The main corridor on the first floor is entered from the north, south and east by eight-foot staircases, and is well lighted by a skylight. From this corridor all the rooms of this story, eight in number, are reached. The first room at the left of the north stair landing is the library and superintendent's room, and the latter will be able to communicate thence with all the teachers by means of speaking tubes. The alcoves for books are at the right, and the large windows furnish an abundance of light. The ceilings, like those of all the rooms on this floor, are thirteen feet high and hard finished. The walls are left for coloring. The remainder of the second story is devoted to school-rooms, all cheerfully lighted and attractive.

Access from the second story is gained by three stairways, leading from the main corridor. The chief of these is eight feet in width. The floors of the entire building are of oiled Norway pine, and "deafening," i. e., mortar one and one-half inches thick is filled in under those of the second story, to deaden sound in the story below. Upon this floor are eight recitation and school rooms, the principal of which is that for the high school. This is the finest room in the building. Its dimensions are 30x42, with 18 foot ceilings, is pleasantly lighted, and connects at opposite corners with recitation rooms. It will accommodate about 80 pupils, and is situated at the northwest corner of this story. The first room south is for the next grade below, and is an apartment 32x34 feet. In the south west corner is a small school or recitation room, 20x23. The grammar-school room in the southeast corner, 23x40 feet, has eight windows and is cheerfully lighted. Adjoining on the east is a fine room 24x31 feet.

Every room is lighted on two sides-to the left and rear of the scholars; and extending along three sides of each is a blackboard three and one-half feet wide. These are composed of hard finish, raised from the wall, and will be painted with liquid slating of a dark green color. Under the stairways on the first floor are dressing-rooms for teachers. All the rooms have separate wardrobes, a most convenient arrangement; and from each room the cold atmosphere is withdrawn through air-ducts under the windows, thereby obviating the drafts of air upon the scholars.

In the basement, at the northeast corner, is a room 17x20 feet, to be used for meetings of the school board and as an office for the secretary. The remainder is divided into fuel rooms, ash pits, fresh-air rooms, a boys' waiting or lunch room, etc. Sewers at the point where they leave the building are thirteen feet below grade. The partitions everywhere are substantially built of brick, of which there are about 1,500,000 in the entire structure. The edifice is 91x121 feet, is covered with slate, and its steep roof surmounted with a finial 125 feet from the ground. The outlook will be from the bell-deck 90 feet high, whence a splendid prospect of the city and surrounding country is obtainable. It is estimated that the building will accommodate from 750 to 800 pupils. The expense of erection is $25,500; and the heating apparatus cost $2,000 additional. A good bell is to be added.

The district has a well-selected library of about 2,000 volumes, and is well supplied with maps and charts, and chemical and philosophical apparatus. It has also a small but valuable and rapidly increasing collection of specimens in natural history.

The following is a list of the teachers now employed: U. W. Lawton, A. M., Superintendent; G. S. White, A. M., Principal of High School; Mrs. L. F. Selfridge, Preceptress; Kittie Sprague, Assistant; F. L. Bliss, A. M., Principal of Grammar School; J. D. Schiller, Principal of 5th Ward School; Ella Town, Principal of Wilkins Street School; Mrs. C. W. Penny, Principal of West End School; Nettie A. Brown, Principal of Bennett School; Mrs. Mary E. Camp, Ellen O'Brien, E. Blanche Wilcox, Maria Haynes, Mabel Jameson, Lizzie Wallace, Grammar School Teachers; Clara W. Bliss, Mary E. Langdon, Lucy Kenedy, Celia F. Waldo, Lucy D. Lewis, Loolie Minty, Nellie C. Jenkins, Anna N. Curtis, Carrie Lusk, Hattie Lusk, Minnie E Brown, Julia S. King, Lelia White, Nellie Russell, Delia I. Herrick, Norah Gridley, Minnie MacGregor, Belle Quinn, Lora A. Smith, Mrs. E. C. Marsh, Primary Teachers.

From the foregoing facts it will be seen that the citizens of Jackson have always taken a deep interest in the education of their children, and have always taxed themselves liberally for the support of the schools. It would be difficult at the present time to find a district better supplied with good school-houses, with a better corps of teachers, or better facilities for instruction. The scholars are well graded, the instruction in the lower grades is thorough and practical, and the high school not only gives a thorough business education, but prepares every year students for the University. It was one of the first whose graduates were admitted there upon their diplomas, and it has always maintained its reputation for good scholarship. It is, however, a novelty that so large a city as Jackson should have two school districts. The uniting of districts which forms the union school in Michigan and in many other States, has not yet gone so far here as to bring the city all under the management of one school board. But the leading and most influential citizens are in favor of the union, and on several occasions have taken steps to bring it about. It is inevitable that it will take place at no very distant day, for all can see that not only can the schools be maintained with less expense, but the grading can be more perfect and the instruction more efficient; and when it shall occur if the same liberal views prevail in regard to education which exist to-day, we can see nothing to hinder the schools of Jackson from approaching very near to that high standard of excellence which all should aim to reach. ·

School District No. 17.-Sept. 18, 1838, the school inspectors of the township of Jackson rearranged the boundaries of the school districts, and made a new district, which was numbered "17." The

boundaries have since been extended half a mile further east, and a like distance further north, but the Grand river has been made. the western and southern boundary, which latter change deprived the district of about 400 acres of territory in the southwest, and about 250 acres in the northern part. Smaller changes had been made before 1855, but on Feb. 1st of that year the school inspectors set off all of the present fifth ward east of Francis street, and a part of the sixth ward from this district, and made it a part of district No. 1. This act was considered illegal, and at the annual meeting of district No. 17, in 1855, a committee was appointed to commence legal proceedings to recover the territory set off, and again at the annual meeting in 1856 it was

Resolve 1, Unanimously, that a committee be appointed to prosecute a suit to recover a portion of this district illegally set off into district No. 1, by the trickery of the board of district No. 1 and the hireling Board of School Inspectors, and W. T. Howell and Henry H. Bingham are duly appointed said committee, fully authorized to prosecute such suit, and he district board are fully authorized to draw from the contingent fund hereof, any sums that may be necessary to defray the expenses of such prosecution.

The chairman of the committee of 1855 died, and the chairman of the committee of 1856 removed from the county without having commenced any legal proceedings. The question, therefore, has never been decided by any court, but in the opinion of all old residents, the action of the inspectors was an outrage upon their rights. The object of dwelling upon this incident is not to rekindle animosity. Happily the bitter feeling of the past is wearing away, and it is not too much to hope that ere long both districts, each in its own way, shall work harmoniously for the better educating of the youth.

District No. 17 has a central building containing 12 school-rooms with 600 sittings, erected in 1868 at a cost of $30,000. The building is heated throughout by steam, and a perfect system of ventilation secured by a flue sufficiently large to afford every room a change of air every five minutes during school hours, yet without any perceptible draft. The high school occupies the upper part of the building, and is seated with the Triumph single desks. It is also well provided with very complete chemical, philosophical and astronomical apparatus, and good circulating and reference libraries, which latter are in constant use by pupils, teachers and patrons of the schools. There are also two other buildings with three rooms each, and three with two rooms each, built of brick, at a total cost of about $30,000, and entirely paid for. These contain about 1,300 sittings, of which all but 200 were taken the last year. The present school force consists of a superintendent and 18 female teachers. The total paid for teachers' wages and expenses during year ending 1880 was $10,260.90; the amount estimated as required for 1881 was $10,801.38. The district record does not show the school census for every year, but years selected at random will perhaps show the general facts as to the increase of school population, as well as a fuller table. The persons between

the