USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Melrose > City of Melrose annual report 1885-1889 > Part 29
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J. W. Bailey & Co., post and rails .
II 96
Geo. H. Sampson, forcite 56 19 .
Herman Slater & Co., copper pipe
176 84
D. Roby & Co., cement
832 25
Chadwick Lead Works, lead 187 33
G. G. Stillman, damper regulator . 112 50
Crosby Steam Guage Co., force pump. 46 00
W. H. Ward & Co., bands and cocks 262 25
Chapman Valve Co., hydrants, gates, etc. ·
778 22
J. H. Cunningham, service pipe . 478 70
Davis & Farnum M'f'g Co., pipe and clamps 453 37
Abbot Downing & Co., wagon · 237 85
Robert Philpot, sand 88 50
Sunday labor bills . 2,395 26
.
$9,755 53
Cost of Water Works to Jan. 1, 1889 . . $262,697 75
IIO
REPORT OF WATER COMMISSIONERS.
I have collected, as specified below, for water rates, in- cluding $2,000 appropriated by the town, the sum of $23,- 687.74, and from other sources $1,218.06, making a total of $24,905.80, which sum has been paid to the town treasurer, and for which I hold his receipts.
The following table shows the different classes of water- takers, and the amount paid by each ; also the amounts. received from other sources :---
Received from families
. $17,721 27
stores and shops .
317 46
66 inanufactories
468 17
use of hose .
1,311 00
66
stables
892 75
motors
38 91
meters
51I 18
..
greenhouses
128 00
halls
84 00
66
fountains
20 00
churches
57 00
66
depots
132 00
private school
6 00
$21,687 74
pipe accounts
. $1,090 59
66
"
stock sold
94 17
66
return premium insur- ance .
33 30
66
" town of Melrose
2,000 00
$3,218 06
$24905 80 Respectfully submitted, PARKER MERRILL,
Superintendent.
III
REPORT OF WATER COMMISSIONERS.
WATER RATES.
DWELLING-HOUSES.
PER YEAR.
Occupied by one family, for the first faucet . $6 00
For each additional faucet to be used for the same family 2 00
When a house is occupied by more than one fam- ily and less than four, one faucet only being used for all, for each family 5 00
When a house is occupied by four or more fami- ilies, and but one faucet is used for all, for each family 4 00
When a house is occupied by more than one fam- ily, the highest rates will be charged for each family having water carried into their part of the house.
For the first water-closet 5 00
For each additional water-closet 3 00 .
For the first bath-tub 5 00
For each addition bath-tub 3 00
Provided that no private house occupied by one family shall pay more than $25 per year.
For each additional family using either a bath- tub or water-closet . 3 00
When two faucets are used, one for hot and one for cold water, both emptying into one vessel, but one charge will be made for both.
BOARDING-HOUSES.
For the first faucet $10 00
For each additional faucet 2 00
For water-closet or bath-tub, when used for boarders . . 10 00
Other charges as above.
II2
REPORT OF WATER COMMISSIONERS.
STORES.
Occupied as office, shop, or similar purposes, for first faucet . $6 00 to 20 00
For each additional faucet 2 00
For water-closet or urinal 6 00 .
STABLES.
For first horse
$4 00
For each additional horse
2 00
For first cow .
2 00
For each additional cow
I 00
LIVERY, CLUB, AND BOARDING STABLES.
For first horse $4 00
For each additional horse 2 00
The above includes water for washing carriages.
Where hose is used, $5.00 additional,
TRUCK AND CART STABLES.
For first horse
$3 00
For each additional horse
I 00
The above includes water for washing carriages.
HOSE.
For use of hose . . $3 00 to 10 00
As may be agreed upon by the water commis- sioners.
HOTELS.
For each bed for borders and lodgers .
$3 00
BATHS.
For public baths, and for each bath in any hotel . $10 00 For water closet in public bath houses 10 00
II3
REPORT OF WATER COMMISSIONERS.
STEAM ENGINE.
For stationary steam-engine working not over ten hours a day, for each horse-power $6 00
BUILDING PURPOSES.
For every cask of lime or cement used $0 05
ORNAMENTAL FOUNTAINS.
Ordinarily used three hours a day for a period of not more than four months a year.
For a jet of one sixteenth of an inch
$3 00
For a jet of one eight of an inch 5 00
For a jet of one quarter of an inch 8 00
To be cut off at the discretion of the superin- tendent.
And for all purposes not enumerated in the foregoing rates, special contract must be made with the water commissioners.
II4
REPORT OF WATER COMMISSIONERS.
TOTAL AMOUNT AND LOCATION OF MAIN AND DISTRIBUTING PIPES TO PRESENT TIME.
FEET OF PIPE.
GATES.
STREETS.
16-in.
14-in.
12-in.
10-111.
8-in.
6-in.
4-in.
2-in.
Hydrants.
16-in.
| 12-in.
| Io-in.
8-in.
6-in.
4-in.
| 2-in.
Albion .
477
Allen Place
I38
Ashland
1,955
2
4
Auburn
372
I
..
Avon .
422
I
Baxter.
484
I
. .
Battery Place.
150
Batchelder
834
T
2
Botolph
435
I
Borneo.
924
2
I
Bellevue Avenue.
774
2
I
2
Belmont
376
I
. .
Berwick
1,2261/2
I
2
. .
Brazil. .
1,115
2
. .
Cedar Park
1,2061/2
595
2
I
Charles ..
335
I
. .
Chestnut
817
Circuit ..
438
Cleaveland
1,065
I
Cottage ..
1,142
193
2
.
Chestnut Park
226
Dell Avenue.
1,190
Dill's Court
360
I
.
East ...
534
Ellsworth Avenue.
314
..
Elm .
1,057
I
. .
Emerald .
508
I
Emerson Place
251
·
Emerson
1,1591/2
3,987
6
2
4
. .
Essex .
1,890
3
Felton Place
245
I
Fifth
934
3
First
1,803
3
1,3401/2
I
2
Foster
1,470/2
2
I
2
Franklin
1,169
4
Glen .. .
532
Goodyear Avenue ..
1,235
398
4
Green ...
2,700
3
Greenwood
1,263
I
Grove ..
1,865
1,6691/2
4
Grundy Place
202
Herbert
220
1581/2
I
. .
High
376
600
I
I
I
Highland Avenue ..
250
...
I
Hillside Avenue
337
29I
I
I
Howard
922
383
I
2
. .
Hurd .
768
I
209
I
Irving
387
I
I
2
Lebanon·
3,175
2
3
Linden
200
I
Linden Place
286
. .
. .
Lin'd ave. & Lynde
3,114
3
I
. .
Lynde Place ..
380
I
I
. .
Main
4,010
4,359
701
IO
2
2
3
I
Maple and Poplar ..
2,2651/2
2
3
. .
Melrose
..... ...
..
2,51472
2
4
. .
Melrose Place.
510
.
. .
...
...
I
.
.
I
. .
.
.
I
2
. .
2
.
.
.
.
. .
I
I
2
1
Florence
682
.
3,1551/2
2
I
2
2
2
I
.
I
...
. . .
.. .
Ingalls Court
Lake Avenue.
1,230
1,069
.
.....
I
. .
I
I
I
2
1,000
2
2
I
2
T
2
2
115
REPORT OF WATER COMMISSIONERS.
TOTAL AMOUNT AND LOCATION OF MAIN AND DISTRIBUTING PIPES TO PRESENT TIME .- Continued.
FEET OF PIPE.
GATES.
STREETS.
16-in.
14-in.
12-in.
Io-in.
8-in.
6-in.
4-in.
2-in.
Hydrants.
| 16-in.
12-111.
Io-in.
8-in.
6-in.
4-in.
2-in.
Mt. Vernon.
Mt. Vernon Place ..
224
Myrtle.
2,230
3
Ninth.
255
Oakland
1,16I
I
I
. .
Orient .
1,047
I
2
Orient Place.
I84
I
Orris
1,268
3
780
Panama
II2
. .
. .
I
Pine .
338
I
I
.
Pleasant
1,125
I
I
Porter
2,51472
3
I
.
2 .
Pratt .
378
I
I
Prospect Avenue ..
500
I
I
Pump to int'section
3,032
2
2
Prospect.
1,026
I
I
. .
Reservoir
96
Rowe ..
950
552
2
3
I
Res. to Ravine Rd.
1,370
Russell
448
I
. .
School.
495
.
. .
Second
1,185
3
I
...
Seventh
288
I
Short
216
2
Sixth .
292
2
.
Stevens Place.
IIO
216
Summer
96I
2
2
Summit Avenne
442
I
I
. .
Suction
250
. .
. .
Tappan
521
I
Tenth.
419
2
Third .
287
247
I
I
Tremont
3,180
500
3
4
T
Trenton
1,233
2
2
2
Tibbetts Place.
I44
I
. .
Union
530
I
Upham
5,581
6
3
Vine.
691
2
Vinton
436
7
4
Walnut
1871/2
I
Walton Park
1,097
2
Warren.
1,342
2
2
960
3,025
3
2
2
Waverly Place
6901/2
I
I
West Hill.
158
I
Wing
375
I
Willow
663
I
Winter
24I
I
. .
Winthrop Place
520
I
.
Winthrop.
6951/2
2
.
Wyoming Avenne . 3,360
1,076
3
3
I
·
Waste
55
51
3
2
.
Youle.
1,6551/2
2
.
..
.
..
. .
7, 170 96
8,752
960
1,235
25,092
86,232
10,993
I31
5
6, 2 2
24.137
21
.
..
I 6 OHH
. .
·
.
. .
. .
I
Otis
Para
268
Perkins
236
Pond to Wy'ng Ave 3,810
55I
I
.
1
.: :
. .
Total length of Main and distributing pipes 26 80-100 miles.
.
. .
Washington
4,8171/2
.
1,3311/2
2
.
I
I16
REPORT OF WATER LOAN SINKING FUND COMMR'S.
REPORT
OF THE
WATER LOAN SINKING FUND COMMISSIONERS.
MELROSE, DEC. 31, 1888.
The Water Loan Sinking Fund Commissioners present the following report for the year ending at the above date. Our receipts during the past year have been as follows :--- From water board, being surplus for 1887 $2,832 28
Income from investments . 1,438 58
We have invested in first mortgage on real estate in Melrose 3,000 00
The present condition of the sinking fund is as follows : Town of Melrose, high service 4's $13,000 00 Town of Melrose, water bonds series 1887, 4's . 3,000 00.
Mortgages on real estate in Melrose .
U. S. bonds, 41/2's 13,800 00
3,500 09 .
City of Providence, 5's 1,000 00
Cash in Melrose savings bank
2,418 05
$36,718 05
Referring to our treasurer's report for a full statement of receipts and payments.
Respectfully submitted,
DANIEL RUSSELL, JOHN W. FARWELL, ROYAL P. BARRY,
Water Loan Sinking Fund Commissioners.
The Water Commissioners wish to make the following statement : The gravity system has not been used since high service was introduced. Since that time all the water used has been pumped into the reservoir. The reservoir is 17 feet deep, and the engineer's orders are now, and have been, to fill at every pumping ; not so as to run over the banking, or endanger it, but in winter within 18 inches of the top, and summer 12 inches.
The above statement is called out by an enquiry "presum- ing we were not pumping now, because the pond is full," evidently not realizing that the gravity system, even with the pond full, would be of but little use at West Hill, Walton Park, or even Bellevue avenue.
NOTE. On page 97 of this report, the sum total of stock and tools on hand should read $4,643.13 ; through typo- graphical error it is printed $41,643.13. On page 109, read sundry labor bills, instead of sunday labor bills, as printed.
١
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES
OF THE
MELROSE PUBLIC LIBRARY
FOR THE
YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1888,
MELROSE : DUNTON & POTTER, PRINTERS. 1889.
9
119
MELROSE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
EIGHTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
TRUSTEES OF THE MELROSE PUBLIC LIBRARY
FOR THE YEAR ENDING DEC. 31, 1888.
The trustees of the public library present their eighteenth annual report.
During the year our esteemed fellow member, Mr. C. C. Barry resigned his position as secretary of the board, having served continuously for sixteen years. It would have been very gratifying if we could have induced him to continue in the position he has so efficiently filled, but this he absolutely refused to do, and another member was chosen for the work.
The supplementary catalogue has been published and is now in the hands of the patrons of the library. Also a cat- alogue of the books of reference has been issued and can be obtained of the librarian in the reading-room.
In March, 1888, Mr. Charles A. Patch and Miss Mary L. Charles were elected members of the board.
In December, Hon. W. E. Barrett repeated the generous gift of the year before and presented to the trustees his check for one hundred dollars, suggesting that we "use a part of it to purchase books bearing upon the building, fur- nishing, decoration and surrounding of homes, making the rest a nucleus for a permanent fund." This the trustees have decided to do and to call it the Wm. Emerson Barrett Fund, the foundation of which was made last year.
Mr. Barrett takes an honest interest in enlarging and de- veloping this department, and promises to give from time to
I20
MELROSE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
time, such amounts as will enable the trustees to make it effective and of far reaching importance.
Mr. Barrett has set an example worthy of many follow- ers and we trust other departments may be similarly fav- ored.
The income of the Horatio Nelson Perkins Fund has been used to complete the set of works by Benjamin Franklin, and to purchase a volume of Pamphlets on the Constitution of the United States, published During its Discussion by the People, 1787-88.
There are only five hundred copies of the book pub- lished, and we were fortunate enough to secure one.
During the year past your committee have enlarged the shelf-room of the library, by putting a new book-case in the centre of each alcove, thus giving, for the time being, the needed room, but we cannot find space much longer for further enlargement, as the unoccupied shelves will un- doubtedly be filled before another year. Is it not time for the citizens to seriously consider the future accommodation of the library ?
The library has been opened Monday, Wednesday and Saturday evenings, and Wednesday and Saturday afternoons, with the exception of legal holidays. The statistics of the library for the year 1888 are as follows :
STATISTICS FOR THE YEAR 1888.
Number of volumes in library, Jan. 1. 1888 · 7,401
purchased this year 406
66 donated ·
9
415
in library Jan. 1, 1889 7,816
Number of persons using library, Jan. 1, 1888 . 2,851
66 " cards issued this year .
358
" relinquished this year 39
319
Number of persons using library, Jan. I, 1889 . 3,170
I2I
MELROSE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
Largest number of volumes issued in one day .
467
Smallest
66
66
66 66
I4
Average 66
Mondays
96
Saturdays
374
Whole 66 66 66
in March
3,274
in May
2,762
66
66
in October .
2,856
66
66
in December
3,002
66
in 1888
32,986
Mr. C. S. Mixter has kindly presented to the library a very comprehensive Catalogue of the Public Libraries of the United States of America, their History, Condition and Man- agement. Parts I and II.
We have also received from Mrs. Wm. Bailey, 13 volumes of The Family Library, and from Miss Cheever, Littell's Living Age, Atlantic Monthly, and the Popular Science Monthly for 1886-87.
Our reading-room is being more and more appreciated each year, and the increase of regular patronage shows the importance of this branch of the library. The publications to be found on the forms and tables meet the varied wants of a large class of readers and students, and the steady growth in interest is very perceptible.
The reading-room has been opened every evening during the week ; also, on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons, with the exception of legal holidays and the monthly meet- ing of the school committee. Statistics of the reading- room are as follows :-
Number of persons using the reading-room Jan.
1, 1888 . 10,680 Number of persons using the reading-room, Jan. 1, 1889 . 10,908
Largest number in one month
1,15I
6 66 day I36
Books brought from library used in reading-
room 102
Number of books replaced in 1888 99
66 rebound “ « .
76 1
6 " magazines bound for library 21
66
66
66
66 66
I22
MELROSE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
The following list gives an idea of the various publications that each reader has to choose from :-
Magazines. Donors.
American Agriculturist.
American Naturalist.
Art Amateur.
Atlantic Monthly Magazine.
Academy. Daniel Jefferson.
Art Magazine, Cassell's.
Chambers' Monthly Magazine.
Century.
Chautauquan.
Cottage Hearth.
F. P. Shumway.
Eclectic Monthly Magazine.
English Mechanic,
Eclectical Review.
G. W. Mansfield.
Gartenlaube.
Harper's Monthly Magazine.
Young People.
Bazar.
66 Weekly.
Littell's Living Age.
London Punch.
London Illustrated News.
Lippincott's. Frien 1 Literary World. Daniel Jefferson
Magazine of American History.
Modern Light and Heat.
G.W. Mansfield.
Nation. North American Review.
Outing Monthly Magazine.
Overland Monthly Magazine.
Popular Science Monthly.
Scribner's Monthly Magazine.
St. Nicholas Magazine.
Science. Scientific American. Scientific American Architect and Builder.
123
MELROSE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
Magazines.
Donors
Wide Awake. Woman's Magazine. The Forum. The Electrician.
Publishers.
Mr. Davidson.
DONATIONS.
Pamphlets.
Number of pamphlets in library Jan. 1, 1888
66 Chicago
6.
Hopedale "
I
66 66 Lancaster. "
66
66
Malden 66
I
Manchester, N. H., Public Library I
I
66
Somerville
·
I
66
Watertown
.
I
Woburn 66
.
I
66
66
Bebee .
Proceedings of trustees of the Newberry Library, Chicago I
Official Gazette of the U. S. Patent Office 52
The Tuftonian I7 .
Bulletin of Boston Public Library
2
Herbert Spencer, on the Americans, D. Jefferson I
The Man versus The State,
I
National Sin of Literary Piracy,
.
I
Mr. Henry George, Unproved Assumption,
D. Jefferson I
Among the Americans, D. Jefferson I
Story of the Victoria Jubilee Banquet
I
Oration of Hon. George F. Hoar of Massachusetts,
D. Jefferson I
· Jesus Christ Eternally Alive, . C. O. Bradlee I
1,054
1
963 Annual Report of the Boston Public Library
I
I
I
Newton
·
I
124
MELROSE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
Books.
Donors.
Tenth Census.
The Smoked Tank.
Leaves From a Diary.
Life in the World's Wonderland.
International Council of Women.
My Story of the War.
Letters on the Eucharist.
Mammon, Maud Howe.
The Spell of Home, Mrs. Wister.
H. M. Lovering. M. Grisby.
S. T. Clover.
E. A. Sherman.
M. A. Livermore.
M. A. Livermore.
Mrs. O. E. Phinney. Friend. Friend.
Donors.
Papers.
Alta, California.
Christian Register.
Cincinnati Gazette.
London Weekly Times.
Melrose Journal.
Melrose Reporter.
New York Tribune.
National Tribune, G. A. R.
Pilot.
Springfield Republican. Weekly Inter-Ocean.
Weekly Courier-Journal, of Louis- ville, Ky. Weekly News and Courier, of Charleston, S. C.
Woman's Journal. Youth's Companion.
Mrs. M. A. Livermore.
Among the donations mentioned above, we have received from a friend, refusing to have his name used, Lippincott's, for the reading-room, and a copy of Maud Howe's Mam- . mon, and Mrs. Wister's Spell of Home, for the library.
To all donors of books, pamphlets, papers, or magazines, the trustees extend their heartfelt thanks.
The librarian, Miss C. M. Worthen, and her assistants, have attended faithfully to the duties assigned them, and have courteously rendered valuable aid in the choice of books.
Woman's Aux. Uni. Ch.
L. F. Williams. Dunton & Potter.
125
MELROSE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
Before long we shall be obliged to revise our catalogue and have an entire new edition. In order to do this a spe- cial appropriation from the town will be required, and it will be necessary to close the library while the work is going on.
For the year 1889-90, we ask an appropriation for the library and reading-room of seven hundred and fifty dollars, and the dog tax.
Respectfully subinitted in behalf of the trustees,
RUBY F. FARWELL, Secretary.
ELBRIDGE H. GOSS, 1 CHARLES C. BARRY, RUBY F. FARWELL, MARY L. CHARLES, CHARLES A. PATCH,
Trustees.
I26
MELROSE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
STATEMENT OF THE HORATIO NELSON PERKINS FUND.
FROM JAN. I, 1888, TO JAN. I, 1889. CR.
By balance on hand Jan. 1, 1888 . $515 80
By interest from Melrose savings bank 20 10
$535 90
DR.
To cash paid G. P. Putnam's Sons, books
$30 00
To cash paid C. L. Woodward, books .
5 00
Balance on hand
500 90
$535 90 Respectfully submitted, E. H. GOSS, Treasurer.
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
OF THE
TOWN OF MELROSE,
FOR THE
Year Ending December 31, 1888.
MELROSE : DUNTON & POTTER, PRINTERS. 1 889.
SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
ORGANIZATION.
JOHN O. NORRIS, Chairman,
Term expires, 1890.
MRS. S. W. BRADBURY, Secretary,
66 1890.
MRS. A. B. P. WATERHOUSE, .
..
66
1889.
MRS. A. K. MILLER,
66
1891.
MR. JOHN C. MAKER,
66
66
1891.
SUB-COMMITTEES.
On accounts.
MR. LORING. MR. MAKER. MR. NORRIS.
On High School.
MR. NORRIS. MRS. BRADBURY. MRS. WATERHOUSE.
Wyoming District. MR. MAKER. MRS. BRADBURY. MRS. MILLER.
Centre District.
MRS. MILLER. MRS. WATERHOUSE. MRS. BRADBURY.
Highlands District. MRS. WATERHOUSE. MR. LORING. MR. MAKER.
Text Books and Course of Study.
MR. NORRIS. MRS. MILLER. MR. LORING.
1889.
MR. C. F. LORING,
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
To the Citizens of Melrose :
The School Committee respectfully present this, their an- nual report :-
As their work comes properly under two distinct depart- ments, it is so considered in this report.
No inconsiderable portion of the service of your com- mittee is employed in the care of the buildings and other school property.
Your attention is invited, first then, to an account of what has been done, during the past year, to preserve, improve and care for all the property under the control of this board.
REPAIRS AND IMPROVEMENTS.
It has been the desire of the committee to keep the school property in a good condition.
The Centre school building, which has had but little work done on its interior since its erection, was put into as good a condition as possible during the summer vacation.
The walls were newly kalsomined, and all the interior wood-work was painted thoroughly or covered with two coats of hard finish.
A great deal of labor was required to put the pupils' desks into good condition, as many of them were older than the building and have the marks of many years' service, testi- fying to the zealous efforts of many a vigorous boy to carve his name in letters that the hand of time would not efface.
The jack-plane of a carpenter has destroyed all such at- tempts at acquiring fame, and now these desks are smooth and clean, a condition that can easily be maintained by care and vigilance on the part of teachers.
.
4
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
It is the wish of the committee that a careful watch should be kept by teachers and janitors on all school property, to the end that all marring or injury of the same may be pre- vented.
This is necessary not only on account of the appearance of the buildings and furniture, but it is an important part of a child's training to cause him to look upon the property of the town as requiring as much care and as good usage at his hands as that of his own home, or of those homes that he visits.
Many a boy has a different standard as to defacing public property from that which he is taught to set for himself in private houses.
He would not think of cutting or scratching the arm-chair in the parlor, or the dining-room table at home, but he hacks away at his desk at school without any compunctions.
Such a boy needs to be made to feel a pride in keeping things neat and clean, and to be willing to put some restraint on himself, and his pocket-knife. Not long ago the writer looked into a school room just at the close of the session and found a great scrubbing and cleaning going on.
On inquiry he was told by the teacher that the pupils were removing ink stains from their desks.
An examination of the desks in that room showed them to be nearly as perfect and as clean as when first put in, some three or four years ago.
Each succeeding class has learned that in that room the furniture must be kept in good condition, and has done its part to maintain the standard set by that teacher.
This same condition can be reached, and ought to be reached everywhere.
At Upham street, the building and fence were repainted and repaired, new blackboards were put in, and everything that seemed out of repair was put into good shape.
New concrete walks and sidewalks were laid at the Frank- lin and Vinton street school houses, and a strip of concrete was put round the Franklin school house, while that round the Grove street building was top-dressed.
At the old Green street school house, extensive repairs
5
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
were made on the lower room, and it was put into as good: condition as possible, care being taken to make such im- provements as would do away with the causes for complaint that formerly existed in that building.
The absence of complaint this season leads us to conclude that we have been successful.
CARE OF BUILDINGS.
In such a town as ours, with many small school buildings, the care of the buildings is quire a serious problem.
The wages paid for the care of one building, cannot, in the nature of things be sufficient to make it reasonable to expect any janitor to devote his whole time to it, and consequently he is sometimes wanted when he cannot be found, and some- times the press of other duties interferes with the care of the school house.
The committee have tried to solve this problem by em- płoying one man only for two or three school houses, with the understanding that he shall devote all his time, during the season of the year when fires are maintained, to the care of the buildings.
The plan, as far as tried, promises well, and we hope it will continue to be satisfactory to all parties concerned.
While the condition of our buildings is good and in many ways they are satisfactory, in two respects they fall short of what our town ought to have.
In the first place, they are not so well heated as they ought to be. Experience has proved conclusively that in extreme cold weather hardly any of our buildings can be properly heated.
It seems to be impossible to heat such large buildings, built of wood, with furnaces.
It is not entirely demonstrated, but the facts seem to prove that steam heating apparatus will do better.
We have four buildings of about the same size ; three are heated by furnaces and one by steam.
The latter was better heated, with about three-fourths as much coal last year, than either of the others, which con- sumed each about the same amount of coal, or twenty-five per cent. more than the one heated by steam.
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REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
How much of this difference is to be attributed to the fact that the building heated by steam is of brick, cannot be stated ; but even if this does have some influence, the testi- mony seems to be on the side of steam ; and it would prob- ably be wise, as the present furnaces become useless, to put steam-heating apparatus into the larger buildings.
Secondly-Our buildings do not afford sufficient accom- modations for our pupils.
In a town increasing in population as rapidly as ours, fre- quent additions to the number of school rooms must be made.
The town has responded liberally and promptly to such demands in the past, and we have no doubt will do so in the future.
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