USA > Massachusetts > Hampshire County > Hatfield > Hatfield Annual Town Report 1860-1890 > Part 6
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There is a balance in the hands of the Treasurer of ten hundred eighty four dollars and seventy five cents, which will be reduced by a bill that becomes due on the first of April for the support of Francis E. Abbott for the last six months ; also a small bill for the funeral ex- penses of Patrick Dulligan.
5
EXPENDITURES.
OLD BILLS.
Paid Insane Asylum for support of Francis Abbott,
$87 50
66 R. H. Belden, for lumber furnished, 9 64
Wm. H. Dickinson, for cash paid for John Mahar, 11 15
66 John. T. Fitch, for services as Selectman and cash paid, 59 30
66 R. H. Belden, « 66 66 66
70 29
Wm. H. Dickinson, 66 66 66
150 11
66 Rev. J. M. Greene, for services as School Committee, 26 00
66 Oscar Belden, 23 00
66 66
66 Oscar Belden for serving Town warrants,
12 00
Rev. J. M. Greene for apparatus and charts,
10 75
66 Dr. A. Montville for Medical Attendance on Selah Wheeler and John Mahar,
70 75
Dr. A. W. Thompson for Medical Attendance on John Mahar, 10 00
Luther Wells, Jr. for over work on Highway, 13 51
32 00
Henry Dwight over work on Highways, 9 80
R. H. Belden for services as School Committee, 21 00
$616 80
PAUPERS.
Paid Herrick Anderson for support of Sarah Green,
66
66
"
"
Theodore Wells,
130 00
66
66 66
66
Ann Dickinson, 130 00
Hospital for the Insane for support of Francis F. Abbott, 89 98
Hospital for the Insane for support of
Philena E. Orcutt, 169 46
Hospital for the Insane, Brattleboro, for support of O. Bardwell, 130 00
66 A. M. Peck for services as sexton for Sarah Green, 3 00
Dr. Myron Harwood for Medical Attendance on paupers, 8 00 Dr. A. Montville for Medical Attendance on
Selah Wheeler, Hosea Wheeler and Cynthia Remington, 24 00
66 D. F. Wells & Bro. for goods furnished paupers, 3 00
R. H. Belden for cash paid and care of Patrick Dulligan, 91 03 66 66 "
Paupers, 49 00
66
Dr. A. Montville for medicine furnished Pat. Dulligan, 66
2 00
66 " medical attendance on J. Sinsover, 28 00
66 O. Marsh for keeping transient paupers, 15 50
John T. Fitch cash paid for Joseph Sinsover, 36 00
66 Wm. H. Dickinson, clothing for Wm. Wells, 18 17
$1087 14
30 00
Asa Wells,
130 00
Trumbull & Gere for printing reports,
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SCHOOLS.
District No. 1.
Paid L. Adelia Weeks, for services as Teacher,
$100 80
66 Lottie Graves, 66 76 60
Wm. Coleman, for wood furnished,
19 00
66 66
66
" boarding Teachers, 181 60
District No. 2.
Paid Sarah M. Smith, for services as Teacher,
124 20
66 Laura Field, 66
66 66
36 00
66 Maria Wilder, 60 66
38 40
Elijah Bardwell, for boarding Teacher,
36 00
6
J. M. Greene, 66 66
48 00
A. M. Peck, 66 66 66
44 50
Levi Moore, for wood furnished,
39 00
66 James O. Waite, for cash paid for sawing wood,
11 00
Mary C. Billings, for board and Teaching,
86 00
$505 10
District No. 3.
Paid Hattie Stearns, for services as Teacher,
97 50
66 John W. Morton, for boarding Teacher, 42 00
S. D. Bartlett, 66 66
52 00
66 John W. Morton, for wood furnished,
25 97
$217 47
District No. 4.
Paid Maria Harrington, for services as Teacher,
42 ,00
Clara L. Stearns, 66 66
3 25
66 Mary J. Strong, 66 42 00
66 Horace Waite, for boarding Teacher,
74 00
66
66
66 " wood furnished,
12 05
District No. 5.
Paid Lucy A. Smith, for services as Teacher,
$56 00
Fanny S. Dickinson,
35 75
66 Hattie Hibbard,
48 75
66 A. M. Richmond, for boarding Teachers,
136 50
66
66
66 " wood furnished,
15 25
$292 25
1
L. S. Bliss, 66
42 00
$378 00
$173 30
7
HIGHWAYS AND BRIDGES.
Bradford Smith, for building Swamp Road,
$600 00 66 66 laying walls at Swamp Road, 175 00
Charles Miller, work on Highways, 3 75
Wm. H. Dickinson, cash paid for labor on bridges,
48 20
66 cash paid for labor on Highway,
54 91
George Chandler, for use of land for road,
7 00
Thomas & A. Cutter, for earth,
20 00
Nathaniel Abell, for drawing stone,
129 50
Jacob Carl, 66 66
15 00
John E. Waite, over work on Highways,
33 82
Franklin Field, lumber and labor furnished,
36 00
Peter Saffer, labor on Highways,
14 00
Herrick Anderson, labor on Highways,
80 00
L. S. Crafts, 66 17 50
94 50
A. E. Strong, over work on Highways,
45 10
Harvey Moore, for timber and labor,
35 46
L. P. Dole, labor on foot walk,
8 75
Dennis Cooley, labor on Highways,
24 00
Leander Cooley, " 66
17 00 +
J. T. & Geo. C. Fitch, for lumber and services on Highways, 393 80
R. H. Belden, cash paid and work on roads, 148 36
Wm. H. Dickinson, lumber and labor furnished and cash paid 151 38 S. G. Hubbard, leveling Swamp Road, 5 00
D. F. Wells & Bro. for Spikes, 2 00
5 00
Henry R. Graves, over work on Highways,
$2239 65
STATE AID.
Paid Mrs. Calvin N. Covill,
48 00
66
Emerson L. Covill,
84 00
66
Edwin Graves,
12 00
66 Oliver Warner,
48 00
Lorenz Seitz,
48 00
66
Joseph Richards,
84 00.
66 . 66
David B. Curtis,
33 80
66
John H. Vining,
17 80
66
John W. Field,
9 80
J. E. King,
33 80
Alpheus Hathaway,
18 40
66 Lysander Chaffin,
16 90
66 Henry M. Hitchcock,
33 20
66
66 Mary Shea,
16 90
66
Daniel Finn & wife,
33 80
66
Wm. J. Babcock & wife,
25 20
Joseph Brothers,
12 60
$576 20
Horace Field, labor on Highways,
12 94
E. F. Cooley, 66 66
61 68
Michael Larkin, over work on Highways, 66
8
TOWN AID.
Paid Mrs. Charles P. Waite,
79 00
John W. Field, 39 38
Edwin Graves, 102 00
John H. Vining,
31 34
$251 72
Reimbursements to individuals for money paid for recruiting, $3925 00
INCIDENTAL EXPENSES.
Paid Wm. H. Dickinson, for cash paid for Insurance on Town Hall, 30 00
Rev. J. M. Greene, for books and charts,
6 90
A. M. Peck, recording deaths and labor on burying ground, 4 50
66 George Waite, services as Assessor,
38 75
Samuel P. Billings, " 66
45 00
Wm. D. Billings, 66 66 and Town Clerk
and cash paid, 81 45
George L. Morton, serving notices on Town Officers, 6 80
66 D. F. Wells, services as Treasurer, 25 00
66 Wm. H. Dickinson, cash paid for repairs on Town Hall, 11 40
25 50
R. H. Belden,
66 Wm. H. Dickinson, “ 66 31 50
S. G. Hubbard, cash paid for Teachers Institute, 8 00
D. F. Wells, Postage and Stamps, 1 00
Calvin B. Marsh, Collecting Taxes and posting warrants, 110 52
.
$451 82
Notes and Interest.
Paid Interest to Savings Bank,
221 58
Mary & Dorothy Morton,
31 94
Elisha Wells,
103 81 .
66 66 D. F. Wells & Brother,
5 00
66 Nelson Clapp,
141 80
Note of Mary & Dorothy Morton,
500 00
66 Elisha Wells,
1625 00
66
66 D. F. Wells & Brother,
125 00
Notes of Savings Bank,
2625 00
$5379 13
Outstanding Debts of the Town.
Treasurer's Note to Sophia Smith, 3750 00
66 Nelson Clapp,
1000 00
$4750 00
66
66. John T. Fitch, taking census and statistics of Industry, 66 25 50
9 RECAPITULATION.
Receipts.
Balance in Treasurer's hands March 20th, 1865,
$2,080 63
in Collector's hands March 20th, 1865, 300 00
Amount of Taxes assessed,
15,480 65
State Treasurer, Recruiting money,
500 00
" Aid to families of Volunteers,
1,993 09
Corporation Tax,
726 43
Treasurer's Note to Sophia Smith,
3,750 00
O. C. Shumway, from Liquor Agency,
20 72
G. W. Hubbard, guardian of Philena Orcutt,
313 42
State School Fund,
66 17
$25,231 11
Disbursements.
Old Bills,
616 80
Highways and Bridges,
2,239 65
Paupers,
1,087 14
Schools,
1,566 17
State Aid,
576 20
Town Aid,
251 72
Reimbursement,
3,925 00
Incidental Expenses,
451 82
Orders of Abatement,.
84 29
Notes and Interest,
5,379 13
State Tax,
6,674 00
County Tax,
1,294 44
Balance in hands of Treasurer to new account,
1,084 75
$25,231 11
WM. H. DICKINSON, Selectmen REUBEN H. BELDEN, of JOHN T. FITCH, Hatfield.
D. F. WELLS, Treasurer.
March 23, 1866.
2
THE NAMES OF
OUR SOLDIERS Who have Died during the War.
JAMES H. ABBOTT,
JUDSON H. HARRIS,
ELBRIDGE G. CLIFFORD,
LORENZO L. HAWKINS,
JOHN W. FIELD,
THOMAS FRARY, JR.,
JOHN RICHARDS, JOSEPH RICHARDS,
ELIHU COVILL, JOHN H. VINING, LUCIUS FIELD,
ALONZO DENNIS,
HENRY A. DICKINSON,
ANTHONY BOLACK,
FERNANDO B. BENNETT,
WELLS CLARK,
EBR. C. ANDERSON.
ALPHEUS HATHAWAY,
WM. R. WAIT,
CHARLES P. WAIT,
EDWIN GRAVES,
ANNUAL Report of the School Committee
OF THE
TOWN OF HATFIELD,
For the Year 1865-6.
The amount of money raised by the town the last year, for Schools, was $1,500. The town received from the State School Fund $66,17. Three Hundred Dollars of the Fifteen Hundred were placed in the hands of the "School Committee for the purpose of equalizing the length of the Schools in the several Districts," which money we disbursed as follows :- To the Hill District $17, which enabled them to have 26 2-5 weeks of school for the Upper Department, and 26 2-5 for the Lower Department. To the Center District $148, which enabled the South Center to have 24 4-5 weeks of school, and the North Center 24 4-5 weeks, and to the Center Upper Department 12 3-5 weeks. To the West Farms District $88,67, which enabled them to have 25 weeks of school. To West Brook District $98.50, which enabled them to have 25 weeks of school. To Pantry District $14, which enabled them to have 26 weeks of school.
The town will see that the money was so disbursed that the Schools were made nearly equal in length. The great dispar- ity in the length of Schools, observable in our last Report,
2
was obviated. Yet we have met with embarrassments in exe- cuting the vote of the town. Perfect justice, an exact equality in the length of Schools, we have not attained. Some Dis- tricts paid much higher wages for their teachers than the oth- ers. Some of the Schools continued longer in the summer than the others, and if they had been reduced correspondingly in the winter, many of the larger scholars would have had no more than 10 weeks of School during the year.
If the town can devise some better method of attaining the end aimed at in the vote of last year, the Committee would gladly be relieved of the responsibility and perplexity of the trust. If not, we would recommend that the same amount be entrusted to them this year, with the understanding that they control the length of the Summer Schools, which power they have by the State law, and thus leave no element of inequali- ty except in the wages of teachers. And this might be largely obviated by conference among the Prudential Committees. The money raised is Town not District money, and each child in town, whether he resides in a large or small district, should have his share of the benefit of it.
The number of teachers employed during the year has been 11. Two have been employed both summer and winter. The number of children in the town between the ages of 5 and 15, is 289, an increase of 20 on last year. The whole number of pupils in the Schools 298, an increase of 12 on last year. The number of pupils in the Schools that have not drawn money by reason of their being under 5 years of age or over 15 years, 29. Here is a decrease of 13 on last year. The number of children in town between the ages of 5 and 15 that have not been pupils in the Schools during the year 19. Here is a decrease of 6.
SCHOOL HOUSES.
The Committee are persuaded that the town needs to give attention to the improvement of its School Houses. The health of the scholars is impaired, their progress in their stud- ies retarded, by badly located, ill-ventilated, or unequally heated school-rooms. The natural taste, sense of fitness in things, love and habit of order, and refinement of children, are not only uncultivated but are deterioated if they are educated in ill-constructed and neglected houses. Their associations with study and with school in general are rendered unpleas- ant, and their natural love of knowledge is sometimes turned
3
into hate. If we desire to have the children of the town grow up lovers of books, and become friends and promoters of edu- cation, we must render their school-days pleasant. How often also it is that a boy or girl gets, in a neat and pleasant school- room, an impression of order and propriety which shows itself all through life in his manner, his dress, and his home, both without doors and within. If scholars have no respect for or pleasure in their school-house as a good thing of its kind, the next step is to dislike their studies, then their teach- er, then their parents who send them to such a place. School- houses should be such as to put the pride of the scholars under contribution, and cause it to be a safeguard against indecent language or unbecoming conduct.
It is the duty of the School Committee, in their Report, to make "such statements and suggestions in relation to the Schools as they deem necessary or proper to promote the interests thereof."
We, therefore, deem it our duty to recommend to the Hill District that, without delay, they furnish themselves with new, commodious, and tasteful school-rooms. One building, with an upper and a lower room has some advantages, princi- pally in respect to expense. Two houses, separated at a little distance by an apartment for wood, have great advantages, in the convenience of access, and especially in the freedom which the School in one would have from the noise of the other. This last consideration is of great importance.
We recommend to the South Center District that they cease to hold a School in the house behind the church. In the summer it is so shut in by thesurrounding buildings that it is neither pleasant nor healthful. But rather use the center school-house, which with the new division of the district which we shall hereafter recommend, will be the most accessible, all the scholars being considered.
The North Center School House and the one in West Brook very much need apparatus for ventilation. The Com- mittee have sometimes visited those Schools when the atmos- phere of the room was unendurable to one who had just been breathing pure air. In such an atmosphere it is impossible. for scholars to study, they become restless and destroy the order of the School, and they run a fearful risk of contracting pul- monary disease, that giant destroyer in New England. The seeds of the disease are often sown, or, being latent in the sys- tem through hereditary causes, they are developed and made rapidly to bear their disastrous fruit, by the malarious atmos-
4
phere of some of our School houses. The health of the children of the town is a sacred trust committed to them whose duty it is to provide places for their education. Let the children suffer from the cold rather than bad air. But they need suffer from neither.
SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
The Committee are of the opinion that the boundaries of some of the School Districts should be changed, or a new District be formed. We believe that, if the town adopt the plan of a High School, which we recommend in this Report, the following changes in the boundaries would better promote the cause of education than the formation of another district, which would involve considerable additional expense. The aim of every town should be to support as few Schools as nec- essary, thus securing for the same money greater length in their continuance.
We propose that the Center District be newly divided, run- ning the division line so far North as to include in South Cen- ter the house of Mr. John Brown. Then we would locate the North Center School house in such a place as to render it cen- tral to the remaining part of the district. The number of scholars in that district, as now bounded, is so large that they cannot be accommodated in the present house. Last summer the Committee were compelled to transfer some of the schol- ars to the South Center. To relieve the Pantry District we recommend that as many as ten of the scholars in the North- ern part of the District be set off to West Brook, which would make a needed diminution of the one and increase of the other.
If these new boundaries should be fixed and the larger scholars of the town be furnished with a High School, we think convenient accommodation would be provided for all.
If a new School District is to be formed, it seems to us, that the most appropriate place to locate the School house is near the Four Corners, a little to the north-west of Mr. Lewis Dickinson's residence, and draw the scholars from the Hill, Pantry, and North Center Districts.
HIGH SCHOOL.
Your Committee feel that it is their duty to recommend some plan by which a higher grade of education can be fur-
5
nished our advanced scholars than the Common School offers. Our argument is not that the law requires it, but that the in- terests of the town, our duty to the rising generation, econo- my in the expenditure of money, our own social, moral and intellectual welfare require it. It is our opinion that this town pays as much, in proportion to its population, as any town in the county, for the cause of education. It is estimated that during the past year more than three thousand dollars have been paid for the education of scholars abroad. Cannot a smaller sum be expended at home and secure as great advan- tages to those who go abroad, and extend these advantages to others, and at the same time we have in our midst all the mor- al, social, intellectual, and religious benefit of such a School ?
The Town Hall might, at a small expense, be so fitted up that it would serve the purposes of a School room. And a man, competent to give instruction in the higher English branches and the Classics, could be hired forty weeks, for from ten to twelve hundred dollars. Then a School could be open- ed for thirty or forty of our more advanced scholars from all parts of the town. We believe that the stimulating effect of a High School upon the Primary Schools would be of incalcu- lable worth. The youngest scholars would be looking forward to it and make earnest efforts to secure the needed quali- fications for admission. We claim that this would be an economical arrangement for the town. Then our children could secure at home the education which they now acquire abroad, and save to the town between one and two thousand dollars yearly.
PARENTAL CO-OPERATION.
We would remind parents and guardians that though the Committee and the Teachers labor hard for the prosperity of the Schools in town, yet it is possible for you to render their efforts wholly vain. . But you can aid them in many ways; you can often inquire about the school ; you can visit it, not only at examinations but during the term; you can impress upon the scholars that the teacher is engaged in one of the noblest and most benevolent kinds of work, that she is seeking their good, and has assumed the gravest responsibilities with respect to them, and that they should treat her with respect, and love her for her work's sake; you can impress upon them that the laws of the State require them to submit to her authority, and faithfully perform all the duties of the school; you can form
6
the acquaintance of the teacher and encourage her, for she has many trials and her heart is often ready to break under the heavy load. She has pupils from many families congregated together, in such a pursuit that they must be governed or all her work is lost ; yet some of them have never been governed at home, some are selfish, some boisterous, some sulky, some timid, &c., &c. How can a teacher control these different ele- ments day after day, and at the same time have her mind em- ployed in giving instruction, without feeling that the burden is a crushing one? Does she not need your hearty co-operation in such a work ? Perhaps your children have some peculiarity or infirmity. Inform the teacher of it, and thus secure for them the sympathy of the teacher and enable her to labor intelli- gently for their welfare.
We are sorry to be compelled to report that an opposite course from this has been pursued in some cases in town. Remarks have been made, apparently before the scholars of the school, and to the parents of other scholars, adverse to the teacher's qualifications. This could do no less than impair the confi- dence of the scholars in the teacher, destroy the govern- ment of the school, render null the authority of the teacher in her instruction, and greatly damage her success. What one's reflections must be upon such a course we leave for others to decide. To us who value education above gold, and would a thousand times rather be guilty of robbing one of his money than the opportunity to obtain education, no language is strong enough to express our disapprobation of it.
If parents or guardians are dissatisfied with a school, they should guard most sacredly the reputation of the teacher and the interests of the scholars, and never utter a disparaging word before their children, but seek redress through the Com- mittee. To attack the character of the teacher simply upon the reports of the scholars is a course which would destroy all the schools in the commonwealth. We wish parents would consider the high place which schools occupy in respect to all of our interests and deliberate well before they, in any irregu- lar manner, lay their hands upon them. The Committee have the charge of the schools and have the best of opportunities to judge of the qualifications of teachers; they can also remove the teachers or make any needed change in the school which is necessary for its welare. And we do earnestly request parents to present their grievances to the Committee, and not defame the teacher and destroy for the whole district what might be a good school. It is impossible for any teacher to
7
succeed if a few of the parents array themselves against her, while it is a very rare thing that a teacher fails if the parents give her their sympathy and support.
.
ABSENCE AND TARDINESS.
These are growing evils in some of the schools of the town. We are sure that some parents and guardians would be sur- prised on inspecting the school registers, to see the large num- ber of marks against their scholars. Parents owe a duty in these things to the school and to their children. The best in- terest of the school requires that those who enter its classes should promptly and regularly perform their duties in those classes ; otherwise they impede the progress of those who would advance more rapidly. It would be considered dishon- orable and even worse, in pecuniary matters, for one person by negligence and inattention to prevent another, with whom he was associated, from making the largest possible gains. Why is it not more so in education ? Education is of more value to children than money. In fact it is money and well nigh all things else. How then can parents suffer their children to defraud other children in this most valuable treasure ? But to stop others from their largest gains is to defraud them. To remedy this let parents not only give their children time to attend the school, but see to it themselves that they do at- tend punctually and constantly, by often consulting the teach- ers, the registers, and the scholars. The habit of punctuality, ofpromptness and faithfulness in the performance of duties, is of inestimable worth to any. young man or woman. But this habit will be formed, in most cases, only by the constant watch and guidance of parents.
Scholars are also excused from the schools often for the most trifling reasons. This habit should be corrected. It en- ables them to shirk unpleasant and difficult tasks. It de- stroys all habits of regularity and perseverance. Parents can- not feel too deeply that this is the sowing time for their children, and what they sow they will reap. Every day of school should be improved to its utmost. Lost, these prec- ious opportunities never return. A rich man at the age of fifty exclaimed, "Oh! my school days that I lost ! I would give all my property for the education that I might have ac- quired in those lost opportunities; my wealth furnishes me but little happiness without knowledge." Parents may lose
3
8
a few dollars a year by refusing to take their children from school to labor, but who can compute the loss to the child if he becomes discouraged, or loses his high esteem of knowl- edge, or acquires careless and desultory habits ? It seems to us that parents should make almost any sacrifice to enable their children to attend without interruption upon their school. It is also the right of the child. Do not despoil him of his opportunities for education ; in old age he may remind you that what you gained was at a fearful expense.
TEACHERS.
All the Teachers during the past year have been females. We think that with our present school system females, with the co-operation of parents and guardians, are the best quali- fied to perform the office of teachers in all of our schools.
We are sometimes inquired of as to the limits of the author- ity of the Teacher. We reply that the laws invest the teacher with all the authority necessary to keep her school. Other- wise the money of the town might be wasted and the aim of the State defeated. The State is fully resolved that its children shall be educated. The office of a teacher'is a most honorable and useful one and the laws do their utmost to render it in all cases successful.
We quote the following from the Twenty-Eight Annual Report of the Board of Education ; pages 68 and 69, of the Ab- stracts. See also pages 107 and 108 of the same. These Ab- stracts are made by the Secretary of the Board and are sup- posed to meet his approval.
"Some teachers and many parents think that the teacher's authority ends with the school hours. This is a positive mis- take. Courts have settled this question again and again. Let us state a few principles :
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