SCHOOL PROGRESS AND THE ACADEMY. 



193 



and who read these Hnes remember Mr. Tuck, who per- 

 formed this double function, as early as the year 1841, 

 with a remarkable degree of skill. 



In the course of nine years it became possible to 

 lengthen the term of the high school and to increase its 

 appropriation so that a Mr. Hervey, the next teacher, 

 was employed to hold the school for a full year. 



From that time fqrward the high school has been a 

 permanent and growing institution of the town. With 

 the establishment of primary schools and a high school 

 and intermediate schools, the development of the town's 

 work in educating its young was well under way, and 

 the use of private schools taught by the minister or 

 by spinsters or by academy preceptors gradually melted 

 away. 



The democratic idea of free public schools began in 

 our precinct by paying some "dames" a few pounds to 

 teach children in various places ; and it has grown, as we 

 shall see in another chapter, to become the largest enter- 

 prise of our corporate community. 



arrangement has been calculated as follows. Salary of the Teacher of the High 

 School $2.^0. Salaries of the District male Teachers ^225. Salaries of the 

 female Teachers ^168. Fuel for all the schools ^100. Rent of a room for a High 

 School ^25. Making in all the sum of ^768. ( In this estimate, ^25 per month has 

 been allowed to each of the male Teachers in the district schools, and 2 dollars 

 per week to each of the female Teachers.) 



The practicability of this plan must depend somewhat as is evident, upon the 

 disposition of the town to raise more money than it does at present. Allowing to 

 each of the extreme districts its proportional share of the increase, an additional 

 appropriation of $230 would be required, and this, as it seems to your Committee, 

 is a very small sum compared with the great good which they anticipate from the 

 change proposed, should it be carried into successful operation. At any rate they 

 think it very desirable to make the experiment for one year, and should it fail, the 

 loss of $200 would not, they trust, be the ruin of the Town. Still they would sub- 

 mit their plan with all deference to the consideration of the several districts, trusting 

 that they will decide upon it, in such a manner as best to promote the intellectual 

 and moral interests of the rising generation. 



Respectfully submitted by 



H, G. O. PHIPPS, 

 PAUL PRATT, 

 L, N. BATES, 



Committee. 



