A history of public education in Rhode Island, from 1636 to 1876 ... Comp. by authority of the Board of education, and ed. by Thomas B. Stockwell ...

314 BURRILLVILLE.
say: "The location of the school-house, with a highway on four
sides of it and no play-grounds, is decidedly bad." In 1858 they say
" the benches ought to - front face' to the teacher." In 1860 they felt
compelled to state that " the highway still surrounds the school-house,
occupying the play-grounds which the scholars ought to enjoy. Some
unsuccessful efforts have been made to remedy this evil. If nothing
better can be done, tue Committee respectfully recommend that prompt
and efficient means be-taken to move the highway from the house." In
1866 the district voted both to move and repair the house.
The Committee of 1867 say: " In No. 2 a most excellent work has
been accomplished. The school-house has been removed from the highway, and placed on a pleasant site surrounded with a substantial and
ornamental fence. The inside of the building has been entirely remodeled, and furnished with seats and desks for the pupils, and also for the
teacher's platform, made after the latest and most approved pattern.
Large blackboards and convenient recitation seats have been supplied.
The exterior of the building has also been repaired, repainted and furnished with blinds, making it an ornament to the district." More recent
efforts have further contributed to make this a neat and well furnished
school-house. It is the only one ever owned by the district.
Here excellent teachers have labored. One of them who taught twentyfive years ago, was such a strict disciplinarian that having two large boys
to punish he procured a large hickory stick, and ordering the offending
parties to join hands through the elevated oven of the stove, which was
heated several times hotter than usual, he stood by with uplifted hickery,
threatening its use if they unclasped. Thus were they melted into penitence. Whole number in 1847 was 21, average 13; whole number in
1875 was 14, average 7; size of house 20x20, 11 feet high in the arch.
DISTRICT No. 3.
The district which first bore this number was known as the " Esten,"
the house belonging to it standing in the vicinity of " Cripple Corner."
This house is still standing, though it is as old as the town itself,
having been built in 1806. The dimensions are 18x18, 8 feet high.
The internal arrangements were of the old style. In 1847 (though we
sincerely wish we had its history previously) the whole number of
pupils was 48, average 30. In the winter of 1848-9, we find William
A. Mowry, then 19 years of age, teaching in this school, having 31
pupils, 20 boys, 11 girls. He showed their " young ideas how to shoot"
through the alphabet, spelling, reading, geography, grammar, mental
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