AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
398 
worth a dollar. Would Virginia democracy 
stand this? “No indeed,” was his answer. A 
member of Congress from the same State lately 
make his boast, that he thanked God he repre¬ 
sented a district in which there was not a news¬ 
paper printed, or a public or free school. 
It is but a few years since it was a test ques¬ 
tion in the State of North Carolina, of the fitness 
of a candidate for the Legislature, whether he 
was for or against raising a tax for the support 
of public schools; and within a few years the 
same question was made a test in the State of 
Ohio. The argument made use of was, that it 
degraded the poor to be educated at a public 
school, and would have a tendency to reconcile 
them to pauperism. 
But lest I should be thought invidious in par¬ 
ticularizing localities, I will return to my be¬ 
loved State of Massachusetts. I infer from the 
report of the committee of the annual examina¬ 
tion of the public schools in Boston for 1853, 
that there are persons who murmur at the 
amounts appropriated for common schools; 
hence they resort to every subterfuge to keep 
their property from what they consider a grevi- 
ous taxation. I have brought up these few 
cases out of a host of others which might be 
named, merely to show that there is an under¬ 
current working in our land, which, if success¬ 
ful, would sap the foundation of our government, 
and render future generations fit subjects to be 
ruled by an iron despotism. But a better state 
of things is to be hoped for; and that there is 
an increase in the public mind in favor of public 
schools throughout our land, is evident by the 
measures which are being taken to establish 
school funds for this object. But there is some¬ 
thing to be done besides establishing school 
funds, and building capacious and splendid 
school-houses. The people who do these glori¬ 
ous things, have a right to expect parents to 
avail themselves of the privileges provided, and 
send their children to school; and if this is not 
done willingly, stringent laws ought to be made 
to compel them to do it. 
This neglect is one of the crying sins in our 
country. I know a village covering an area of 
about three miles square, within the bounds of 
which there are 800 children, of the age on 
which public money is drawn for schooling. Of 
this number about 150 attend private or select 
schools, about 150 attend the public schools, of 
which there are four; the remaining 500 go to 
no school whatever, with the exception of a very 
few, who are taught by their parents or have 
private teachers at home. I would not have be¬ 
lieved this had not the facts been brought out 
at a public meeting by the county superinten¬ 
dent. But what makes it the more remarkable 
is the fact that this village is noted for the re¬ 
finement and intelligence of its inhabitants as 
well as for its religion, there being eight houses 
for public worship, well filled on the Sabbath, 
and the weekly meetings are well attended. 
In the report for 1853 before alluded to, it is 
stated that the city of Boston has invested in 
school-houses (not such as the two described 
heretofore in School Reminiscences in your pa¬ 
per,) one million five hundred thousand dollars, 
and that the annual expenditure for public 
schools is three hundred and thirty thousand 
dollars. This appropriation being made from 
the public treasury, kept supplied by taxation— 
more than one quarter of the tax of the city— 
is appropriated to schools. For this large ex¬ 
penditure the tax-payers expect, and have a 
right to, a quid pro quo. They say, and truly, 
these schools are preventives of crime; and we 
take this method to forestall it, by bringing the 
minds of the children under proper influences 
before they become contaminated with vice. I 
believe there always have been laws in Massa¬ 
chusetts enforcing the attendance of children 
upon schools. This law as it now stand reads 
thus: 
Every person who shall have a child under 
his control, between the ages of eight and four¬ 
teen years, shall send such child to some public 
school; and it shall he the duty of school com¬ 
mittees in each town or city to inquire into all 
cases of violation of this act, and report the same 
to the treasurer of the town or city, whose duty 
it shall be to prosecute the delinquent, and send 
such child to such institution of instruction, 
house of reformation, or suitable situation, as 
shall have been provided to meet such cases, 
there to be taught both to read and to work. 
The tax-payers say with justice, we are taxed 
for the education of all the children around us, 
and we demand that those children should be 
brought within the jurisdiction of the public 
schools. Otherwise through their vagrant 
habits, our property would be in danger. They 
of all others most need the protecting power of 
the State. Almost an Octogenarian. 
Written for the American Agriculturist. 
GRAND POULTRY CONCERT AT THE MUSEUM. 
BY MINNIE MYRTLE. 
I had heard that there was to be a grand assem¬ 
blage of poultry “ from all nations,” and thought 
to be sure I must go and see them, but had 
been stupid enough to suppose that it was to be 
merely a reception, and having lived all my life 
among ordinary old-fashioned hens and roosters, 
that began to crow and cackle at three o’clock 
in the morning, and after an hour or two “held 
their peace” during the remainder of the day, I 
had no idea of the progress which had been go¬ 
ing on among those in other parts of the world, 
and what new rights and privileges had been 
granted to the feathered tribes, in these days of 
“new things.” 
Yes, I had been so stupid as to suppose that 
the new occupants of these famous halls had 
taken the places of the stuffed and mummied 
things which have been so long the silent reci¬ 
pients of admiration, and that they were to “be¬ 
have in the same manner”—conscious of the 
honor to which they had come in being “ set up 
for show,” that they would meekly and quietly 
obey the law, so imperative with regard to wo¬ 
men and children and all other inferior beings, 
that “ they must be seen and not heard.” I 
expected to walk quietly in and stroll about at 
my leisure, admiring Shanghais and Bantams as 
I had done Giraffes and various soulless images, 
which could not assert their rights if they would. 
You may imagine my amazement, then, as in 
my simplicity I opened the door and entered the 
hall and began to ascend the stairs, to find my¬ 
self overwhelmed by such an overture from this 
new-fashioned orchestra , as it had never entered 
into my heart to conceive that a thousand Babels 
could produce. But I was not “ struck mute 
I burst into such a fit of laughter as nearly dis¬ 
abled me from proceeding farther. Every new 
salutatory increased my merriment, till I was 
almost as much an object of attraction as those 
whose sole business it was to attract attention. 
Every body else seemed to have come with 
“ reasonable expectations ,” and not to be discon¬ 
certed by the crowing and cackling. But soon 
I became reconciled to it, and commenced my 
observations. I must stop to say, though, that 
I do not think the reception-rooms are at all 
worthy those who do the honors on this occa¬ 
sion. The Metropolitan would not have been at 
all sacrileged by such an assemblage, and tho 
full chorus would have rung grandly through its 
lofty arches. 
Here the space was far from sufficient; the 
coops were piled one upon another, and these left 
so little room for spectators, who came in great 
multitudes, that it was impossible to do justice 
to the merits of the competitors for public favor. 
The proud peacock seemed to feel his humili¬ 
ation at not being permitted to display his 
plumes; the turkeys could not strut , and the 
gazelle could not exhibit her grace and agility 
without space and freedom. It was an interest¬ 
ing and beautiful sight, but it might have been 
made far more so by a tasteful arrangement in 
a large room or open tent. 
They seemed fully aware of their importance, 
however, and wore their honors with becoming 
dignity. I was not able to weigh their merits 
in any other scale than that of beauty, and found 
it difficult to decide which should bear away the 
palm even here. I liked those rich buff Shang¬ 
hais with their lordly gait, but unless I had been 
told, I was not so skilled in Fowlology , as to know 
the difference between Chittagongs and Brahma 
Pootras, Ebon Sumatras and Chinese Albinos. 
But I knew the cunning little Bantams, that 
popped up so smart every little while to say, 
“ I guess I can crow as well as you, Mr. Dork¬ 
ing,” and then was added his shrill soprano to 
the base, alto, and contralto of his companions. 
There were Bremen geese and Hong-Kong 
geese, swans unequalled in grace and beauty, 
ducks unrivaled in brilliancy, owls with all 
their gravity, and eagles with all their pride and 
stateliness. I had never before seen a carrier- 
pigeon, and wondered not they were such favor¬ 
ites in the days of chivalry and romance. They 
must, indeed, be welcome messengers on love’s 
errands. I think I would be willing to wait a 
little longer for a letter to be brought by one of 
these fair emissaries, and hope Cupid will mar¬ 
shall them again into his service! 
Not the least amusing part of the exhibition 
was the zeal with.which the owners of the 
“ most productive” specimens urged upon you 
the necessity and economy of buying eggs at a 
dollar each ! then came another with a book 
which would initiate you into all the mysteries 
of “ raising them” in any quantity. 
But I soon began to think more of the neces¬ 
sity of preserving my senses, which I thought 
myself in great danger of losing, for the unceas¬ 
ing din had turned all my wflse thoughts to con¬ 
fusion ; and when I stepped into the street, for 
the first time in my life, Broadway seemed a 
welcome retreat, and the rattle and clang upon 
the pavements a soothing lullaby. 
Who shall say in future that it is useless to 
aspire unto honors ? Hens at least seem in a 
fair way to receive their deserts; it is too late 
to say unto them, “keep silence,” or “keep in 
the back-ground.” There are no objections 
raised to their becoming as conspicuous as they 
please; we do not hear any fears expressed for 
