIN.