USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Lincoln > Town Report on Lincoln 1871-1890 > Part 5
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29
J. L. Chapin, care of school house, 66
9 88
F. C. Brown, labor at High School,
2 50
John Lahay, sawing wood,
2 25
$912 13
SOUTH SCHOOL.
E. S. Hathorn, teaching,
$286 00
Susan True,
132 00
E. S. Hathorn, musical instrument,
10 00
Abijah Gregory, painting school house,
50 50
John S. Murray, whitewashing and repairing, J. D. Sherman, wood,
38 92
66
sundries
5 40
66 washing school house,
3 00
Mrs. Kenna,
1 00
A. A. Cook & Co., ink, chalk and brooms,
4 25
Joseph Minor, care of school house,
8 00
W. F. Harrington, care of school house,
5 00
J. L. Chapin, crayons and glass, Stickney & Son's bill,
1 75
1 32
ink, crayons, duster, &c.,
10 50
$557 64
6
EAST SCHOOL.
Emma A. Farnsworth, teaching,
$297 50
6.
care of school house, 9 00
66 .6 cleaning 66
3 00
bell and duster, 1 45
William Foster, wood,
17 00
F. C. Brown, wood,
4 00
labor, funnel, glass, &c.,
9 00
J. L. Chapin, ink and crayons,
1 25
$342 20
NORTH SCHOOL.
Carrie B. Chapin, teaching, $289 00
66
cleaning school house, 1 75
John R. Hartwell, wood, 25 50
John Dee, care of school house,
16 00
J. L. Chapin, ink, crayons, broom and brush, 1 95
$334 20
GENERAL SCHOOL ACCOUNT.
Thompson, Brown & Co., school books, $58 85
J. L. Hammett, school books, 58 19
Robert S. Davis & Co., school books, 5 62
H. J. Richardson, telegrams, expressage and postage, 7 82
$130 48
$2,276 65
Unexpended balance,
$112 45
LIBRARY.
RECEIPTS.
Appropriation, Dog Licenses,
$200 00 77 76
$277 76
PAYMENTS.
Library Committee, $277 76
7
SUPPORT OF THE POOR.
RECEIPTS.
Appropriation,
$1,000 00
PAYMENTS.
A. G. Jones, balance of support of the Poor, to April 1, 1876, $444 35
D. H. Sherman, support of the Poor from April 1, to October 1, 1876, 500 00
Worcester Lunatic Hospital, board of Sarah
C. Hartwell, from October 1, 1876, to January 1, 1877, 49 25
$993 60
Unexpended balance, $6 40
CEMETERY.
RECEIPTS.
Appropriation,
$100 00
PAYMENTS.
Michael Ward, laying wall, etc., at New Cemetery, $20 00
Samuel Hartwell, labor in Old and New Cemtery, 17 50
J. L. Chapin, resetting gravestone, journey to Reading, &c., 3 50
$41 00
Unexpended balance,
$59 00
STATE AID.
PAYMENTS.
Alithea Parker, $40 00
HIGHWAYS AND BRIDGES.
RECEIPTS.
$1,600 00
Appropriation,
66
for Woolen Mill Road,
100 00
-
$1,700 00
8
PAYMENTS.
Wm. F. Wheeler, highway work in Dist. No. 1, $74 77 Sam'l Hartwell, 66 66
2, 106 64 J. B. Sherman,
3, 165 71
L. W. Weston, .6
66 66
66 4, 167 74
Wm. C. Brown, 66
66 66
54 23
Patrick Conway, 66
66
66
7, 101 82
Geo. M. Baker, 66
66
66
66 8, 124 09 9, 66 64
Amos Hagar, 60
" 10, 84 50
Wm. F. Wheeler, grading near house of
C. J. R. Ray,
5 10
Wm. F. Wheeler, breaking roads,
18 48
Sam'l Hartwell,
23 85
L. W. Weston,
24 75
Wm. C. Brown,
66
5 10
George Hamman,
66
17 00
J. R. Hartwell, 66 66
20 62
Geo. M. Baker, 66
27 02
Wm. Hosey, shovelling snow in 1873,
4 50
Amos Hagar, gravel,
3 50
66 tile, pipe and laying,
10 00
66 labor and nails for Lee's Bridge, 9 35
Royal Gilkey, lumber and carting for Lee's Bridge,. 47 88
$1,262 64
Unexpended balance,
$437 36
INTEREST ACCOUNT.
RECEIPTS.
Appropriation,
$2,575 00
PAYMENTS.
Waltham Savings Bank,
$183 16
Harriette L. Giles,
210 00
Chas. J. R. Ray,
70 00
On Water Bonds,
1,800 00
J. P. Edwards,
70 00
Wm. O. Benjamin,
140 00
Susan Robbins,
21 00
Asa White,
35 00
Cyrus Smith,
56 00
$2,585 16 $10 16
Expenditure above appropriation,
66
5, 6, 99 35
George Hamman,
A. G. Jones,
66
9
WATER WORKS.
RECEIPTS.
Appropriation,
$2,000 00
PAYMENTS.
H. R. Worthington, balance for engine and boiler, $600 00
Goodhue & Birnie, cast pipe, lead, labor, &c., 295 28 S. E. Furlong, labor and sundries, 24 15
Damages awarded Mrs. Barnes, for land taken for water works, 300 00
Interest on same, from Oct. 1, '75, to Dec. 1, '76, 24 50 Hon. E. R. Hoar, on acc't of services in suits of S. H. Pierce et al. vs. Water Commissioners of Lincoln, and Jas. L. Chapin vs. Inhabi- tants of Lincoln et als., 100 00
Cyrus S. Chapin, 24 days labor at engine house, 60 00
Howard Snelling & Co., 10 tons coal, 77 50
150 00
H. Snelling, services as Water Commissioner, L. W. Weston, 66
200 00
Paul Harris,
66
25 00
Sam'l Hartwell,
25 00
Wm. F. Wheeler, five journeys to Boston, on account of suits, 15 00
$1,896 43
Unexpended balance,
$103 57
MISCELLANEOUS.
RECEIPTS.
Appropriation for contingencies, $1,000 00
Interest on taxes,
114 83
State Aid reimbursement,
84 00
Costs recovered of James Henderson,
30 64
Wood and lumber sold,
4 00
Use of Town Hall,
4 00
Rent of Sandy Pond,
1 00
- $1,238 47
10
PAYMENTS.
G. A. Somerby, services in suits of Hender- son vs. Lincoln, and Henderson vs. Sherman, Collector,
$50 00
W. N. Mason, costs for do., 30 62
Tolman & White, printing reports for 1875, 66 66 corrected report of
51 00
Water Commissioners, 3 50
Tolman & White, printing notices, "$200 Reward," 1 00
E. B. Barnes, returning five deaths, 1 25
John J. Murray, pump for Common, 20 00
Thomas Groom & Co., " Dog" book, 5 50
J. L. Chapin, ringing bell from April 1, '75, to February 1, '76, 16 66
J. L. Chapin, care of Town Hall. 12 25
66 kerosene and wicks for Town Hall, 1 05
express on Town Reports, 25
66 one day to Cambridge on Hen- derson suit, 2 50
H. J. Richardson, services as School Committee, 25 00
J. D. Sherman, 66 66
. . 6 15 00
expenses in Henderson case,
8 00
Sam'l Hartwell, guideboards, posts, and setting, 14 50
Geo. P. Haynes, abatement of taxes in 1874, 7 35
J. D. Sherman, 66
" 1874,
12 78
" 17 poll taxes in 1876, 34 00
66
personal property tax of Martin Christopher, 51
for four deeds of land sold for taxes, 70 47
Henry C. Chapin, services as Town Clerk,
29 25
66 66
expressage on books, &c., 2 85
66 66
66
postage,
1 25
66
66 66 stationery,
1 00
66
66 66 printing dog blanks, 2 00
Wm. F. Wheeler, interest on money borrowed
and repaid, 6 30
66
services as Selectman, 10 00
66
66
" Assessor, 36 00
66
66
66
66
66
66
" Treasurer,
40 00
66
66
66
cash paid for paper,
1 77
66
66
66 66 " copies of bills in equity, 5 00
66
66
cash paid for recording deeds, 3 40
66
66
66
" Collector's books, 1 87
" Overseer of Poor, 10 00
66
66
11
Wm. F. Wheeler, record book for Selectmen, J. W. Gray, services as Selectman, 20 00
$1 00
" Assessor, 16 00
66 66 " Overseer of Poor, 8 00
66 66 66 in Henderson suit, 8 00
Sam'l Hartwell, services as Selectman,
25 00
66
" Assessor, 30 00
60
" Overseer of Poor, 5 00
$646 88
Unexpended balance,
$591 59
RECAPITULATION.
For Schools, $2,276 65
Library,
277 76
Support of Poor,
993 60
Care of Cemetery,
41 00
State Aid,
40 00
Highways and Bridges,
1,262 64
Interest on Town Debts,
2,585 16
On account of Water Works,
1,896 43
Miscellaneous, Expenses,
646 88
-$10,020 12
12
REPORT OF PUBLIC LIBRARY COMMITTEE,
FOR 1876.
At a meeting of the Soldiers' Aid Society of Lincoln, in May, 1875, the remainder of the money in their treasury was given by vote to the Lincoln Public Library. In accordance with the terms of the gift, the interest only, to be used for the yearly purchase of periodicals.
This money, amounting to one hundred and three dollars and twenty-five cents, was received in March, 1876, and one hundred dollars placed in possession of the town ; the balance was expended for periodicals.
The books have been generally well used, and only one lost dur- ing the year.
In the selection of books bought, the chief aim of your Commit- tee has been to exert a direct moral and intellectual influence for good upon the community, and they hope that this Library is help- ing in its degree to solve the great problem of how to lead our people to read good books.
STATISTICS.
No. of volumes in Library, 2187
added past year, 187
Of this number 87 are Agricultural Reports and Pub. Doc. Total delivery of books, 2221
Registration of borrowers, 207
TREASURER'S REPORT.
RECEIPTS.
Town appropriation,
$200 00
66
Dog Tax for 1875, 77 76
Fines and Catalogues, 7 01
Interest on gift from Soldiers' Aid Society, 7 66
$292 43
13
EXPENDITURES.
Librarian,
$60 00
Four periodicals for one year,
10 00
One quarter ream covering paper,
2 25
N. F. Cousins, for three bookcases,
18 00
A. Gregory, for painting bookcases,
2 90
J. R. Hartwell, 1 ton coal,
7 50
66 1-2 cord wood,
3 00
H. Flagg, sawing and splitting 1-2 cord wood,
2 10
Estes & Lauriat, for books,
120 22
Expressage,
1 50
Tolman & White, printing regulations and cards, 7 00
Making fires, 3 25
Insurance on books and furniture for five years, 25 00 Binding 20 books, 7 90
Sign for Library, and paper,
96
Kerosene, etc.,
1 32
$272 90
Total received,
292 43
expended,
272 90
Balance,
$19 53
M. L. PIERCE, Treasurer.
14
WATER COMMISSIONERS' REPORT.
In compliance with a law of the Commonwealth, the Water Commissioners submit the following Report :
The first matter which came before the Board after its organiza- tion was the claim of H. R. Worthington, for a balance of six hundred dollars, which he claimed was due him on a contract for furnishing a pumping engine and boiler, and for which he was urging a settlement. The Water Commissioners in the report last year, had stated that the engine was not satisfactory, and did not do the work it was guaranteed to perform ; some additions were made to the engine, and Mr. Worthington then claimed that it was according to contract. The matter was referred to Mr. M. M. Tidd, an engineer who had been employed by the former board, and in whom they professed confidence. Mr. Tidd came, examined the engine in presence of the agent of the contractor and the Commissioners, and decided that it was doing the work it was war- ranted to perform, and the claim of Mr. Worthington was paid. That, and the other claims which have been passed upon, will be found with the expenditures on account of water works.
The town having refused, in April, to make any appropriation for running the works, and having directed the Commissioners to keep the works in operation, provided they could get an income from them sufficient to defray the running expenses, a committee was appointed at a meeting of the board in April, to see what income could be derived from the works. At the next meeting of the board, that committee not having attended to the matter, the Commissioners decided to call on those who had, or who they sup- posed would take the water. They did so, and seeing no prospect of getting an income sufficient to pay the running expenses, they decided to discontinue the pumping, and discharge the engineer ; a formal vote to that effect was passed on the 18th of May, and immediately communicated to the engineer.
This attempt on the part of the majority of Water Commissioners to conform their action to the votes of the town was immediately resisted by a minority of the Commissioners, and culminated in the commencement of two suits in the Supreme Court, the object of which was to compel the town to keep on pumping. A hearing of the cases was set down for the second day of June, but owing to the delays of the law no hearing was had until the third of October, when there was a hearing of the first case, and then, though the bill of the plaintiff's covered more than ten pages of legal cap, the Court could find no question to pass upon except
15
the question of the election of a chairman of the Board of Selectmen. After hearing the evidence on that question, and the eloquent argument of the learned counsel for the plaintiffs, the presiding Judge rendered a swift decision that Mr. Hartwell was duly elected chairman of the Board of Selectmen, and the legal proceedings terminated there. As the answer of the defendants was the same in both cases, the second suit was virtually decided also, though no formal decision has ever been made. The case still sleeps on the docket of the Court, and will probably remain undisturbed until the final resurrection of all things.
But, leaving the things which are behind "the unprofitable works," we turn to the more practical and important question, of what to do with them? It was the remark of one of the con- tractors of the works, a gentleman, we believe, well posted in such matters, that "if we had fifteen or twenty thousand people around this hill we could hardly afford to pump water for them, it was so expensive." When the population will be large enough to make it remunerative no one can tell. At the rate of increase for the last hundred years, it will require many centuries. To continue to pump water into the reservoir in its present condition, is little better than pouring water into a sieve. To repair the present reservoir, or construct a new one, would require a large expenditure of money, and then a large annual appropriation to keep the works in opera- tion. To extend the pipes in any direction would require a large expenditure of money, without any corresponding increase of in- come. To extend the works so as to reach every household, would involve the town in bankruptcy and ruin. To keep the works in operation for the few that take the water, is as absurd as it would be to tax the whole town to build a large and costly school house, and maintain an expensive school for the education of the children of a few favored families, leaving four-fifths of the inhabitants either to furnish an education for their own children, at their own expense, or go without any, a piece of monstrous in- justice, not to say wickedness, so evident as to require neither argument or illustration. Add to these considerations the fact that water works, wherever they exist, require large annual appro- priations for repairs, and are prolific sources of contention and litigation, and we have some of the data necessary for the solution of the problem of what to do with them. If a farmer had a cow, or a horse, which cost him five or six times as much to keep as the income he could get from it, he would not need to study the situa- tion long ; he would dispose of the animal if he could find some one having more faith in poverty than he, or failing in that, bury it, and charge it to the account of profit and loss.
Respectfully submitted by
WILLIAM F. WHEELER, SAMUEL HARTWELL, Water
Commissioners.
PAUL HARRIS,
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
OF THE
TOWN OF LINCOLN,
FOR THE
SCHOOL YEAR 1876-7.
.
REPORT.
THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE OF LINCOLN respectfully submit the following report of the condition of the Schools under their care for the year 1876-77 :
NORTH SCHOOL.
Teacher throughout the year,-MISS CARRIE B. CHAPIN.
Summer Term,-Whole number of scholars, 21; av- erage attendance, 16+; length of school, 10 weeks.
Fall Term,-Whole number of scholars, 16 ; average attendance, 12} ; length of school, 11 weeks.
Winter Term,-Whole number of scholars, 18; av- erage attendance for 8 weeks, 16.
There is a work to be done in our Primary schools, limited in range it is true, which it is highly important should be thoroughly performed. If a considerable number of our pupils graduate from the District school into the activities of life, as is often the case, it is need- ful that the most be made of the limited opportunities of schooling. If they pass into a school of higher grade and the elementary work has been well done a good foundation is laid for the studies which follow. If this preparation has been imperfect and superficial the scholar will be hampered by his deficiences in the suc- cessive stages of his study. Spelling lessons, for exam- ple, are among the simplest of exercises, and in the single end of training the ear and the mind in making accurate distinctions they are of much importance. A
20
thorough knowledge of Colburn's Mental Arithmetic, so that the principles can be applied instantly to any ques- tions, or problems that can be answered by them, is a most excellent preparation for subsequent studies in written arithmetic.
Miss Chapin is a progressive teacher. She applies herself very closely to the work of the school-room and thus gives her pupils an example of strict attention to the studies under consideration. She impresses upon her pupils the importance of promptness, exactness and thoroughness. She stimulates the reflective faculties, where the study is favorable, as in history for instance, by extempore questions. Under such management we could expect nothing less than constant and satisfactory progress.
We are glad to see more of the parents than formerly present at the examinations.
EAST SCHOOL.
Teacher throughout the year,-MISS EMMA A. FARNS- WORTH.
Summer Term,-Whole number of scholars, 24; av- erage attendance, 18; length of school, 11 weeks.
Fall Term,-Whole number of scholars, 25; average attendance, 17 ; length of school, 12 weeks.
Winter Term,-Whole number of scholars, 14; av- erage attendance for 8 weeks, 13.
The number of children of the school age in this dis- trict is considerably larger than a few years since, and, consequently, the length of the terms has been made to correspond with the terms in the other schools. Miss Farnsworth has devoted herself patiently and assidu- ously to her work during the year. One of the condi-
21
tions of successful teaching is that the teacher herself should be thoroughly interested in her work. That being the case, pupils, even if they do not catch the spirit of their teacher, cannot but receive some impulse in awakening and maintaining their interest in their studies. Without versatility of method in imparting instruction, Miss Farnsworth is painstaking, careful and persistent, and succeeds in making the desirable impres- sion upon her pupils that their lessons are of much im- portance and thus secures regular and constant progress in their studies. We commend the spirit of carefulness which is seen on the part of the pupils in the use of the house, desks and other furniture. Aside from two or three cases of refractoriness, which were quickly and quietly settled, we judge that this teacher's relations to her pupils have been very pleasant.
CENTRE SCHOOL.
Teacher throughout the year,-MISS KEZIAH HOWES. Summer Term,-Whole number of scholars, 23; av- erage attendance, 18; length of school, 12 weeks.
Fall Term,-Whole number of scholars, 20; average attendance, 16}; length of school, 12 weeks.
Winter Term,-Whole number of scholars, 20; aver- age attendance for 8 weeks, 18.
In reviewing from year to year Miss Howe's school, the Committee find that their task is analogous to that of a musician, who is expected to perform many times a well-known melody, with fresh variations upon his theme each time. It would not be strange if rhythmi- cal movements and combination of chords should recur, nor will it be thought strange if there should be found a good deal of repetition in these reports.
22
There seems to be as little fluctuation about the esti- mate that is put upon the work of Miss Howes in her school by the successive classes of pupils that become personally interested in it and their parents, as in her own use of the well tried methods through which she is able to secure uniformly satisfactory results.
Thoroughness of preparation of lessons is a funda- mental principle with Miss Howes, as indeed it should be with all teachers. Hasten slowly would not be an inappropriate motto for her school-room. We have found in our visits the pupils making constant and sat- isfactory progress. The examinations have been well attended by interested friends, and alike creditable to teacher and pupils. A sympathetic interest on the part of parents in the exercises of a school is always an in- citement to a teacher to put forth her best efforts, and it has also a happy influence upon the pupils themselves.
SOUTH SCHOOL. Teachers,-MISS EMILY S. HATHORN, MISS SUSAN TRUE, MISS SARAH S. BAKER.
Summer Term,-Whole number of scholars, 32; av- erage attendance, 26; length of school, 9 weeks.
Fall Term,-Whole number of scholars, 28; average attendance, 19; length of school, 12 weeks.
Winter Term,-Whole number of scholars, 32; av- erage attendance for 8 weeks, 28.
The summer term was the fifth of Miss Hathorn in this school. It was unusually short and the attendance hardly as good as we ought to expect. We have no reason to think that the teacher was indifferent to any thing through which the success of her work could be
23
promoted. She was careful, persistent, and did not spare her best efforts for the welfare of her school. She possessed the desirable faculty of maintaining good or- der without much punishment, and measurably satisfac- tory results were attained. The chief defect in the work of the school was a lack of thoroughness. Study was too much for the end of meeting the requirements of class recitations, rather than for a complete under- standing of the subject in hand. Hence there was somewhat of a tendency in the public examinations to give them more than is desirable the character of exhi- bitions, with many special parts assigned to the pupils.
After Miss Hathorn resigned, the Committee opened a correspondence with Mr. A. G. Boyden, the Principal of the Bridgewater Normal School for many years, for the purpose of securing for this school an experienced teacher of normal school training; and at length, after failure in other quarters, obtained the services of Miss Susan True, of Salisbury, who had had successful expe- rience in teaching. Miss True at once fixed a higher standard of recitation than her pupils had been accus- tomed to reach, and insisted that the exercises should meet it, and in the course of two or three days inflicted punishment upon a few pupils, who were detained after the close of the school to prepare their lessons, but who, instead of being studious, were, in the judgment of their teacher, idle and refractory during the detention. The result was that parents were indignant, children were withdrawn from the school, and a disturbance of so much magnitude was created that the efforts of the teacher were crippled, and her situation made so un- pleasant to herself, that she was glad to resign at the end of the term. Notwithstanding these untoward cir-
24
cumstances it is just to Miss True to say, that consid- erable progress was made in the several studies, and the closing examination was better than the spectators had anticipated. Her manner in school was gentle and firm, her voice pleasant, and her methods of imparting instruction good, and under different and more favorable circumstances we should expect a good degree of success.
Miss Baker has made an excellent beginning and her work promises to be both successful and satisfactory. We have heard no complaint from any quarter. She easily maintains order and studiousness, and in the man- agement of her classes adopts methods which she has seen successfully used in the schools that she has been connected with. The scholars seem to render a cheer- ful obedience and to be interested in their studies, and we anticipate an interesting and creditable examination at the close of the term.
HIGH SCHOOL. Teachers,-MISS MARY E. WRIGHT. MISS LUCY L. WARD, MISS MABEL F. WHEATON.
Summer Term, - Whole number of scholars, 21; average attendance, 18; length of school, 9 weeks.
Fall Term,-Whole number of scholars, 25; average attendance, 20 ; length of school, 6 weeks.
Winter Term,-Whole number of scholars, 32 ; aver- age attendance for 8 weeks, 28+.
Our last report was submitted while the winter term of 1875-6 was in progress. It was well known to the Committee and others, that this school was not in a state of studiousness and good order, such as is pro- motive of the real ends to be sought. Many pupils
25
had little regard for the rules of the school, and less for the wishes of their teacher, while a faithful improve- ment of their time and opportunities seemed to have very little of that serious thought which we have a right to expect from scholars in a high school. While Miss Wright may not have been as fully possessed of cer- tain mental qualities, tact, magnetism, etc., as some of her predecessors, which contribute to success in a school like this ; while it may be true that there were instances in her management of her pupils, of warmth of feeling, and some precipitancy of speech and action; yet it is to be remembered that there were unusual provocatives to such manifestations, and an imperturbable face and a perfectly serene spirit were hardly to be expected at all times. The Committee are still of opinion that her scholarship was accurate and entirely sufficient for the place, that her ability, by the rapid action of her own mind and her readiness in clear statement of a subject, to despatch work was above that of the average of teachers in similar schools, that she had a kindly and affectionate interest in her pupils, and was willing to make her best efforts for their advancement. And it was because she is possessed of these qualifications that the winter term was saved from being a painful failure.
The examination of all the influences which tended to impair the work and the influence of the teacher for the three terms the school was under her care, would be both wearisome in detail and profitless in result.
The closing examination was attended by a very large number of spectators, and the general verdict was that it gave evidence of skilful teaching and a good degree of application by many classes. This was especially true of the classes in Latin and Mathematics.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.