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Life of Thomas Eddy

SW_WH1793_Page_201

ing me Lancaster's pamphlet on education, whichhas afforded me a considerable degree of satisfaction,and I have been so much pleased with the outlinesof it, that I have had one thousand copies printedin this city and Philadelphia. I flatter myself hisplan will be adopted in our schools, when it becomesmore generally known; and I hope to introduce itin a very large school, which I expect soon to get established under the protection of our city corpora-tion, for the benefit of poor children, who are atpresent under the care of our alms house. I shouldbe much gratified to obtain such printed accounts as have been published of your schools, established onthe plan of promoting industry, as well as usefullearning. In the course of last year, some persons wereappointed inspectors of our state prison, who, in myopinion, were no way qualified to promote the designof the institution, and whose opinions respecting thegeneral management and economy were widelydifferent from mine, in consequence of which, mysituation there became so unpleasant, that I wasinduced, in January last, to resign my place as aninspector. I devoted seven years in endeavouring toestablish this excellent institution, and am not alittle mortified, that there is some reason to appre-hend all my labours are like to be lost. I have,however, the consolation of having the most satisfac-tory and pleasing proofs of the marked approbationof every officer in our government, and of all myfriends. Some of the convicts, about three weekssince, set fire to the prison, and destroyed the wholeof the roof of the north wing; it is now repairing,and will soon be under cover. This circumstance hap-pened, in consequence of neglect in the assistantkeepers, who have all been appointed lately, as allthe old ones resigned immediately after myself andthe old inspectors. I have delivered to Captain Matlock, of the ship