the support of schools, and to take advice of the school committee how the money might be laid out to the best advantage for the benefit of schools.

The first mention of a school-house is an entry made in 1692, during King William's war. The people, liable to be attacked at any moment, had built a fortification around the meeting-house, and at a town meeting held on the 17th of May, 1692, voted to extend the line of this fortification so as to inclose more space, and liberty was given to build houses in it according to the custom in other forts. It was also voted to build within the fort, at the town's expense, a house 14 by 16 feet for the use of the minister, and when not occupied by him, it was to be used as a school-house.

The town voted, Sept. 22, 1712, that a school-house, 24 feet long and 20 feet wide, should be built on the lot granted for that purpose near Dea. Dalton's house, and be finished by the last day of April following. It was also voted that the selectmen, for the time being, should have full power to get the house built, and to raise a tax on the inhabitants of the town to pay for it.

WINDHAM.

The town of Windham was originally a part of Londonderry, and was settled in 1719. It was incorporated as a distinct town in 1741.

Soon after the ordination of Mr. Williams, as pastor of the Presbyterian church, which was in 1766, Mr. W. opened a private academy for the instruction of the young in town, which was resorted to by many from other towns, of whom some were from Boston and other large places, on account of his reputation as a scholar and teacher. He fitted many for college, among whom was Joseph McKeen, D.D., afterward President of Bowdoin college.

The schools at first seem to have been private schools, taught at private houses in different neighborhoods, and the support of them by the town was the outgrowth of this, after a time. We find in 1790, the record of £27 38. 4d., as the amount of school money to be appropriated for schools, and the vote that the town be divided into seven classes, and the school money divided accordingly. In 1791, it was voted 'not to have the selectmen hire a Master to send through the town,'-from which it is to be inferred that after this they employed several teachers instead of one.

The school money was raised by a tax separate from other taxes, and known as the school tax. At an early period a lot of land was given by James Wilson, of Londonderry, for the benefit of schools in Windham, that was afterward sold by vote of the town, March 29, 1791:

The town has raised and sent out several ministers and teachers, thirteen of whom at least are college graduates,—one of whom is now president of a western college; another, the principal of a deaf and dumb institute in Wisconsin; and a third, the principal of a high school in Minnesota.

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WILTON.

Wilton was first settled in 1738. The first record which we find respecting schools, aside from the locating of the lots of land, which were set apart by the grantors of a portion of the township for the use of schools, was in 1767, when the town 'voted to raise six pounds, lawful money, for a school this year,' and chose the selectmen 'a committee to provide said school.' For the next ten years about the same amount was annually raised, and the schools were kept in dwelling-houses, in different parts of the town, as would best accommodate the inhabitants.

One hundred years ago, the branches of study were limited to reading, spelling, writing, and arithmetic. The methods of instruction, even in these, were extremely imperfect. The pupils had no text-books in arithmetic. The schoolmaster usually-not always-possessed one. He communicated a rule orally to his scholars, who wrote it out in their ‘manuscripts,' which generally consisted of a few sheets of coarse paper stitched within a brown paper cover. Then an example under that rule was given which the pupils solved, and copied the operation into their manuscripts below the rule. When a sufficient number of examples had been thus disposed of, another rule was given, and so on, till the mathematical education of the pupil was completed.

Many of the teachers, both men and women, who have assisted in forming the intellectual and moral character of the successive generations of youth in Wilton, have been eminently fitted for their vocation. Among those who at various times taught in the district schools of the town, and afterward became widely known as public men, were Prof. John Abbott, of Bowdoin College; Benjamin Abbott, LL.D., for many years Principal of Phillips Academy at Exeter; Rev. Samuel Barrett, D.D., of Boston; Rev. S. R. Hall, first Principal of the Teachers' Seminary at Andover, Mass.; and Rev. Warren Burton, author of 'The District School As It Was,' and in his latter years eminent for his labors in the cause of home education. Of these, Mr. Barrett and Mr. Burton received the rudiments of their education in the schools of Wilton.

In 1803, Rev. Thomas Beede was installed as minister of the town, and remained in that capacity till 1829. He was a ripe scholar, a man of genial manners, and deeply interested in the improvement of the young. In addition to his pastoral labors, he sometimes taught one of the district schools, sometimes a select school, and also gave private instruction to advanced students at his home. His influence in promoting the educational interests of the town was incalculable. A remarkably large number of the young men of Wilton acquired a liberal education during his ministry.

For more than twenty years before the State made any provision for the supervision of schools, the town of Wilton annually chose some of its best qualified citizens 'a committee to inspect the schools.'

HAMPSTEAD.

Hampstead was first settled in 1728, but not incorporated as a town till 1749. At the annual meeting in 1750, among other things, it was voted to hire a schoolmaster for six months in ye summer season, to teach ye children to read and write.'

The Testament was then the only reading and spelling-book known; and a copy-book consisted of a few leaves of the roughest paper. To this limited list of studies arithmetic was soon added. At first no textbook was used. Such examples as would come up in the ordinary course of a man's business were given out by the teacher, and the four fundamental rules taught orally. In time, Pike's Arithmetic made its appearance, grew into general favor, and for a long time remained in exclusive use. But that, like every thing else, must give place to improvement. Then followed Welch's, Adams's Old and New, Colburn's, and lastly, to the honor of our town, the analytical, thorough, and concise treatise by one of Hampstead's most distinguished sons.-The North American Arithmetic, by Frederick Emerson, instructor in Boston.

The New Testament was, at first, the only reading book used; but from the sacredness of the book, and on account of its being ill adapted to the capacities of different ages, it was superseded by other books.

The American Preceptor, and for a long time also the English Reader, were favorite text-books. In the improvements of the age, these books gave way to a series well adapted to the different ages and capacities of youth, by another distinguished son of Hampstead, Benjamin D. Emerson, Esq., Roxbury, Mass.

The same author has furnished to the world a simple, neat, wellarranged, and correct spelling-book (Emerson's National Spelling-Book), which has been extensively used in the schools in this town for nearly twenty years.

In 1767, twenty pounds lawful money, was raised, and in 1782 it was raised to thirty pounds. About the same amount was raised yearly until 1800, when $75 was raised 'to support a woman's school, to be proportioned same as other money.'

DUBLIN.

The first settler was William Thornton in 1749. He was followed soon after by people from the North of Ireland. In 1773, the first record of any town.action is made in a grant of four pounds ($13.33) 'to keep a woman's school in three parts of the town,' which would give each school $4.44. At 44 cents per week-the usual price in those days -this would employ a teacher, if she 'boarded round,' ten weeks in each of the three places.

For the three years next succeeding, six pounds, or twenty dollars, was annually granted for schools. In 1777, no money was raised for the purposes of education. In 1779, the town voted 'to raise one hundred pounds for schools the present year.' This sum was probably reckoned in depreciated continental money, and would really amount to a few cents

less than $20. In 1780, the selectmen were authorized to assess what they think proper' for schools.

In 1782, the town voted $26.67, and the selectmen were instructed 'to divide the town into five parts for schooling, and give each part their proportion of school money; and each part shall lay out their money within the year in such schooling as they think best.' In 1781, 1783, and 1784, it is said no money was granted. In 1787, the town voted fifty pounds ($166.67), since which time, with some variations, the amount appropriated per annum has been upon a tolerably regular ratio of increase up to the time of the division of the town in 1870, when it was $1,500. In 1875, the amount appropriated for common schools was $850; for high school, including income of Appleton Fund, $202.50;— total, $1,052.50.

The town realized up to 1820, $1,567,15 out of the school lots reserved by the original charter 'for the school for ever;' and $9,802.25 out of a bequest by Rev. Edward Sprague, a native of Boston, Mass., where he was born May 20, 1750. He graduated at Harvard college in the class of 1770, and was ordained as the 'gospel minister' of Dublin, November 12, 1777. His death, caused by the overturning of a carriage in which he was riding, took place December 17, 1817, forty years, one month, and four days after his ordination. During his long ministry he became much attached to the people of Dublin, and at his death left most of his wealth for their benefit. He was eminently patriotic and republican in his sentiments, and a firm believer in the equal rights of all men, which is well illustrated by the following anecdote: It being suggested to him that out of his ample means he might endow a town academy, he replied,-'No, no! I want the whole people to be educated, and enjoy the benefit of my property.'

By the first clause of his last will, he gave the town of Dublin $5,000, the interest to be applied for the support of the Christian religion; and in the sixth clause we find the following paragraph: 'I give the town of Dublin all the remainder of said estate, including all my property not before given or devised by this will, to be kept for the use of schooling in said Dublin.'

At the centennial celebration of the first settlement of the town, 17th of June, 1852, a letter of Samuel Appleton, of Boston, was read, of which the following are extracts:—

I have always taken an interest in the town of Dublin. In or about the year 1786, I resided there for four months, and was engaged during that time in teaching two different schools, say of two months each, at eight dollars per month. One of the districts was in the 'Street,' as it was then called; the other in the easterly part of the town, near Peterborough. In this latter district, it was arranged with the schoolmaster to live with the family that would board and lodge him the cheapest. Having been informed where I was to board, I set out for my new home on foot, carrying the greater part of my wardrobe on my back, and the remainder tied up in a bandanna handkerchief. On arriving at the place of my destination, I found my host and hostess, Mr. and Mrs. Fairbanks, ready and apparently glad to see me. They were to receive for my board, lodging, and washing, sixty-seven cents per week. Their house

was made of logs, with only one room in it, which served for parlor, kitchen, and bedroom. I slept on a trundle-bed, which during the day was wheeled under the large bed, where the master and mistress reposed during the night. Every morning and evening there were family prayers and readings from the Bible, in which I sometimes took an active part. After spending two weeks at Mr. Fairbanks's, I removed to Mr. Perry's. He was a good farmer, his wife an excellent housekeeper, and I finished my school term, very pleasantly to myself, and I believe, very satisfactorily to my employers.

Since that time, great improvements have been made in the schools of Dublin. I am informed that it contains as good schools and turns out as competent teachers as any town in New Hampshire. In consideration of the 'good and healthy condition' of its public schools, and of the 'spirit of improvement' which appears to animate those who are engaged in them, I am induced to send to the town of Dublin my check for the sum of one thousand dollars, to be appropriated to educational purposes in such a manner as the superintending school committee shall deem expedient.

In 1822, Moses Adams, Jr., then a member of the school committee, suggested a printed form for a school register, which was procured and used by the teachers till 1846, when the State commenced to furnish registers for all the public schools. In 1823, a full report concerning the condition and wants of the schools was prepared, and read at the annual meeting in March, by Levi W. Leonard. Similar reports, usually by the chairman of the committee, have been presented at the annual meetings of the town ever since. The first printed report was in 1843. It was done at the expense of those who chose to subscribe for it. Subsequently it has been printed at the expense of the town, and in sufficient numbers to furnish each tax-payer with a copy..

NASHUA.

The first settlement in Nashua, then included within the limits of Dunstable, was made October, 1673. For nearly sixty years from that date, there is no information leading us to suppose a school of any kind was kept within the precincts of the township.

Dunstable, at this time, was within the limits of Massachusetts, and subject to her laws. In 1730, the town was indicted for not maintaining a school as required by law. The town at this time probably contained fifty householders, the number requisite for a grammar school, according to the law of 1647.

To comply with this law, in November, of the same year, the town. voted that it be left with the selectmen to provide and agree with a person to keep a writing-school in the town directly, and that the sum of ten pounds be granted and raised for defraying the charges.' Here we find the first mention of a school in this town; but whether the proposed writing-school was ever kept is uncertain, as no allusion to this or any other school is made for about sixteen years.

Sept. 29, 1746, the first year the town acted under a New Hampshire charter, we find the following record::

Voted that a schoolmaster be hired to teach children to read and write until next March; also voted that two places be appointed for the school to be kept at, also voted that one place be at the house of John Searles, if it can be had for that purpose, and the other place at the house of Mr. James Gordon, where