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244 HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY
or many of them, made a pleasant acquaintance with several Latin
authors by means of private instruction. At the end of about twelve
years, March 14, 1860, on petition of the board of education, signed by
R. B. Hubbard and twenty-seven others, "praying that said Board
Avould authorize a class to be formed in the High School for the purpose
of teaching Latin and Greek, and that each scholar joining said class
be charged Avith their proportion of the increased expenses of the same,"
this restriction upon the languages was removed and they Avere gradually
included in the course of study, and portions of mathematics omitted.
As with other high schools then, it Avas necessary Avhile providing
for four years of regular attendance, to keep in view the fact that probably
one-half of the pupils Avould not remain longer than two years,
and that, in three years, at least three-fourths would have disappeared
from the school room. Studies most' essentially profitable to everybody
must therefore fill the first two or three years of the course. Under
such circumstances, our public high school was proposed to become a
permanent feature of the common school system.
Offered, as it was, to a community just passing out of the age of
rate bills and into that of free education, to be sustained by tax upon
all the property and to so many AVIIO had been accustomed to regard
a high school as an expensive luxury,'rather than a prime necessity, it
Avill be easily understood that great solicitude was felt by its friends
as to its final success.
From 1848 to 1852 this school seemed to be regarded Avith equal
favor with the other grades, though the question of its permanence was
yet to be decided. It Avas only under the long and able administration
of Mr. S. S. Cotton as principal, extending from September, 1852, to
July, 1867, Avith his accomplished lady assistants, Miss A. A. Breck and
others, that the high school came to be regarded as an indispensable part
of the free school system. From the first it has commended itself to
the kind, regards of our citizens, not by sending out a very small number
of very accomplished scholars, but by affording to a very large number,
one, tAvo and three years of instruction in such sciences as are
requisite to success in ordinary mechanical and business pursuits, and
by such development of self-respect and self-reliance as has excited high
hopes of an honorable and useful life for its pupils.
During the past years of the existence of a high school, many expressions
of confidence in its usefulness have appeared in the public press
and in various other Avays, but the strongest testimonial of its value has
been given in the erection of the neAV high school building during the
years 1866, 1867, 1868 and 1869.
The cornerstone of this building was laid November 27, 1866, and
the rooms Avere first occupied for school purposes in September, 1869.
The cost of the building, with the furniture ready for use, Avas
$85,510.88, exclusive of interest on money loaned - Avhile in process of
erection. There Avas paid for interest $6,531.41, making a total of
$92,033.29.
It should be stated here, hoAvever, the cost of nearly all material