Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1916-07-15
WHEN WOMEN NEEDED RIGHTS %

made up by parents and guardians.
The schools were distributed over the
town, and kept a longer or shorter
period, according to the list of each
society.
In I745. the appointment was as fol-
lows:
School at the Landing Place to be
kept months and II days.
Schools two in the Town Plot, 10
at each end, IL months each.
School at Plain Hill, months, 10
School at weuwecus Hill, 1 month.
School at Great Plain, months,
School at wequanuk. months, Is
School on Windham Road, months.
II days.
Is is a fact which should furnish
and those men who favor equal fran
chise, that during the period referred
to, Miss Caulkins states, 'if any of
these schools should be kept by a wo-
man, the time was to be doubled, as
the pay of the sChool-mistress was but
half that of the school-master!"
So educational matters continued up
to the Revolution. During that
stormy period the schools of Norwich
were not neglected nor tntermitted.
An institution of higher grade than
elementary was sustained in the Town
Plot section, through all the distrac-
tons of the country. It called to
Norwich many boarders from abroad
and at one time, with Mr.. Goodrich
principal, acquired a popularity which
extended far, and made the name OF
Norwich famous even at that early
time-as it has since remained-foI
it's excellent schools.
In 1873, we find this school en-.
doFsed by it's committee, Andrew
Huntington and Dudley Woodbridge
as furnishing instructions to young
gentlemen and ladies, lads and misses
in every branch Of literature, viz;
reading, writing, arithmetic, the
learned languages, logic, geography
mathematics, etc, Charles White
| master"
The exhibition of the school were
generally enlivened with scenic rep
| entatiOns-prObably on the line OF
! the modern pageant-and interludes 0.
| music. A taste for such entertain
ments was prevalent. The Norwich
| young people, even after their eman-
| cipatiOn from sChOl, would occasion.
| ally take part in theatrical reprSen.
| tatiOns. From g, town newspaper -
| doubtless The Norwich COurieT-it !.
| 4GCsI 4iGG lIIdL III L GU udASs lIJZ, d Sc
| iect company Of young ladies and gen
| tlemen performed the tragedy of Gus
| tavus and The Mistakes of A Night
| at the courthouse.
The typical school, mistress of tina
| day doubtless earned a crown o
! glory in the realms abOvel With he
! swarmtng hive of pupils, just as live
| " and with just as keen a distast,
! for education as the children of thu
/ present day, her meagre pay, none q
! the equipment comforts, appliance.
! now considered Indispensable, she Ger
! ta1nly did her part-and that q big on,
/ in the builuing-up and developing o
| the early town life and progress!
That was before the day whel
! some superintendent or principal o
! a far-Off city was likely to pop il
| unexpectedly, study the persOnalit!
! and teaching method of the instruC
/ tor and prOffer, a better appointment
| IN another town at a considerable ad
| vance in salary. The mistress was
! lifelong incumbent, never going gu
! of one line of performance, Away
! teaching little boys and girls to sit III
! straight and treat their elders witt
| Difference and respect, to conquer tn
| spelling book (Which so many of tn
! modern pupils never seem to accom-
pish, or their elders either, for tina
matterD to repeat the catechisn7
tSF-A ~ t4t-oN 9tO4lIS, 1LCN5l " LGlI
lie; the boys to write copies and tn
girls TO work samplers.
If they sought higher eduoatio
than this, they passed out of her do
main into finishing schools. Amos
every neighborhOd had it's school
ma'am, as she was popularity known
Two of the most famous in Norwic
were Miss Sally Smith, at the Land
ing, or city proper, and Miss Mou
Grover, of the Town Plot.
| Strangely enough, for that stat
period, dancing schools also flourish
ed, but chiefly as a means to teachin
department. and grace, through tn
mlnuet and the cOtillion. Thes
classes and schools We're literally pat
rnized; so We see that long before tn
days of the one-step and fox trot an
lame duck, young people in Norwic
were devoting themselves to a pastim
and form of relaxation and recrea
ton as old as the human race.
THE DTCTAGRAPH.