The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-05-01

building was planned and erected, we are
all greatly indebted. BY their untiring
and persevering efforts this city can now
boast OF High School building which
Is not only well adapted to the noble pur-
pose for which Ii was erected, but also Is
an ornament to this thriving and intelli-
gent community"
Returning to the main subject the
speaker said: sour public schools teach
obedience to and respect for constituted
authority as the only means of securing
peace and good order In society. Every
school Is, therefore, a miniature State, in
which the rules and regulations adopted
Tor Its government and discipline are the
| alphabet and primer of the laws of the
State. And having learned the rudiments
OF obedience and loyalty In the school,
those who are taught therein naturally
and readily come to be law abiding
and law-respecting citizens in the
State. The lawless element I'm the commu-
nifty is not made up of the graduates of our
public schools, but of those who, either
from choice or misfortune, have not enjoy
ed the privileges thereof. Ispeak advised
ly when say that it Is very seldom that
graduate of our public schools is found to
be violator of any of the laws of the
State. The graduates OF our public
schools, having been trained to habits of
obedience, fidelity and industry, promptly
become useful members of society and
add strength and stability to the body
polite. Our public schools greatly aid
the Government In Americanizing and
assimilating to our institutions the
great hosts of foreigners who annually
immigrate to our shores. A large proper
ton of these incoming multitudes are
children and youth; and the question at
| once arises in the minds Of all intelligent
thinkers-and IL Is vital question in
deed-what shall be done with them in
| order that they may become an element of
| strength, instead of q source of danger to
| our Republican institutions.-fo they will
surely prove to be the one or the other,
and that right speedily. My answer to
| this grave and important question is that
| we must educate them."
The remainder Of Judge Tillinghast's
| remarks were devoted to a strong argu-
ment In favor of manual training. The
speaker considered "that our system of
public education is largely a one-sided
system; that 1t educated the intellectual
side Of man, but neglects the physical side.
1t trains the head, but not the hand s*ss
One OF the evil results is that the mind is
trained at the expense of the body. An
other evil result is that it tends to beget
the minds of youth disinclination for
| manual labor, and a too general desire to
live by his wits. A very important ad-
vantage Is that skilled labor IL everywhere
in demand"
The speaker then discussed the practical
bility of the system at considerable length,
and concluded as follows "Let school
houses, then, the fortresscs of American
liberty and Independence, be everyw here
multiplied, let them be well and thor
oughly equipped with the best teachers,
the best superintendents and the best ap-
pliances obtainable, and let the instruc-
tion impaired be such as shall tend to fully
develop the mental, moral and physical
powers of the rising generation.
Fred Sherman then made a brief, crisp
presentation of an excellent portrait OF
William +. Tolman, formerly principal
of the High School, and a late member Of
the School Committee. Mr.. Sherman's re-
marks were listened to with close atten-
tion. He said:
"At the risk of interrupting the pro-
gram, and to put right little matter re-
garding which those having 1t in charge
have kept rather quiet In order that it
might come somewhat in the way of a sur
prise to one at least of the persons imme-
diately concerned. ] shall take the liberty
at this point, Mr.. Chairman, to say a few
words, and but few, after which the reg
ular order may go on unbroken to the end,
without further interruption from me at
least.
Forty odd years ago, on pleasant sum-
mer morning, number of young men and
maidens from different parts of the town
of Pawtucket gathered for the first time at
the old Summit school house, as pupils i'm
the Pawtucket High School The school
was somewhat in the nature of an expert
ment, the teachers were comparative stran-
gers, and the pupils had ideas more or less
vague as to the work they were about to
undertake. There had been no tough ex-
animation for admission, there was no
specific and exactly defined course of study
to be pursued, there was no stated time for
| graduation, and there were not to be any
, diplomas. Under the careful guidance
and almost wholly according to the ideas
; and best judgment of the master, the
school began its work. From time to time
new pupils entered the school, and from
, time to time, az their own fancy dictated
, or the wishes of their elders made Il
: necessary, pupils dropped out of the ranks
"Three years after, for the first time, In
the year 1853, certain of the pupils who
: had been closely associated together in the
pursuit OF pretty nearly the same studies
ended their school days together in the
: month OF June, the young men to enter
0 college, the young women to take up Other
t lines of duty quite as important, possibly
y moro 30. These young men and young
I women, as there was no one to say then
Q nay, called themselves, with their fellow
h pupils Of these three years, the first grad
: uating class Of the school, the Glass of '5S
o "It was a happy thought to use thii
b space for the display of the class gifts
already I'm possession, and 1t was q still
r happier thought that led Mr.. Curtis and
n his assistants to suggest that other and
earlier graduates might like to help in th'
:, work OF filling up that vacant space will
n suitable reminders of their own class life
o | ita ,,o,noriaa and aasncfatinna Tho an a.