Peoria County, Illinois - Chapter 14: Educational Interests, 1880

Chapter 14: Educational Interests

Little Provision for Schools in early times - School Commissioners, School Superintendents - Women Superintendents - Weekly Institutes - The Centennial Exhibit - Order for Building First School-house - A Queer Document.

In 1819, when the little colony of emigrants from Shoal creek came to Fort Clark, tliere was not a buildinsr in all the the territory included in the great State of Illinois worth}' of the name of a school-house. Now, after a little more than half a century from the date of that settlement, there are thousands of them, from the ordinary frame structure of one room and one story, to magnificent brick and stone edifices of two, three and four stories, with numerous departments, and colleges and seminaries equal in all respects to the colleges and other institutions of learning in any of the older States. In this county alone there are one hundred and sixty school-houses of different grades of excellence.

For a good many years after the settlement of the country of the Peorias commenced at Fort Clark, there were no school-houses, nor school districts, nor school money. Educational affairs, like every thing else, was in chaos, without form and void, for the country was a wilderness, and the pioneer fathers were left to to their own resources and management.

As settlements advanced and schools were desired, a central location as to the neigliborhood and convenience of the scholars was selected and a log school-house erected. Each settler who had children large enough to go to school, volunteered a certain amount of work toward its erection. In no case was the school-house lai-ge or pretentious. One window in each side of the structure furnished light - that is, if tlie settlers had money enough to buy the sash and glass. If not, greased paper supplied the place of glass, and just as likely as not a part of a log was cut out of each side of the building, and greased paper fastened over the aperture, made to serve as a window. Tliere was a puncheon door in one end of the building, and a mud and stick, or sod chimney aad earthen fireplace in the other end. The seats were made from puncheons, or a suitably sized tree, cut to the desired length, and then halved, i. e., split in two. The split sides were dressed down witli a broad-axe. Holes were bored near the ends of the rounded sides, witli an incli-and-a-half or two-inch auger, and pins driven in for supports. Writing " benches " or desks were made by boring slanting holes in the logs of the building, in which supports or arms were driven, and on which a wide plank or puncheon, with the upper side dressed smooth, was laid, and held in place by a shoulder that was cut on the lower ends of the supports. This completed the furniture, uuless, perhaps, an old splintbottomed cliair was added for the teacher.

The principal books were Webster's elementary spelling book, the English reader - the best reader ever used in American schools - Daball's or Talbot's aritlimetic, Morse's geography and Kirkham's grammar ; hence, the course of study was orthography, reading, writing, arithmetic, English grammar and geography.

Orthography was the first great principle of education, for the people in tliose days were of the ojjinion that no one could ever become a good reader or a good writer unless he was a good speller, and, as a consequence, children who were ambitious to become good scholars and aspired to become men and women of note, were anxious to become good spellers ; and no higher honor could be bestowed upon a girl or boy than to say they were the best spellers in the neighborhood. Spelling schools or spelling matches - who of us don't remember them ? - were frequent. But wliy flistress oH fogi/ rainds hy recalling those liapjiy days, wlien they met at tite old loc scliool-houses. diose their captains, tlie best spellers, who would toss up the master's rule for first choice, and then " choosf up" their lieutenants, commencing with the ones rejrarded as the best spellers, or, more likely, the prettiest girls, without regard to their orthographical excellence, and so on, until all the boys and girls were arranged on benches on opposite sides of the house. Then tiie fun began. The "master" "gave out" the words from side to side. How quickly a '- missed " word would i)e caught up I Tiiose were happy days, and days that are sacred in the memory of the gray-haired fathers who took j>art in the exercises. It would be a jjlcasing reHection to them to know tiiat their children, their children's children and the children of their neighbors, were permitted, iiy the modern system of education, to indulge in the same kind of old-fashioned spelling schools.

The school system of the spelling-school period, and even up until within a few years ago, in many localities, was fully described in the back-woods vernacular of " Pete Jones," in " Eggleston's Hoosier Schoolmaster," "lickin" and learnin'," the "lickin' " being the in(lispeiisal)l(' requisite. The perfect, or ideal teacher of those days was a man of strong muscular development, an imijerious form, a sonorous voice charged with terror, punctual in bringing "hickories" into the school-house, and a liberal disposition to use them as book application».

But all these things are changed now. A log school-house in Illinois is a rarity. Their places are filled with handsome frame and brick structures. The rude furniture of primitive times has given way to seats and desks combined. The old books have followed the old teachers into retirement, and both are superseded by others of greater pretensions, if not of greater merit. The old spelling cla.sses and spelling matches have followed the old log school-houses until, with rare exceptions, they are remembered only in name.

Of her school system Illinois can justly boast. It is a pride and a credit to the adopted home of the great men this State has sent out as rulers and representative men - men like Lincoln, Douglas, Grant, Shields, Lovejoy, Vates, Wiishburn, Ingersoll, and hundreds of others whose names are as familiar abroad as they are in the histories of the counties and neighborhoods where once they liveil.

While the Slate has extended such fostering care to the interests of education, the several counties have been no less zealous ami watchful in the management of this vital interest. And Peoria county forms no exception to tiie rule. The school-houses and their furnishings are in full keeping with the spirit of the law that provides for their maintenance and support. The teachers rank high among the other thousands of teachers in the Slate, and the .several county superintendents, since the office of superintendent was nuide a part of the school system, have been chosen with especial reference to their tilness for the position.

Like the settlement of the county, the schools commenced at Fort Clark, or Peoria. As already indicated, the first schools were subscription schools, and very naturally there are no records left to guide the writer in this part of his work. The true liistory of these schools is burietl beneath the debris of time.

In 1H7(), President M. (tregory, of the Illinois Industrial University, of Champaign, issued a cir<:uiar to the teachers and friends of education thnmghout the State, soliciting historical sketches of the schools of the several counties. In response to that request, the following article was prepared, which is our only guide to the history of the pioneer school of the county :

" The early French history of Peoria is so obscure that neither in tradition or fact can be found anytliiuL; reliable about the educational efforts made by the early missionaries and voyaijcum on that suitject. In his diary Father Hennepin rejoiced that he had baptised one infant into his church in the Illinois valley.

" Although Peoria was settled by the French as early as January 1, 1680, we find no account of schools nor other evidences of modern civilization. At one time several hundreds of French and Indians occupied the upper and lower villages of Peoria. No traces of an agricultural character remained after the destruction of their village by Captain Craig, November, 1812 ; no fruit trees, shrubbery, or grape vines, except the wild grape, to support the tradition that at one time several barrels of wine were made and shipped to France, unless it was made from the wild grape, which grew in abundance along the river bluffs. And as almost all the early F'rench convejances to quiet title under the act of Congress, approved iMarcli 4, 1823, were signed by marks, clear evidence that the conveyancers could not write, and hence the conclusion tliat no provision was made for schools.

*- The first school in any part of the county, was taught at Fort Clark by a man named Peter Grant, al)out 1821 or 1822. The school was necessarily small, and the teaclier was paid by subscription at so much per quarter for each scholar. Grant subsequentl}' removed to Lewistown, Illinois, and afterwards to Palmyra, j\Iissouri, wliere he died about 1810. Bej'ond this brief statement tliere are no particulars.

" The next school, about 1823 or 1824, was taught by Isaac Essex, who was appointed teacher to the Indians by Rev. Jesse Walker, the hero of Methodism in Illinois. Although this school was intended more especially for Indian children, white children were permitted to attend.

" The first school taught by a woman was in 1826, one year after the county was organized. Of this school, Mrs. Maria Harkness, wife of James P. Harkness, of Elmwood, and daughter of Isaac Waters, who was the teacher, says :

" ' In .May, 1826. as was then the custom, I wrote out an article of agreement proposing to leach a school at Peoria, as Fort Clark had then come to be called, and enumerating the branches I proposed to teach - spelling, reading, writing, arithmetic, geography, and needle-work, at one dollar and fifty cents per scholar for a term of three months and board, as the teachers in those d.tys boarded around among the patrons of schools. Thirty scholars were .subscribed, and I had an average daily attendance of twenty-four. My patrons were Judge Latham, then Indian agent; Dr. Asahel Langworthy ; Joseph Ogee, Indian interpreter; John L. Bogardus, attorney at law; John Dixon, county clerk ; John Parker, the ferryman ; George .Sharp, William and Abner Lads, Captain Joseph Moftatt, and Isaac Waters. The school was commenced in a log cabin owned by William Holland, the village blacksmith, where it was continued one week, when, because there were no windows and no light, except from the open door, il was opened the second week, and the term completed, in Ogee's new hewed log cabin, which was afterwards used as a court-house.'

"'The first school in Trivoli township was taught by Miss Ruth Waters, in a log cabin built by Isaac, Daniel, and James P. Harkness, my husband. In Elmwood township the first school was taught by Miss Elira Rowley, near the village of Southport.' "

This is all we find in regard to the early first schools in the localities named, and was the beginning of that system, whicli, fostered and encouraged from tiiat time to the present, makes the educational advantages of Peoria county pre-eminently praiseworthy, and renders the county a desirable home for parents who wish to bestow upon their children a first-class common school or commercial education.

Like tlie settlement of the county, the progress of schools was slow. In 18o2 there were less than fifty houses, all told in Peoria. Part of these Were business houses, and of course there was but a small population, and not more than enough children for an ordinary school. Back from Peoria, settlements were few and far between, and schools and school-houses unknown until about 1834-5-6, In 1831, however, a law was passed requiring the County Commissioners of each county to appoint a commissioner to sell the school lands. In 1840 the powers and duties of the school commissioner were increased and it was made his duty to distribute the school fund to the treasui-ers of the several

In lS4o it was made the duty of the commissioner to enforce any system of schools proposed hy the State Superintendent, and to examine all teachers who were employed in the public schools ot their respective counties, in orthography, reading in English, writing, geography', arithmetic, English grammar and the historj- of the United States. This law was in force four years when it was again amended (in 1849) making the commissioner ex-jffici" County Superintendent of Schools ; and it was also made his duty, by this amendment, in addition to the duties previously imposed, to visit every township in his county, to exaniinc teachers, to advise with each school oflBcer, to prepare and submit to the State Superintendent, a report of all the schools of the county.

When the general free school law passed by the Legislature in 18o."j, the oflBce was retained, and the officer still designated School Commissioner, his duties and responsibilities largeh" increased, and their character in many respects, materially changed, while the compensation was allowed to remain inadsquate, as it had bei-n from the beginning. After this last change the office continued to grow in importance and responsibility, as it had never done before, and the schools, not only in Peoria county, but throughout the State, improved rapidly.

NoTK. - The first School Commissioner was Andrew M. Hunt, who was appointed by the County Commissioners at their March meeting, 183:'.. He held the office until June, 18.37, when he was succeeded by Charles Ketelle. Mr. Ketelle served under appointment until the office was made elective- in 1H41. In August of that year he was elected by the people ; re-elected in August 184:}, and continued to serve until June o, 1848, when he resigned. In August, 1848, Clark B. Stebbinswas elected to fill out the unexpired term, and November 6, 1849, the time of holding elections iuiving been changed he was elected for a fidl term of two j'ears. His successor was Ephraini Ilinman, who was elected November 4, 18.J1.

In 186.^, the name of this officer, by act of the Legislature, was changed to the more appropriate one of " County Superintendent of Schools." The duties of the office were again increased and rendered still more important in their rehitions to the common schools, and to the general educational interests of the several counties. This law required the Superintendent to visit all the schools of tiie county at least once in each year, and oftener if practicable, fixing his salary at three dollars a day for a time not to exceed two hundred days each year, together witii the commissions formerly allowed to the school commissioner on the distribution of the public fund, selling school lands and loaning the county fund coming into his hands.

In 18l>7 liie law was again amiMid(<l and the pir dii-m increased from three to five dollars a day, for services actually rendered. The good cfTecl of tliis amendment soon became apparent in the increased interest in public school affairs. Efficient superintendents were enabled to bestow their time and energies upon the duties of tiie office. Schools were visitcil, and more time was devoted to the examination of tcachei-s. More and better Teachers' Institutes were at once held in almost all parts of the State, and the general impetus given to the cause of education wsvs greater than it had ever been in the history of ilie Illinois school .system.

In IST-J, tiie last act of the Legislature above (juoted was amended, and the pay of the superintendent reduced (rmn five to four dollars per day for such number of days as the Hoard of Supervisors or County Court should allow. Tiiis reduction was of questionable economy. Fair wittjen and gtrict (iccountaln'liti/ is a rule that should govern in the raanagenu-ntOf all public interests. The law re(iuires that the superintendent shall examine all the teachers in the various branches authorized to be taught in the common schools, examine the boards of township treasurers, to assist in the management of Teachei-s' Institutes, and to labor in every practical way to advance and elevate the standard of the common schools ; to give advice in all controversies arising under the school law ; to receive and examine the reports of township treasurers ; to prepare and forward to the State Superintendent an annual report of the condition of the schools, and to perform sucli other duties as are incumbent upon the office. Besides the duties here enumerated there are innumerable questions submitted to him for consideration and decision. To properly discharge these duties is a work of no small moment, and often requires more time than is allowed. Instead of a reduction of the pay, it ought to have been increased; at least fixed at a respectable living price. That would have been economy in the strictest sense. At reduced wages men well qualified for the duty of superintendent can not afford to accept the office without a pecuniary sacrifice. To submit the office of superintendent to men who are not well qualified as educators, is to impair the efficiency of the school system and the success of free schools. Men well qualified for the duties of the office can readily enter other departments of educational interests at more remunerative salaries than the law gives to County Superintendents. Time and history will prove the truth of these remarks.

Women Superintendents

In 1873, ten ladies were elected County Superintendents of Schools. Five of these were present at the Chicago meeting of the State Association of County Superintendents, on the 28th and 29th of December, 1874. These five were Mrs. Sarah C. Mcintosh, of Will county ; Miss Mary Allen West, of Knox county ; Miss Mary W. Whiteside (now the wife of E. Emery, Esq., editor of the Transcript), of Peoria county ; Mrs. Mary E. Gary, of Boone county ; and Mrs. Mary L. Carpenter, of Winnebago county. In speaking of their election and their presence at that meeting. State Superintendent Bateman said in his report for 1873-4 : " Their excellent cfficial record in this office warrants the belief that the}- severally acquitted themselves with credit." Miss Whiteside acted as secretary of the meeting quoted, an honor to her and the people by whom she was elected.

Again the Superintendent says : " When Marj' W. Whiteside presented her plan of conducting Township Institutes, it was evident she was working upon the same idea in the series of ' popular ' institutes she was holding throughout the county on Saturdays. Parents and school officers were being drawn more and more into the discussion of methods and defects. Much general interest had been excited. This will naturall}^ result in a demand for a higher standard of excellence in the teacher, and at the same time a more intelligent appreciation of his value."

Weekly Institutes

The honor of founding the institutes mentioned in the above paragraph, and known as the Saturday Township Institutes, belongs to Mrs. Emery, nee Whiteside. She commenced this work in the first year (1873) of her administration as County Superintendent of Schools. One of these institutes, or meetings of superintendent and teachers, is held on Saturday in some one of the townships, during the Fall and Winter terms of schools. These institutes are considered very important auxiliaries in school work, as they bring the superintendent, teachers, pupils and parents in frequent contact, and make each acquainted with the desires, wants, intentions and purposes of the other, as relates to school interests and school duties. The institutes are generally well attended, and a lively interest manifested in them b}' all present. The line of work consists of papers and discussions thereon by teachei^s, class-exercises, questions and replies, etc. Miss Whiteside also inaugurated the system of a general public examination of pupils throughout the county once each year on a given day. It is safe to say that Miss W. was one of the most faithful, industrious, and enterprising local school officers known in the history of Illinois schools.

" Peoria connty represents a free school population of 9,993 pupils enrolled, and an outlay of 1128,887.67 for the support of free »chools the past year. Besides this the Board of Supervisors voted $4,900 for the support of our County Normal School the coming year.

"There are fourteen graded schools in the county, of these the city of Peoria contains seven. with an enrollment of 3,427 pupils, and a corps of 55 teachers. The High School of Peoria numbers 150 pupils, and its course of study compares favorably with those of older and larger cities.

" The public spirit and intelligent appreciation of the American free school system, which ] rovides so completely for an education of all the people, paid for by all the people, are unmistakably evident in all parts of the county in substantial school-houses, often handsome edifices, built at considerable cost. But with all this liberal outlay of money in providing school-houses, models of comfort and convenience, a careful observer will see one of two serious evils in almost ever)- school district in our land. One is a want of sympathy and confidence on the part of parents toward the teacher. The first of these evils we are trying to overcome by a general course of institutes throughout the county, held on Saturdays. We held ten last year, and I have advertised to hold sixteen this year. The good resulting from these popular meetings has been far greater than I dared to hope for. Parents meet us most heartily and generously. They feel a new pride in, and respect for, their teacher as he presents a bright class or fine exercise. They see that the teacher is working for the best interests of their children, and as they understand better his methods and aims, they are led to a higher appreciation of his efforts, and this appreciation, in turn, animates the teacher to nobler endeavors. Another valuable feature of our meetings is the individual improvement in each teacher who presents a paper or exercise, for the close concentration of thought and reading on a given topic results in positive strength in that direction. And such is the cordial co-operation of the teachers in this effort for their improvement, that I have always obtained from four to six carefully prepared exercises at each session. * » - -

" There are comparatively few colored children in this county, and they are quietly allowed the same rights and privileges as the while children."

In concluding her report, Miss Whiteside added : " The Board of Supervisors allow me two hundred and fiftj- days at four dollars per day. They also allow lue one hundred dollars per year for office rent, and they generously granted me seventy dollars I iisked for to free our ' drill ' from debt. Tiiese allowances made a sum total of #1,170. Since the completion of the present Court-house rent is avoided, for handsome and convenient quarters were provided in the lower part of the building for the Superintendent."

Mr. J. E, Pillsbury, the present incumbent of tlie office, was elected in November, 1877, and entered upon the duties of the office the following December. He had previously been connected with the city schools, having been principal of the Second District school for more than twelve years.

Financial Statistics County Normal School

This institution was established in 1868 by the joint action of the Board of County Supervisors and the Board of School Inspectors of the city of Peoria. The object of this school, as with normal schools wherever they have been established, was to afford those who intended becoming professional teachers a better opportunity of thoroughly qualifying themselves, under the training of old and experienced educators, for the duties of that honorable avocation, than otherwise afforded.

The committee, under whose management this school was inaugurated, was composed of Messrs. Loren Wilder, George Jenkins and Dr. G. L. Lucas on the part of the

Board of Supervisors, and B. L. T. Bourhind, William F. Bryan and Dr. John N. Niglas from the City Board of School Inspectors, to which were added N. E. Worthington, County Superintendent, and Charles Feinse, Superintendent of City Schools.

The first business meeting of this committee was held at the oflBce of Dr. Niglas, on the 2oth of July, ISOS. Present, Messrs. Wilder, Lucas, Bourland, Niglas, Feinse and Worthington. Dr. Niglas was elected chairman and N. E. Worthington was chosen secretary. The selection of a principal was discussed, and at a subsequent meeting. Prof. S. H. White, of the Brown School, Chicago, was elected to be principal, and his salary fixed at 82,500 a year. The city provided the building and defrayed one-fourth the current expenses, and the county three-fourths. The school was opened on the 9th of September, on the lower floor of the High School building, with Prof. S. H. White as principal, with no assistant until the opening of the second term, when Miss Jeanette Hannay was engaged as assistant and head of the training department, which was then established.

The management was under a joint committee from the two bodies - the Board of Supervisors and the Citj' Board of Education - called the Normal Board. A sub-committee of this board, consisting of one member from each, and the superintendent of the county and city schools, with the principal, had direct control. The last named committee (the sub-committee) was clothed with full power to make all purchases, settle all accounts and make all needed regulations.

Rules Fob Admission

Applicants for admission to the benefits of this school were required, males to be sixteen and females at least fifteen years of age, and declare it to be tiieir intention to become permanent teachers, and, if residents of the county, to give preference to the schools of the county in making engagements to teach ; liut pupils from other counties were not required to make this pledge. Applicants were also re(iuired to pass a satisfactory examination in spelling, reading, arithmetic, to per centage, the geography of North America and Europe, especially tliat of the United States, and English grammar through etymologj'. Especial attention was given to the applicant's knowledge of the fundamental rules of arithmetic, and his ability to perform examples in them rapidly and correctly. A practical familiarity with the common abbreviations, punctiuition marks, and the common rules for the use of capital letters, was also required.

Skcond Vkar

At the end of two j'ears the management of the school passed to a County Board of Education, provided under an act of the State Legislature approved March 15, 1869, intended for the better and more uniform management of normal schools.

At the beginning of each year pupils intending to teach within a year, were organized in a class in school economy, embracing school organization, school government and other questions involved in school management. Special classes were organized in a study whenever the number desiring to enter that study was sufficient to justify the course and the number of organized classes would permit.

This department was in the same building with the normal and afforded easy access for observation by the pupils of the latter. It embraced classes in the first four years of the course of study for the public schools of the city. Under the management of the training teacher, the pupils were introduced to the actual work of school instruction.

The text-books used in the school were Milliard's Sixth Reader, Guyot's Common School Geography, Greene's Grammar, Hagar's Common School Arithmetic, Seavey's Goodrich's U. S. Ilistory. Olney's Complete School Algebra, Olnej^'s Elements of Geometry, Dalton's Physiology, Swinton's Word Analysis, Haven's Rhetoric, Gray's " How Plants Grow," Cooley's Elements of Natural Philosophy, Nicholson's Zoology, Haven's Mental Philosophy, Wickersham's School Economy, and Wickersham's Methods of Instruction.

Library

The library contains four hundred and eighty-five volumes. Among its works of reference are the revised edition of the American Encyclopedia, Chambers' and Zell's Encyclopedias, Webster's and Worcester's Unabridged Dictionaries, AUibone's Dictionary of English Authors, Chamber's Encyclopedia of English Literature, Lippincott's Gazetteer, Thomas's and Appleton's Biographical Dictionaries, besides the works treating especially of the different studies taught in the course, the leading works being accessible to the students at all times for consultation.

Cabinet

The cabinet contains a human skeleton, a life-size manikin, and other preparations in papier mach^, from the celebrated establishment of Auzoux, in Paris, a full set of the Bock-Steger models, and other appliances for use in teaching physiology It is probable that no other school in the State, except the medical colleges, has so large an amount of illustrative material as this for teaching this important subject.

For instruction in natural history there is a collection of skeletons illustrating the osteology of the classes and some of the orders of vertebrates, and other preparations. It received during the year 1876, from Miss Emma Smith, of Peoria, several cases illustrating the orders and some of the families of the insects of the county. Miss Smith collected and arranged these for the school from a desire to aid and encourage teachers in studying one of the most important divisions of natural history.

Appropriations by the County Board of Supervisors, were never adequate to the proper maintenance and support of this school. First, it was sought to economize by dismissing one of the teachers. In 1879 the Board made an insufficient appropriation, and the school was suspended in June. This action was influenced, perhaps, by complaints that came up from the country districts that only the sons and daughters of the rich and well-to-do of those who were able to defray the expense of board, etc., in the city - were benefited by the Normal. There were also some unfriendly influences in

The Normal School building, proper, was built by the citj' of Peoria in 1871. It is a two-story brick structure, and was erected at a cost of $15,000. It is now used for the eighth (Peoria) district school.

Peobia School Work At The Centeitsiai- Exhibition

Under the direction and supervision of Miss Whiteside, a work of three volumes was prepared from the ungraded schools of the county for the Centennial Exposition at Philadelphia in 1876. One of these volumes contained specimens of penmanship, spelling and letter-writing, and a second one on arithmetic. Each of these volumes was a compilation of the best work of the pupils of the schools of the county, and involved a labor of no small magnitude on the part of the Superintendent. The third volume was an Institute book and embodied the proceedings of the Institute, the most valuable papers read by the teachers of the county, historical sketches and other educational matter. This volume was honorably mentioned by the Centennial Board.

A work of a character similar to that of the ungraded schools was prepared by the city graded schools, and also a volume of Normal school work, and forwarded to the Centennial. These volumes were honorable alike to those by whom they were prepared and forwarded, and the schools of the county.

Obdeb Fob Butlding The Fibst School Hocse

Verbatim copy of the original order issued for the erection of the first public schoolhouse in Peoria Co., now in the possession of Mr. John Ferguson of Hallock Township.

In pursuance of the order of the legal voters of Peoria School District No. 1, the Trustees made the following appointment of families in classes, to erect and finish a school-house sixteen by eighteen feet, and at least ten feet high from the ground from the eave-bearers, as follows, to wit : -

The first class to consist of Henry Neely, "\ To cut the logs for the bodj*, and sills, ribbs, butting poles, joists, James Walker, i sleepers, eave-bearers, chimney and chinking stuff, door, facing curtain, John Hamlin, [to split puncheon stuff for floor, benches, and all other necessary John Barker. J timber for the said house.

James Latham, I To cut and split 700 clap-boards, hew the puncheon-stuff for floor, William Clark, [seats and lay the floor. Aug. Langworthy, J

T" .yfr. Elijah Hifdf, - You are requested to call on each individual in the above classes, and notify all those belonging to the first, second, and third clius.-;es to meet and perform their several portions of labor from Wednesday to Friday next both inclusive, and the fourth class to meet and perform their respective portions of labor also from Monday to Wednesdaj- next both inclusive, and you will fail not to serve the same on each of the above named persons on or before the 12th day of the present month, and make due return thereof, and thereof fail not, on pain of five dollars. Witness,