Milford chronicle., 1910-01-14
A FORMER DELAWARE
EDUCATOR ON
EDUCATION IN MASSACHUSETTS.
letter From John D. Brooks }

tages than MASSACHUSETTS,. Lltl coii 10
barren and rocky with the possible eX'
ception Of the Connecticut Valley, she
has no farm lands to compare with Della
ware. She has absolutely no sub-soil.
The out cropping bed rock is covered
with a thin coating of stony soil that IN
time Of drought becomes absolutely moist
ureless During the present fall people
we're actually restricted in their domestic
use OF waters.
She has no minerals and but little
water-power Boston, her chief seaport
has but an Indifferent barber as the
Austrian vessel now lying broken in two
on q ledge of rock in the harbor mutely
testiies. Yet Massachusetts, is prosper
Gus. Her per-capits wealth lie probably
the greatest in the union. II Delaware
we're as thickly populated, che would
have $50, 900 people.
During the past year she spent F5'-
900, 900 in building new factories. Yet
she has to haul her coal and iron from
Pennsylvania, her cotton from the south,
her leather and wool from distant lands
Anthracite coal costs here $500 ton.
She has to seek q market where she can
find one. How she gained and retained
her prosperity under these conditions
may we'll be considered.
One runs across some conditions up
here that impress DelawaTean as pecul'
lar. Education is a business. Within
radius OF 25 miles Of my home, there are
Is colleges Of national note besides schools
Of lesser grades innumerable. Education
is universal. The first month ] was here,
a farmer dropped in to see me. He invi-
ted me out to see his farm. ! strolled
out and looked at his patches OF yegeta'
bles, etc, scattered around among the
rocks that covered his farm. On hill
top in the distance, ! could see the town
reservoir. Why do they have roof
on it?' ] asked. "That is 10 check evsp-
Grafton which was making the water
hard, he answered. "In Milford, Del
aware, from where | come, the water de-
posts lime in the water backs OF the
stones so that we have to have it Clipped
out occasionally. have studied chem
istry but can't understand why, since
heating increases the solvent powers OF
water, it should deposit lime when it lie
heated" He took off his old hat and
scratched his head a moment. The
carbonic acid gas in the water" he said,
holds the lime in suspension Heating
drives off the carbonic gas and therefore
the lime is precipitated." sat down on
a rock to get my breath and thought
had discovered one reason why Massa-
chusettes farmers can thrive on their
thin, rocky soil.
When l applied for my present posi-
ton, / walked two miles out in the coun-
try to see one member OF the school
committee. Ragged and typical farmer,
he was cutting fodder for his cattle, /
pitched in and cut till We had a load.
He drove to the barn, and then sat down
under an apple tree and gave me a most
searching examination as to my titness
for the position. / ambled of feeling
sure he had taken nv measure completely.
1t is less than a week since | learned
that he is graduate Of Harvard College.
Natick has a trife less than 10000 pop
ulation. She receives not a dollar from
the state in aid OF her schools, but in
fact paysa considerable tax to the State.
Yet ast year she raised $50 GOO for edu-
cational purposes and in addition sup
ports two public libraries. II Milford
raised in the same proportion, she would
have about $4,000 school tax George
town would have $4,000 or $ll 900. No
teacher gets under $500 per year One
lady gets 5000. We have four male teach
! ers getting $1,000 each one gets $1,000,
while the Principal of the High School
gets $1,000, Yet am notified that at
the next town meeting there will be a
10 per cent. increase of salaries.
These town meetings are curious In
situations. All the voters assemble in
them and legislate directly concerning
town matters. In one that / attended,
they voted to allow Mrs. Murphy Sl2,
for damages that baIbed wire covering
placed around q shade tree by the town
had inflicted on her dress. ] have been
notified that must present an estimate
Of money to be raised for school purpos, {
during the coming school term. 1t is
the boast of the citizens that this budget
is always passed by the town meeting
without question or amendment.
visited one Of my country schools
with a school commissioner some time
since. This school called the West
School contains so pupils. The Principa
of the school receives S56S, her assistant
gets $3.50. The janitOr is paid $3.50. Il
takes 25 tors of coal to heat the building