USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Weymouth > Town annual report of Weymouth 1886 > Part 10
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The area to be drained ; the slope ; the material to be met with, whether rock or not ; the amount of water to be encountered, - all these circumstances must be well studied before deciding upon the plan for any given street.
If the town should decide (as some towns have done heretofore) to build sewers large enough to carry off the street water in addition to the house sewage, the sizes mentioned would have to be very largely increased, and accordingly the cost also.
Man-holes should be built at the principal intersections of the sewers, and at each angle or change of direction either a man-hole or
185
lamp-hole should be built. These will cost from $20 to $40 each (with iron covers), according to size and depth.
It would be safe to allow an average of one man-hole or lamp-hole at an average cost of $30 for each three hundred feet of sewer. If the average cost of sewers is taken at $1 per running foot, an addi- tion of ten per cent would represent the probable additional cost of man-holes, and so forth.
In conclusion, I would say that this report, from the nature of the time and expense allowed for it, must be considered as simply a sketch from which a programme can be outlined. The town will be wise to take no step without calling in the services of a compe- tent engineer for each case that comes up.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
CHARLES W. FOLSOM, Civil Engineer.
TABLES
Giving an approximate sketch of the lengths and sizes of sewers that may be required in the Villages of the Town of Weymouth.
I. NORTH WEYMOUTH.
Streets draining into Mill Cove.
Name of Street.
Length in feet.
Remarks.
Size, inches.
Athens
630
6
P arl
530
.
6
Sea
.
1,700 .
8
Bridge
3,000 .
6 and 8.
Outlet
1,980
. 10
(b) Streets draining into Weymouth Back River.
Curtis
530
8
Shaw
560
6
Lincoln
630
.
6
North
1,320 .
8
Bridge
690 East portion
6
Sea . ?
290 Lovell to Neck .
6
Neck
. 3,530
10 and 12
et
660
. 12
16,280
II. WEYMOUTH LANDING.
(c) Streets draining into Smelt Brook.
Name of Street.
Length in Feet.
Remarks.
Size, inches.
Congress
560
6
Front
990 To Hunt .
6
Hunt
790 To Front .
6
.
.
6
230 Part of Sea
.
(a)
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Summer .
820 To Front 6
Common and Court
690 Stetson to Washington 6
Stetson
500 Common to Broad . 6
Broad
1,250 Washington to Front.
6 and 8
Franklin 820 Broad to Front
6 and 8
Phillips
360 To Broad 6
Broad 1,150 To Washington
6 and 8
Richmond
590 To Washington
6
Keith
1,050
6
Prospect .
780 To Washington
8
Tremont
760
6
Norfolk
630
6
Street parallel with Keith .
400
6
Front
920 Hunt to Summer
8
Front ·
.
1,980 Summer to Washington 10
Commercial
660 Tremont to Washington 8
. 2,140 To Broad 10
Washington
. 1,980 Broad to main outlet .
12
Main outlet
. 1,980 Washington to outlet ·
15
Commercial
890 Railroad depot to outlet
6
Dotted line through field . 1,050 Franklin to Washington .
8
Vine Street and outlets . 1,900
6 and 8
25,640
III. EAST WEYMOUTH.
(d)
West part of the Village.
Name of Street.
Length in feet. Remarks.
Size, inches.
Middle
.
760 Charles to Broad
6
Cain
760
6
Madison .
430 To Broad .
6
Madison .
990 To Commercial .
6
Broad
. 2,310
. 6 and 8
Outlet through field .
. 4,620 Broad to outlet
. 8 and 1
(e) East part of the Village.
Cedar
. 1,150
.
6
Hawthorne
590
. .
.
6
Grove
· 820 To Pleasant
.
.
6
Washington
188
Grove
920 To Myrtle
.
6
Myrtle
730 Cedar to Water
6
School
530
6
High
.
1,190
6 and 8
Grant
690 To High .
6
Grant
790 To Commercial
·
6
Hill .
490 To Commercial
6
Commercial
460 Grant to main sewer .
.
8
Cottage .
490
6
Shawmut .
1,650
6
Commercial
630 Station to Cottage
6
Broad
820
8
Commercial
1,550 Cottage to Pleasant
8
Lake
920
6
Pleasant .
820 Shawmut to Water
8
Pleasant .
. 1,060 To Water
8
Water
. 1,290 Pleasant to Commercial
10
Commercial
1,650 Water to R. R.
10
Outlet
1,650 R. R. to end
.
. 12
30,760
IV. SOUTH WEYMOUTH.
(f) North part of the Village.
Name of Street.
in feet.
Remarks.
Size, inches.
Torrey .
. 1,190 Summit to Park Ave.
6
Columbian
330 Summit to Main
6
Adams Place
260 .
6
Main
. 1,550 Summit to Park
6
Main
.
1,000 North of Park .
6
Park Ave.
. 1,650 Main to field
S
Outlet about
500 Park Ave. to sewage farm, ·
10
Pleasant .
. 1,980 Summit to Park Ave.
6
Park Ave.
. 1,150 Pleasant to outlet
8
Outlet through field .
. 1,650 Pleasant to sewage farm
8
Union
. 1,650 White to Summit
6
In field
. 1,490 Union to Pleasant
8
Rockland near White
. 600 .
·
6
White
. 1,000 .
6
Length
·
189
(g) South part of the Village.
Rockland
200 Total in Central
6
Columbian
990 Summit to Pleasant . 6
Union
630 Summit to Pleasant 6
Pleasant .
430 Summit to Union 6
Torrey · ·
430 Summit to Pleasant .
6
Main St. and in field
460 From Pleasant to Pond 8
Pleasant
. 1,620 From Union to Pond .
8
Main
. 1,220. Summit to Pond 6 Pond . .
330 Main to field
8
Outlet about . 1,480 Pond to sewage farm . 10
23,790
SUMMARY OF LENGTHS OF STREETS,
AS POSSIBLY SEWERED IN THE REMOTE FUTURE.
1. North Weymouth . 16,280 feet.
2. Weymouth Landing
25,640 feet.
3. East Weymouth 30,760 feet. 4. South Weymouth 23,790 feet.
96,470 feet.
Equivalent to about 184 miles.
ASSESSORS' REPORT.
The undersigned, Assessors of the town of Weymouth, respect- fully submit the following report for the year ending December 31, 1886 :-
We have assessed upon the polls and estates of all persons liable to taxation in this town the following sums, which have been com- mitted to Alfred O. Crawford, Esq., Collector of Taxes, with our warrant. in due form of law, for collecting and payment of the same, in accordance with the vote of the town.
Towngrant, $93,250 ; State tax, $4,980 ; County tax, $3,379.13 ; Overlayings, $1,831.84 ; Non-resident bank tax, $3,980.31; total amount of assessment, $107,421.28 ; number of polls, 2,995. The valuation of real estate is $4,067,878 ; personal valuation, $1,664,- 532; total valuation, $5,732.410. Number of persons who are assessed only a poll tax, 1,614 ; whole number of persons assessed, 3,631 ; number of acres of land, 9,289 ; number of houses, 2,109} ; number of horses, 908; number of cows, 547; neat cattle, other. than cows, 48; swine, 120. Amount of resident bank stock, $406,857 ; non-resident bank stock, $234,143 ; total bank stock $641,000.
Abatements and remittances have been made amounting to $2,777.42 on taxes of 1883, '84, '85 and '86. Nearly one third of this amount was assessed to an administrator of an estate who had failed to notify us that the property had been distributed to the heirs ; we would therefore call attention of administrators and executors to the law in relation to their duties in such cases, that such errors may not occur in the future.
We would respectfully suggest to our successors, that they make a thorough revision of the valuation list before making their assessments ; and also, that greater care be exercised in taxing persons whom they have reason to believe will not remain in town any great length of time, thereby avoiding the necessity of making so many remittances of poll taxes.
We would recommend to the town that all taxes for the year of 1887 be made fully due and payable on or before the tenth day of
191
October next, and that the Collector be required to collect all taxes on or before the thirty-first day of December next, and make a full settlement with the Town Treasurer on or before the fifteenth day of February, 1888, and that no discount be made.
Respectfully submitted,
LEONARD GARDNER, WILMOT CLEVERLY, JAMES O'DONOVAN, GEORGE A. CUSHING, JACOB BAKER,
Assessors.
REPORT OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
The School Committee of Weymouth respectfully submit to the citizens of the town their annual report.
The sum appropriated at the annual town meeting, to be raised by assessment, for the support of schools, was
$31,000 00
For Superintendent of Schools .
1,800 00
To which was added income of Pratt Fund . $275 00
Alewife Fund 252 00
State School Fund . .
116 27
One half of Dog License Fund · 442 27
Unappropriated balance last year
302 56
1,388 06
$34,188 06
EXPENDITURES.
Superintendent
$1,845 00
Salaries of teachers
23,458 90
Text-books and school supplies
3,118 05
Janitors and cleaning
1,640 42
Fuel and incidentals
1,289 76
Repairs .
2,254 62
General incidentals
124 30
Conveying scholars to North High School
872 81
$34,603 86
Excess of expenditures over appropriations $415 80
It appears from the account of the Selectmen, that they have drawn orders for $34,086.90 ; the difference in che account is for bills which have been approved by the School Committee, but for which orders have not been drawn. From a careful estimate, there are bills due for repairs, janitors, fuel, incidentals, text-books, and school supplies amounting to $1,600. This excess is occasioned by our schools having actually been kept forty-one weeks the past
13
194
year instead of forty weeks ; also, by amount paid for the introduc- tion of water into our school buildings, water rates, and for repairs which were necessary to preserve our school property.
There has been no radical change in the supervision of our schools since the last annual report of the Committee. Under the efficient direction of our Superintendent, assisted by an able corps of teachers, our schools are steadily advancing in the right direc- tion, and already/compare favorably with those of our surround- ing towns.
Several changes have taken place during the past year, caused by the resignation of some of the teachers, and the promotion of others ; an account of which changes will be found elsewhere.
We would take this occasion to urge upon the town a more lib- eral appropriation for the support of the schools. Our town is con- stantly increasing in population, and with the more advanced and improved methods of teaching, the wants of our schools increase. We are unfortunate in not being able to centralize our schools to better advantage, which would mean a great decrease in the cost of maintenance; but we should not allow this fact to lower the standard of our schools. The standard already attained is high, and they are in a prosperous condition ; but, to maintain this standard, more liberal appropriations on the part of the town are necessary.
CHANGES OF TEACHERS.
January 15, 1886. S. Lizzie Hunt resigned as teacher of the Lincoln Third Primary, and Miss Annie W. Burrell was elected to fill the vacancy. She resigned at the close of the term, and Miss Eva W. Robinson was elected to the place.
April 2. Ida F. Taylor resigned from the Grant Street Primary, and Clara E. Reamy was elected to the vacancy.
June 11. Emma F. Thayer, at the Athens Second and Third Primary, was given an assistant. Miss Nettie P. Bradford was elected. In September, Miss Bradford was transferred to the Pleasant Street Intermediate.
September 11. Milton B. Warner was elected as principal in place of A. P. Averill.
Mary E. Brassill was elected to the Shaw Grammar, in place of Miss S. L. Vining.
195
Mary L. Ells resigned from the Athens Intermediate, and Annie F. Hayden was elected to the place.
Carrie A. Tower resigned as assistant in the South High School, and Miss Jessie F. Smith was elected to fill the vacancy.
Mr. E. E. Thompson resigned as principal of the Franklin Grammar, and William H. Furber was elected to the vacancy.
Mrs. Hawes resigned at the Bicknell Intermediate, and Minnie M. Hunt was transferred from Middle Street Intermediate to the vacancy.
September 17. Miss Stella F. Tirrell's resignation, as teacher of the Thomas (mixed) School, was received, and Jennie T. Holbrook was elected to the vacancy.
The Athens Grammar being too full for one teacher, Cora Wilder was transferred from the Adams to act as assistant, and Lillian H. Burrell was elected as assistant at the Adams (mixed) School.
October 22. Miss Minnie M. Hunt resigned from the Bicknell Intermediate, and Mrs. A. A. Cunningham supplied until the close of the year.
November 9. Mr. N. L. French resigned at the South High, and E. R. Downs was promoted from the Bates Grammar to the vacancy .
REPAIRS ON SCHOOL BUILDINGS.
With twenty-three school buildings in the town, and some of them in an old and dilapidated condition, it has been impossible, even with the strictest economy, to limit the expenses actually re- quired to the amount appropriated. In some instances the expense has been considerable ; yet, taking into consideration the work ac- complished, the imperative need of the same, and the permanent and lasting benefit to the school property, your Committee feel amply justified with the outlay.
The sanitary condition of the Hunt and Lincoln schoolhouse yards has been in a deplorable state for many years. The land in the rear of these buildings being low and swampy, the water had no opportunity to flow off, and stood there at nearly all seasons of the year, rendering the condition of the premises unhealthy and dangerous. A drain of some four hundred feet in length, of four- inch tile pipe, has been laid three feet deep along the rear of these
196
premises, and from the centre of this drain another (eighteen-inch) drain pipe has been laid at the same depth to the street, a distance of about two hundred and seventy feet, the entire expense being about three hundred and eighty dollars.
The approach to the North High School from Tremont Street has long been a matter of unfavorable comment. A steep incline, and unsafe stepping-stones, here and there, were dangerous at any season of the year, and particularly so when covered with sleet and ice. In their stead has been placed a broad flight of wooden steps, making the way safe and convenient. Owing to the in- creased attendance at this school the present year, it has been necessary to enlarge one of the rooms by removing the centre par- tition. The blackboards in this building have been thoroughly repaired by Mr. Swasey's patented process, which is considered the best in use.
Great Pond water has been introduced into both the High Schools, as well as the Hunt, Lincoln, Bicknell, River, Pratt, Bates, and Athens.
This has been valuable, not only as a sanitary measure, but as a material benefit to the High Schools in their experimental studies in chemistry. New wooden gutters have been placed on the Athens building in the place of the old copper ones which leaked so badly.
The south and west sides of the Bates School have been sup- plied with a new set of inside blinds, thereby contributing much to the comfort and convenience of the school. As a sanitary measure, if for no other reason, the Bates and South High School buildings are sadly in need of more modern appliances for heating purposes. We are at least fifty years behind the age. The rooms in these buildings, at the present time, are heated with the old-fashioned drum stoves, which, as is well known, impart an uneven heat, caus- ing the pupils who sit near the stove to suffer from the intense heat, while those who sit at a distance suffer from the cold, causing discomfort and ill health. Your Committee earnestly recommend that steam heat be introduced into both of these buildings the com- ing year.
We would respectfully ask for the following appropriations for the ensuing year : -
Salaries of teachers . $23,600 00
Janitors and cleaning 2,000 00
. Fuel
2,000 00
197
Repairs of school buildings . $3,000 00
Text-books and school supplies 3,300 00
Conveyance of scholars to North High School
1,000 00
Grading of school yards
500 00
Miscellaneous expenses
500 00
$35,900 00
This may be diminished
By the Pratt fund
. $275 00
By the Alewife fund .
· 252 00
By the State fund
120 00 .
By the Dog License fund .
· 453 00
1,100 00
Leaving a balance to be raised by assessment of .
$34,800 00
Respectfully submitted,
AUGUSTUS J. RICHARDS, W. A. DRAKE, JOHN C. FRASER, O. B. BATES, GEORGE L. WENTWORTH, W. H. BOLSTER,
School Committee.
REPORT
OF THE
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS.
To the School Committee, Weymouth, Mass .:
I have the honor to submit herewith my fifth annual report as Superintendent of Schools.
TEACHERS' MEETINGS.
The teachers' meetings held during the year have been of unus- ual interest and conducted chiefly by the ladies, who have brought a number of their pupils with them, and given a practical illustra- tion of the methods they would pursue in taking up and develop- ing certain subjects. They have taught at these meetings just as they would have taught in their own school-room, and so have given to all their associates the benefit of their skill and experience. In this way the Normal School, or the training department of the Normal School, has been brought practically to our own door. Teachers who have never had the advantages of normal school in- struction, have had the opportunity to witness exercises which, if not of an ideal type, were at least of a very high order of merit, and calculated to raise the general standard of our schools.
Among the class-room exercises of the year have been the follow- ing : -
1. A reading exercise, by Miss Julia M. Talbot, the object of which was to show how to take up and develop the meaning of the hard words in a reading lesson, and how, in the earlier years, to en- large the pupil's vocabulary without the use of the dictionary, which comes with profit later on.
2. Explanation of fractions, by Miss Mary. L. Ells.
3. Gymnastics, by Miss Ella M. Burgess.
4. Number work with objects, by Miss Stella L. Tirrell.
5. Number work by military drill, by Miss Emma F. Thayer.
6. Number work with pictures and blackboard illustrations, by Miss Martha J. Hawes.
199
The object of these last three exercises was to show how to per- form the preliminary concrete work which must precede the abstrac- tions of arithmetic; how to develop the tables and invest them with life and interest ; how to teach the pupil to really know what addition is, what subtraction is, etc. ; how to carry the funda- mental processes along together, and lay the foundations well.
7. Number work in the second ycar, by Miss Hattie E. Darcy.
This exercise was a continuation of the last three, and illustrated the union of the concrete and the abstract.
8. Penmanship, by Miss Mary J. Moore.
9. Devices for explaining fractions, by Mrs. A. A. Cun- ningham.
10. Geography, by Miss Lucy G. Tucker.
The object of this exercise was twofold : first, to show how to cut down and modify the words of the book in reciting, so as to make them practically the pupil's own ; second, to show how to make map-sketching a really valuable part of the work in geog- raphy, and how to dovetail it with the study of the text so as to effect a saving in time.
11. Standard time, by Miss Lizzie L. Whitman.
12. Language, by Miss Mary E. Brassill.
The special object of this exercise was to show normal or natural methods of teaching not only language, but all other subjects.
13. Geography in Third Intermediate, by Miss Mary E. Grundstrom.
14. Percentage, by Miss Hattie B. Baker.
The object of this exercise was to teach business methods, com- mon-sense methods in percentage, and enable the pupil, through his individual grasp of the fundamental principles involved in a problem, to do without the generalized formulas as laid down in the books.
15. Decimal fractions, by Miss Sara E. Wilbar.
All of the above exercises, it must be borne in mind, were illus- tratcd with classes of pupils, were all definite in aim, and intro- duced at the particular time of the year when they were the most needed, and would be the most helpful to the teachers.
Brief papers. also, have been read during the year, as fol- lows : -
The Use of the Dictionary, by Miss Ida J. Barker.
200
Discipline, by Miss Ella M. Burgess.
Common-Sense, by Miss Annie F. Hayden. Keeping Pupils after School, by Miss Carrie A. Tower. Verbatim Recitations, by Miss Ida J. Barker.
Self-Government, by Miss Jessie F. Smith.
One meeting was devoted to methods of teaching language. At this meeting, the question, How much technical grammar to teach, and when ? was considered. Each one of the male teachers read a paper, presenting his views of the subject from the high- school or grammar-school standpoint, and contributing the weight of his experience to straighten out this vexed question.
It has been our good fortune, also, to have with us during the year a number of distinguished and very welcome visitors, includ- ing Hon. Thomas W. Bicknell, of the Chautauquan Teachers' Reading Union, Hon. William A. Mowry, editor of Education, and others, who had cheering and helpful words to say. . So impor- tant have been these meetings, and going to them has been so much like visiting schools, - serving to unify the character of the instruction imparted, as well as arouse the enthusiasm of the teachers, -it has seemed to me that all those who are locally in- terested in our schools ought to know about them. Accordingly, I have availed myself of this opportunity to put on record what seems to me, properly enough, to form a part of the year's history.
MUSIC.
Music to the mind is as air to the body .- Plato.
Music is a master which makes the people softer and milder, more po- lite and more rational. It is a beautiful and noble gift of God. I would not part with what little I know of it for a great deal .- Martin Luther.
The pre-adaptation of the human mind to seek and find pleasure in music is proved by the universality with which the vocal art has been practised among men. Each nation and each age steps forward as a sep- arate witness to prove the existence of musical faculties and desires in the race. In cultivating music, therefore, are we not following one of the plainest and most universal indications of nature-the order of that Being by whose wisdom and benevolence nature was constituted? The Creator has made the human mind susceptible to emotions which can find no ade- quate expression but in song. Among all nations, joy has its chorus and sorrow its dirge. Patriotism exults over national triumphs in national songs ; and religious yearning vainly strives to pour out its full tide of thanksgiving to its Maker, until anthem and hallelujah take the rapt spirit
201
upon their wings and bear it to the throne of God. Nature not only points, as it were, her finger toward the universal culture of the musical art, but she has bestowed upon all men the means of cultivating it; the voice and the ear are universal endowments .- Horace Mann.
The question of music for the people will some day become a great gov- ernment question .- Rev. H. R. Haweis.
While there is not much music in medicine, there is a good deal of med- icine in music. - Ephraim Cutter, M. D.
To-day few are so miserly, so materialistic in their natures, as to deny the utility of music. - John Eaton, U. S. Commissioner of Education.
Every child is made the better for participating in the musical exercise. Committee on Music, Chelsea, Mass.
Singing in school is indirectly a great help to congregational singing in churches, and to the music of Sunday schools. It is enjoined that we sing with the understanding, as well as with the spirit. "Music is the vehicle for, and incentive to, religious feeling." Nearly every child (about ninety-five per cent) can learn music, and enjoy its elevating and practical benefits. - Prof. Landon.
Among the Greeks, music was considered a very important item in the education of youth. The lyre of Apollo was the source of inspiration in the forum, the temple, and on the field of battle. Milton, in his great tract on education, advocates with earnestness the maintenance of the same theory. Why is Germany the foremost nation of the world in musi- cal culture ? Because she insists that her children shall learn to sing. 'To-day, the English people, through a commission of which Mr. Hullah is chairman, are trying to rival Belgium and Holland in the thoroughness of innsical instruction in their public schools. Shall the people of New Eng- land rest satisfied with a lower standard? We trust they will not. - Com- mittee on Music, Lowell, Muss.
I need not tell you that music bears upon its wings some of the sweetest and purest pleasures of the passing hour, whether it gushes forth from the human lips or from the breath of old Æolus upon his throne. Music elevates and quickens our perception ; it softens and subdues the rebel- lious disposition ; it refines and soothes the wayward and turbulent pas- sions; it nerves the heart to deeds of valor and heroism; it gives joy and consolation in the hour of affliction, and carries the soul captive across the rough and stormy sea of life, and stands beyond the vale of time to welcome, with angelic voice, the wandering spirit to its final home. - Dr.
I suggest, also, that you consider whether the success of this experi- ment in higher education (the Normal Art School) does not warrant the extension of the State normal system to music - the most widespread of the fine arts, and the one most cultivated among us - to the end that excel- lenee and uniformity of method may be secured in the musical instruction now nearly universal in our public schools. - Inaugural of Gov. Ames.
202
Speaking of teachers' meetings leads me at once to the consider- ation of the most important subject I have to call your attention to, viz., our great and crying need of systematic musical instruc- tion. At a meeting held Dec. 10, 1886, the teachers chose a com- mittee to draw up a petition, to be addressed to you and signed by them, asking for the employment of a special teacher of music. The petition was presented for adoption at a subsequent meeting, and signed by all the teachers present. As I indorse the senti- ments conveyed therein, and would like to avoid the repetition of arguments, which the statement of my own views, in connection with those of the teachers, would involve, I will ask you to allow me to insert the petition here, as a part of my report.
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