Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1916-01-12
BAcxwooDs SCHOOLS.
What Maine Is Doing for Children
of Unorganixed Townships.

DAM CSAhOO.Ss
What Maine Is Doing for Children
Of Unorganixed Townships.
The Portland Chamber Of Commerce
Journal prints the following report of the
educational work of the State in the un-
organized townships. 1t is Of perticu-
lar interest to the people Of Hancock
county, as q Hancock county man, A. w.
Gordon, OF West Gouldsboro, is at the
head of this department.
Maine is one OF the few states in the
Union that has well-organized system OF
townships. This system reaches to the
remotest hamlet and most OF the DESC
| late islands.
| The supervision OF these schools is d.
| intendent of schools, and A. W. Gordon,
of West Gouldsboro, has just been APP
pointed to the head Of this department.
| The plan OF looking after these schools
| in the highways and byways was first
suggested by Nelson A. Luce, OF Vassal-
| boro, formerly State superintendent of
schools, and during much OF the time in
the eighteen years in which the plan has
been in operation he has had considers BILE
to do with the work, receiving hearty CO.
operation from the several State supcrin-
tendents.
At first it was a great problem how the
children OF the few settlers scattered here
and there along the tote roads OF the sew
eral townships could be educated. Under
containing 100 acres each had been set
aside all over Maine for educational and
church purposes.
These latter were known IS ministerial
lots and at later day, after Maine had
separated from the parent state, they
were nullified by the legislature and
turned over to the educational fund.
These tracts aggregated 1000 acres in each
town. From this source some money was
obtained, but never considerable
amount.
While the State aids materially in the
esta bills hment OF these schools, contribu-
tions from individuals and organizations
have frequently been made, and many To-
calities have taken much pride in having
these institutions spring up in their midst.
There are between sixty and seventy Of
these schools in ten of the sixteen coun-
ties, including Aroostook, Washington,
Hancock, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Somer-
set, Franklin, Oxford, Lincoln and Saga
dahoc. In Hancock, Lincoln and Saga
dahoc counties the schools are located on
certain OF the isolated islands.
There are some sixty-five teachers, hav-
ing supervision over about 800 pupils, the
neigh borbood of $4,000. These schools
are in operation for twenty-eight weeks,
from April to January /, no sessions be-
ing held through January, February and
March. Reasons for this are the deep
snow and other insurmountable barriers
of the winter season in eastern and north
eastern Maine.
Under the system now prevailing in re-
lation to unorganized townships no child
in Maine can be SO isolated as to be unable
to secure an education, unless he happens
to be the only one in town under twenty
one years OF age. The law provides that
there must be two to constitute q school.
Some OF these schools are in part nova
bic institutions. They sometimes spring
up in logging settlement and soon after
the operations are carried on elsew here
and another school springs up in the latter
place. Mr.. Gordon, the new general agent
OF those schools, ~iil travel many miles in
visiting them, nearly 5000, by railroads,
trolley cars, steam boats, stages, canoes
and teams
In visiting one school beyond Aurora in
Hancock county he will be obliged to
travel forty miles by stage. One OF the
schools in the vicinity OF Chesuncook
Lake is SIXTY miles from the nearest settle
ment OF any size, and part Of the trip is
made in q canoe and often with q guide.
Quite = number OF the schools are in the
vicinity Of Moose head Lake and many in
the neigh borhood Of Jackman.
When the plan was FIRST put into opera
tion some OF the school sessions were now
and then held in unused freight cars,
barns and part OF the time out OF DOORS 1
Conditions have changed in the past few
years so that now most Of them are COM
fOrtably located. few are still held in
log cabins, structures that are used part
OF the year by sportsmen. Under the
new plan Of directing these schools from
the office of the State superintendent,
there is more system to the work, greater
uniformity in the teachers and more prac-
tical curricula provided.
"Many OF the residents in these far-away
spots" says MIR. Starkey, the retiring
general agent, ''are surprisingly well in
formed, much better than one would
think with the limited opportunities. |
Not few OF the children de ,elop very
rspidl- and become bright and helpful |
members OF the family and community"
DANGEROUS to Give In Work.