The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-04-10
Maine II II S.Sa S.sa SO SO US US 4Ss 9S5

1t would not be surprising II in 1890 1t
should be found that the Maine family had
gone as low as 4.40. 1t is interesting to notice
that the families of the French Canadians
here in Waterville show the same tendency to
grow smaller. In 1881 the average was 52.3,
nearly as large as the average Maine family
of 1850; in 1882 it fell to 5.06; in 1888 to 493;
in 1884 to 490; in 1885 TO 488; in 1885 to ASS; I;
in 1887 to 4S2; and in 1888 to 4.S0, little lar
ger than the average Maine family Of 1870
though very much larger than what the Maine
family will probably be in 1890.
The importance Of the fact which these fig
ures seem to establish, at least for Water
vile, arises from the conditions under which
the French Canadians live in Maine. They
remain by themselves, rarely intermingling
with the native Americans, retaining tena-
ciously their own religion and to great ex-
tent their own language. Were they. to con-
parently do in their old Canadian home, 1t
would be merely problem in arithmetic to
compute the date when cities like Water
Vile, perhaps when even Maine itself would
be spoken of as Inhabited by French Cana
dians, interspersed with few Yankees lying
in the shadows of spectral hosts Oh lore
fathers instead of in the sunshine OF aDund-
ant grandchildren.
There seems to be little reason TO believe
that the French of Waterville will become
less exclusive with the lapse of time. Two
powerful agents, religion and education, are
making the dividing line broad and distinct
No people are more devoted to the church, and
under priest whom they respect none more
attentive to its duties. Father Charland's
predecessor was not model priest. and the
parish was in very disorganlzed CONDITION
In 1881 AT the first services held by Father
Charland the attendance was not much over
three hundred. Now the large. Catholic
church, with seats for thousand, is filled
twice every Sunday; and the church is not
large enough for the children in the Catholic
Sunday School The attendance at these SER
vices Is not from Waterville alone, but from
the whole parish, which includes the Wins
low settlement as well, and includes three
thousand people.
1t is only recently that the
French and Irish have been taken out Of the
public schools, where they received the same
education as Protestant children. In 1887
the school census of Waterville showed 1916
scholars between the ages Of four and sixteen
years and 545 between the ages Of sixteen and
twenty One, making total of 2461. Those in
actual attendance in the schools, however.
numbered only about 9l2. OF the entire
school population about half are Catholic
children, proportion large enough in the
opinion OF the church authorities to warrant
the establishment of parochial school. The
school house was built last summer large
three story building worth about eight thou
sand dollars,and containing four schoolrooms
and lecture and entertainment hall ON the
third floor. This, 1t was expected, would be
sufficiently large to accommodate a | the
Catholic scholars that would come, but Fa-
ther Charland says that they have come in
such numbers that the building has been
found already to be too small. Five hundred
children is not probably large estimate OF
the number of children that will be receiving
their education in the parochial school when
accommodations can be found for them.
At present the school is conducted by six
sisters of the Ursulne Order, and three as
sistants. Three more sisters Will come from
Canada soon. Sister Mary of the Sacred
Heart is preceptress of the school. All Of
the nuns are from a Canadian convent, and
ali belong to the Ursuline order. which has
fourished in Canada since 1859. The edu-
cation that will be given in this school will
not differ much from the education given in
the other parochial schools in Maine, such
as the schools Of Portland, Lewiston and
Oldtown. The common branches Of eduea-
ton, such as reading, arithmetic. etc, will
be taught of course; so will English gram