Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-03-19
To Editors Of the Lewiston Journal

In vo;1r issue Of last Saturday, l no.
fire that in an interview which you
had With Superintendent w. w. Stetson
i'm regard to a Washinton trip for the
high school graduating class, he refer
red to me as one who has already con-
Quoted such q trip, and who faVOrs Such
educational excursions in place of the
expensive graduatiOns. such as most of
our high schools have at the present
time. Possibly a word from me On the
subject might be Of interest to your
readers, and perhaps a few facts and
figures might settle some disputed
questions.
Ny first class to take an educational
trip was the class Of '98, Freeport nigh
school. In talking the matter over
with the graduating class they readily
saw the advantages Of such trip ana
plans were soon commenced 10 nave
the excursion materialiZc. 1t was
agreed that each one in the class
should as far as possible earn the
money for the expenses of "a trip to
Boston ana historic places near there.
They also agreed to devote oil the spar"
time possible 10 obtHinilg information
ard arriainting themselves with tn"
places 10 be visited. Guide books were
sent for clippings saved and pictures
collected. For my own part, having
lived in Boston eleven years, | was
quite well posted in regard to many of
the historic places. yet to make my
self Il better guide, devoted much time
and study to tn" coming excursion.
from the financial stSndpoint. as we'll
as from the educational. For the benc-
fit Of the class typewriter papers
were prcpar"d practically a small
guide book and each member of the
purity was required to copy the notes.
Then for three months previous to the
trip we had regular rccitations and
talks after school.
The party consisted of 16. and eight
of this number had never been out of
the state of Maine. We agreed that
no one should spend over SIS, and that
the time spent away from home should
not be over 10 days. The March vaca-
ton WAS chosen. principally to avoid
the warm July weather. To help de-
fray expenses the class prepared and
presented Il drama. Arrangements
were made with private families in
Everett. three or four miles out of Bos-
ton. for rooms. and meal tickets We're
bought ut special rates for breakfasts
and summers at a restaurant. No az
Engagements were made for dinners rs
those Wrr" always bought whercvcr
the day found US.
We left Frccp"rt, Wednesday noon,
March ., 1898. took tn" steamer fiom
Portland that evening ana returned.
Saturday, the 18Th. In that time we
had visited tl' historic and intrr"stin"
places in I:"Ston. South BoSto".
tharlcStuwn. Cambridge Concord
Lexington and Plymouth No one in
the party had spent for the rcGula"
trip expenses over 81. and one youIi;;
man had spent only about ST.. The eX-
p"ri"ur"s of each dag were written u
by some member of the party and tn.
whole trip published later in the school
paper. The excursion WIS pronounced
great success in every way. The.
young p"np!" had had experience in
tn" rrIctic" of economy by sncing all
That ii WIS poSSibl" to soc ana spcn,I-
ing Only what w'iS necessary: they had
hroId"n"d their horizons greatly; they
had cultivated d"Sir" to see more #
tn" WI III in an educational way: they
had learned moro b. actual observa
ti"n in 10 days than could have been
araui"cd by 4 term Of text book work
ana had seen things and hal expert
cn""S they woHld never forget
In" next trip WAS made to Eoston
-" years later ny the class of 1000
consisting of a party OF twelve The
sum" preparation WIS MADE and the
amount of ground covered with an I'd
ditional side trip {" Salem. Again ff-
teen cellars covered the necessary OK
rcnScS. and ten days were taken FIR
Tn" TRIP. I'll" previous excursion h. I
gwen IN" many v:lUable ideas in re-
gard I" conducting parties. hich part
~ explains our greater success on til,
sec Und "trip.
In March. 1?ol. attended tho inIlIc-
ci"tion ana Sn"nt the most Of nv VI
cation in Washington. I hlG made as
iH"ouch preparation for this tr;p as
] had required of my classes -. tn" Eos
ton excursions. Tho following ynqr I
MAS asked by some Of MY graduates
MANY Of v hon hal been ll the Boston
trti'S. 10 conduct AN educational cxcur-
sion +" Washington. Plans we're i'm
W"dihi"ly made. .tIu, study commenced
y" 1fr'N met evenings once a wpe;,
log several months. In March. 1902
eleven young people with myself rs
ehntc started ont. going to Boston by
'iiiI. ~ .<''W orN by tho lT.ll River
liuc, thence 10 Washington over the
Royal Fin" line. Rooms had previous
" been secured 1T the Ardmora. and
spccid, transportation rates secured
from H"Ston. Meals We're easily OBJ
t'in"d in Washington a her numerous
restaurants at very reasonable prices
ON the start each one was supplied
with we'll filled lunch box. enough
1or three meals, so that it was not
necessary to buy any food. until we
reached our destination six DAYS
We're spent i'll Washington. one in Viz
Elhla ut Mt. Vernon. Alexandria and
Arlington. one in Philadelphia on the
way home and two and a half DAYS in
New York city. We left Freeport
tuesday. March II. ut noon, aud were
at nome again. Thursday. March 80.
~ noon. making the whole trip in nine
days. Several in the party carried
cameras as we have done in all our
Trips As a whole snapshots are the
most satisfactory souvenirs of such
excursions