USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Braintree > Town annual report of Braintree, Massachusetts for the year 1905 > Part 9
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In concluding this report I wish to thank Engineers Cot- trell and Whitmarsh for their hearty support, and the officers and men of the fire department for the faithful manner in which they have performed their work.
J. S. HILL, Chief of B. F. D., 1905.
219
Report of the Trustees of the Thayer Public Library.
To the Citizens of Braintree :-
The past year has been marked by progress in many directions.
The old delivery desk with its iron cage enclosure has been removed and a dignified and well arranged desk supplied with all modern equipments has taken its place.
The heavy and cumbersome modern stacks in the westerly half of the main room have been replaced by steel stacks.
The change in appearence is most gratifying, while the added shelf-room is a great relief to the conjested conditions ·of the library.
It was found to be impractical to change the location of winding stair-case which has been so objectionable, but the difficulty has been successfully obviated by placing a wall stack against the front side of the stair-way which also gives the librarians added facilities for handling books.
The magazines which have been heretofore inaccessible are now in a well constructed case in the general reading room where they are used to a greater extent than ever before.
The books in the reference room have been re-arranged and classified and about the usual number of new books have been purchased.
A ton and a half of old books, papers and pamphlets which have heen accumulating for years have been sold for old paper.
220
Patrons of the library rightly complain that many of the- books are old, worn and dirty. With the present appropriation it is impossible to make any rapid change in this direction, but the trustees hope to replace each year some of these old books by new copies.
During this year the trustees have held regular monthly meetings a practice which has not been observed before.
Mr. B. F. Dyer has been appointed to the board to fill the- vacancy caused by the death of Hon. F. A. Hobart.
The usual appropriation of $1,000 is urgently desired.
Respectfully submitted,
HENRY A. JOHNSON, Chairman. FREDERICK R. GRIFFIN, BENJAMIN F. DYER, NATHANIEL H. HUNT, WILLIAM C. HARDING.
221 LIBRARIAN'S REPORT.
Number of days the Library was open
283 Number of volumes borrowed 29,179 Of this number, 25,914 were for home use, and 3265 for use in the Library.
Average per day, 103
Largest daily circulation, March 11,
·
303
Smallest daily circulation, July 28, 4
The number of volumes circulated of each class is as follows :-
History 662
Fiction . 16,574
Biography
.
531
Poetry · . 397
Travel ·
390 Juvenile .
3,75L
Science and Art
477
Miscellaneous . 2,660
Literature 472
Reference 3,265
Number of volumes added during the year
312
Number of pamphlets
126
Names registered during the year
308
Total number registered since the opening of the Library 7,473
A. M. ARNOLD, Librarian.
GIFTS TO THE LIBRARY.
-
Volumes.
Pamphlets.
Adams, Charles Francis, Boston
1
1
American Peace Society, Boston
1
.Bates, Mabel
2
Beveridge, Hon. Albert J., Indiana
1
Boston Public Library
1
Caleb Stetson Fund .
59
222
Canton Public Library, Canton, Mass.,
Chapman & Hall, London 1
Christian Science Association, Braintree .
The Christian Science Journal One Year.
The Christian Science Sentinel
Erie Public Library, Pa., 1
Fall River Public Library
Forbes Public Library, Northampton, Mass.,
2.
French, Asa P., Randolph, Mass., ·
2
Hartford Public Library, Conn., .
2
Helena Public Library, Montana ·
2
Int'l Reform Bureau, Washington, D. C., 1
Interstate Commerce Commission, Washington, D. C., 2
Library of Congress, Washington, D. C., 7
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston
4
Massachusetts Public Documents 10
5
Massachusetts Free Public Library Commission
Meadville Theological School, Pa.,
1
Metropolitan Water and Sewerage Board,
Boston 1 ·
Mohonk Lake Conference, N. Y., 1
National Public Documents 17
Pennsylvania Prison Society
78 1
Pitkin, Mrs. Charles A., 1
Pratt & Pratt, Braintree Bee, One Year
Prescott & Son, Braintree Observer, One Year
Redfield Publishing Company, N. Y., 1
Richards, Mrs. Henry Capen, Boston 1
Schute Memorial Libray, Everett, Mass., Shaw, W. H. 23
Smithsonian Institute 3 12
St. Louis Mercantile Library, Missouri 1
Superintendent of Immigration, Ottawa, Canada 1
Syracuse Public Library, N. Y., 2
Thayer, Rev. G. A., Cincinnati, Ohio
Tufts Library, Weymouth, Mass.,
United States National Museum 1
Vinton, Dr. and Mrs. C. H., Wernersville, Pa., 6
ANHN 2
1
223
TREASURER'S REPORT.
RECEIPTS.
Received of Town Treasurer
$1,500 00
Received interest on town note 350 00
Received interest on Stetson note .
100 00
Received dividends Faneuil Hall Bank .
15 00
Received of Abbie M. Arnold, fines
41 82
Received of Abbie M. Arnold, lost books, etc.
' 2 30
Received of sale of old books
6 83
Received of Braintree Savings Bank interest
6
Cash on hand, Jan. 1, 1904,
26 64
$2,042 65
EXPENDITURES.
Paid Abbie M. Arnold, librarian.
$500 00
Abbie M. Arnold, assistant
.
150 00
Abbie M. Arnold, incidentals
11 63
Old Corner Book Store, books
257 65.
Charles Lauriat Co., books
7 04
James H. Stark, books
5 25.
H. W. Wilson Co., books
18 00'
Palmer Co., magazines
.
48 10 '
F. J. Barnard & Co., binding books
99 10'
Scarborough Co., atlas
2 00×
G. W. Prescott & Sons, Braintree Observer, printing, etc.
24 00
Out West Magazine
.
.
2 00
Pratt & Pratt, printing . · . .
1 00
.
224
Woodsum Coal Co, coal 87 00 .
J. F. Sheppard & Sons, coal 60 00 .
Town of' Braintree, electric lights . ·
29 94
Town of Braintree, electric lamps and labor 34 10
Town of Braintree, water 5 50
Woodsum's Express Co., expressage
1 55
New York & Boston Express ·
.
1 70
Hobbs, Warren & Co., stamp
50
Postage
44
Frank A. Bates, arranging books
14 25
E. T. Newcomb, arranging books 6 45
Library Bureau, steel stacks
369 75
A. T. Stearns, lumber
38 00
Geo. H. Holbrook, labor
47 75
O. M. Rogers, labor and material
18 20
Peter Ness, labor and material
14 97
R. A. Gage, labor,
8 34
$1,864 26
Cash in Mt. Wollaston Bank 178 39
$2,042 65
There are outstanding bills to the amount of one hundred and twenty dollars presented too late for payment in 1905. This amount will come out of the above named balance.
N. H. HUNT, Treas. of Trustees.
Examined the accounts of N. H. Hunt, Treasurer, and find "them correct with balance of ($178.39) one hundred seventy- eight and 39-100 dollars on deposit in the Mt. Wollaston Bank, Quincy.
DANIEL POTTER, Auditor.
Braintree, Jan. 5, 1906.
225
NOAH TORREY SCHOOL BUILDING COM- MITTEE.
Report of expenditures :- Appropriation $36,000 00
Paid Hapgood, Frost & Co., Build- ers
$25,857 00
1. Walter B. Ross, Heating and Ventilating
4,030 00
Henry W. Gore, Jr., Architect
1,200 00
Andrew & Lewis Dyer, Land .
2,400 00
American School Furniture Co., Desks &c .
1,682 43
Standard Electric Time Co , Clocks
170 00
William H. Kelly & Co , Shades
150 40
Cornelius Callahan Co., Hose
55 20
J. O. Sypher, Grading .
58 50
White & Wetherbee, Sur-
veying
17 90
C. C. Mellin
27 90
Woodsum Express
1 30
N. Y. & B. Desp. Express
30
Boston Globe, Advertising .
4 13
Boston Herald, Advertising Braintree Electric Light
1 75
Dept.
264 45
Sweet & Burkett, Setting
Glass 2 50
.
·
226
H. W. Borden, Labor and . Material 24 74
Braintree School Dept.,
Flag Pole 50 00
Unexpended blance
$35,998 50
1 50
*36,000 00 $36,000 00 Respectfully submitted, F. Eugene Dyer, Otis B. Oakman, Wm. C. Harding, George H. Holbrook
J. Parker Hayward.
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
School Committee
OF THE
TOWN OF BRAINTREE
FOR THE
Year Ending December 31, 1905.
PRINTED BY ORDER OF THE TOWN.
MA
1640 o
S
SSA
BEE PRINT : PRATT & PRATT, PUBLISHERS, BRAINTREE, MASS. 1906.
229
School Committee
C. F. Hill Crathern, Chairman, Washington street, South Braintree. Term expires in 1906.
Mrs. A. M. Brooks, Franklin street, South Braintree. Term expires in 1907.
Albion C. Drinkwater, Elm street, Braintree. Term ex- pires in 1907.
Herbert F. Kneeland, Hollis avenue, Braintree. Term ex- pires in 1908.
Mrs. Carrie F. Loring, Front street, East Braintree. Term expires in 1908.
Thomas A. Watson, Quincy avenue, East Braintree. Term expires in 1906.
SUPERINTENDENT.
James A. McDougall, Mt. Vernon avenue, Braintree.
MEETINGS OF COMMITTEE.
Second Thursday of each month at three o'clock P. M., at the Monatiquot building, Washington street, Braintree.
OFFICE HOURS OF SUPERINTENDENT.
On school days except Wednesday from 4 to 4.45 P. M., in the Monatiquot building.
230
SCHOOLS IN SESSION.
Sept 11, to Dec. 22, 1905. Jan. 1 1906 to March 30; April 9, to June 29, 1906.
HOLIDAYS.
Saturdays, and Nov. 30, Dec. 1, 1905. Feb. 22, April 19, May 30, 1906.
DAILY SCHOOL SESSIONS.
High, 8.20 a. m. to 1.05 p. m.
Monatiquot, 9 to 12 a. m., 1.30 to 3.30 p. m.
Jonas Jerkins, 9 to 12 a. m., 1.30 to 3.30 p. m. Noah Torrey, 9 to 12 a. m., 1.30 3.30
Penniman, Pond and Union, 9 to 11.45 a. m., 1.15 to 3.30 p. m.
South, 9 to 11.45 a. m., 1.15 to 3.15 p. m.
Southwest, 9 to 11.45 a. m., 1.15 to 3. 15 p. m.
STORM SIGNAL.
On very stormy days there will be no session of the Pub- lic schools. This will be announced by 3-3-3 sounded on the fire alarm at 7.25 a. m.
On days when it is moderately stormy or bad walking, there will be no afternoon session. This will be announced by 3-3-3 at 11 p. m.
TUITION OF NON-RESIDENT STUDENTS.
High School, $1 a week; grades 5 to 8, 75 cents a Week; grades A and 1 to 4, 50 cents a week.
Non-resident students will not be admitted to any school without the written permission of the superintendent.
231
Report of School Committee
The School Committee met January 22, and voted to adopt the report of the Superintendent of Schools and submit the same to the town as the report of the School Board.
The Financial Statement for the fiscal year, ending Dec. -31, 1935, is herewith sub mitted.
FINANCIAL STATEMENT.
Appropriation
Expended.
Refund.
Uuexpended
Balance.
Overdrafs.
Net Unexpen- ded balance.
"Teachers' Salaries :
Appropriation
$19,500.00
School Fund
350.00
Dog Tax
880.56 $20,73).56 $20,447.00
* 64.20
$345.76
Janitors' Salaries
2,680.00
2,540.31
139.69
Superintendents' Salary
1,000.00
1,500.00
100.00
Text Books and Supplies
1,800,00
1,757.86
42 14
Incidentals for Schools
550.00
556.01
+ 12.25
$6.01 321 34
School House Repairs and In- ) cidentals
$1,000
From N. T. Building Fund 50 )
1,050.00
1,383 59
Special for School Houses
1,100.00
1,030.28
69.72
Fuel
· 2,200.00
2,150.78
49.22
Conveyance of Pupils
1.200.000
1.388.75 $ 194 63
5.88
Totals.
$32,910.56
$32.756.58
$271 08
$752,41
$327 35 $425.(6
* Tuition of Pupils .
t From Jonas Perkins School Association Electric Light, and from sale of Junk.
§ From sale of Electric Car Tickets to pupils not entitled to receive them free.
It was also voted to ask the Town for an appropriation of $31,980.00 to meet the financial needs of the Schools for the
232
ensuing year. This amount is based upon the following estimates : :
Teachers' Salaries, (Dog Tax and School Fund not included
$20,000 00
Janitors' Salaries
2,930 00
Superintendent's Salary
1,600 00
Text-books and Supplies
1,800 00
Incidentals for Schools
550 00
School house repairs and incidentals
1,400 00
Fuel
2,200 00.
Conveyance of pupils
1,500 00,
$31,980 00
The Committee has returned to the Town Treasury from last years' appropriation a net balance of $425.06.
The School Buildings of Braintree were never in better condition than at the present time. They are an ornament to. the town and speak eloquently for the citizens whose generous appropriation made their improvement possible.
The Noah Torrey School has already justified the town in the wise expenditure of money for erection and maintenance. Its capacious building, the superb location, its efficient Princi- pal and its corps of earnest teachers give to the Citizens of the first Precinct a School of which any town might well be proud.
It only remains for the Citizens to appropriate a sum of money for the completion of the Assembly Hall, for graduation and other public exercises, to make an ideal School for the South part of the town.
There is a fine hall in the Penniman Building which is unavailable for Public School purposes because it is unfinished. Money would be well invested that was appropriated for its. completion.
The Committee appreciate the increased interest in School affairs manifested by the Citizens of the Town.
Signed C. F. HILL CRATHERN, Chairman, MRS. A. M. BROOKS, ALBION C. DRINKWATER, HERBERT F. KNEELAND, MRS. CARRIE F. LORING, THOMAS A. WATSON,
233
Report of Superintendent
To the School Committee of Braintree :
I hereby submit my fourth annual report, it being the twenty-first in the series of Superintendent's reports.
I have thought it advisable to change somewhat the order of subjects from that followed in former reports, and have placed the statistical part of the report last.
During the year much has been done to improve the school accommodations. The opening of the Noah Torrey School, gave to the South part of the town a modern building, equipped with the best of furniture and furnishings, tasty and artistic both in architecture and in the color scheme of the rooms and corridors. The building is certainly one of which the town may feel proud, and the committee who have had its construc- tion in charge deserve the thanks and hearty commendation of the town's people.
In the organization of the school the committee was care- ful to see that a good beginning was made on right lines. To this end great care was exercised in the choice of a principal, and the work so far shows that the committee is to be com- mended for their choice.
The following changes have occured in the teaching force during the year. Resigned. Miss Dearborn
Miss Davis
Miss Hastings
Miss Ewing 66
Commercial Dep't History Science 66
66 .
Appointed. Miss Morton Miss Goddard
Miss Ewing Miss Burnham
234
Mr. Heald
Principal Monatiquot
Grammar
Mr. Millikin. sub.
Miss Dexter :
Grade V.
66
Grammar Miss Carberry
Miss Pickels
Grade IV Monatiquot
Grammar Miss Scott
Miss Cuff
Grade I Pond School Miss Royal
Miss Whitney
Grade V and VI Penniman
School Miss Carlton
Miss Hackett Drawing Miss Dorman
Mr. F. A. Galvin appointed principal of the Noah Torrey School, and Miss Lucille Goddard to take charge of the special overflow school in the new building.
In passing I wish to emphasize the value of this overflow school. It is to be made up of pupils who are not "on grade' with the other members of their class-pupils who may be too far advanced for the fifth grade but not far enough advanced for the sixth, or too far advanced for the sixth, but not yet capable of doing the work of the seventh grade. The teacher of this room is given a smaller number of pupils than the grade teacher so that she may be able to give individual attention to each, and thereby enable him to get along faster than he would in the large class. It is not intended as a school for dunces, but for those pupils who are capable of doing more than the average, and for those who for any reason have fallen behind their companions and need more attention than the grade teacher with her large class can possibly give.
A year ago Mr. Severance resigned to accept the princi- palship of the High School in Cohoes, N. Y., and Mr. Collins was appointed in his place. Mr. Collins came to us with ex- cellent preparation for the position. He has a strong charac- ter, a spirit of loyalty to the committee and the school system, a devotion to his work and above all the power to inspire in his pupils that spirit of honest effort which is the foundation of success. During the year that he has had charge of the High school there has developed a school spirit which is holding the pupils in the school, and is also making them work for the sake of the good name of the school. This means that each
235
pupil is realizing that he is, to the extent of his ability, respon- sible for the school's success and well-being.
The relationship between parents and teachers has been, during the year, more cordial than at any previons time since my coming here. Parents have cousulted more freely with the teachers and teachers with parents regarding the child's work. The results of this co-oporation are evident in increased friendliness between children and teachers. When the home influences are friendly to the teacher there will be few com- plaints of unfairness or injustice carried home, and when occa- ·sion does arise for consultation, a frank discussion of the mat- ter with the teacher clears the atmosphere quickly.
Special mention should be made of, and attention called to the efficiency of the business department, and the valuable op- portunities which it affords. Great interest is shown by the pu- pils of this department. Many scholars are induced to obtain a High School education, who would otherwise have long before lost all interest in school. Pupils trained in this department have been successful in obtaining good employment, and have been able to advance after obtaining this employment. The inter- est shown by the pupils has been very great, so much so, that the department is one of the most successful in the school.
Regularity and punctuality are two habits essential to success in this world. Education is largely a matter of forming right habits. Hence, if children are to get the training which the schools are designed to give they must be sent regularly and promptly on time. Furthermore, if a child is kept at home frequently he soon concludes that the school work is not of any great importance and it becomes easy to find excuses for ab- sence. He soon loses touch with his work, then his interest goes, and from this time on it is uphill work for pupil, parent and teacher.
Few changes have been made in the text-books. The most important were the substitution of Tarr and McMurray's Geographies for the Frye in grades IV. to VIII., and of Walker's Essentials of English History for Montgomery's Leading Facts of English History in the High School.
The work in singing and drawing has been especially suc-
236
cessful. The excellence of the work in singing was shown by the manner in which the songs were rendered at the gradua- tion exercises of the several schools. All children can be taught to sing as readily as they can be taught to read. The- fact that there is little or no music in the home from which a. child comes makes itall the more important that he be given. this instruction in the school. Music has a high value as an. educational factor, but its value as a factor in culture, refine -- ment and aesthetics is much greater. As the singing is now taught all the children are given the ability to read at sight, and to sing music of ordinary difficulty.
Miss Hackett's excellent exhibit of drawing given in the- Assembly Hall of the High School last spring was attended by very many. It was so arraigned that the progress of the work could be traced from the primary grades up through the gram- mar and high school, and it showed beyond question that pu -- pils delight in this kind of work.
I take this opportunity to lay before you once more the claims. of manual training. I would not urge this matter so strongly and return to it again and again in my report from year to year if I did. not realize its extreme importance as an educational factor. The: aim of educational work is a symmetrical development of the boy and girl that will fit them for citizenship. The children in our schools differ widely in mental, in moral, in physical char- acteristics. In so far as circumstances permit the teacher studies each child and strives to secure development by the means adapted to that individual. Our present system is entirely ample for the children who are fond of books, and who are- mentally predisposed to study them, but there are many children who prefer to own and study animals rather than read stories. of animals; who prefer to be doing something themselves rath- er than reading about the doings of others. They can see no- use in arithmetic or geography or history. They want life at. first hand. With these children the ordinary methods of teach- ing must be reversed. They must be brought into touch with life at first hand before they can be made to see any value in life in the abstract. Some of these children can be reached through nature study, others can be reached only by having
237
them do something that seems to them of some practical value. If they are given a board, a square, a saw, a plane and are shown how a certain thing may be made there is a fascination for them in applying arithmetic and geometry to the solution of the problem. Moreover, there is mental training of the best sort. There must be formed in the child's mind a picture not only of the completed whole but also of each individual part. He must determine how each piece must be fitted to its mate, and through the entire process he must be thoughtful, careful and accurate in measuring, marking and cutting or the parts will not fit. A mistake cannot be corrected by a mark with the the teacher's blue pencil. Hence, the mind must have the nervous and muscular faculties in entire harmony with it if a good piece of work is to be turned out
This leads the child to see the value of accuracy in Arith- metic. By means of that which he has made he may · be led to study manufactured objects about him and by means of these, the various commodities of commerce, and hence learn some- thing of the value of geography. Similarly he may be led from a study of mechanical devices to see a value in books. In fact the foundation of a broad, general education for boys of certain mental tendencies lies in some form of manual train - ing.
In a district school over which I had supervisiona few years ago I one day found a boy puzzling over a problem in measure- ment of wood. Iasked him what his difficulty was and he replied that he did not know "how to do it." I saw, on looking out of the window, a pile of cord wood not far from the school house. I told him to take a rule and a piece of paper, and go out and measure that wood and make a plan of it on his paper. He was nearly an hour getting the dimensions of that wood pile, but he got them and I met him at the door as he returned. He made his diagram and after only one hint from me he solved his problem, and in that hour learned more than he could have learned in a week at his desk.
The head teacher of a special school in Worcester for children who do not take to books, in her report of three years ago says; "Manual training is the most valui-
238
ble means by which we may accomplish the end for which we are striving. It appeals 10 the child, first, because he can see the material results of his labor, and second, because it brings muscular activity into play, and he becomes a little man doing man's work."
I have spoken here only of the educational value of Manu- al Training, and have said nothing of the value it will be to a boy wno must take up some form of manual labor as soon as he- leaves school. If he has become even to a moderate degree- familiar with the use of tools he will have much more self- confidence than if these are entirely strange to him. -
It seems to me that there is danger of our present system of purely book education creating in pupils a false estimate of the relative economic importance of the mechanic or manual laborer as compared with the man who can always keep his: hands clean. Not only is the mechanic better physically, but. his opportunities for advancement and success in the world are vastly better than are those of the clerk or bookkeeper. He is more independent and is better paid.
If education is a preparation for citizenship no education- al system is complete which does not take into account ull of. those who are passing through this preparatory stage and adopt means that will appeal to all.
Last spring I sent to the Superintendents of fifty towns and cities of Massachusetts varying in population from 8,000 to 50,000, a circular letter asking the following questions :
1. Is Sloyd or any form of Manual Training a part of your curriculum ?
2. In what grades ?
3. What, in your estimation, is the educational value of Manual Training?
What is the approximate yearly cost per pupil, including both instruction and materials ?
I received thirty.eight answers, and of these twelve re -- ported none or practically none. Of those which replied yes- to the first question few were able to give a reply to question four because no seperate account was kept. The reply to the
239
second showed that in cities such as. Cambridge, Waltham, Lowell, etc., there is Sloyd in the upper grammar grades and something akin to trade-school work in the High School.
The replies to the third question were unanimous in em- phasizing its value. I quote from a few of them.
Superintendent Hervey of Malden,-"Developes the motor side which is too much neglected ordinarily."
Superintendent Kelley, Attleboro,-"It is indispensable, and must soon be an integral part of every sound system of public schools."
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