USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Quincy > Town annual report of Quincy 1880 > Part 6
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Amount carried forward,
$1,660 88
118
Amount brought forward,
$1,660 88
For Printing,
118 00
" Binding,
169 10
Gas,
IIO 35
" Fuel,
69 26
¥
Postage,
7 16
Expressage,
16 90
“ Furnishing, 30 30
" Rent,
450 00
" Catalogues,
291 00
Sundries,
46 36
Balance,
44 41
-$3,013 72
HENRY BARKER, Treas.
CATALOGUE FUND.
To balance on hand, as per last report, $289 53
" sale of catalogues and fines paid to Jan. 31, 1879, 155 77
$445 30
For total cost of publishing Catalogue- Supplement No. I, in Feb., 1879, 291 00
Balance,
$154 30
Cash on hand, as per balance sheet, $44 41
balance borrowed from Catalogue Fund to meet excess of expenses for 1879 over annual appropriation and dog tax, 109 89
$154 30
REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON WATER AND SEWERAGE.
The committee to whom was referred the article in the war -. rant relating to Water Supply and Sewerage, and who were instructed to report on -
Ist,-The general sanitary condition of Quincy,
2d,-Actual condition of wells and other sources of water supply, and liability of water to contamination,
3d,-Condition of privy vaults, cesspools, drains, stables, yards, sinks, and other sources of air and water pollution,
4th,-The best and most economical method of improving the sanitary condition of the town,
5th,-The feasibility and expense of a general supply of pure water, and a complete system of sewerage, submit the follow- ing as their report : -
ARTICLE I.
The actual sanitary condition of Quincy is on the whole un- favorable. There are large quantities of liquid and solid sew- age matters in various stages of decomposition in all parts of the town, but more especially in the older and more thickly settled portions. These are in condition to be the breeding places of diseases of a low character, and should be attended to at once.
ARTICLES II. AND III.
The present condition of privy vaults, cesspools, drains, stables, yards, sinks, and other sources of air and water pollu- tion.
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I 20
Under these articles we must report the condition of do- mestic surroundings as very unsatisfactory. To ascertain the liability of the water supply to contamination a blank was pre- pared, so that information as to the distances intervening between wells and supposed sources of contamination might be obtained with uniformity, and such questions were asked as would elicit in the answer the information desired. The fol- lowing presents some of the facts ascertained : -
798 houses were examined, and there were found of cesspools and privies 1128.
Of these, 4 were within 5 feet of the well.
67
..
66
5
to
IO feet.
II3 I77
.6
I 5
20
270
6.
20
30
I85
30
40
II7
6.
40
50
IO
I5
119 over 50 feet distant, and 371 discharged the water from the kitchen sink on the surface of the ground, and in stable cellars at distances varying from 5 to 100 or more feet away.
This condition only regards each place by itself so far as the owners or occupants have made disposal of their own waste matters. But it often is the case that when a house-holder has removed his sewage as far as may be from his own well and buildings, he has thrust it almost directly upon a neighbor who is powerless to prevent it, and who must be poisoned whether he likes it or not.
The actual condition of the wells - for with the exception of a very few places all our people get their water from wells - is not a promising one. Divided into two classes : the one where sink drains and privies exist within 20 feet or less, must be regarded with suspicion, and of this class there are 361, or nearly one-half of those examined. Ten samples of water were subjected to analysis, 9 of them from wells situated from 20 to 50 feet away from known sources of pollution and of
I21
a depth sufficient to give a fair exhibit of the water usually obtained. These 9 specimens were all called good. In nearly all these specimens, however, there is an amount of organic matter not usually present in water to which outside impurities have no access, and the presence of the chlorides, in all but one, to such a degree that they are marked strong, shows the effect of the sink drain, as there can be no constant supply of common salt from any other source. From one well, where the sink drain is discharged on the ground some 10 feet distant, and where it must reach the well water by percolation, if at all, a sample was taken and the analysis showed a decided difference in the amount of impurities, and the chemist pronounced it a suspi- cious water. We have not deemed it necessary to examine water from other wells of similar surroundings. The same or worse physical conditions existing, there would be no reason why we should find a better result. About many of these wells the occupants of the premises give testimony confirmative of the conclusion arrived at by the committee.
From many of wells so located, the water is not used for any purpose, it being too offensive to the smell and taste. Among the so called good wells, are many in which the water is unfit for use during the summer, and also at other seasons of the year when the water is low.
We should say that a large number of the wells in the oldest portions of the town contain water unfit for drinking purposes. The amount of filth found on a great number of premises - and these not belonging to the poorest of our citizens - passes be- lief, and its presence appears to be unknown, and if known, un- heeded by the persons creating it.
It has reached its present magnitude simply as a natural growth with the growing of the town. When the town was smaller and more thinly populated, the small amount of daily waste was no special evil. With a doubling of the population within thirty-five years, this evil has increased in more than equal ratio. There are now tons of most abominable matter, scattered all over the town, but mostly in the centre and its im- mediate neighborbood, that furnishes daily a sufficient supply of
(90)
122
foul gases to infect the air of the whole town, and the amount is daily increasing.
So far as danger to life is concerned, we regard the modern cesspool as far worse than the privies. The latter are generally more open to the air, and although creating a fouler smell, give rise to far less deadly gases. The average cesspool is a barrel or tub with the bottom knocked out or a small hole loosely stoned, so that the water may soak away from the bottom. In many places the ground for yards around is thoroughly filled with a mass of filth not well described but of a most villanous character.
The cesspools are generally well covered to keep them from offending the sight and smell outside the house, and are quite as generally ventilated into the kitchens from whence the water goes to fill them. Many persons tell us that the odor in the night and early morning in the kitchens is unbearable. As the gas is worse at night when the house is cut off from the usual supply of air from opened doors and windows, your Committee could easily believe the reports of those who breathe it, and in many instances could not refrain from attributing the diseases affecting the family to this source.
The general examination does not show how near the cess- pools are to the houses, only to the wells ; but the examination made by members of the Committee with especial reference to determining the origin of the so-called filth diseases, showed many of them as near to the houses using them as they could be placed, and many overflow and the water runs directly under the house.
Of the 798 houses examined, Diphtheria, Scarlet Fever or Ty- phoid was reported in 163, or a little over 20 per cent. At 96 of these, or 59 per cent., cesspools were used. Of 427 houses where a cesspool is used, some one of these diseases occurred in 22 per cent. Of 371 houses where the drainage from the kitchen sink is discharged on the surface of the ground the dis- eases occurred in only 18 per cent.
Taking one section of the town where 210 houses were exam- ined, and 160 discharged the kitchen drain on the surface of the
123
grounds, only 15 per cent. of the houses reported any case of the diseases above mentioned, and of the 32 houses in which the disease occurred, 10, or 31 per cent. had a cesspool.
These figures confirm the conclusion above expressed, that the refuse from the kitchen sink is much more inimical to health than the fouler looking deposits in the privy vaults.
This condition of affairs is growing worse; for as the sink refuse on the surface becomes too unsightly and foul smelling, a cesspool is devised, the eye and nose are relieved, but a more deadly gas is generated and brought into the house to swell our death list and permanently lower the vitality of a large part of the community ; and as a rule the ones most affected are those over whom the town in its corporate capacity, in other ways, exercises the most solicitude, the tenderest care, and expends nearly half the money raised by taxation,- the children.
Some few piggeries, and stables also contribute a fair volume of stench to mix with the general mass.
The neighbors do not like to complain, and the owner is allowed to keep a public nuisance because what should be the business of every one belongs really to no one.
Much complaint was made to members of the committee of the smoke and smells of the two ink factories. We are willing enough to believe they are troublesome, but we are unable to say how far such odors or smoke affect the health.
On the 4th article of the instructions we must say, that pos- sibly the best method and the most economical method may not be the same.
We do not believe, however, that the town is prepared to adopt any general system of sewerage, which is unquestionably needed in certain portions of the town.
We therefore recommend the election of a board of health, whose especial duty.shall be the enforcing the present laws for the improvement of the public health.
We recommend to the individual house-holder and landlords a thorough examination of premises and the removal of cess- pools and sources of air pollution to as great distance from the house as can be without injuring a neighbor, and a general over-
124
hauling of drains with an especial reference to ascertaining if sewer-gas can in any way find an entrance into the house.
We recommend that the cesspools be ventilated and all sink- pipes trapped. That where privies are situated within 20 feet of any well the vault thereto be made water-tight, and that care be taken to prevent the surface water from running into the privy vaults. A supply of dry coal ashes, now always found in each house, should be kept for daily admixture with the refuse in the privy.
We believe even a fair amount of attention given to these points would soon put the town in a very good condition, and that the result would be seen in a diminution of some of the diseases more especially incident to childhood.
Epidemics of disease of the nature of Diphtheria have in former times occasionally created among the children a great mortality.
In a milder form we now have it with us always, and the mor- tality is great and constant.
The united efforts of all the inhabitants who are interested in this matter would in a few years work a great change for the better.
The feasibility and expense of a general water supply was re- ported on so recently by a committee appointed for that purpose, that this committee thought it better to refer the town to that report rather than make another, as no new infomation could be presented.
W. L. FAXON, E. W. MARSH, J. P. QUINCY, J. A. GORDON,
Committee.
REPORT OF THE MANAGERS OF ADAMS ACADEMY.
THE BOARD OF MANAGERS elected by the town of Quincy to superintend the proceedings of the Adams Academy during the past year have attended to that duty and beg leave to report : -
That in a general view the success in overcoming the grave difficulties anticipated from the decease of our excellent Princi- pal, Dr. Dimmock, have under the careful superintendence of his successor, Dr. Everett, proved far less unfavorable than was at the time apprehended. Although the number of the students has diminished below that of past years, the causes for that change were connected with well-known influences operating with great severity over the country at large rather than in any particular spot. From these effects it was not possible to expect to escape our share. We are rather to congratulate ourselves that we have not lost more ground rather than less. Farther than this it is only necessary to add that the organization now fully maintains its ground, and is prepared for any emergency for the future.
This statement will be found sustained by the report of Dr. Everett to the Managers, for the past year, which is now here- with submitted.
To the Hon. Charles Francis Adams, Chairman of the Board of Managers of Adams Academy : -
The Master in presenting his annual report does not find it necessary to make any very lengthy communication. The paper presented early in September, 1879, he would wish considered an integral part of the present.
The prosperity of the school, though in no way startling, has
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been very steady as far as conduct and study have gone. The numbers as shown by the last Catalogue were sixty-eight; of those seven withdrew in the course of the year, two from ill- health, and five because their course was apparently leading to little or no profit. Six of the seven were from Quincy. A class of twenty completed the course of the school, and were dismissed from it. Four have since returned to complete their college preparation more thoroughly and accurately, of whom one had failed, though not dishonorably, of admission to Yale College. Of the remaining sixteen, one has gone into business, one was admitted to Columbia College, and of fourteen who applied for Harvard College thirteen were admitted, three without con- ditions, and one with an exceptionally brilliant record. The Academy now ranks equal with any preparatory school in this respect, and has, especially, more than retrieved a somewhat doubtful name in its mathematical preparation,- an honor for which the credit is peculiarly due to my faithful, intelligent and enterprising friend, Mr. Campbell. Thirteen other boys - four of them from Quincy,- also left the school with their course uncompleted. Another who did the same has returned, dis- gusted with " business " after a month's experience. I must say, what I did in my former report, that parents who remove their sons do not always pay the master the compliment of informing him of their intention, even after enquiries from him.
This makes a total of thurty-six boys on the last catalogue of sixty-eight who had left the school at the beginning of the year, and two Quincy boys have since withdrawn, leaving in all thirty of our formes names still on our rolls, eleven of them from Quincy. There have been added since the year began twenty-four, of whom two, however, withdrew after no long residence. The total, therefore, is fifty-two, of whom three are from Quincy. The result of these somewhat tedious statistics is, that while the roll shows fifty-two boys against sixty-eight, the list of outsiders has only fallen from forty-one to thirty-eight, but that from Quincy from twenty-seven to fourteen.
In consequence of my first report, the managers voted to reduce the tuition fee for outsiders to $100.00, and to propose to the
I27
town of Quincy to waive the privilege of free instruction for all boys, limiting it to the capacity of the fund. This the town agreed to do.
This must be considered a liberal and equitable act. It now became necessary for your board to determine the rate at which the tuition of Quincy boys should be calculated. In conse- quence of the communication of last September already alluded to, two of the managers conferred with me, and as a result of the conference the board voted that $75.00 be the annual rate for Quincy boys, and that this entire charge be remitted to as many individuals as the annual income of the fund would permit, the selection being made from those boys whose scholarship placed them highest in the school. This scheme, worked out in detail, was published in the Quincy Patriot, but unfortunately, some- what after the school session began. There is reason to fear that the parents of some promising boys, either from not seeing, or not understanding the scheme, withheld their children from the school.
Our citizens have so long been used to free education for all, that a system of "scholarships " is new to them. But I am per- suaded that when thoroughly understood, it will approve itself to all. An division of the income of the fund to every boy whom his parents sent might be equality, but it would not be equity. The fund produces barely $1000 a year, if it does so much. Divide this equally among twenty-five boys. Unless the parents make up the difference, the master is improperly paid. If they are to make up the difference, it is too much in the case of meri- torious boys whose parents are poor, too little in the case of idle or stupid boys whse parents are well off. Let the fund pay the entire tuition of twelve boys who show themselves deserving of it, andthe money goes where it ought, and the boy who shares it does honor to himself and the town.
Some fear has been expressed that the boy who just misses the last scholarship by a slight failure may need it more than the boy who just happens to gain it by a chance success. Surely this is a needless borrowing of trouble. The master has abundant assurance that no boy need ever be kept out the school who
I28
really deserves its advantages, who cannot afford them, and who just fails to come into the scholarship list ; in such a case, if it arises, means will be found to keep him.
The master, however, is eager to add that, that it would be eminently in accordance with his wishes to have assistance from outside the Academy in determining the rank of the Quincy boys, and he would name the Superintendent of the Quincy Schools and the Principal of the High School as ad- mirably qualified to secure impartiality in a somewhat invidious work. Of the fourteen Quincy boys now in attendance, three have their tuition paid by their parents. The remaining cleven all stand well in the school, and deserve a college education. Is it desirable that boys who do not deserve it should share in the privileges of the Academy ? Outside of Quincy the falling off is entirely in those who live on the line of the railroad, and this must be in part owing to the very inconvenient time-table, wholly constructed to accommodate Boston travel, and that only early and late. The school hours, 9 to 2, are not in any way singular, but a most desirable class of pupils is falling off, and this is certainly one determining cause.
The members from outside the railroad line show a distinct increase, and of a very good class of boys. The boarding-house is managed more successfully than ever before. Anticipating some fall in numbers, I reduced my staff of teachers, Mr. Preble withdrawing to study in Germany, leaving the reputation of a brilliant scholar and most thorough teacher, whose efforts greatly contributed to make our record at Cambridge so satis- factory. The remaining staff has rendered most efficient aid in the school.
I have resolved to cut down to an exceedingly small amount the item of advertising. The expense of this is entirely be- yond what can even be imagined by those who never resorted to it. Practising the most rigid economy, and entirely rejecting the pressing solicitations of many first-class periodicals, my half-yearly bills were nearly $500. It is manifest that this is throwing money into the sea. The school must advertise itself ; it does and will do that.
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I merely ask for time. Already I hear of a stronger and more solid reputation for the Academy, - of its being thought of as a suitable recipient for gifts and legacies, - of its methods being studied and its authority quoted. It has suffered from too sudden growth ; its second growth must be slower ; but the confidence of the people and managers of Quincy shall not be undeserved, if they will give us time.
It is also undoubtedly true that we want money. If the peo- ple of the town feel that the provision it offers for their chil- dren's education is not ample enough, individuals in Quincy could not do a kinder or wiser work than by the foundation of scholarships, for each of which a thousand dollars would be an ample capital, secure the presence in the school of deserving boys who should do honor each to his respective founder's name. This might relieve the income of the fund and allow of its accumulation.
One act of generosity on the part of a Quincy citizen must not pass unrecorded. The proprietor of the boarding-house, Henry H. Faxon, Esq., has cordially agreed to accept a rent considerably lower than that originally fixed at a time when real estate was much higher than at present. Such marked liberal- ity deserves imitation.
The master would esteem it a great privilege, if from time to time the secretary could, on his representation, call together the Board, or a standing committee of them, to hear orally such matters, not leading to a vote, or suitable for record, as he might be desirous to submit for their advice.
With great respect,
WILLIAM EVERETT. Feb. 1, 1880.
In regard to one of the topics referred to in this report, the compensation suitable to be made to the teachers respectively for their services, and the sources from which it may be obtained, the views of the Managers may be best understood by reference
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to the following vote of the town adopted on March 24th, 1879, and a copy thereof sent to the Supervisors.
The resolve was in these words : -
Voted. That the vote adopted by the Town May 2, 1871, re- specting the Adams Academy, viz : " that the Managers may determine the qualifications, terms and conditions upon which persons may be admitted to enjoy the privileges of the school, excepting that the citizens of the Town shall never be charged any fee for admission or tuition in said Academy," is hereby amended by striking out the words, " excepting that the citizens of the Town shall never be charged any fee for admission or tuition in said Academy," and in their place insert the following : " but the entire net income annually derived from the lands given to the Town by John Adams, shall, after the payment of all proper charges for collection, care, repair and keeping up the property, be applied to the payment of the tuition fees of the children of the Town's people attending the Academy."
After carefully considering this subject it was referred to a sub-committee to prepare a report. That report was accepted by the Board, and is now submitted as the sense of the Com- mittee : -
In order to carry out the instructions of the Town as indicated in the above vote, it seemed best to the Managers to determine :
Ist. The tuition fee that should be charged to residents of Quincy whose boys attend the Academy.
The fee for non-resident pupils is one hundred dollars. As the fund was intended by the founder of the school to be for the benefit of the citizens of the Town, it would seem proper that the lowest possible sum should be required from Town resi- dents. As the actual cost of instruction cannot be less than $75 per pupil, the Managers decided to fix upon this sum as the annual charge.
2d. The mode of distribution of the net proceeds of the fund.
Two courses of procedure appeared to be open, either of which would satisfy the letter and spirit of the Town's vote. First, .
131
the net proceeds of the fund might be divided equally among the resident pupils. Second, scholarships might be established.
The number of resident pupils now in the school is twenty. The net income from the fund for the present year will be about $900. This sum divided among twenty pupils would require a tuition fee of $45. To quite a number of pupils it would be as difficult to pay this as the larger sum, $75. Moreover, there is no probability that there will be any great addition to the amount of the fund for years. The town is growing, and prob- ably the number of resident pupils will increase from year to year. This being the case, the value of the bequest under the first method of distribution would be less and less for individual pupils.
In view of these and other difficulties in the way of such a division of the proceeds of the fund, the Managers deemed it best to establish scholarships, open to competition.
The Committee therefor recommend the passage of the fol- lowing plans for the distribution of the Adams Fund, and fees for tuition from the Town's people : -
Ist. The annual fee to be charged to residents of Quincy whose boys attend the Adams Academy shall be $75.00.
2d. The Master shall report on the first of March, in each year to the Managers, the names of those boys who have been the most distinguished in scholarship and conduct ; and they shall proceed to devote the net income of the fund, as reported by the Supervisors on the first of April, to the payment of the entire tuition of as many boys as the fund will allow, in order of merit.
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