USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Royalston > Reflections on Royalston, Worcester County, Massachusetts, U.S.A > Part 12
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Reflections on Royalston
carrying the mails nearly every day. As I recall conditions in my early schooldays, along in the middle fifties, he usually took the mail from the post-office at about 9 o'clock, and brought it back after the arrival of the 2.30 p. m. train, which was the first one from Boston in those days, so that the mail was usually in and distributed when we children were let out of school at 4 o'clock. Occasionally, however, we were informed that the mail would not be in until late, because Col. Whitney would not come up until after the arrival of the evening train. His contract called for delivery of the mail only once in two days, and anything more was a gra- tuitous service. The mail arrived at some time nearly every day.
Col. Whitney finally outgrew the mail-carrying job, and it went into the hands of William Bailey Goddard, not far from 1860. "Bailey" put on the two-horse coach seen in the picture on page 92, and rendered a most accomodating service in carrying mails, passengers and express matter, for several years. While "Bailey" went and rendered a similar good service between Athol depot and Petersham for a number of years, Joseph T. Nichols rendered an equally satisfactory service on the Royals- ton route, driving the same vehicle. "Bailey" returned to Royalston and resumed the service with the same vehicle April 1, 1873. Clarence J. Walker covered the route for four years. Martin Fallon, Arthur Ellis, Frank Curtis, and others, have served the public well; while Clayton S. Wilcox, who holds the position in 1919, has speeded up business with automobile service. Regular daily delivery of mail became the rule under "Bailey" Goddard; faster mail trains ensured a mail at the Center before noon; and now for many years the Center has had two mails daily.
The first post-office case that I ever saw, in the Estabrook store, con- sisted of a small upright, glass-door box, in which letters were stuck into little tin clips and thus displayed to all who cared to look them over,- quite in contrast with the present rules, which make it a crime for any postal official to give out any information in relation to mail matter.
In the Estabrook building there was, between the store proper and the residence, a room called the counting-room. About 1855 a case of around 100 mail boxes was installed in the partition between the store and the counting-room. Box-holders "chipped in" 50 cents each for the cost of construction, and were surprised when they were required by the post-office department to pay an annual rental for the use of the boxes.
Sometimes there was no fire kept in the store in the winter, and the loafers "waiting for the mail" gathered in the counting-room, where a small fire was kept in a fireplace. Here Postmaster Newton was usually busy at his desk; and here the mails were opened, and the loafers did not withdraw during the performance. After a time Mr. Newton's desk was placed on the counter at the opposite side of the store, and many of those who came for mail saved him the trouble by going into the counting-room and helping themselves to mail. Later the case of boxes was placed over on the counter beside the desk, where Mr. Newton could properly attend to both. I suppose Uncle Sam is still collecting rent on those boxes.
The Royalston postmasters, with but little exception, have been the successive proprietors of the store established by Joseph Estabrook, as mentioned on previous pages: Estabrook, Gregory, a second Estabrook, Newton, Walker, King, Gordon, Blandin and French.
In 1836, according to Caswell's list, following the sudden death of Gregory, George Blodgett held an appointment for 19 days and Stillman Blodgett for 84 days, prior to the appointment of the second Estabrook.
Feb. 1, 1840, C. Robert Wood, Jr., captured an appointment, which he held for 16 months. June 15, 1841, Charles Augustus Bullock was ap- pointed, and held the office for 5 years and almost 5 months, or until Nov. 12, 1846, when Estabrook was re-appointed. We may well believe that the post-office was kept in the Bullock store for those 5 years, and ask if the Bullocks' activities in the "Tippecanoe and Tyler too" campaign of 1840 were not a contributory cause of the change.
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Reflections on Royalston
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Desiring that the offspring of the recipients of their bounty receive education in book knowledge, the Proprietors of Royalston generously set apart a large sixty-third part of their purchase of 28,357 acres, or 520 acres in all, as has been elucidated on pages 43 and 44, "for a public school." To this, we are told, Sir Isaac Royal munificently added 200 acres from his own private reserves, by his last will and testament.
In 1767 the town voted to lease out the school land; and in 1769, "to sell the school land for as much as it will sell for; the principal to be a
CENTER SCHOOL-HOUSE, 1906.
fund for schools, and the interest to be applied yearly to pay for school- ing." There is no statement of the amount received for the 520 acres, or for the 200 acres received by the will of Mr. Royal, who died in 1781. But somewhere along the way the town accumulated what is now known as the "Old School Fund," which grew up out of the sale of the school lands, amounting to $1,500. The income from this fund in 1864 was $111.45. The interest on that class of investments has not been as high in later years, and the fund is credited in 1918 with $62.64, which is a little more than it earned in any one of a number of previous years.
In 1858, by his will, Hon. Rufus Bullock left the town a fund of $5,000, the income from which was to be used for the benefit of common schools. The income from this "Bullock School Fund" was $438.65 in
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Reflections on Royalston
1864, and $326.30 in 1918; a part of it being invested in bank stock paying 10 per cent.
THE FIRST SCHOOLS.
The Memorial gives some interesting data regarding the first schools. In 1769 the town raised £3, "in addition to the school interest, to hire schooling for the present year." The Treasurer also received during that year £7, 10s., lawful money, "which the Quarter Sessions gave the town for schooling." Two orders were drawn upon the Treasurer by the Selectmen that year, to pay school teachers. One order was in favor of Simeon Chamberlain, who is said to have been Royalston's first school- master, for 18 shillings, for 2 weeks schooling in February and March.
In 1770 John Fry drew from the town treasury £2, 10s., for 5 weeks school-teaching; John Crawford £2, for 1 month; Simeon Chamberlain £1, 16s., for 1 month; Isaac Estey 4 shillings for boarding a "school dame."
In 1771 Hannah Richardson drew 18 shillings 8 pence, for teaching school 4 weeks and boarding herself; and Dr. Stephen Bacheller £3, for teaching school 7 weeks and boarding himself.
Mr. Caswell's researches brought to light the old school register kept by Simeon Chamberlain, in which he recorded: "Royalston, February ye 20th, 1769. When I came to the house of Widow Winship and began to tend school." He recorded the names of 19 pupils in 1769, and in 1770 he taught 23 at the same place. Under date of Dec. 28, 1772, he recorded: "Then I came to Deacon Estey's and began to tend school;" 26 pupils.
From the Memorial we gather that "Joel and Benjamin Winship set- tled on the road leading from the northwest corner of the Common," or between the Common and the Hutchinson-Raymond place. "They were the first men that died in town; and both by violent deaths. Joel per- ished in the cold, Jan. 21, 1765," while returning from a deer hunt. "The next year his brother Benjamin was killed near his house, by the falling of a tree." This settles any question as to who the Widow Winship was, and the location of the first school. "Dea. Isaac Estey settled the first place west of the Common, near the foot of Jacobs hill," and that was the location of Chamberlain's school begun in December, 1772.
THE FIRST SCHOOL-HOUSE.
Such schools as they had were kept in dwellings or in barns, previous to 1777. In that year an article came up in town-meeting, "To see if the town will build a school-house as near the meeting-house in Royalston as convenient; if not, to see [if the town] will give liberty to a number of the inhabitants, near the Center, to build a school-house in said place for their own benefit." The town voted against building at the town's ex- pense, but gave the desired permission to the "number of the inhabi- tants," and the building was erected at the point indicated by 22C on the map, nearly opposite the meeting-house, and near the present location of the post-office.
In 1781 the town was divided into 6 school districts. But one of these,-the south-west, where Nathan Goddard had established a saw- mill, a tannery and a public house, -was set off to Orange, leaving 5 dis- tricts,-the Center, the east, the north, and 2 in the west.
In 1795 the town was again divided, this time into 9 districts, which remained, with but slight changes, until 1820. After that year 3 more districts were created, making 12 the number down to the time when the district system was abolished.
In 1797 it was voted to build school-houses in the several districts, and a committee was appointed to lay before the town an estimate of the expense, with details of dimensions and method of finishing. The com- mittee promptly reported plans for the 9 buildings. The details are in- teresting, as showing how the town had advanced in 32 years.
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Reflections on Royalston
The plan of 6 of the houses was as follows: 20 by 24 feet; 912 feet stud; square roof; 6 windows each with 15 7 by 9 lights; the inside walls ceiled; overhead crowning and plastered; the seats round the walls on 3 sides and raised 8 inches, and 18 inches from the walls, with a good writing table before them and a shelf for books beneath; seats before the tables; an entrance way at one end of the house 6 feet wide; 2 doors to enter the room; and the whole to be finished up in a workmanlike manner, and the outside painted. Such were the specifications for 6 of the buildings; the other 3 were to be different only in dimensions.
The committee estimated the cost of the 9 buildings at $2,018. The matter received final action May 7, 1798, when the town adopted the committee's report, and appropriated $1,500 for the buildings, but later had to raise $450 more to meet the expense. Old school buildings in 3 of the districts were found to be of such value as to justify an allowance
OLD SOUTH ROYALSTON SCHOOL-HOUSE, 1916.
to the "proprietors;" showing that school-houses had previously been provided at private expense.
The Memorial states that one of those early school buildings of 1798 -in the "city" district at the west part of the town-remained in 1865; while the frames of others had been incorporated into later buildings.
It is probable that the school-house now in use for the Center schools was built some years before 1845, perhaps as far back as 1835. Originally the belfry tower was at the rear of the school-rooms, and was surrounded by an ell part, containing anterooms, stairways, and entrances from both east and west. About 1860 the ell part was demolished, the body of the building with the belfry tower turned around, bringing the belfry tower to the front, and the space around it filled out for anterooms and stairs; the part forming the school-rooms was split in two and filled in, making the rooms 10 feet or more wider from north to south.
The old school-house at South Royalston, a picture of which, taken after it had been for many years out of use for school purposes, is shown above, was possibly the first school building in that district. The village
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Reflections on Royalston
of South Royalston was a sort of an after-thought in making up the town; most of the land on which it stands was a part of Athol during the first 34 years of the town's life; and the Memorial states that in 1833 the village "contained 10 dwelling houses, a saw and grist-mill, and a factory in ashes." But South Royalston developed up from that time; the factory rose, phoenix-like, from the ashes, and so on, so that, accord- ing to the Memorial, in 1865 the village had 78 dwelling houses, and the South Royalston school had 101 scholars in summer and 111 in winter.
A school with that number of scholars, or anything approaching it, deserved a larger and better school-house than the one represented in the picture ever was, and after a time it had it. Probably it was not far from 1880 when a new building was provided in the heart of the village, containing two large school-rooms on the first floor and a hall for public purposes on the second floor. This building was destroyed by fire Oct. 25, 1904; it was promptly rebuilt on the same location, and the picture on the next page shows it as it appeared about 1910.
SCHOOL COMMITTEES.
From Mr. Caswell's record of "Early School Committees" it appears that from 1806 to 1821, inclusive, the town chose a committee of 9 each year,-probably one from each district; and in 1822 and 1823 the number chosen was 10, the 10th district having been added, probably. In several of the years from 1814 to 1823 an additional committee of from 3 to 7 members was chosen, to visit and inspect the schools, or to act "in con- junction with the two ministers" in performing a similar duty, "and not receive any compensation therefor," or "free of expense to the town."
From 1845, which perhaps was the first year when a printed report was issued, to 1856, inclusive, the committee consisted of 3 members; in 1857 it was increased to 7 members; from 1858 to 1874, inclusive, 3 was the rule; and in 1872 the first female member of the board was elected, and she was re-elected in the next two years; from 1875 to 1895, inclusive, the number elected ranged from 10 in the former year down to 4 in the latter, and generally 5 or 6; frequently with 1 or 2, and sometimes 3 female names; since 1895 the conventional 3 have been chosen.
SCHOOL ATTENDANCE.
The attendance at the schools, after the school-houses were provided, was quite large. The Memorial states that an attendance of 40, 60, 75 and even 100 was not uncommon at a single school. The settlers gener- ally had large families of children, and probably as a rule the children remained at home and attended school for many years; in some instances until they were 21 years of age. But as time advanced the number of children in families averaged less; and many of the children secured all the home-school education they desired in a smaller number of years; while a few sought something better away from home. So it came about that the number of scholars was gradually reduced. Judging from the above-mentioned report of from 40 to 100 to a single school, we can see that an average of 50 to each of the 12 schools would have given a total of 600 pupils, while an average of only 25 would have given 300, which is much in excess of the record of recent years. The South Royalston dis- trict, which was of comparatively late origin, was an exception to the rule of depreciation, having had 101 scholars in the summer term and 111 in the winter term of 1864-5, according to the Memorial. The total en- rollment in some later years has been as follows: 1896, 156; 1901, 167; 1903, 179; 1905, 164; 1911, 174; 1913, 188; 1918, 152. These figures do not include scholars from Royalston attending high schools in other towns and cities, numbering from 4 to 21 each year, and whose expenses for tuition and transportation are figured as a part of the gross school ex- pense, but are reimbursed by the state; about which more may be said.
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Reflections on Royalston
ABOLITION OF DISTRICTS.
While the district system was probably the best arrangement in the early life of the town, it gradually developed disadvantages, as the pop- ulation shifted and later lessened in numbers. It came about that in some districts there would not be enough scholars to make a school; and yet the few needed the advantages of the school as much as though they were many. As an extreme case, there might be but 5 scholars in a dis- trict, ranging from 5 to 21 years of age; and in fairness to other scholars throughout the town the allowance for teaching would not be more than enough to hire a 16-years-old girl teacher, and for a limited time.
The matter of the abolition of the district system was discussed in town meetings for several years, and in 1867 the town voted to dispense
SOUTH ROYALSTON SCHOOL-HOUSE AND HALL.
Re-built in 1905.
with the districts and make all schools town schools. The number of schools was reduced from 12 to 6 or 7. This led to dissatisfaction on the part of some who had always had schools near their homes, but under the new arrangement were obliged to send or carry their scholars long distances to school, in some extreme cases from 3 to 4 miles.
This objection to the new plan was well met after a time by the transportation of the scholars from the sections in which the schools had been abolished to the schools that were continued, at the town's expense. The annual expenditure for this purpose has gradually increased. In the school year 1895-6 it was $240; 1904-5, $601.55; 1911, $1,299.65; 1914, $1,134.20; 1917, $1,168.80; 1918, $1,331.15; with fluctuations below the highest previous records in some of the years between those mentioned; and with an improved and more satisfactory service from year to year.
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Reflections on Royalston
SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENCE.
Since 1889 Royalston has been united with Templeton, Hubbardston and Phillipston in employing a superintendent of schools, and on the basis of the average attendance in each town, approximately one-half of his time is devoted to Templeton, one-fifth to Royalston, one-fifth to Hubbardston, and one-tenth to Phillipston; and each town pays its pro- portionate part of the expense, which for Royalston has ranged from $300 to $433 per year. Each year, apparently, the town has received $250 from the state on account of this employment of a superintendent. The services of the superintendent have undoubtedly been of great value to the schools.
HIGH SCHOOLS.
For many years a high school was kept, usually a fall term of 10 or 12 weeks, at the Center, and one of similar character, at South Royals- ton. These high schools were really private schools, the expense being met in part by tuition fees of $3 or $4 per term paid by the scholars and the balance by contributions by public-spirited individuals. The "faculty" of each of the schools usually consisted of one man, generally a college student, who would keep along with his own studies while teaching.
Perhaps one of the most conspicuous of these high schools was the term of the fall of 1851. Its "faculty" consisted of three teachers-two Cundall brothers, Ira and Isaac, and another young fellow whose name refuses to be called. I did not attend that school, as I was only 3 years of age; but I have a very distinct recollection that the three teachers boarded at "our house," which I might have forgotten but for the fact that they had with them a human skeleton, which was kept in the front- entry closet; that I couldn't forget. I have a suspicion that our house was the only one in Royalston which kept a real skeleton in the closet; but there were a lot of others which kept the other kind.
STATE REIMBURSEMENT.
Probably Royalston has never come within the limitations of the law requiring that a high school be kept in the town; but whether required by law to do so or otherwise, the town has for many years paid the tuition of scholars attending high schools in other towns. There has been a gradual though irregular increase in the amount expended for this pur- pose, from $138 in the school year 1905-6, to $998.33 in 1918. For many years the state has reimbursed the town for a large part of this outlay; and, beginning with 1914, it has paid liberally towards the transportation of Royalston scholars attending high schools in other towns. Quoting from the report of the Superintendent of Schools for the year 1913:
"For some years the state has reimbursed the Town of Royalston for tuition of pupils in high schools of other towns. Now it will reim- burse for sums paid for transportation of such pupils up to a maximum of $1.50 a week for each pupil, provided the town expends for schools from local taxation $5.00 or more per $1,000 of valuation. If it expends less than $5.00 but more than $4.00, the state will reimburse for one-half the above amount. The town, however, must pay for the pupil the full amount, not exceeding $1.50 per week. Royalston has been expending less than $5.00 per $1,000 of valuation; so while it must pay to or for the pupil the whole cost of transportation up to $1.50 a week, it can recover from the state but 75 cents as a maximum amount. This is a beneficent law, and enables Royalston young people to attend high school with no cost to themselves for transportation, tuition, or books."
It appears from the reports that since 1914 the town has been sub- stantially reimbursed for its payments for high school transportation, although the amounts of the payments and reimbursements are not alike in any year, owing, perhaps, to irregularities in the settlements.
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Reflections on Royalston
SCHOOL EXPENDITURES.
The Memorial states that the school money was generally divided among the districts by a special committee, annually chosen, and but occasionally instructed by the town meeting, with reasonably satisfac- tory results. There were times, however, when each district was allowed the proportion of the school money paid in taxes by the residents and property-holders of the district; and sometimes some districts secured additional schooling by means of voluntary taxation or contributions.
From the data in the Memorial we may judge that the town expended in 1767 and some of the following years the equivalent of $50 and rising per year for schooling. The Memorial states that during the first third of the last century "the town raised from $300 to $500 a year;" and that "during the school year 1864-5 the schools cost the town $1,674.29."
The annual report for the year 1895-6 gives the total expenses for schools as $2,356.50. To this should be added $305.74 paid for the super- intendent's salary and expenses, $149.53 for school supplies, and $110.72 for repairs on school-houses, which, when put in their proper place as school expenditures, bring the gross cost for the year up to $2,922.49. The town received from the state $250 on account of superintendent, and from state and other funds, and tuition from other towns, a total of $1,141.58, leaving the net cost to the town at $1,780.91.
The following items culled from the school report for 1918 give de- tails of the sources of income and the gross and net expenditures.
EXPENDITURES FOR SCHOOLS, 1918.
School Committee's salaries and other expenses, $152.53
Superintendent of Schools and enforcement of law, 438.71
Teachers, 2,865.20; Music, 150.00, 3,015.20
Supplies, 139.57; Janitors, 333.72; Fuel, 587.35,
1,060.64
Repairs, 76.52; Sundries, 16.76,
93.28
School Physician,
5.00
Local transportation,
1,331.15
High School tuition,
998.33
High School transportation,
690.83
Total expended for schools,
$7,785.67
REFUNDS RECEIVED ON ACCOUNT OF SCHOOLS.
From State, on account of Superintendent,
$250.00
From State, Tuition of State wards, 394.50
From State, High School tuition, 1,026.00
From State, High School transportation,
705.10
From Town of Phillipston, tuition,
15.00
Sale of fuel for Whitney hall,
11.78
Sale of fuel to Fire department,
9.25
$2,411.63
Expended from Massachusetts state school fund,
968.80
From other than town sources,
$3,380.43
Cost of schools to town,
$4,405.24
AMOUNT DERIVED FROM FUNDS, ETC.
Bullock fund,
$326.30
Old school fund,
62.64
Tax on income of Bullock fund,
52.27
Dog tax fund,
101.91
$543.12
Expended from local taxation,
$3,862.12
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Reflections on Royalston
What would Dr. Isaac P. Willis, Rev. Silas Kenney, Rev. Ebenezer W. Bullard, Dr. J. B. Gould, and the other school committee men,-who provided schooling for a larger number of scholars during the years 1845 to 1870, on $1,000, $1,500, and probably never more than $2,000,- have thought of an allowance of $7,785.67 for schools for one year?
It may be noted that while the total expenditure for schools in 1918 was $7,785.67, the state contributed more than $3,300.00 of that amount. Now it appears that by the terms of an educational bill passed by the legislature of 1919, some of the details of which have been made public just as we go to press with these pages, the town will probably receive a very much larger amount from the state. It is stated that while the state has heretofore had only about $200,000 to distribute for education, by the terms of the 1919 bill the amount will be fully 20 times as great, or $4,000,000, which is to be set aside from the state income tax. It is claimed that the provisions of this bill will enable every town to pay a minimum salary of $650 to its teachers; a town willing to pay $850 or more to its teachers will receive a reimbursement of $200 for each teacher who is a normal school or college graduate with two years experience; and if it pays $750 or more, it will receive $150 for each teacher who has had one year in normal school and three years experience. The amount of state aid varies from $300 to a town which has not more than $2,000 valuation per pupil, to $50 to the town in which the valuation is between $4,000 and $4,500 per pupil.
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