Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 18.djvu/20

 the earth, and the earth round the sun. Lead pencils fixed to the axes of those bodies, and the machine put in motion, their orbits were exactly delineated on paper. It was similar to a figure on one of the plates of Ferguson's Astronomy. My class-mates thought me to have some inventive power and mechanical ingenuity. In my Junior year, a Senior, whose class had been required to calculate and project a certain eclipse of the sun, which would happen far in the future, came to me, saying, if he could be furnished within twenty-four hours, with an accurate projection of that eclipse, he would give me $5.00. I promptly complied with his request, and the money was promptly paid, and was very acceptable, being, as I was at the time, in needy circumstances."

Kelley sought his opportunity in Boston, where he again became a school teacher. On May 4, 1815, he married Mary Baldwin, a daughter of Rev. T. Baldwin, D.D. On the records of the school committee of Boston Kelley's name first appears as master of the West reading school, a position to which he was appointed on September 29, 1818, after several weeks' service as a substitute during the last illness of his predecessor. On June 17, 1820, Kelley was appointed master of the Hawkins Street grammar school, and on March 20, 1821 he became reading and grammar master of the Mayhew school. Here, it appears, he became involved in "difficulties" with the usher, whose dismissal was recommended by the sub-committee of the Mayhew school. Further inquiry was made into the matter by a special committee headed by the mayor, Josiah Quincy, with the result that on July 18, 1823, the secretary was directed to inform Kelley that the school committee would dispense with his services, but that his salary would be continued through the quarter.

As to the results of his educational activities, he claimed, "I improved the system of common school education in my adopted