some of the old turnpikes. We hope for the best. At any rate, mere selfishness prompts to a desire that the evil day, if it must ever come, may be put off for a season, for it is very pleasant for an old man, when he has nothing else to do, to sit at his window, and see from twenty to twenty-five trains of cars passing back and forth each of six days in the week, and none on the seventh, or the day of rest.

SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL HOUSES.

In his eighth annual Report to the Board of Education, the Hon. Horace Mann, in reference to "The distribution of School moneys among. Districts," expresses his views in the following apropriate terms:-" This subject is intimately connected with that great doctrine of republican equality, which constitutes our principle, our boast and our hope.

"With the exception, perhaps of a dozen towns, all the rest in the State, are divided geographically into school districts. Provision for the territorial sub-division of our towns was first made by the statute of 1789, the germ of

which was in the Province Law, 8 geo. 3, ch. 309. I consider this, beyond comparison, the most pernicious law ever passed in this Commonwealth, on the subject of schools.

"Other things being equal, or, making due allowance for inequality in other things, the schools are now invariably the best, in those towns, which are not divided into districts, but in which the school system is administered by the town, in its corporate capacity. The reasons for this are obvious and numerous. In cases where the schools are maintained by the town, in its corporate capacity, it is obvious that every section of the town would be treated substantially alike. No portion of the inhabitants would contribute, for any length of time, to pay for benefits from whose participation they were debarred." "Were the whole town responsible in its corporate capacity, for the whole of the schools within it, the inhabitants of no town would ever think of, the inhabitants of no section of any town would ever submit to, a school of only three or four months in a year, while other parts were enjoying a school for ten months, or for the whole year." "In fine, if towns, as such, were to administer the school system within their respective limits, the great principle of repub

lican equality would have an unobstructed sphere of action, and would yield its harvest of beneficent fruits. A few towns, it is true, have abolished their district organization, and reverted to the ancient system."

This is one of the excepted towns. It has never been divided into those little corporate bodies called school districts in any legal sense of the word. But, during a period of more than one hundred years, the school system has been administered upon the plan so highly commended by the late Secretary of the Board of Education. The town, in its corporate capacity, has erected all the school-houses, raised all the money, hired the teachers, by their selectmen, or committees, and paid them. There never has existed, in any one portion of the town, any legal authority, except what has been temporarily conferred by the whole town, to take one single step, or to perform one single act, in relation to the public schools. And if this town has not raised so great an amount of money annually as has been raised in some other towns, it does not follow that the youth generally have not been as well educated. But on the contrary, the very fact that it has, for so great a proportion of the time, been equally distributed to, and expended

in all parts of the town clearly proves, according to Mr. M.'s opinion, that the children here have enjoyed superior advantages.

The first money voted by the town for the support of schools was in December, 1747. The sum was ten pounds, and Jonathan Wilson was authorized to hire the master.

The first school-house was erected in 1749, at an expense of £35. It was 24 by 18 feet, located near the first meeting-house, and built under the superintendence of Gershom Houghton, Thomas Wilder, and Nathaniel Carter, Committee.

The first woman school provided for by the town, was in 1752, and the amount appropriated was £3.6.8. In 1755, £8 were appropriated for a writing school, at the school-house. And in 1757, £15 were raised to be expended in three places.

The average amount annually appropriated for the support of schools for the first twenty years from 1747, and while there was but one school-house, was about forty dollars, expended under the direction sometimes of the selectmen, and at others by a committee specially appointed for the purpose. In 1766, the town was sued for not keeping a grammar school. In those days all who could read by spelling

the words, had a right to go to the grammar school.

In March, 1767, it was voted to divide the town into three parts for schooling, and Thomas Legate, Jonathan White, and James Richardson, were appointed a Committee to make the division. Voted to raise £40 for schooling, and £66.13.4, to build school-houses, and choose three men in each third part of the town, to superintend the work. Four new school houses were erected, there being two for the South third part.

So heavy were the burdens of the inhabitants of this town during the Revolution, that for several years they raised no money for schools. One, among many, of the sad effects of war.

In 1768, the town voted £33.6.8; in '71, £40; in '73, £35; in "76, £55; school to be four months in each third part of the town, under the direction of a Committee of three in each part. In January, 1775, they voted not to raise school money; but in May following, £100 were voted to be expended by the-Selectmen in schooling by masters. In 1779, £350 were raised as an additional sum for supporting the schools two months in each third part. And in 1780 the sum of £2000 was raised to defray the expense of six months man school, and six