USA > Massachusetts > Hampshire County > Hatfield > Hatfield Annual Town Report 1860-1890 > Part 2
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All of which is respectfully submitted.
JAMES PORTER, 2 School Committee E. L. HASTINGS, S of Hatfield.
Districts.
Length of
School in
months.
teacher Wages of
per month.
attend- Average
ance.
Whole No.
Scholars.
No. under
Five years.
No. over
Fifteen.
Sum. Win.
Sum. Win.
Sum. Win. Sum. Win.j Sum. Win. Sum. Win.
No. 1 Hill,
5
4
22.00 33.00
27
38
33
43
1
0
0
8
No. 2 Centre,
5
3
25.40 40.37
24
35
32
41
0
0
0
17
Primary Department,
5 3
20.00 22.00
36
47
44
54
7
3
0
0
No. 3 West Farms,
51
23
22.00 22.00
25
31
35
35
3
0
1
2
No. 3 West Brook,
21
23
18.00 17.00
10
20
13
24
1
0
0
4
No. 5 Pantry,
5
4
22.00 24.00
342
38
46
17
0
0
0
8
20
of
Annual Reports
OF THE
SELECTMEN
AND
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
OF THE
TOWN OF HATFIELD,
FOR THE YEAR ENDING
MARCH 12, 1861.
NORTHAMPTON :
PRINTED BY METCALF & COMPANY. 1861.
SELECTMEN'S REPORT.
TO THE INHABITANTS OF HATFIELD :-
In presenting to you the annual Report of the Receipts and Expenditures of the town for the past year, we are happy to be able to do so with a balance in favor of the town in the Treasury, and, consequently, not having been obliged to avail ourselves of the vote of the town at the meeting in November last, to borrow a sufficient sum of money to meet any defi- ciencies of the Treasury which it was feared might occur by reason of the unusual number of poor persons that had been thrown upon the town for relief since the last annual meeting and for whom no appropriations had been made.
The system which has so long been adopted by this town, in their corporate capacity, of " paying as they go" and avoid- ing all debts or obligations for future years or generations to cancel, is one that commends itself to every sound business man as the safest and wisest course to be pursued.
The large amount of snow that has fallen during the past winter has rendered necessary the expenditure of more money than usual at that season of the year, to render the roads safe and convenient ; although some of the roads were temporarily obstructed, as must always be the case during a winter of deep and heavy snow, yet our surveyors have ever held them- selves in readiness to use all the means at their command for the removal of this and every other impediment of free and unobstructed travel, thereby protecting the town from com- plaint and prosecution, and the traveller from delays and injury.
The bridges of the town have been under the care of the same Committee for the past two years, who have discharged their duties to the general acceptance.
Israel G. Dickinson has performed his duties as Liquor Agent, with the faithfulness which he has exhibited in that office in former years ; he will report the condition of the Agency, at the annual meeting.
4
We have caused guide boards to be prepared for the most important roads of the town, which will be erected as soon as the ground and weather will permit.
In conformity to the vote of the town at the last annual meeting, we have procured an insurance upon the town hall, in the Farmers & Merchants Mutual Insurance Company of Worcester, for five years from the first day of May last, for fifteen hundred dollars.
The town are now supporting, wholly or in part, seven individuals whose legal settlement is in this town : these are Sarah Green, Calvin Morton, Theodore Wells, Asa Wells, Anna Dickinson, Sophronia Vining and Oliver Bardwell. There is also a person, by the name of Lydia Potter, who resides in Boston, for whom we are obliged to pay about ten or twelve dollars per year, to provide her with fuel. Besides these, the family of James Billings, whose legal settlement is in Shrews- bury, have been relieved, and are now at no farther expense to this town. Bathsheba Shumway, whose legal settlement is in Belchertown, is now supported by this town : the Over- seers of the Poor of Belchertown having been legally notified, have agreed to assume the expense of her support.
Phileta P. Partridge, in June last, made application to us for relief, being sick and nearly helpless ; this individual is a native of the State of Vermont, as is also her father; the town, at the last November meeting, instructed us to make an investigation to ascertain whether she had a legal settle- ment in any town of this Commonwealth; in pursuance of these instructions, we have searched the records of Worcester county, and found that Jasper Partridge, the great grandfather of Phileta P., was a native of Medway, Mass., born in the year 1732, and that his father's name was Jonathan; that in 1758, Jonathan Partridge, then an inhabitant of Rutland Dis- trict, now called Barre, conveyed a tract of land containing 52 acres and 88 rods, to Jasper Partridge, who is also des- cribed as of Rutland District. In 1762, Jasper Partridge conveyed a tract of land containing 52 acres, (supposed to be the same he received from his father,) to one Robert Patrick of Rutland ; also another tract, described as lying across Ware river, of 6 acres ; in the deed of conveyance to Patrick,
5
a dwelling house is mentioned as standing on the 52 acres. From these facts, it would seem that there could be no mis- take, but that the legal settlement of Phileta P. Partridge is in the town of Barre; the early records of Rutland District having been burnt, we are unable to prove any thing from that source : the facts hereinstated have been placed before the Overseers of the Poor of Barre, who requested time to examine the facts in the case, and then they would inform us of their determination ; this pauper is the most expensive of any now supported by the town, her board alone costing two dollars and fifty cents per week. We suppose there are other facts that can be ascertained in reference to the case, if it should be thought advisable by the town to enforce by law their claim for remuneration for the expense incurred for her support against the town of her settlement ; but we thought it not best to be at any more expense in the search for evi- dence until the determination of the town of Barre was known.
A second complaint was entered by us, as Selectmen, to the Grand Jury of the county, at their session last June, against James Morton, for enclosing certain portions of high- ways near the mills of Harvey Moore : a bill of indictment was found against him, for fencing up a portion of the Deer- field road adjoining the north abutment of the mill bridge. The case was continued to the December term of the Supe- rior Court : at that time, the District Attorney desired to have the trial of the indictment delayed, in order that he might obtain the decision of the Supreme Court in the case of James Morton against Harvey Moore, in which it is alleged by the counsel for the Defendant, that it has been decided that Morton's fence for which he was indicted, is the bound of the highway. The case now stands continued to the crim- inal term of the Superior Court for next June. In order to ascertain as nearly as possible the true boundary of the high- way at the point in controversy, we have procured from two competent surveyors a survey of the road beginning at the terminus of the Deerfield road near the dwelling house of the late John Hubbard, and running northerly to a point near the house of Lewis Covill. From this survey, it scarcely
6
admits of a doubt, that the individual complained of, has enclosed a portion of the highway which, so far as the town is concerned, is of considerable value for the purpose of build- ing and repairing the mill bridge, which is the most expensive structure of the kind in the town. For any agricultural pur- pose whatever, this small piece of land is but of nominal value-we think that the interests of the town imperatively demand that their rights to the locality in question should be rigidly enforced, for if the claim of the defendant, as we understand it, is admitted, then it is only at great incon- venience and difficulty, that access can be had to and from the foundations of this bridge, without trespassing upon his land; and although it has been suggested by some persons that James Morton is willing to give the town a right to pass over this land for the purpose above mentioned, yet we appre- hend that the town will never consent to part with a right which is as old as the road itself, and which no adjoining owner before the present one ever presumed to question, and accept in its stead a simple permit to pass over this piece of ground, which may be at any time abrogated or made the foundation of future controversy and litigation.
We have paid all the bills against the town now due, that have come to our knowledge. The school in district No. 5 not having closed, the money due that district has not been drawn from the treasury. There will also be due in the month of April, about one hundred dollars for the support of the poor; besides these, there will also be bills for printing, and for guide boards ; and also the Selectmen's bills for services, which will be presented to the annual meeting. The bill against the town of Belchertown for the support of Bathsheba Shumway, will probably be paid soon after the first of April. The claim of the town against the town of Barre now amounts to nearly one hundred and twenty dollars, which we hope will be paid without litigation.
GEO. W. HUBBARD, Selectmen JAMES SCOTT, of
ELISHA HUBBARD, Hatfield.
HATFIELD, March 12, 1861.
-
7
RECEIPTS.
Balance in the Treasury March 12, 1860,
$357 21 Amount of taxes assessed, 3971 69
Received from State School Fund,
49 82
for rent of Town Hall,
29 00
" Dog licenses, 7 00
66
" grass in cemetery, 4 00
66 " sale of lots in cemetery,
3 00
66 from Overseers of the Poor of Greenfield, 10 00
66
66 66 66 Shrewsbury, 10 00
C. D. Bartlett's order, included accidentally in last Report, 14 00
Amount,
$4455 72
EXPENDITURES.
OLD BILLS.
Paid amount of old bills for 1859, not included in last Report, 9 60
Daniel A Vining, overwork on highways, 4 58
Metcalf & Co., for printing, 20 00
J. Lewis, for services as teacher in District No. 1, 35 00
" : J. S. Graves, for boarding teacher, 14 00
..
$ 83 18
8
SCHOOLS.
Paid H. L. Russell, for services as teacher in Dist. No.1, $70 00
J. Lewis,
do.
1, 96 00
A. F. Cook,
do.
2, 75 00
Mary E. Lyon, do.
2, 75 00
66 J. A. Leach, do.
66
2, 91 50
66 Mary F. Pomeroy, do
66
3, 50 80
66 A. S. Hardy, do. 66
3, 60 53
Laura E. Bartlett, do.
66
3, 36 00
A. A. Crafts, do.
66
4, 18 18
66 L. H. Whitman, do.
66
4, 33 00
Helen M. Shepard, do.
60
5, 63 00
Jona. S. Graves, for boarding school teacher,
81. 00
66 Temperance Morton, 66
53 25
Moses C. Porter,
66
90 00
Sam'l D. Bartlett, 66
66
56 00
66 Foster C. Anderson, 66
66
39 75
Henry Dwight,
66
47 25
" L. G. Curtis, for wood and cash paid for Dist. No.1, 19 31
Moses C. Porter, for
2, 22 11
6 C. M. Billings, 66
2, 7 66
66 Sam'l D. Bartlett, "
66
66 3, 19 50
66 Foster C. Anderson,
60
4, 1 46
Caleb Dickinson, 66
66 2, 3 97
$1110 27
POOR.
Paid Horace Wait, for keeping Sarah Green, $137 66
H. Anderson, 66
Calvin Morton, 22 50
66 H. Anderson, 66
Anna Dickinson, 37 50
F. C. Anderson, Theo. Wells, 19 00
66 O. S. Vining, 66 Sophronia Vining, 31 50
66 P. Chapin, 66 Asa Wells, 20 00
E
9
Paid RodolphusGraves,forkeepingPhileta P. Partridge, 80 00
Silas Bardwell,
Oliver Bardwell, 75 00
66 O. Marsh, 66 transient paupers, 4 75
66 James Morton, James Billings and family, 15 00
Helen Shumway, for nursing B. Shumway, 7 50
66 Roswell Hubbard, " wood furnished B. Shumway, 9 00
66 D. F. Wells, " merchandise " 16 65
" H. P. & W. D. Billings, for boots furnished W. Wells,3 00
6 Overseers of the Poor of Greenfield, funeral expenses of Lewis Harris, 12 17
66 Dr. D. Thompson, medical advice for P. P. Partridge,5 00
66 Dr. C. N. Chamberlain, 66 21 75
4 Dr. S. A. Fiske, B. Shumway, 2 00
$519 98
CONTINGENCIES.
Paid Harvey Kirkland, for Insurance on Hall, $38 50
Densmore & Field, " repairing Hall, 1 75
66 J. T. & G. C. Fitch," plank, 75 00
Geo. Wait, for services as Assessor, 54 13
Leander Cooley, 66 57 30
66 John T. Fitch, 66
54 50
66 J. T. Tower, for labor on Hall, 42 93
66 Edwin Graves,“ and cash paid, 38 02
A. M. Peck, overwork on highways, 25 17
A. M. Peck, labor on cemetery fence, &c. and cash paid, 2 03
Edwin Graves, for services in surveying, 29 25
Lemuel Cooley, " labor on Hall, and cash paid, 35 16
66 Z. W. Bartlett, for building West Brook bridge, 75 00
66 Dexter Allis, for services as committee on bridges, 3 50
66 Geo. Wait, € 6 66 4 00 66
E. F. Cooley, overwork on highways, and lumber, 12 00 H. P. Billings, for services as Treasurer, 15 00
Wm. D. Billings, Clerk, and cash paid, 24 95
66 H. S. Porter, for mowing old cemetery, 1 50
2
10
Paid J. Porter, for services as School Com. in 1859-60, 30 00
E. L. Hastings, “
1.7 25
Adm'r of J. H. Knight, dec'd, “
1859, 14 50
A. E. Strong, for overwork on highways, 15 51
66 Wm. P. Allis, " 66
11 38
R. Turner, " services in surveying,
9 50
66 Forbes & Spaulding, legal advice, 8 00
66 S. G. Hubbard, services surveying, 2 00 .
E. N. Sampson, collecting taxes, &c., 43 88
$741 71
Abatement of taxes,
$23 27
Paid County Tax,
997 82
State 66
297 50
RECAPITULATION.
Receipts into the Treasury, $4455 72
PAYMENTS BY THE TOWN.
For Old Bills,
$ 83 18
Schools,
1110 27
Poor,
519 98
Contingencies,
741 71
County Tax,
997 82
State
297 50
Abatement of taxes,
23 27
$3773 73
Amount in hands of Treasurer March 12, 1861,
to new account,
$ 681 99
GEO. W. HUBBARD, Selectmen JAMES SCOTT, of
ELISHA HUBBARD, Hatfield.
H. P. BILLINGS, Treasurer. MARCH 12, 1861.
REPORT OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE
OF THE TOWN OF HATFIELD, 1860-61.
YOUR Committee, in reviewing the year that is past, take pleasure in reporting, that the Schools in this town have made in many material respects, marked advances.
Good order, with a mild system of discipline, under thor- ough teachers, has enabled all the schools to exhibit a credit- able degree of progress, in the various studies pursued. At the same time, unavoidable causes have operated to produce a marked difference in the degree of progress. Some schools have been under the instruction of the same teacher through- out the year, while others have changed teachers every term - some have had too many scholars, some too few -some schools have been graded in such manner as to add to the interest of teacher and pupil, while in others, the teacher was expected to turn his attention, at any moment, from the a-b, ab, of an infant scholar, to abstruse questions in the higher mathematics. Your Committee feel confident that part at least of these evils can be remedied in the future.
A teacher, in the course of a term, becomes acquainted with, not only the face, but the mind and disposition of each pupil, so that at the commencement of a second term both are prepared to commence, and go forward from the point where the end of the previous term left them; whereas, a new teacher has much ground to go over, much time to spend, before he can fairly become an instructor. The progress made by the schools under female teachers in the Centre District, was undoubtedly owing in part to the fact that the same teachers have been employed through the year. It cannot be too strongly urged that teachers who have given good satis- faction should certainly be retained for the ensuing term ; to
12
enable the Prudential Committee to do this, it may be neces- sary, in some districts, to change the time for choosing that officer.
We are aware that in most cases the evils arising from the want of a sufficient number of scholars, and also those arising from too great a number, are incident to our scattered popu- lation, and the distance apart of the several districts. Thus District No. 4 has so few scholars that schools cannot be maintained as long as they should, without a burdensome tax upon the inhabitants of the district; at the same time, so remote are they from other districts, that no benefit can be derived from a union with others.
The schools in Pantry district have suffered from a state of things differing somewhat from those in West Brook, there not being scholars enough for two schools, yet so many are crowded into their one small inconvenient room, that it is only through the excellent management of superior teachers, that any thing can be accomplished. We hope that when the new school house, now talked of in that district, shall be decided upon, that a commodious house will be erected, with two rooms,-then if the district cannot support two schools, the teacher seeking assistance from the older pupils, will be able to do better justice to the whole school-a plan similar to the one adopted with such eminent success in the State Normal schools.
The evils resulting from the "mixed" system have been fully exemplified by the Winter school in the Hill district, where, notwithstanding the earnest labors of an excellent teacher, the school has been only partially successful. It is simply impossible for a teacher to give his time and attention to explanations needed by the older scholars, while he is sur- rounded by a room full of small children, who can only be kept in order, (such is the experience of all teachers,) by being continually interested ; equally impossible is it for a teacher to interest and keep in order a school of young schol- ars, and at the same time give advanced classes the attention and assistance necessary.
13
The Hill district, by uniting with the Centre, might secure the advantages of a High school for their more advanced scholars, thereby, during the Winter term, relieving their now crowded school room, and rendering unnecessary the employ- ment of a teacher of the eminent literary qualifications of the one employed the past Winter, and, while a female teacher would be amply qualified to take charge of the smaller schol- ars, the saving in teachers' wages might be applied to the union school : the advantages of a plan similar to this, are so apparent, they need not here be enumerated.
The North Centre and Farms Districts have given to their scholars additional schooling, by a liberal private sub- scription ; this, with the adoption of the " grade system" for the Upper department, and the employment of superior teach- ers, has enabled the schools in those districts to make rapid advance.
The average of attendance in our schools has not been as high as we could have wished ; this has been owing to the prevalence of disease, that by the dispensation of an overruling Providence has prevented many from punctual attendance, while some have been removed by death.
In our haste to advance in school education, there seems to be a tendency to neglect the primary branches ; the import- ance of a thorough education in reading and spelling cannot be too highly appreciated ; especially would we call attention to reading, which we find is more apt to be neglected, per- haps because so very few of public instructors are themselves good readers. Reading is an art, in which, unless a teacher can instruct by example, he can never hope to make profi- cients of his pupils. This is a point in the qualifications of teachers that we trust will not be neglected by those who employ them.
We cannot close this report without urging upon parents the importance of frequently visiting the school room ; a good school cannot be maintained, without a hearty co-operation of teacher and parent ; and you can in no way understand so well what your school is doing, what its requirements are, as by
14
frequently visiting it ; it is a duty that you owe to yourselves and your children, that you should see, and judge for your- selves, how and in what manner that person employed by you for a limited time, and for a specific purpose, discharges the obligations resting upon him. Visit the school, and you can then appreciate, as you can in no other way, the effects of a crowded room ; the actual loss of time in a mixed school ; the almost utter impossibility of a large school making progress, without the maintainance of good order. Visit the school room, and your presence will always have a good influence upon teacher and pupil, and if you would have that influence lasting, let your visits be neither few nor far between.
From the peculiar circumstances of Districts 1 and 5, the amount liable to be drawn from the Treasury by those dis- tricts, has not all been expended. We would recommend that a part, or the whole of such unexpended portion be donated to, District No. 4, to be used for school purposes the ensuing year.
With the exception of District No. 4, the length of schools has been satisfactory, and as there is no reason to expect increased expense, we would recommend that the same amount as last year be raised for the year to come.
All of which is respectfully submitted.
R. H. BELDEN, E. L. HASTINGS, School Committee of Hatfield.
EDWIN GRAVES,
HATFIELD, March 15, 1861.
The town raised by tax, $1250,00 for Schools.
No. of Children between 5 and 15 years of age, 230.
Districts.
School taught by
Length of
School in
months.
Amount
of
paid.
Whole No.
Scholars.
Average
attend- ance.
No. Schol-
ars under
five years.
No. Schol-
ars over 15 years.
Sum. Win.| Sum. Win. Sum. Win|Sum. Win. Sum. Win|Sum. Win
No. 1, Hill,
Harriett L. Russell. James Lewis.
5
115,00
42
27₺
2
2
0
No. 1, Hill,
3
132,00
46
34
0
0
9
No. 2, S. Centre,
Mary E. Lyon.
3
3
63,00
65,00
33
34
25;
2319
0
0
1
*No. 2, N. Centre,
Angela F. Cook.
3
34
60,00
68,25
38
21
29
1510
4
2
0
No. 2, Upper Dep't, No. 3, Farms,
Mary F. Pomeroy.
4
80,00
35
281
2
0
No. 3, Farms,
Laura E. Bartlett. Asa S. Hardy.
3
+130,00
22
193
0
13
No. 4, W. Brook,
Annette A. Crafts.
24
37,75
13
10%
3
0
No. 4, W. Brook,
Lucretia H. Whitman.
3
57,00
19
15
0
7
No. 5, Pantry,
Helen M. Shepherd.
52
113,25
41
27
0
0
No. 5, Pantry,
Elvira A. Elwell.
4
100,00
45
35
4
* 8 Weeks private school in addition.
+ $ 60,53 of this amount raised by private means.
15
0
0
tNo. 3, Upper Dep't,
3
60,00
33
3034
0
12
Joseph A. Leach.
3
126,00
25
2342
1
REPORTS
OF THE
Selectmen and School Committee
OF THE
TOWN OF HATFIELD,
FOR THE YEAR 1861-62.
NORTHAMPTON: TRUMBULL & GERE, .... PRINTERS. 1862.
Report of the Selectmen.
Ar the close of another financial year we submit the follow- ing Report of the Receipts and Disbursements of the town for the past year. In settlement with the Treasurer we find in his hands $61.14, and due on the tax-bills uncollected, $159.30. There are bills due and not presented for schools and paupers, probably to the amount of something over $300. We have changed the former practice of the town in relation to the support of paupers. We thought it would be more economi- cal and less trouble to the Overseers of the Poor, to have them congregated together. We accordingly made an arrangement with Herrick Anderson, to keep all the perma- nent ones at a stipulated price per year, and transient ones for a reasonable compensation. Two of the most expensive, viz : Mrs. Vining and Phileta Partridge, we have removed from the list.
The bill against the town of Belchertown, mentioned in last report, has been paid. The claim of the town against the town of Barre has been settled in our favor by process of law; the agent, G. W. Hubbard, will report at the proper time.
In addition to the sums above named, there will be the Selectmen's bills for services and the printing of this report.
4
On the 15th of April, on the breaking out of the great rebellion, the President called on the country for volunteers to defend the Capital from invasion by the rebels. Massachu- setts in accordance with her previous history, was first in the field, and on the 19th of April, her sons fell in the streets of Baltimore. Our people in the fervor of their patriotism, called a town meeting and appropriated the sum of $5000 for the benefit of those who should enlist and their families, and chose a Committee of seven to dispense it according to their discretion. In accordance with the above vote, the Committee borrowed the sum of $800 and appropriated it for the purposes above named, aside from a sum in the hands of the Commit- tee sufficient to pay interest and necessary expenses. We have in the field under the flag of our country, twenty-eight recruits, who we are confident will render good service to their country. There is now due to families of volunteers, $184.98, after deducting twelve dollars, having paid Mrs. Puffer up to January 1, 1862. There will be due to families, $56 per month, so long as they continue in service. They have not been paid, with the exception of $12 to Mrs. Puffer, for the reason that there has been no money appropriated by the town.
The sums paid to volunteers will eventually be reimbursed by the State ; the town will judge respecting the proper way to raise it.
RECEIPTS.
Balance in Treasury March 12, 1861,
$681 99
Amount of Taxes assessed,
4804 52
Received from State School Fund,
44 85
66
66 Dog Licenses,
2 00
66 Overseers Poor, Belchertown,
186 55
66
66 Guardian Sarah Horton, 53 57
-
$5773 48
5
EXPENDITURES. OLD BILLS.
Paid Old Bills for 1860,
$326 32
66 Foster C. Anderson, for keeping Paupers,
19 00
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