USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Newburyport > City Officers and the Annual Reports to the City Council of Newburyport 1876 > Part 8
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The evening schools have done a good and noble work, and to encourage attendance and at the same time to encourage the younger class in getting the rudiments of a school education, we would renew the
20
proposition made in the report of last year that we follow the example set by New Bedford and establish a school similar to their Mill school, especially for those too poor, or too indifferent to attend the com- mon public schools. These are for children under fifteen years of age, and furnish instruction for the number of months required by law. Something at least should be done for the young who are growing up in ignorance, and a large part of whom are fitting themselves for a criminal career.
The following reports have been received from the teachers of the evening schools for women and men:
REPORT OF THE EVENING SCHOOL FOR MEN.
The evening school for men began Nov. 1, 1875, in the building on the east end of the Mall. There were seven teachers, including the principal, and 70 scholars present the first evening. The attendance at once rapidly increased, teaching one hundred and ten for several successful evenings. This made it necessary on account of the present arrangement for seating classes at separ- ate tables, to employ more teachers, and these were accordingly added on the third evening of the course. The average attendance for the winter was sixty-three. Of the large number at first connected with the school many dropped away from a disrelish to anything like restraint or study; some were excluded for disorder, and others, perhaps the smallest part, as being under the age fixed by the committee. A rigid enforcement of this rule relating to the age of students would undoubtedly have reduced the average attendance, and to a certain extent the cost of the school. It is, however, a question if its strict application, as the school is at present constituted, is expedient or possible. A considerable number have always presented themselves who are unquestionably ineligible. The proper place for such, some of them mere children, is the day school ; but while they are employed in shops and factor- ies during the day, it seems hard to refuse them the privilege of instruction at night. If the laws regulating the employment of children and truancy are enforced an equitable distinction might be made between those entitled to the benefits of the school and those who are not: The school could then be car- ried on at much less expense and with more satisfactory results. Notwith- standing, we do not feel that the work of the past winter is altogether lost. A large proportion of the scholars were regular in attendance and disposed to learn. The deportment was not always faultless; still it was generally as de- corus as could be expected. A pleasant feature is an adult class which has been in existence for a year or two, some of the members of which have made commendable progress. During the winter the school visited by Messrs Richard Plumer, E. P. Dodge, and I. P. Noyes, of the school committee.
Yours, respectfully, EDWARD L. CHUTE, Principal.
Newburyport, April 1, 1875.
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REPORT OF THE EVENING SCHOOL FOR WOMEN.
The evening school for women began November 2, 1875, and ended Febru- ary 17, 1876. Its sessions were held Tuesday and Friday evenings of each week. Average attendance, fifty. Nearly half the pupils were adults, be- tween the ages of twenty and sixty. All manifested a strong desire to learn, and one worked nine evenings upon long division without appearing in the least discouraged, saying, "I will understand it yet." The colored woman who has attended the school since its organization, being now able to read very well, and desiring to find the places in her hymn book, turned her atten- tion to arithmetic, and, though ignorant of the names of the digits, made such drogress that she could read almost all numbers in two figures. The im- provement in writing was very decided throughout the school. The attend- ance was good,-some pupils having been present at every session during the winter,-and there was a strong feeling, on the part of the women, to have the school continue. We were visited by S. A. McConnell and Hon. R. Plum- er, of the school board.
Respectfully submitted,
ABBY SHORT.
Newburyport, Aug. 29, 1876.
DRAWING SCHOOLS.
The evening drawing school was well attended last year, but the plan of supporting instruction in this art seems not to be received with such favor in New- buryport as elsewhere, and it languishes in the day schools and is not generally encouraged by the public and of course cannot receive hearty support by the committee. Last year Mr. Luther Dame was em- ployed as instructor in mechanical drawing in the eve- ning drawing school, and Miss Julia C. Cleveland in- structor in free hand drawing, the pay of the two teachers being the same as that of Mr. Putnam alone the year before, minus the expenses in coming here and staying over on the night he taught. The follow- ing is the report of the school by Mr. Dame :-
DRAWING.
The school commenced early in December, in the building at the east end of the Mall, and held one session a week for sixteen weeks, on Monday even- ings. Fifty-three pupils were enrolled, and the attendance was excellent un- til very near the end of the course, which terminated late in March. The
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school was divided into two departments, free-hand and mechanical. The free-hand division was under the instruction of Miss Julia C. Cleveland, and the mechanical division was instructed by myself. There was a large degree of interest manifested on the part of the pupils, and good progress made in a knowledge of the principles and their application to practical drawing. There was a large number of drawings furnished for the State exhibitions in Boston, from which selections were made for the Centennial. I should strongly recommend the purchase, by the city, of a series of mechanical plates, for the use of the drawing school, to correspond with those in free-hand now owned by the city. There is a deficiency in this particular, which, if supplied, would give greatly increased facilities in that department, a knowledge of which is so desirable for those contemplating mechanical pursuits.
Respectfully submitted, L. DAME.
EXAMINATION OF TEACHERS.
On Tuesday, June 13th, a general examination of candidates for certificates of qualifications as teachers in the public schools was held in the Common Council room in City Hall, where only one man presented him- self for examination and a large number of women. The entire day was spent by the sub-committee in the examination, and the following persons were ap- proved by the sub-committee and by the board :-
Frances Pettigrew, Mary N. Withington, Charles F. Smith, Ellen F. Gove, Anna A. Currier, Emma E. McConnell, Hattie A. Cheney, Anna M. Lee, Jenny P. Haskell, Emma A. Judkins, Clara A. Brady, Eva J. Smith, Belle P. Winslow, Nellie Stanton.
The questions on the examination are also given: GENERAL QUESTIONS.
1. What is your full name ?
2. What is your age ?
3. Where were you born, and where do you now reside ?
4. Have you ever had any instruction in any foreign language? If you have, what ?
5. What is your experience in teaching ?
ARITHMETIC.
1. The sum of two numbers is 350, and 3-8 of the larger is 1-2 of the smaller. What are the numbers ?
2. Divide fifty-six thousand, eight hundred and seventy-five millionths by six and five-tenths.
23
3. Change four thousand, three hundred and seventy-five ten-thousandths to the form of a common fraction, and reduce again to a decimal.
8g
4. Multiply & of 6% by & of 16
5. A farm consists of exactly 788,436 square feet; what is its value at 5-8 of a dollar per square rod ?
6. The population of a certain village is 4059, which is 12 1-2 per cent. more than it was five years ago; what was it then ?
7. What was due Jan. 1, 1868, on a note dated July 1, 1865, for $1000, with interest payable annually at 7 per cent. ?
8. What is the amount of $500 at 5 per cent. compound interest, for 4 years, 2 months, 15 days ?
9. If the fore wheel of a coach, which is 7 feet 2 inches in circumference, turns round 70,400 times in going a hundred miles, how often will the hind wheel, which is 9 feet 2 inches in circumference, turn round in going the same distance ?
10. When gold sells at a premium of 45 per cent. in currency, how much can be bought for $1.00 of currency ?
GEOGRAPHY.
1. What are the great circles of the earth ?
2. Define latitude and longitude.
3. Name the zones.
4. What are their boundary lines and why are they fixed where they are ?
5. What are the causes of day and night, and of summer and winter ?
6. Name the continents of the Eastern and Western Hemisphere.
7. Name the oceans.
8. How would you sail from New York to San Francisco, thence to Hong Kong, Calcutta, Liverpool, and New York ?
9. Describe the river Nile.
10. The Ganges.
11. The Danube.
12. The Orinoco.
13. The Red River of the North.
14. . What large rivers empty into the Mississippi ?
15. Mention the principal mountain-ranges of each continent, and the di- rection in which they extend.
16. Give the countries of South America, and capitals.
17. 'The three most populous cities of Europe.
18. Where is Cape St. Roque ?
19. Where is Melville Island ?
20. Where are the Straits of Malacca ?
GRAMMAR.
1. What is a sentence ?
2. Write a compound sentence.
3. Define the different parts of speech.
4. What is declension ? and what parts of speech are declined ?
5. What properties have verbs ?
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6. Define conjugation.
7. Define mood.
8. Give the principal parts of the verb rule.
9. Give the principal parts of take, fly, thrust, light.
10. Compare the adjectives ill, little, round.
11. Write the possessive singular and possessive plural of lynx, volley, mercy, alderman, she.
12. Analyze the following-
Labor is not only requisite to preserve the coarser organs in a state fit for their functions ; but is equally necessary to their finer and more delicate or- gans, on which and by which the imagination and perhaps the other mental powers act.
Parse labor, requisite, to preserve, fit, organs, by, which, act.
HISTORY.
1. When was Massachusetts settled ?
2. Name the presidents of the United States.
3. What four great wars have the United States engaged in? and for what were they waged ?
4. What is the oldest settlement in the United States ?
5. Which were the original States of the Union ?
IN CONCLUSION.
It seems proper that we should place one other matter before the people. The matter of truancy and ' absenteeism is one of the most serious and perplexing with which we have to deal. Not much had been done by the truant officers employed, and it may be that not much could have been done. This year we tried a new experiment. It was represented to the board that the police force had ample time to attend to the duties of truant officers, and this from such au- thority that we had good reason for confidence. Ac- cordingly the city marshal was appointed a truant of- ficer without pay, since he was the proper authority through whom orders should be given, and two of the police force were appointed truant officers, to receive the customary pay. The experiment was a failure. Either the police had more to do in their ordinary du-
25
ties than was supposed, or there was some failure or neglect upon their part, so that, practically, we were without truant officers for several months. A report from the teachers as to truancy, absenteeism, and the aid received by them in stopping the evil, was called for, and the testimony was so unanimous and so strong that the experiment was dropped at once, and the board voted not to pay for services never ren- dered.
This report the board would make to their fellow- citizens who have given to us this great trust, feeling that we have done the best we could, not only in the interest of education, but in that of a true economy. The schools of Newburyport rank high in those of the Commonwealth-the best in the Union-and the expense is not great in proportion to the number of children taught and the quality of the teaching. We are men and tax payers, as well as fathers of school children, and men interested in education, and we also wish for the best results from the expenditure of the public money. This, we believe, has been attained in a reasonable degree.
B. F. ATKINSON, (Mayor) Chairman, N. N. WITHINGTON, Vice-Chairman, ISAAC P. NOYES, Secretary, JOHN A. L. ODD'E, Agent, EDWARD PERKINS,
RICHARD PLUMER,
SCHOOL
E. P. DODGE, GEORGE W. SNOW, PHILIP K. HILLS
COMMITTEE.
S. A. McCONNELL,
H. G. JOHNSON,
A. B. DEARBORN, JOHN A. HOXIE,
NEWBURYPORT, Dec. 30th, 1876.
26
Course of Study in the High Schools.
I. ENGLISH COURSE. FIRST YEAR.
FIRST TERM .- English Grammar and Dictation Exercises Arithmetic, Sin- gle-entry Book-keeping.
SECOND TERM .- English Grammar and Dictation Exercises, Arithmetic, Single-entry Book-keeping.
THIRD TERM .- English Grammar and Dictation Exercises, Algebra, Physi- cal Geography.
FOURTH TERM .- English Grammar and Dictation Exercises, Algebra, Phy- sical Geography.
SECOND YEAR.
FIRST TERM .- Modern History, Algebra, and Natural Philosophy.
SECOND TERM .- Modern History. Algebra, and Natural Philosophy.
THIRD TERM .- Botany, Geometry, and Natural Philosophy.
FOURTH TERM .- Botany, Geometry, and Natural Philosophy.
THIRD YEAR.
FIRST TERM .- French or Physiology, Geometry, Chemistry.
SECOND TERM .- French or Physiology, Geometry, Chemistry.
THIRD TERM .- French, Rhetoric, Double-entry Book-keeping, Chemistry.
FOURTH TERM .- French, Rhetoric, Double-entry Book-keeping, Chemistry.
FOURTH YEAR.
FIRST TERM .- French, Astronomy, Geology or Trigonometry, Mental or Moral Philosophy.
SECOND TERM .- French, Astronomy, Geology or Trigonometry, Mental or Moral Philosophy.
THIRD TERM .- French, Astronomy, Geology or Trigonometry, Mental or Moral Philosophy.
FOURTH TERM .- French, Astronomy, Geology or Trigonometry, Mental or Moral Philosophy.
NOTES. I. Weekly Exercises in Declamation and Composition.
II. Constitution of the United States, weekly, by the Senior Class.
III. Natural History, weekly, by the Middle Class.
II. CLASSICAL COURSE. FIRST YEAR.
FIRST TERM .- Latin Grammar and Lessons, Arithmetic, Single-entry Book- keeping.
SECOND TERM .- Latin Grammar and Lessons, Arithmetic, Single-entry Book-keeping.
THIRD TERM .- Latin Grammar and Lessons, Algebra, Ancient History, and Geography.
FOURTH TERM .- Latin Grammar and Lessons, Algebra, Ancient History, and Geography.
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SECOND YEAR.
FIRST TERM .- Latin Reader, Algebra, Greek Grammar and Lessons. SECOND TERM .- Latin Reader, Algebra, Greek Grammar and Lessons. THIRD TERM .- Latin Reader, Geometry, Greek Grammar and Anabasis. FOURTH TERM .- Latin Reader, Geometry, Greek Grammar and Anabasis. THIRD YEAR.
FIRST TERM .- Latin Reader, Cicero's Orations, Anabasis.
SECOND TERM .- Latin Reader, Cicero's Orations, Anabasis.
THIRD TERM .- Latin Reader, Cicero's Orations, Anabasis.
FOURTH TERM .- Latin Reader, Cicero's Orations.
FOURTH YEAR.
FIRST TERM .- Virgil, Latin Reader, Anabasis.
SECOND TERM .- Virgil, Latin Reader, Homer.
THIRD TERM .- Virgil, Latin Reader, Homer. FOURTH TERM .- Virgil, Latin Reader, Homer.
NOTES. I. Weekly Exercises in Declamation and Composition.
II. Arnold's Latin Prose Composition, weekly, by the Middle Class.
III. Greek Prose Composition by the Senior Class.
BOOKS USED IN THE GRAMMAR SCHOOLS.
Sargent's Pronouncing Spelling Book.
Franklin Third Reader, reviewed the first and second terms.
Franklin Fifth Reader.
Guyot's Grammar School Geography, completed.
Duntonian Writing Books.
Green's Grammar.
Colburn's Mental Arithmetic.
Greenleaf's Common School Arithmetic.
Quackenbos's History of the United States, to be employed as a reading book.
Our World, No. 2, as a reference book (on the desk of each teacher).
BOOKS USED IN THE PRIMARY SCHOOLL.
Franklin Primer, the First, Second and Third Readers.
Sargent's Pronouncing Spelling Book, four classes of words. Greenleaf's Primary Arithmetic.
Colburn's Mental Arithmetic, as far as section ten.
Guyot's Elementary Geography, completed. Penmanship-Duntonian Writing Books.
28 Schools, Teachers and Salaries.
HIGH SCHOOL.
Brown High and Female High.
A. H. Thompson, A. M., Principal, $1900 (). B. Merrill, A. M., Assissant, 1425
Luther Dame, 1425
Miss P. H. Plumer, 650
550
KELLEY SCHOOL.
N. A. Moulton, Principal, 1235
Miss Janette N. Balch, 400
Miss Ella W. Peabody, 400 Miss Abbie Short, 400
Miss M. J. Bradlee, 375
Miss M. C. Thurston, 375
Miss M. E. Jaques, 375
I Miss Florence A. Winn, 350
GRAMMAR SCHOOLS.
Bromfield Male Grammar, Bromfield st.
[ P. D. Adams, Principal, 950
Miss Frances J. Pearson, Ass't, 350
Jackman Male Grammar, School street.
§ W. P. Lunt, Principal, 1235 Miss Lucy Lowe, Assistant, 400
Currier Male Grammar, Forrester street.
Miss Sarah B. Chute, Principal, 570
400
Miss E. Frothingham, Assissant, Miss A. L, Coffin, Principal, - -
475 400
Miss E. M. Lander, Assissant, -
475
South Female Grammar, Purchase street.
Miss S. D. Toppan, Principal. -
Currier Female Grammar, Forrester st.
475 Miss Emma E. McConnell, 350
PRIMARY SCHOOLS.
WARD ONE.
Bromfield Primary, Bromfield street. Miss Rhoda Tilton, Principal, - 400
Miss Susie Lowell, Assistant, 375
Johnson Female Primary, Pancock st.
Miss Ella H. Adams, Assistant, - 375
WARD TWD.
Boys' Primary, Charles street. - Miss Lucy A, Perkins, 400
- Miss Priscilla Craig, Principal, 400
Girls' Primary, purchase street.
Miss Mary Estes, Assistant, 350
Jackman Male Primary, School street-
Miss E. H. S. Pike, Assistant, 375
Boys' Temporary Primary, School street. Miss H. H. Page, 375
WARD THREE.
Girls' Primary, Temple street.
- Miss Lois E. Lunt, Principal, 400
Miss S. F. Badger, Assistant, - 375
WARD FIVE.
Davenport (Girls') Primary, Congress st.
Miss M. E. Hayes, Principal, 400 Mlss Clara J. Edgerly, Assistant 360
Kent street Primary,
Davenport (Boys') Primary, Congress st.
Buck street,
WARD
Ashland street Mixed Primary, 1st Div. = 2d “
Miss S. C. Currier, 400
Mixed Grammar and Primary, Plains,
Mr. Walter Hoxie,
500
Miss M. Agnes Pearson, Principal, 375 Miss Agnes A. Somerby, Assistant, 350 Miss M. Louisa Bartlett, Principal, 400 Miss Alice H. Purington, Assissant 350 Miss Alice H. Olmstead, 350
SIX.
Miss Frances Pettigrew, 400
1 1 Miss A. A. Senter, 66
Kelley School.
Johnson Female Grammar, Hancock st.
Miss E. A. Appleton, Principal, - Miss Sarah J. Shackford, Assiss't, 400
Miss Georgie Thurlow, Principal, 400
Miss H. M. Currier, Principal, 400
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TABLE.
SCHOOLS.
ars during the year.
Number of different schol-
the year.
Number at the beginning of
Number at the close of the
ars in Winter.
Average number of sehol-
ars in Summer.
Average number of sehol-
Winter.
Average attendance in the
Summer.
Average attendance in the
Number of desks in each
Number of seats in each
Yr. Mo.
Brown High
95
89
51
82
66
72
50
90
90 14. 7
Female High ..
126
117
87
109
92
96
84
140
140 15.
Kelley . .
484
406
369
407
383
363
366
420
420
10.
Bromfield (Boys') Grammar.
72
59
54
65
57
57
Jackman
6 6
66
75
55
54
67
56
58
51
72
72 11. 5
Johnson (Girls') Grammar ..
68
60
62
63
58
44
44
38 67
47 38 68
72
70 12. 3
Bromfield (Boys') Primary ..
89
70
89
75
82
56
51
50
70
96
8. 9
Jackman
74
66
73
65
68
61
64
100
105
9. 3
Purchase St. Girls "
116
72
102
76
89
64
72 79
96
54
7. 1
Kent Street-mixed.
134
102
127
110
119
92
105
126
8.
Buck Street-mixed.
81
43
61
45
53
38
44
96
120
6. 1
Johnson( Girls') Primary
105
78
98
78
88
61
73
96
120
7. 9
Temple St. 66
94
68
87
70
77
57
66
90
190
8. 2
Davenport (Boys') "
70
45
50
54
53
47
48
80
90
8. 4
(Girls) "
75
60
60
62
62
56
55
54
54
9. 5
Jackman-mixed.
160
112
127
116
128
100
102
40
40
7.11
Mixed School, Plains.
64
64
46
43
43
33
30
42
42
9. 8
2415 1878 1938 1901 1907 1653 1677 2236 2476
Number scholars during the year.
2415
beginning of year.
1873
66
close of year.
1936
Average number in Winter.
1901
Summer
1907
attendance in Winter.
1653
66
66
Summer
1677
Average attendance 68 1-2 per cent.
The number of children in the city in May last between the ages of 5 and 15 years was 2505.
Ward One. 427 | Ward Three. 266 | Ward Five. .. 508 Ward Two. .427 |Ward Four .357 | Ward Six. .. 520
....
....
.
143
80
109
73
97
60
60 54
63
7.11
Ashland Street-mixed.
90
77
71
82
76 7412
61 581/2 49 56
55
97
97 12. 6
South
. .
65
58
97
97 11. 4
Currier
.
50
44
43
Charles St. "
85
53
60
57
80|12.
100 13.
Currier
.
50 80
80
100
···
..
. .
school.
school.
Average Age.
80
100
7. 8
56
year.
Financial Statement.
Appropriation. .$27,000 00
State School Fund.
496 11
Dog Licenses. 620 60
Interest on Brown Fund. 900 00
29,016 71
Expenditures for 1876.
29,126 83
Overdrawn
110 12
TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
DIRECTORS OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARY
OF THE
CITY OF NEWBURYPORT.
OF
CITY
NEWBURYPORT
TERRA
MARIQUE
MDCOCLI
NEWBURYPORT : WILLIAM H. HUSE & CO., PRINTERS, 42 STATE STREET. 1877.
PUBLIC LIBRARY.
IN BOARD OF DIRECTORS, Dec. 22, 1876.
ORDERED, That the Report of the Committee on Library be accepted and the names of the members of this board appended thereto, and the same be transmitted to the City Council, apreeably to the requirements of section 5th of the Ordinance concerning the Public Library.
Attest,
H. A. TENNEY, Secretary.
DIRECTORS' REPORT.
The annual examination of the Library, which has recently been made, shows that the books are in good condition with the exception of the unavoidable wear of those in the alcoves containing works of fiction, and to some extent, also, those of descriptive travel. Three-fourths, or more, of the books taken from the Library are from these departments; and the constant demand of the great majority of readers is for new books, selected from the current popular publications of the day, to the comparative neglect of many bet- ter though older volumes in the same class of litera- ture.
The librarian states that the use of books of refer- ence in the library room, although the call for them is of course much less than for home use, is percepti- bly on the increase. There is a large and active de- mand in this department for the latest and best editions of works relating to general science, which are being rapidly issued from the press at the present time.
-
4
The additions to the library since the report of last year amount to 477 volumes; 276 volumes of these were supplied by the Peabody fund, 171 volumes by the Sawyer fund, and 30 by donations. A number of worn out volumes of permanently popular works have been replaced from the Sawyer fund. The number of volumes now in the library is 16,695.
By the recent inspection of the shelves it is found that six volumes are missing since the last examina- tion. The speedy return of some of these is expect- ed, and as their whereabouts has been ascertained, it is probable that they will again be placed on the shelves. None of them, however, are of any consid- erable value.
The fund which is designed to furnish the means for a new and revised catalogue of the library and which is deposited in the Institution for Savings amounts at this time to $2,620.21.
Four hundred and ninety-seven persons have availed themselves of the privilege of the library during the past year, by attaching their signatures to the rules and regulations.
Judging from the transfer of the dog tax the past year, the directors entertain the belief that the City Council has not justly appreciated the importance of the library as a co-ordinate department in education with the common schools.
One of the most distinguished writers of the age, says: "If we think of it, all that a university or final highest school can do for us is still but what the first school began doing-teaching us to read. We learn to read in various languages, in various sciences; we learn the alphabet and letters of all manner of books.
5
But the place where we are to get knowledge, even theoretic knowledge, is the books we read, after all manner of professors have done their best for us The true university of these days is a collection of books."
There is a world of truth in these remarks, although the full effect and force of them may be somewhat lessened to the general reader by the eruptive and percussive style of Carlyle.
It is indeed from books that we must obtain all our practical and available knowledge. All the teachings of schools and colleges and universities, all the earn- estness and thoroughness of the best of teachers and professors is of little or no value to the student, until he puts his own mind zealously into the work, and brings into his storehouse and workshop the best thoughts of all the great authors in the world, ancient and modern. The foundation of the character of every man and woman is laid in the books which they read, and often in those which they. read in early life.
It is too often the case that we do not sufficiently appreciate advantages of great value which are made common and cheap to us, free as the air we breathe and the water we drink. Many great and distin- guished men, the lights of the age in which they lived, have labored under great disadvantages and difficulties in the acquisition of knowledge. They have often been obliged to struggle hard in order to obtain the books absolutely necessary to them in their studies and researches. When we consider the dis- advantages under which these men in past times have labored, we can realize the benefit which the large free libraries of the present day give to those who are
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