Town of North Reading Annual Report of the Town Officers 1893, Part 1

Author: North Reading (Mass. : Town)
Publication date: 1893
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 54


USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > North Reading > Town of North Reading Annual Report of the Town Officers 1893 > Part 1


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Gift of mrs. Harold F. lipton


TOWN OF NORTH READING.


ANNUAL REPORT


OF THE


TOWN OFFICERS,


1893,


INCLUDING REPORTS OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE AND TRUSTEES OF FLINT LIBRARY.


FUNT LIBRARY NORTH READING ANDOVER, MASS : THE ANDOVER PRESS, PRINTERS. 1393.


ANNUAL REPORT


OF THE


TOWN OFFICERS


-- OF-


NORTH READING,


FOR THE YEAR ENDING


FEBRUARY 20, 1893.


ALSO


REPORT OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE AND THE TRUSTEES OF FLINT LIBRARY.


ANDOVER, MASS .: THE ANDOVER PRESS, PRINTERS. I893.


Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015


https://archive.org/details/ownofnorthreadin1893nort


Report of Selectmen.


Schools and School-Houses.


Paid for teaching High School,


$492 80


Centre,


294 00


Franklin,


270 00


West,


258 00


North,


252 00


East,


271 50


School Supplies,


335 19


Care of rooms,


67 91


Repairs on Schoolhouses,


245 82


Wood,


191 25


Superintendent of Schools,


247 71


$2,926 18


Town Officers.


Paid Samuel P. Breed, Town Clerk, Selectman, assessor, and Over- seer of the Poor,


$16 12


Arthur F. Upton, Town Clerk,


10 00


Arthur F. Upton, Registrar and Election Officer, 12 00


Carried forward, $33 12


4


Brought forward, $38 12


Paid Arthur F. Upton, recording births, marriages and deaths, 14 95


Arthur F. Upton, journey out of town, 2 50 Arthur F. Upton, books, stationery, and express, 6 95


Solon O. Holt, Selectman, Assessor, and Overseer of the Poor, 110 00


Solon O. Holt, Registrar and Elec- tion Officer, 12 00


Solon O. Holt, journeys out of town, 10 00


Solon O. Holt, perambulating town lines, 5 00


Joseph D. Gowing, Selectman, Asses- sor, and Overseer of the Poor, 110 00


Joseph D. Gowing, Registrar and Election Officer, 12 00


Joseph D. Gowing, journeys out of town, 25 50


Joseph D. Gowing, perambulating town lines, 5 00


Martin L. Hayward, Selectman, Asses-


sor, and Overseer of the Poor, 75 00


Martin L. Hayward, Registrar and Election Officer, 12 00


Martin L. Hayward, journeys out of town, 9 00


Martin L. Hayward, perambulating town lines, 5 00


Carried forward,


$453 02


5


Brought forward, $453 02


Joseph D. Gowing, Treasurer, 38 00


Joseph D. Gowing, Collector, 62 00


Joseph D. Gowing, extra services and expense, 20 00


Joseph D. Gowing, printing and postage, 10 50


J. Milton Robinson, School Commit- tee, 29 00


William I. Nichols, School Commit- tee, 25 00


L. D. Batchelder, School Committee, 10 00


Henry H. Dame, Constable, 21 50


Henry H. Dame, Sealer of Weights and Measures, 2 00


Henry H. Dame, Truant Officer,


2 75


Henry H. Dame, Fish Committee, 5 00


Charles W. Coburn, Constable,


11 50


Benj. A. Emerson, Fish Committee,


3 50


George R. Hinman, Fish Committee, 3 00


Edward D. Parker, Teller, 3 00


T. Scott Flint, Teller, 3 00


Samuel O. Allen, Teller, 2 00


Warren W. Cleary, Teller,


1 50


Frank Parker, Teller,


2 00


Dennis Batchelder, Fire Ward,


3 00


$711 27


State Aid.


Paid Elizabeth C. Ball,


$48 00


Rebecca J. McIntire, 48 00


Carried forward, $96 00


6


Brought forward,


$96 00


Paid Sarah J. Mason,


48 00


Josephine Watts,


48 00


Harriet Q. Burditt,


48 00


Harriet E. Hewes,


48 00


Robert B. Walsh,


30 00


Louisa Walsh,


28 00


William S. Todd,


96 00


Ozro Mason,


72 00


Samuel W. Holt,


48 00


John H. Dixon,


28 00


Sarah J. Dixon,


32 00


Sylvester McIntire,


42 00


George A. Bessey,


44 00


Lucy Eaton,


12 00


$720 00


Military Aid.


Paid John Grant, $72 00


William C. McIntire,


72 00


Samuel Goodwin, 48 00


$192 00


Miscellaneous.


Paid William P. Davis, $1 00


William B. Gale, Richey case, 100 00


William C. Wightman, insurance, 50 00


F. O. Dewey, lamp for Town Officers' room,


3 50


Carried forward, $154 50


7


Brought forward, $154 50


Paid Printing Reports and Warrants, 60 75


Printing book lists, 4 80


William M. Olin, register book, 1 25


F. J. Bancroft, tuning piano, 2 25


District Court Fees, 3 13


William H. Twombly & Sons, voting lists, 8 00


George W. Hayward, 2d, care of old Town Hall, 13 00


Return of births and deaths,


9 50


County tax,


449 41


Ringing bell,


52 00


Trustees of Cemeteries,


45 00


State tax,


402 50


Interest on Town Notes,


418 01


Celebration of 4th of July,


200 00


Treasurer of Flint Library,


52 00


Auditors, 4 50


Charles N. Abbott, watchman,


4 00


Office supplies, 4 05


Repairs on Flint Memorial Hall,


7 10


Overtaxation,


6 60


Abatements,


76 25


$1,978 60


Summary.


Orders drawn for


Schools,


$2926 28


Town Officers,


711 27


Carried forward, $3,637 55


8


Brought forward,


3,637 55


State Aid,


720 00


Military Aid,


192 00


Highways,


2,314 50


Overseers of the Poor,


1,116 87


Miscellaneous,


1,978 60


$9,959 52


SOLON O. HOLT,


JOSEPH D. GOWING,


MARTIN L. HAYWARD,


Selectmen of North Reading.


Report of Overseers.


Inmates of the Almshouse.


NAME.


AGE.


Emily A. Buxton,


48 years.


Sarah Banker,


43 "


John Grant,


53


66


Evalena Dutton,


25


James A. Dutton,


4


66


Olive Curry,


72


Average number, 5}. Present number, 6. 128 tramps have been assisted.


Personal Property at the Almshouse.


Nine cows,


$270 00


Hay and grain,


302 00


Manure,


125 00


Fifty-five fowls,


33 00


Wood and fuel,


180 00


Lumber,


18 00


Farm utensils,


226 85


Household furniture,


363 55


Provisions,


146 00


$1,664 40


10


Cash Received at Almshouse.


For stock,


$291 15


Board and lodging,


132 85


Labor and lumber,


102 40


Produce,


175 38


Milk,


519 09


Wood for schools,


191 25


Care of tramps,


32 00


Cash from Overseers of the Poor,


192 25


$1,636 37


Bills uncollected, $176.00.


Cash Paid out at Almshouse.


For groceries,


$192 57


Meat and fish,


111 45


Crackers,


14 24


Coal,


24 92


Grain,


224 00


Butter and cheese,


62 27


Clothing, bedding, and shoes,


24 21


Repairs on buildings,


31 15


Tools and seeds,


51 17


Physician's bill,


8 97


Stock,


168 50


Labor,


232 33


Manure and fertilizer,


73 73


Blacksmith bill,


6 86


Ice,


10 00


Salary of Cyrus Ayer, keeper,


400 00


$1,636 37


11


Almshouse Poor Account.


DR.


To cash paid to balance account, $192 25


Interest on amount invested in farm, 240 00


Taxes on amount invested in farm, 75 00


$507 25


CR.


By gain on inventory, $72 85


Board of Inmates 286 weeks, at about


$1.52 per week, 434 40


$507 25


Expenses of Poor out of Almshouse.


Paid Town of Andover for supplies to Eliza Bird, $22 00


Town of Andover for supplies to


Mrs. Fred C. McIntire, 162 35


Town of Natick for supplies to Mrs. Lucy Nichols, 60 00


Town of Middleton for supplies to Olive Curry, 1891, 37 48


Danvers Lunatic Asylum for board of Melvina J. Davis,


174 68


For care of tramps, 32 00


For supplies to Mrs. Jacob McIntire, 52 00


For supplies to Elisha Jeffrey,


71 56


For supplies to Mary A. McIntire, 60 00


Robert B. Walsh for care of grand- child, 16 00


Carried forward, $688 07


12


Brought forward, 688 07


Paid for supplies to Mary Gibbs, (An- dover account), 15 00


For supplies to Burley Rhodes, (Lynn account) 90 15


For supplies to Alfred Wellspring, (State account) 77 40


For supplies to Holbrook Burroughs, (Newburyport account) 37 50


For supplies to Ovid Dickenson, (Salem account) 4 50


For supplies to Mrs. L. F. Day, (Lynn account) 12 00


$924 62


For expense of poor at Almshouse,


192 25


$1,116 87


SOLON O. HOLT,


JOSEPH D. GOWING,


MARTIN L. HAYWARD,


Overseers of Poor.


Road Commissioners' Report.


Paid Arthur Rogers, labor, $43 52


James S. Gates, labor, 50 66


C. E. Spicer, labor, 51 50


John McDonald, labor,


16 50


Herbert Blair, lahor.


30 50


Samuel Goodwin, labor,


14 50


F. Day, labor, 13 80


N. G. McKay, labor,


39 67


Martin L. Orben, labor,


51 10


Justin H. Orben, labor,


51 94


F. H. Mosman, labor,


26 70


J. M. Robinson, labor,


8 25


Cyrus Ayer, labor,


21 36


Albert Colson, labor,


1 25


George R. Hinman, labor and team, 129 80


A. B. Monroe, labor,


1 50


William S. Todd, labor,


3 50


A. A. Upton, labor,


3 00


Frank W. Case, labor and team, 108 27


Russell R. Rogers, labor, 45 77


George L. Orben, labor, 42 42


George W. Hayward, labor,


11 69


I. A. Flint, labor, 19 30


Carried forward, 786 50


14


Brought forward,


$786 50


Paid Charles Tarbox,


1 50


Otis Thomas, labor,


25 50


B. A. Emerson, labor,


6 75


Alfred Wellspring, labor,


38 89


L. D. Batchelder, labor,


3 55


J. Allen Eames, labor,


46 25


Charles P. Flint, labor,


13 50


John P. Richardson, labor,


37 74


George Mckenzie, labor,


15 45


Dennis Batchelder, labor,


48 54


Charles H. Nichols, labor and team, 108 85


Harry Jones, labor,


14 95


Lyman Batchelder, labor,


1 50


Fred Marjeson, labor,


13 50


Lyman Taylor, labor,


19 90


George D. Fairbank, labor,


1 35


William Parker, labor,


3 40


Leslie Grafton, labor,


10 51


Freight on lumber and drain pipe,


2 60


Powder and fuse,


3 00


Repairs on pumps,


13 65


Railroad ties,


2 10


Drain pipe,


15 88


J. P. Langmaid & Sons,


16 53


J. B. McLane, blacksmith bill,


30 95


Cyrus Ayer, labor on bridges,


16 92


J. M. Robinson, posts,


11 50


Russell R. Rogers, posts,


60


George K. Parker, gravel,


18 00


Carried forward, 1,329 86


15


Brought forward, $1,329 86


Paid Olive Peabody, gravel, 1 35


Mrs. James Peabody, gravel, 13 30


James Flint, gravel, 8 15


F. H. Mosman, gravel,


4 04


Dennis Batchelder, gravel,


3 00


Ella Sanborn, gravel,


10 96


Benjamin Eames, gravel,


2 45


Mary Weeks, gravel, 1 00


Charles H. Nichols, removing snow, 3 70


J. Allen Eamnes, removing snow, 1 50


Lyman Taylor, removing snow, 7 00


John H. Eames, removing snow, 1 00


Arthur H. Batchelder, removing snow, 1 00 Irving Batchelder, removing snow, 9 25


Frank W. Case, removing snow, 3 60


Russell R. Rogers, removing snow, 1 43


Justin H. Orben, removing snow, 1 20


Martin L. Orben, removing snow, 1 20


Henry Orben, removing snow, 1 43


B. A. Emerson, removing snow,


2 25


Arthur R. Rogers, removing snow, 1 20


George H. Holt, removing snow,


7 00


Frank E. Hewes, removing snow, 3 50


George R. Hinman, removing snow, 10 00


James S. Gates, removing snow, 6 00


$1,436 87


Paid out for Mill Street Bridge.


Paid Merrill & Brown, for bridge,


$500 00


C. A. Weston, 34 76


James A. Bancroft, 6 50


Charles HI. Nichols,


7 50


$548 76


16


Paid for Washington Street Sidewalk.


Paid Frank W. Case and team, $37 00


Charles H. Nichols and team, 8 00


George R. Hinman and team,


19 40


Arthur R. Rogers, labor,


13 36


Martin L. Orben, labor,


20 80


Justin H. Orben, labor,


20 80


James S. Gates,


6 34


H. W. Campbell and team,


12 90


Russell R. Rogers, labor,


19 21


George L. Orben, labor,


8 35


George W. Hayward, labor,


1 67


F. H. Mosman, labor,


35 35


J. Allen Eames, labor,


8 35


Dennis Batchelder, labor,


5 01


C. E. Spicer, labor,


1 50


Timothy Fowle, railing,


6 50


$224 54


Paid for Widening Chestnut Street.


Paid George R. Hinman and team, $19 50


James S. Gates, labor,


6 00


C. E. Spicer, labor, 5 00


Martin L. Orben, labor,


7 51


Justin H. Orben, labor,


7 51


Arthur R. Rogers, labor,


7 51


$53 03


17


Paid for Building Elm Street Sidewalk.


Paid Arthur R. Rogers, labor, $5 00


James S. Gates, labor,


2 25


George R. Hinman and team,


4 50


Frank W. Case and team,


13 00


Martin L. Orben, labor,


5 01


Russell R Rogers, labor,


4 18


Justin H. Orben, labor,


6 68


William F. McKeen, labor,


84


Charles H. Nichols, labor,


4 00


Leslie Grafton, labor,


3 34


N. G. Mckay, sand,


1 00


Olive Peabody, gravel,


2 00


$51 80


Lumber and drain pipe on hand, $45.00.


Total amount expended, $2,314 50


Amount appropriated for highways, $1,500 00


Amount appropriated for sidewalks, 275 00


Received from Flint Fund for sidewalk on Chestnut Street, 75 00


Received from Flint Fund for Mill Street bridge, 400 00


Received from Benjamin Eames for Mill Street bridge, 50 00


Expended more than appropriation, 14 50


$2,314 50


CHARLES H. NICHOLS, FRANK W. CASE, Road Commissioners.


GEORGE R. HINMAN,


18


List of Jurors.


Henry A. Upton, Henry C. Eaton,


Benjamin A. Emerson,


Dennis Batchelder,


T. Scott Flint, George W. Hoffman, Willis P. Smith,


Arthur G. Eaton,


Irvin Batchelder,


Herbert L. Abbott,


J. Milton Robinson, Leland D. Batchelder,


Andrew B. Monroe,


Edward D. Parker,


SOLON O. HOLT, JOSEPH D. GOWING. MARTIN L. HAYWARD,


Selectmen of


North Reading.


Assessors' Returns.


Number of Residents assessed on Property, 214


Number of Non-residents assessed on Property, 93


Number of Persons assessed for Poll-tax only, 91


Number of Polls assessed, 241


Tax on Polls,


$2 00


Rate of tax per $1000,


$15 00


Value of Personal Property,


$61,331 00


Value of Buildings,


237,160 00


Value of land,


240,413 00


Total,


$538,904 00


State tax,


$402 50


County tax,


449 41


Town tax,


7,712 66


Total,


$8,564 57


20


Number of Dwelling-houses, 212¿


Acres of land,


7,734


Horses,


175


Cows,


325


Swine,


12


Fowls,


5,632


SOLON O. HOLT,


- Assessors


JOSEPH D. GOWING,


of


MARTIN L. HAYWARD,


North Reading.


Treasurer's Report.


Balance from last year,


$20 34


Taxes collected for 1889, 100 00


Taxes collected for 1890, 125 00


Taxes collected for 1891,


1,955 90


Taxes collected for 1892,


5,675 00


From State and Military Aid, 752 00


Corporation Tax, 54 48


National Bank Tax,


107 72


Mass. School Fund,


368 31


Flint Highway Fund,


475 00


Superintendent Fund, 171 89


City of Lynn, Overseers' Account, 48 00


City of Salem, Overseers' Account, 14 13


Town of Andover, Overseers' Account, 22 00 State Pauper Account, 71 00


Benjamin Eames' Bridge Account, 50 00


Interest and Insurance Dividend, 72 50


Cemetery Trustees, 56 00


Court Fees, 54 07


Rent of Memorial Hall,


21 92


Rent of F. M. H. Room, 28 00


Rent of Ante rooms,


10 00


Carried forward,


$10,253 26


22


Brought forward, 10,253 26


For Rent of Hearse,


2 00


Dog Fund,


136 90


Fish Permits,


18 25


Old Lumber,


5 50


William P. Davis' Hospital Account, 171 88


Supplementary Taxes, 6 00


Hired Money, 3000 00


$13,593 79


Paid out on Town Notes,


$3,000 00


Paid out on Selectmen's Orders, 9,959 52


$12,959 52


Balance on hand, $634 27


Assets.


Cash on hand,


$634 27


Highway Fund from Harriet N. Flint,


525 00


Uncollected Taxes for 1890,


100 00


Uncollected Taxes for 1891,


400 00


Uncollected Taxes for 1892,


2,989 57


Bills and Secured Note (Dr. Davis),


212 16


$4,861 00


Liabilities.


Due on Town Notes,


$7,000 00


JOSEPH D. GOWING,


Treasurer and Collector


I have examined the accounts of the Selectmen, and Over- seers of the Poor and Treasurer, and find them properly vouched for and correct.


HENRY W. CAMPBELL, Auditor.


Town Clerk's Records.


Statistics for the Year 1892.


Number of births,


17


males,


4


females,


13


Number of Intentions of Marriage.


11


Number of marriages recorded,


8


Number of deaths,


12


DATE OF DEATII.


NAME OF DECEASED.


AGE. Y. M. D.


DISEASE OR CAUSE OF DEATH.


Jan. 5


Edward Burdett


76


8


Pneumonia


Jan. 5


George A. Jones


56


11


9


Pneumonia


Jan. 13


Elizabeth Chisholmn


72


La Grippe


Jan. 23


Neliemiah B. Case


70


3


18


Pneumonia


Jan. 23


Silas JJeffrey


92


4 24


Influenza, IIt. Failure


Jan. 26


Samuel Jeffrey


79


Influenza, Brain Comp.


Jan. 29


Abial H. Hayward


64


10


29


Paralysis


Feb. 4


William A. Whittredge


68


9


Curhosis of Liver


Feb. 20


William H. Marjeson


78


10


Influenza


Feb. 21


Charles H. Chase


14


6


18


Dropsy around heart.


May


1


Daniel G. Abbott


63


2


22


Paralysis


May 18


Samuel P. Breed


70


3


24


Cancer of Bowels


May 25


John H. Dixon


67


8


6


General Paralysis


June 11


Robert B. Walsh


76


6


20


Heart Disease


June 29


Samuel Batchelder


61


1


15


Brights Disease


July


4


Mary E. Howard


44


2


23


Heart Failure


July 12


Ilenry Putnam


79


4


16


General Debility


Aug. 20


Sarah Flint


95


11


3


Old Age 1


Sept. 18


Elisha Jeffrey


89


3


6


Old Age


Sept. 26


Harriet R. Rogers


48


2


24


Typhoid Fever


Oct. 12


Nancy C. Mosman


70


6 18


Cancer


Oct. 31


Richard Nichols


79


6 17


Disease of Brain


Nov. 18


Addie H. Lovejoy


7


11


18


Diphtheria


Dec. 28


Bertha Eaton Gould


6


Anaemia


ARTHUR F. UPTON,


TOWN CLERK.


February, 1893.


Cemeteries,


Report of Treasurer of Trustees of Cemeteries.


Received cash from last year,


$12 60


Sale of Lots, 56 00


Appropriation, 45 00


$113 60


Paid out Well Account,


For pump,


$6 25


For lumber,


1 87


For nails and bolts,


40


For C. H. Carleton, work,


1 05


For L. D. Batchelder, work,


1 05


For trees for cemeteries,


4 25


For writing and recording deeds,


1 60


For C. H. Carleton, work,


11 00


For L. D. Batchelder, work,


6 15


For Frank Lewis, work,


4 50


For Henry Orben, work,


1 05


For Samuel O. Allen,


1 50


For Henry Batchelder,


10 50


For N. G. McKay, mowing grass, 3 00


For town treasurer, for cash from sale


of lots, 56 00


$110 17


Balance, cash on hand,


$3 43


CHARLES H. CARLETON, Treasurer for Trustees of Cemeteries.


Report of School Committee.


To the School Committee of the Town of North Reading:


Gentlemen : - My second annual report of the Public Schools is respectfully submitted.


Books and Supplies.


Town appropriation for 1892,


$300 00


Amount received for old books, 83 18


Total,


$383 18


Amount expended,


$331 32


Amount unexpended,


51 86


$383 18


Supplies on hand March 1, 1892,


$30 00


Supplies on hand March 1, 1893,


130 10


Organization.


With the growth of institutions and of our ideas of their object and their methods of work, comes a more urgent demand for organization. No where is this fact more evi- dent than in our educational system. The growth in mean- ing of education, and more comprehensive and exact know- ledge of the mind to be developed, and the consequent multiplicity of subjects of instruction and of methods for


26


imparting knowledge, call for a most careful organization, if the energy employed for running the required machinery is not to be wasted or lost. Strongly believing in the above, I have endeavored the past year to organize the work of the school as thoroughly as conditions have allowed. Special at- tention, therefore, has been given to the nature of the teach- ing force, to classification of pupils, to the daily program, to examinations, to a course of study, and to term reports of school work. The last two were sadly needed and their in- fluence can not help being strongly felt.


Course of Study.


In preparing a course of study, my object has not been to prescribe to teachers a certain amount of work for a specified time ; but rather to place in their hands an outline, showing the logical steps in which the given subjects ought to be de- veloped. No two of our schools are working under the same conditions, and hence an iron-clad system would be a positive injustice to both teachers and pupils. In some schools the teaching force is superior, in others, the number of pupils is larger ; again, in some, more classes are inevitable, in others, pupils are far better qualified to pursue their work more rap- idly. To meet these and other unequal conditions, a course of study must be made flexible and certain modifications must be made by teachers and supervisors from time to time. For instance, in the course in reading it is not intended nor expected that every class or every pupil will do the same amount of work in the same time, or that each individual will swallow whole every book in the order designated in the course of study. The aim is to teach the child to read in- telligently and with expression, and to cultivate in the child a taste for such reading as will be useful to him in subse-


27


quent life. Consequently, such steps have been marked out, and such books and such parts of books have been selected as would accomplish this purpose. In the regular readers, the pupil receives his special drill ; in the supplementary reading, he gathers useful information ; in the collateral reading, the library is called into use and he is introduced to books adapted to his attainments. In the same tone, if space al- lowed, it might be written of the other subjects included in the course of study.


Reports of School Work.


These are required from teachers at the close of each term, and include a statement of the work of each child in school. For instance, in a school where the classes are designated as class A, class B, class C, etc., the names of pupils are written under their respective classes and the exact work which the class is doing in arithmetic, language, geography, and other studies is stated topically and with reference to the particular text-book used. The advantages of such a report are many. In the first place, our teaching force constantly changes. Heretofore, this has meant that new teachers on beginning their work in our schools have done so without any definite knowledge of the work which had been accomplished. De- pending upon indefinite and meagre information received from the pupils themselves, the result has been a complete misunderstanding of the child's ability and of his proper rank in school. Children have been declared too far advanced, not thorough, stupid, etc., and, regardless of consequences, they have been hurried back to repeat what in reality they already knew. Now, a new teacher is introduced to her school with a course of study and with a reliable statement of where in that course of study the different pupils are work-


28


ing. The additional instructions given are to advance along the lines indicated. Consequently, no time is lost, little con fusion is caused, and the child aroused from its inactivity, caused, perhaps, both by a long vacation and the unfamilar ways and methods of the new teacher, avoids the illogical conclusions concerning his ability and maintains his former rank. In the second place, parents are constantly express- ing their dissatisfaction with the progress made by their children, and so long as there is a family pride and a deep- felt interest in the children this feeling of dissatisfaction will exist. When such a case is referred to the superintendent, reference to these reports, together with an examination of the given child, enables him to state whether the child is making satisfactory progress or not and to make such changes as circumstances may warrant. Again, these reports furnish data for a careful comparison of what schools are doing under similar and dissimilar conditions and permit a just judgment of what ought to be required of different schools. They give emphasis to the idea, already advanced in my previous re- port, that it is useless to require from our schools, under their present conditions for work, the same variety or the same quantity of work as can be done in places where a large teaching force is employed, ample accommodations are pro- vided, and the best apparatus is supplied. These reasons, to- gether with the fact that these reports have an educational value to the teacher, are sufficient to account for their exist- ence and to demand their continuance.


Changes.


During the spring term Mr. George F. Adams resigned his position as principal of the High School, and Mr. George Barton, a graduate of Dartmouth College, was elected to fill


29


the vacancy. Since Mr. Barton's appointment, with the cx- ception of the loss of one week on account of scarlet fever, the school work has advanced without any marked interrup- tion. Just before the beginning of the fall term a new floor was laid in the High School room and the old furniture was replaced by new. Also, a teacher's desk was bought for the Eastward School and new maps or charts were placed in all schools, with the exception of the High Schools. These im- provements were surely demanded and the money used was wisely expended. From the list of teachers may be ascer- tained the number of changes in the teaching force in our elementary schools.


The Schools.


While considerable progress has been made in our schools the past year, still a change in conditions would greatly facil- itate the school work and raise it to a higher standard. Re- cent tests show conclusively that pupils are not thorough in their early studies, and that, for some reason, they fail to get that drill in the elementary schools which they ought to re- ceive. As one means of securing better results, allow me to call your attention again to the consolidation of our schools. Under such a system the most important of all questions pertaining to the school, that of securing suitable teachers, is more easily settled. Persons who have the natural and ac- quired qualifications to teach an ungraded school, whether it is large or small, are rare.


If the school is large the teacher must have exceptional ability to organize, to economize labor and time, and to adapt herself quickly to all classes and conditions of children. If the school is small only a deep feeling of her responsibility and a genuine love for her work can keep the teacher active,


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and can enable her to create and sustain interest on the part of pupils in their studies, and to obtain anything like satis- factory results in the different lines of work. The small salaries and unattractiveness of such positions make it im- possible to secure, or at least to retain for any length of time, teachers possessing the required qualifications, and, from necessity, either these schools are assigned to the care of persons who are unable to rise above the conditions in which they are placed, or they furnish an opportunity for those to experiment who wish to begin their career as teachers. In towns where the schools have been consolidated and this sys- tem has been thoroughly tried, we find the teacher's position more attractive, the payment of larger salaries, a better classification of pupils, a reduction in the quantity and di- versity of the teacher's labor, more time and opportunity given to the teacher for the preparation of her work, and that en- thusiasm and interest on the part of the teacher in her work which the concentration of energy allows, and which the dis- sipation of energy forbids. Also, in these schools the spirit of competition is called out, and pupils are stimulated to greater mental activity. These things have increased, it is believed, the efficiency of the school work in these towns nearly one-fourth.




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