Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-10-22

To the Editor of the Free Press.
The learned and influential gentleman
whose report Is referred to below was the
son of the late Lewis llgbee, once well
known on the streets OF Burlington, Il
very eccentric man, but the father of Il
very notable family. Perhaps the most
distinguished of this Lewis IIgbee's nu-
merous and worthy sons was E,nathar.
He obtained his education at the Cniver-
slty. remember that when he returned
to deliver the masters Grafton, he was de
barred the privilege Of delivering this
speech because of some subtle here-y
occuri ng in it concerning the atonement
The speech was published in full III the
Burlington FREE PRESS. Many years pre-
ViOuS to this he taught the school ON
Fourth street, and mad the privilege of
being one OF his pupils. The nr-t time
ever saw him he wa ont he street, with Kun
in hand and troustr, tucked in his boot L.,
he having been engaged in "A long hunt.
ing excursion. He taught one OF the
best schools ever attended. lie was Il
remarkably brilliant teacher. Not only
so: he could swim faster, skate more
tleetly. knock bail farther and jump
higher than any hoy he ever had in school.
He was always the hero in all sporting
dertully gifted, he was yet quite wild IN
those days. Unless ! am mistaken, he
had some trouble in college because OF
certai II reckless esCapades Whoever eN-
pected Einathan Higbee. the rolhcking,
dare devil Elnathan, to become a minis
ter? What Will not grace sometime, do
for man The first we knew Eluathan
Higbee had not only been converted, but
had become divine. Later he became n
professor in a famous Theological semi
nary and Il doctor of divinity. For several
years he has been superintendent of pub
lie instruction of Pennsy lvania. From
the following report from his pen we learn
several interesting facts respecting the
schools of that great state There are
O,2j4 common schools and $500 graded
schools. In these schools there are % S64
teachers. of whom 1888 are women. Men
teachers were paid an average of S39 OF
per month; women teachers S3O.OS per
month. The average length of the school
term throughout the state was a little
over seven months There We're 9o2 lll
children on the school rolls, but the aver
age attendance WAS 90 l2S.. The total
cost of this system of instruction was
nearly ten millions of dollars, of which
the state paid one million. These state
meutS include the city Of Philadelphia,
but some of the facts about Philadelphia
are Interesting, In that city there were
only eighty men teachers, while there
were . li5 women teachers. The men re
received an average of SIPS 20 per month,
and the women received less Than half of
that, or So. ~. Philadelphia had last year
l4,3G1 children on it, Sthoull'll~. lUt
the average atten lance was Gully 80, i5!
The city paid out Sl.iOOouO for the sup
port Of It's schools In the state, outside
Of Philadelphia, the cost was a little n
excess of fourteen dollars to each pupil,
reckoning average attendance In phila
delphia it was about eighteen dollars, but
If the women teachers had been properly
paid say am average of eIghty-liye dollars
per month, the total cost per pupil would
have been about twenty doll ars.
II. II. II.
Townsend, Mass.