﻿Graded 
  School. 
  

  

  so 
  requested 
  the 
  Town 
  Commissioners 
  should 
  submit 
  to 
  the 
  

   people 
  for 
  their 
  ratiiScation 
  or 
  rejection 
  the 
  proposition 
  to 
  

   levy 
  annually 
  a 
  special 
  tax 
  of 
  20 
  cents 
  upon 
  the 
  |100 
  worth 
  

   of 
  real 
  and 
  personal 
  projierty, 
  and 
  75 
  cents 
  upon 
  the 
  poll, 
  for 
  

   the 
  maintenance 
  of 
  a 
  Graded 
  School 
  for 
  the 
  white 
  race. 
  

   The 
  bill 
  provided 
  for 
  the 
  election, 
  by 
  the 
  Commissioners, 
  

   for 
  a 
  term 
  of 
  one 
  year 
  of 
  a 
  Board 
  of 
  Education 
  and 
  Learn- 
  

   ing, 
  to 
  be 
  composed 
  of 
  three 
  citizens 
  of 
  integrity 
  and 
  learn- 
  

   ing, 
  and 
  that 
  this 
  Board 
  in 
  conjunction 
  with 
  the 
  Public 
  

   School 
  Committee 
  of 
  the 
  District, 
  with 
  the 
  Mayor 
  as 
  chair- 
  

   man 
  ex 
  officio^ 
  should 
  compose 
  the 
  Durham 
  Graded 
  School 
  

   Committee. 
  

  

  After 
  the 
  passage 
  of 
  the 
  bill 
  but 
  little 
  was 
  said 
  of 
  the 
  

   matter 
  for 
  some 
  months, 
  and 
  many 
  thought 
  the 
  Duriiam 
  

   Graded 
  School 
  was 
  a 
  thing 
  of 
  the 
  distant 
  future. 
  However, 
  

   now 
  and 
  tlien, 
  through 
  the 
  year 
  18S1, 
  the 
  importance 
  of 
  

   the 
  subject 
  was 
  urged 
  through 
  Mr. 
  Green's 
  paper, 
  the 
  lohacco 
  

   Plant. 
  In 
  February 
  or 
  March, 
  1882, 
  the 
  Commissioners 
  

   were 
  petitioned 
  to 
  submit 
  the 
  proposition 
  to 
  the 
  voters 
  of 
  

   the 
  town 
  at 
  the 
  municipal 
  election 
  to 
  be 
  held 
  the 
  first 
  Mon- 
  

   daj' 
  in 
  the 
  following 
  May. 
  Accordingly, 
  the 
  election 
  was 
  

   ordered 
  and 
  a 
  vigorous 
  campaign 
  was 
  instituted, 
  which 
  

   grew 
  more 
  and 
  more 
  intense 
  until 
  it 
  culminated 
  in 
  a 
  most 
  

   decisive 
  victory 
  for 
  the 
  advocates 
  of 
  the 
  School 
  — 
  the 
  vote 
  

   being 
  a 
  little 
  more 
  than 
  three 
  to 
  one 
  in 
  favor 
  of 
  the 
  estab- 
  

   lishment 
  of 
  this 
  institution. 
  

  

  As 
  the 
  duty 
  of 
  electing 
  the 
  Board 
  of 
  Education 
  would 
  

   devolve 
  upon 
  the 
  incoming 
  Board 
  of 
  Commissioners, 
  active 
  

   and 
  successful 
  efibrts 
  weie 
  made 
  to 
  elect 
  citizens 
  favorable 
  

   to 
  the 
  measure. 
  By 
  very 
  large 
  majorities, 
  the 
  following 
  

   gentlemen 
  were 
  elected 
  Commissioners, 
  viz: 
  R.W.Thomas, 
  

   W. 
  A. 
  Lea, 
  W. 
  H. 
  Rogers, 
  R. 
  D. 
  Blacknall, 
  and 
  \V. 
  H. 
  

   Rowland. 
  

  

  LEADERS 
  OF 
  THE 
  MOVEMENT. 
  

  

  Where 
  so 
  man}' 
  did 
  such 
  effective 
  work 
  in 
  establishing 
  

   this 
  school, 
  it 
  might 
  appear 
  invidious 
  to 
  discriminate 
  in 
  

   ascribing 
  leadership; 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  generally 
  conceded 
  that 
  spe- 
  

   cial 
  credit 
  is 
  due 
  the 
  following 
  gentlemen 
  for 
  extraordinary 
  

   exertions 
  in 
  behalf 
  of 
  the 
  movement, 
  viz: 
  C. 
  B. 
  Green, 
  J. 
  

   B. 
  Whitaker, 
  Jr., 
  John 
  M. 
  Moring, 
  W. 
  T. 
  Blackwell, 
  James 
  

   W. 
  Jones, 
  Js 
  F. 
  Freeland, 
  D. 
  C. 
  Mangum, 
  R. 
  W. 
  Thomas, 
  

   N. 
  A. 
  Ramsey 
  and 
  T. 
  C. 
  Oakley. 
  

  

  