The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-11-23
EAST PROVIDENCE.
School Committee Meets - M. Kenps
Letter Caused a Sensation.

Tho regular monthly meeting OF the
school committee was held last evening
| in the Council chamber of the town hall.
| The entire board was present, and after
| the records of the previous meeting were
| read. bills amounting 10 S36I 81 were APP
proved and ordered paid. A sensation WAS
| created in the board by letter from MI.
| Alfred j. Kent. which was addressed 10
| the school committee, and was read 10y the
| clerk. The letter was full of all sorts oil
charges and complaints against the man
a0ement of the Armington Corner school
Following is copy of Mr.. kent's re-
marEable letter:
Gentlemen-Your attention Is respect
fully callet. TO the bad state OF affairs eX-
isting at the Armington Corner schooi
This school under the management OF the
present teacher Is "A fraud on the 'tax-pay-
ers and "A disgrace to the intelligence OF
the nineteenth century. For something
more than n year IN insane man mas Deen
allowed 10 visit the school at any ana all
times during school hours. walking down
the aisies. shaking hands with and kissing
the children. while "a @ teacher looks com
Dlacently on and smiles until he goes out,
only TO return In an hour, or, perhaps, ten
minutes and repeat the performance. This
mas been a good and sufficient reason Tor
some of the best families In the district 10
take their children out o. the school, nut
there are other reasons why they prefer 10
| keep their children at home
No one in my opinion Will be justified
| in sending n child to school where the
| teacher does not exercise better judgment
| thhn To keep all the doors and windows
: closed on such day as September 3. and
| in fact, at all times. hot or cold, compel
| ling the children to breathe the same air
| from the time they go into tbo school
until they come out again. When the
! discipline is such that one or two toughs
Ia nj isetta m u
| kicking, insulting, stoning ana tearing
| their clothes and vet 90 uDpuDished and
| be allowed TO continue To attend the
school, being upheld and defended 10y the
teacher who has so little sense OF justice
| as To compel small children who have TO
| 90 home to dinner TO stand out Oh the
| steps in the cold and rein until O'Clock,
| and whose Judgment and discretion ad-
| mits of entertaining ana encouraging the
1 visits OF insane men and negro tFamps.
| The schoolbOuse surroundings are also
| bad, with n high board fence enclosing
| three sides of a small yard, VITA IA high
way on two sides. devils den on the
third and an electric ROAD on the fourth.
The yard being used by ohe party for "a
cow pasture, and by another as hen
yard, with the fence for clothes line,
while a cess pool has been allowed to OK
ist for more than year within u few feet
OF the well where the school children get
their drinking water, il is menace 10
the health and lives of the children, q
source of anxiety 10 parents and Cis-
grace to the town, whose authorities
should consider 1T as icing unit fol
school purposes
Hoping these matters will be- invest!
gated and receive the consideration which
they deserve, ! remain
Respectfnllv.
Alfred j. Kent.
The letter was discussed at some length
and was finally referred To the superln
tendent. who will report upon the mat
ter at the next meeting. There VIII h'
needed at least $1,000 To carry the schools
through to the end of the school year
March /, 1893. in addition To the sS3l2. Il
unexpended October 81, 1897. Thi
! amount includes the 5000 for books ant
supplies. but does not include the bill
unpaid October 81 except for salaries
The COMMITTEES will no doubt ask {,
; have n town nesting called to make nj
appropriation, but the matter was lait
ever until the next regular meeting Mr
Alexander, Principal Of the High school
was present, and asked that some sigma
may be devised To inform the teachers
and pupils of the town. when there woult
be no school session on account OF storms
or other reasons. The matter was re
ferred to the superintendent 10 report a
the next meeting. The meeting tnen adj
journed.
Mr.. Nelson T.. Ellington, n young mar
- years old, died at the residence OF his
uncle William III. Fiske on Ivy street
Sunday afternoon, afte- an illness Of bu
one week, of typhoid fever. Mr.. Bill
linQton was an employe OF the House
hold Saving Machine company OF Provi
uence, where he had been employed fol
the last eight or nine years lie wa
born in NorthbridQe. Mass, and has r.
sided in East Providence upward of II
years. lie was taken i'll about a wcet
since. but was supposed to he getting bet
ter but the fever set in and he died quite
suddenly. Mr.. Ellington was unmarried
Last evening the Epworth League o
Haven Nj. f. Church held n parlor socia
nt the residence of G. G. Phillips on Phil
lips street There were 80 persons pres
ent. The game OF Pillow Dex was on
loved. as well rs other parior games
After the games were over there was al
| nour passed in free hand drawing, unde
the direction OF Mr.. William E. Farm
ham.
Yesterday afternoon woman was secr
| TO leave the shoe store OF Dennis fenl0r
on Watchemoket square, anc throw shoe
box into the strest. Mr., Fenlon was IT,
| formed of the occurrence. and on investi
cation found "A pair Of shoes were missing
The woman was seen To 20 over washing
ton bridge and Oiiicer Taggart was mott
fled. and together with Mr.. Fenlon tley
traced the woman to her home in the city
The woman owned up To the theft bu
said it was the first time IN nor life thai
she had done such thing. and rs she re-
turned the shoes, MIR. Fenlon decided moi
10 prosecute he..
At the regular meeting of Fraternity
Commapdery. No. 333, u. O. q. c., held
in OId Fellows hall last evening. one ap
plitaticn for membership was received.
After business a progressive Faba Baga'
game was enjoyed. at which Sir knight
u Champlin proved to be- the most expert
PLAYER.
Yesterday afternoon Chief az Police
Rufus W Adams met with n painful ao-
cident lie was running to catch car
near his home on Warren avenue anu
struck a projecting stone with his foot,
! throwing him to the ground. He struck
upon bis nose and lip, severely cutting
them, and causing n great flow Of blood
from his lip. He also cut ana sprained
his left hand. lie was Obliged to return
To his home and give up his trip TO the
city.
| Iho q II Whist Club met Yesterday