Connecticut western news., 1886-08-11

time politeness would improve the of our young school-friends most decidedly. We all like to see the children enter heartily into play and in fact, have -good-time, but good manners are not incompatible with a schoel-boy's or school girls happiness.
 Let us glance at the course of study in the early schools of our town. In so doing will refer to a report by Prof B. G. Northrup in which he says: "The common school studies were, reading, writing and arithmetic. Geography and grammar found their way into the schools later," but, he adds, ''the few studies that received attention were pur- sued with thoroughness. It was the boast of Connecticut in 1776 that all her children could read and write. Massa- chusetts and Connecticut were the first states i,a tue aco,ld that enacted, and practically applied, the principle of adopted uery rigid laws for coercive ed ucation. The selectmen were required to see that so much barbarism was not permitted to any family as that their children should not be able perfectlv to read the English tongue upon penalty of 20 shillings for each neglect therein, and repetition of offense was furnished by still higher fines, or taking away ticing them where they would be edu- cated. ID bring up child in ignor- ance was 8 disgrace in the eye of the fathers of New England, and is still so regarded by all their genuine descend ants."
 But immigration has caused startling figures of 1lliteracy, and new coercive measure would doubtless be a blessing to this town as we'll as to many another The control of the schools during the past century and until 1856 was entirely with the parish or ecclesiastical socie- ties. All business concerning schools, the care of funds, formation and arrange ment of school districts, appointment of district committee and all business whatever was transacted as above stated. .ln 1859 the power was enlarged to such an extent that they were authorized to tax the property and polls within their limits to raise funds for all school pur- poses. But in 1856 it was transferred to the towns and still so continues.
 I fear that I have already extended this paper to an unwarrantable length and exhausted your patience. In clos ing let me speak of our school buildings. Ye log house of 1743 would not compare very favorably with our fine school house at Salisbury Centre, nor with the neat, commodious ones at Lakeville and the Ore Hill. The remaining nine are, for the most part, very comfortable and in good repair. There are many i'm proved methods in teaching and great credit is due to the persistent and un- tiring efforts of the secretary of the board of education in Salisbury. Prof J. H. Hurlburt has labored faithfully for years to improve the condition our of public schools; in some large districts in so grading the schools that the teachers are enabled to do more efficient work; in establishing Teachers meetings for the interchange of opinions, solving doubts, explaining away difficulties, etc., and his efforts should be all the more ap- predicted when we consider the fact which must be as we'll known to him as to others, that in one sense he is not working for his interest financially, as he is at the head of private school and all that is done for the elevation of our public schools, by making our teachers more thoroughly prepared to do good, effective work and thus promote the ad- vancement of their scholars, obviates the necessity of sending our boys and girls so early to private schools for bet ter instruction. Another gain is found, in that the teachers, when doing good, thorough work are retained from term to term and even from year to year, whereas till within few years, each new term found, as a general rule, new teacher and the first week or more was occupied by her in trying to ascer- tain how much, or how little each scholar knew and how to classify them in the meantime the large boys or leading spirits in the school were ire quently, by little acts of insubordinatio endeavoring to settle the question-who was to govern-they or the teacher?
 There Is 8 lack of statistics during as school registers were not introduced years old, or in 1941, there were 799 children between the ages of four and sixteen. In 1885 there were 912.
 I have not spoken at all of our pri- vate schools. Fifty years ago, and for many successive years, good schools were maintained in the academy at Sal isbury, taught by men of liberal, fine education such as MT Damon, since of missionary fame; MT F. Sedgwick and many others. Lakeville has also sus- tained private school portion of the time Our town now has two boarding and day schools where young men are fitted for college or for business. One is under the care of Prof J. H. Hurlburt at Lime Rock; the other at Lakeville under the supervision of Rev l.. HI. < l.. F. Reid, but as both of these excel lent schools are well known to all in this vicinity, as well as elsewhere, and can speak for themselves they need no eulogy from me; suffice it to add that we appreciate them and are pleased that our town has within it's borders such gentlemen as are at the head of these schools and we give them our best wishes for continued and eminent suc- cess in the future.
 In the highest grade of our school at Salisbury Centre more branches of study than are required by law are taught, such as algebra, bookkeeping, botany, philosophy, etc. ,and I am not prepared to say that such is not the case in some of the other districts. There are several good school libraries consisting of ency- clopedias and other books of informa- tion. I cannot say how generally the different districts are supplied with globes and other school apparatus. I know that there are some such aids. Some of our primary teachers have been very successful with their little ones, and
 by means of object lessons, charts,
 drawings, etc., made the rudiments of learning very attractive so that the 1 school room has been for them a pleas | ant place.
 There are many other things worthy l nf l,,1tt thir n11itn tnn