Connecticut western news., 1910-12-22
GOOD SCHOOL WORK
VALUABLE FEATURES
 AT CANAAN HIGH SCHOOL

Laboratory Apparatus and Fixtures for
 Scientific Study Students Show
 Material Progress in Scientific Work
 and Experiments. t--
 The surviving graduates of the old Academy" which was abandoned as a temple of learning S3 years ago, and razed and removed in 1881, would find little to remind them of the od school house and the old educational order of things if they were to pay a visit to the Academy's successor, the big graded and High School, on Granite Avenue, and spend even Q half hour looking through the various rooms and depart ments, where eight separate grades are maintained, and the latter day methods of instruction are ill vogue. With the tutelary impressions retained from his own experience i'll the"old school house, '' which embrace recollecJions of little be- sides reading, 'riting and 'rithmetic and an occasional spelling match and is' G. speaking holiday, the visitor at the present school would find much to in terest him in the contrast that would suggest itself, and in all inspection of the processes employed, from the kinder garten department, where the raw ma terial goes in, to the upper grade of the High School department, where the finished product goes out.
 But this contrast feature, as distin- gushing the new from the old, is of itself sufficiently interesting to warrant treat ment in separate and later article in these columns. The purpose of the present article is more particularly to deal with the latest acquisition to the upper grades of the school, the labora- tory feature, from which the students gain practical and appreciable work. ing knowledge of the principles of those forces and elements that play such an important part in the everyday life, of the community electricity, steam heat light. air, etc.-and the countless and diversified problems to which they con- stantly give rise
 Principal Eldrid- has revea s1 a rar commercial instinct in tlt skillful ma . ner in which he has financed the estab- hshment of the laborato y ont of the town appropriation of $15o. No thrifty housewife on q shopping tour could make a dollar go farther than. Principal Eldridge did in, equipping the school laboratory. Those who know anything about such matters need not be tc l.. that in the realm of scientific apparatus and the general appointments of a scientific laboratory, $150 ordinarily would cut a pitiful figure. Yet with that sum at his disposal MT. Eldridge has procured not only practical working nucleus of things that are necessary in the way of permanent equipment, apparatus, etc., but an outfit of materials to work with, such as chemicals and supplies, and pre- sumably he has money left for reason able replenishment. With the founda- tion thus laid, the next appropriation may be expected to not only perfect the equipment but amplify the capacity and efficiency of the department, which is bound to become one of the most valua- ble auxiliaries of the school.
 Certain hours are set apart during the kr,1~ SYN I,n laboratory, which has been in operation only during the present school year. The pupils eyince great interest in the work, and the results have thus far more than justified the outlay. From the in- dex of the subjects thus far dealt with. it appears that the pupils have studied the principles of artihcial heat as gener- ated by hot air furnaces, steam furnaces, hot water furnaces, etc.. and diagrams and descriptions recorded in their books show how thoroughly they have gone into the subject.
 ID the same manner they have ac- quainted themselves with the problems of house ventilation. measurements of water displacement, density of water, and pressure, laws of fluid pressure, air pressure, lifting and force pumps, the siphon principle, and on the occasion of scribe's recent visit they were studying and demonstrating the power and eccentricities of the magnet All these practical expert ments not only teach the pupil that cer- tain things in science and nature are so, but enable him to understand why they are so.
 The laboratory occupies a space parti- sioned off in the northwest corner of the and many of the utility fit ;ings, table, cabinet, shelves. etc.. are he handiwork of MT. s. A. Kemp, the anitor, who has charge of the school building.