USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Weymouth > Town annual report of Weymouth 1910 > Part 14
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
JOHN H. STETSON,
Treasurer.
Weymouth, December 31, 1910.
WEYMOUTH, December 31, 1910.
We have examined the accounts of John H. Stetson, Treasurer of the Town of Weymouth, Water Account and of the Water Loan Sinking Fund Account, and have found them correct.
JOHN P. HUNT, WILLIAM H. PRATT, FRANK N. BLANCHARD,
Auditors.
.
9,987 50
REPORT OF REGISTRAR AND COLLECTOR.
WATER RENTS.
Balance due January 1, 1910 $2,608 74
Charges April 1, to October 1, 1910
.
27,710 30
Charges October 1, to April 1, 1911 20,489 72
$50,808 76
CREDIT.
Received from town for hydrants and
drinking fountains .
· $5,000 00
Received by Treasurer 10,670 11
Received by Collector
27,376 74
Rebates
931 54
Balance due January 1, 1911
. 6,830 37
$50,808 76
LABOR AND MATERIAL.
Balance due January 1, 1910
$429 86
Charges in 1910
. 3,045 21
$3,475 07
CREDIT.
Received by Treasurer
$450 86
Received by Collector
1,349 58
Rebates
18 32
Balance due January 1, 1911
1,656 31
$3,475 07
Respectfully submitted, FRANK H. TORREY, Registrar and Collector.
SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.
.
To the Board of Water Commissioners :
GENTLEMEN : - I hereby submit my report for the year ending December 31, 1910.
POND.
Although a great many water supplies all over the United States have suffered from lack of water during the past season, we have been fortunate in having an ample supply. The water was the lowest in November, then it was thirty-nine inches below high water mark. The usual notices in regard to rules and regu- lations have been posted, and during the summer season had a man to patrol the pond on Sundays and holidays, also during the ice cutting. The results of the analysis of the water made by the State Board of Health show no unusual conditions and are in detail in a following report.
PUMPING STATION.
The buildings and grounds are in good condition, with the ex- ception of coal shed, which needs a new sill. As to pumps and appurtenances, they are in good working order.
STAND PIPE.
The standpipe should be painted inside and outside the coming season.
HYDRANTS.
Every hydrant has been cleaned and oiled, and most of them painted during the year. They should be used as far as possible for fire purposes only, for if they are used promiscuously, with 416 hydrants scattered over seventy miles of pipe, it would be almost impossible to guarantee them to be in good order.
MAINS.
The extensions in detail will be found in a following report, . the principal work being done in Wards One and Three. As recommended in last year's report, have encased pipe on Norton
249
Street with concrete. In the past we have had a great deal of trouble with this section, leaks occurring frequently caused no doubt by electrolysis action on pipe. This work will I think prove to be permanent.
SERVICE PIPES.
Thirty-two leaks have been repaired during the year. One hundred and twenty-four new service pipes have been laid and fifty-three old service pipes have been relaid as follows :
114 2 inch lead lined . 2,650.9 feet
5 1 inch lead lined . 118.2 “
56 & inch galvanized iron 680.5 €¢
1 inch galvanized iron 4.0
1 6 inch cast iron . 20.0 “
Number of feet of service pipe relaid ,
3,473.6
1,202.3 “ .
Number of feet of new service pipe loid
2,271.3 “
Three thousand three hundred and forty-two service pipes have been laid to date; of these there are twenty-three that have not been let on and twenty-five that have been discontinued.
Number of feet of each size laid as follows :
2922 & inch diameter
65,932.5 feet
317 1
8,482.7 "
5 14
105.3 “
29 1} 66
1,132.5 "
52 2
1 183.0
1 2}
17.0 “
2 3
44.1
6 4
136.0 “
7 6
66
264.6 “
1 8
22.0 “
Total length of service pipe £
77,319.7 "
Number of miles of service pipe
14.643
·
One hundred and twenty water takers have been added this year, making total number to date three thousand four hundred and seventy-seven.
250
Thirty services are shut off temporarily on account of vacancy- and six are shut off for non-payment of rates.
Water is supplied to the following :
Families
3375|
Cemeteries
9.
Stores
65 Private stables .
112
Offices
17
Livery and express. stables. .
7
Markets
4
Truck stables 15 .
Depots
4
Park
1
Bakeries
4 Lawn hydrants . 77
Churches
15
Blacksmith shops
3
Halls
8
Groves
1
Public Libraries
·
2
Paint shops
2
Club-rooms
10
Ice houses
3
Restaurants
3 Electric Light Station
1
Laundries
4
Coal and wood yards .
1
Manufactories
21
Public drinking foun-
Barber-shops
11
tains
13
Boarding-houses
8
Ornamental fountains
2
Engine-houses .
7
Meters
18
Green-houses
9
Motors ·
10
School-houses
16
Hydrants .
416
Slaughter-houses
2
Number of fixtures :
Faucets
4750
Water-closets
1006
Hand-hose
1313
Urinals
..
36
Bath-tubs .
632
Banks
4
PIPES LAID AND GATES AND HYDRANTS SET IN 1910.
GATES.
HYDRANTS.
LOCATIONS.
STREETS.
Cast Iron, 6 in.
Cast Iron, 4 in.
Galv. Iron, 2 in.
Galv. Iron, 11 in.
Galv. Iron, 14 in.
Galv. Iron, 1 in.
Galv. Iron, 2 in.
4 in.
6 in.
4 in.
Bieknell Road.
618.5
Bluff Road ..
42.0 51.0
Rlaekstone ...
Grand View Shore Drive ....
68.0
King Cove.
74.0
Mo rell ..
239.0
1
Norton.
Ocean Avenue
150.0 142.0
Off Wessagusett.
Off Broad ..
151.0 327.0 596.2
143.5
1
Pearl. ..
120.0
252.0 300.0
1
1
Peeksuot Road.
160.0 73.0
1
1
Rosemont Road
179.0
830.0
31.0
3
2
Shore Drive .. .
490.5
Wessaguset Road.
262.8
248.0
1
1
1
To Harry Hatch's house.
1876.0
1729.0
1082.0
1148.2
143.5
495.8
830.0
5
8
2
3
Number of feet of pipe laid, 7304,5.
Number of gates set, 13.
Number of hydrants set, 5.
251
Off Pond.
Off River ...
Off Pequot
Opposite Peter Hagerty's house. To Mrs. M. J. Patterson's house. To C. A. Nowell's house. To Peter F. Hughes's house. To Michael Allen's house. To Geo. A. Oreutt's house. From Squanto to Peeksuot Road. From end of pipe to Norton Street. To C W Dudley's house. To Mrs. G. A. Putnam's house. Opposite Jos. Dyer's house. To S. S. Perkins's house. To Miss M. Webber's house. To R. Bainbridge's house.
Peeksuot Road ..
Pleasant . .
Rosemont Road. Ramblers Way.
. .
To Mis. J. C. Newell's house. To E. J. Olson's store. To John Evans's house.
Weybosset ... Washington .. .
1756.0
2
1
From Bayview Street to Holbrook Road. To Mrs. Rosie Jenks's house. To W. A. Evans's house. To Mrs. K. E. Turner's house. To Walter Winward's house. To Mrs. Ann Milligan's house.
1
6 in.
252
DISTRIBUTION PIPES AND. GATES LAID TO DECEMBER 31, 1910.
SIZE.
Cast Iron Pipe.
Wrought Iron Pipe.
Galvanized Iron Pipe.
Lead Pipe.
Gates.
Feet.
Feet.
Feet.
Feet.
20 in. diameter
250.0
1
18
2,092.5
1
14
20,679.5
12
12
19,087.8
28
10
60
30,905.2
37
8
66
38,036.2
58
6
178,608.0
286
4
6,222.8
30
13
12,499.7
7,315.2
43
14
66
4,528.6
3
1
66
1,363.0
9,537.8
526.3
12
3
2,011.0
334.0
1
305,882.0
22,847.6
40,377.2
860.3
553
Total number of feet
369,967.1
Total number of miles
70.069
Gates
553
Blow-offs, 6 in.
7
Hydrants
·
416
Blow-offs, 4 in.
11
Valves, 12in.
2
Blow-offs, 2 in.
1
Automatic Air Valves
6
Check Valves
1
58 feet of & in. galvanized iron pipe taken out of Morrell Street and replaced with 2 in. galvanized iron pipe.
Accompanying this will be found the report of the Engineer of the Pumping Station.
In conclusion, I desire to thank the Water Board for their advice, courtesy, and ready co-operation ; also the employees of this department for their zeal and the efficient manner in which they have discharged their duties.
Respectfully yours,
IVERS M. LOW,
Superintendent.
2
8,984.9
16,984.6
41
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS - STATE BOARD OF HEALTH.
GREAT POND, WEYMOUTH, WATER ANALYSIS, (PARTS IN 100,000.)
.
DATE OF
APPEARANCE,
ODOR.
Residue on Evaporation.
AMMONIA.
NITROGEN AS
ALBUMINOID.
NUMBER.
Collection.
Examination.
Turbidity.
Sediment.
Cold.
Color
Total.
Fixed·
Free
Total.
In Solution.
In Suspension
Chlorine.
Nitrites.
Nitrates.
Hardness.
Iron.
1910
1910
83435 Jan. 24 Jan. 29
Very Slight
Slight
.30
Faintly Vegetable
Faintly Vegetable
4.10 1.95 2.15
.0092 .0148 .0122 .0026 .54 .0050 .0000
.37 0.5
.0200
Great. Pond.
84557 Apr. 7|Apr.
8
Very Slight
Very Slight
,60
Faintly Vegetable Faintly Vegetable Unpleasant
Distinctly Vegetable Faintly Vegetable Unpleasant
5.35 2 50 2 85 .0022
.0258 .0220 .0038 .62 .0000
.0000
.61 1.5
.0280
Great Pond.
85475 June 2 June
6
Very Very Slight Slight
Slight .42
Faintly Vegetable
Faintly Vegetable
2.05 0.90
1.15
.0034
.0149 .0140
.0008 .61
.0000
.0000
.57 0.5
.0240
Great Pond.
88381 Oct. 13 Oct. 15
Very Slight
Very Slight
.27
Faintly Vege able Unpleasant
Faintly Vegetable Unpleasant
3.80 1.35 2.45 .0012 .0182 .0142 .0040 .68 .0010
89602 Dec. 3 Dec.
6
Very Slight
Very Slight
.22
Very Faintly Vegetable
Very Faintly Vegetable
4.35 1.65 2.70
.0022
0136|
.0122 .0014 .67 .0010
.0000
.34 0.8
.0260
Great Pond.
253
-
4 05 2.00 2.05
.0024
.0252 .0204 .004S .64 .0010 .0000
.72 1.3
.0180
Great Pond.
86680 July 26 July 29
Very Slight
0000
.39 0.8
.0260
Great Pond.
Oxygen Consumed.
TAKEN FROM.
Hot.
Loss on Ignition-
.
.
.55
ENGINEER'S REPORT.
SOUTH WEYMOUTH, MASS., January 1, 1911.
To the Superintendent of Water Works :
DEAR SIR :- I hereby submit my report for the year 1910.
With the exception of a few needed repairs the pumps and boilers at the station have done thier work well throughout the year.
The two-inch by-pass leading to the Deane pump was filled with rust so I have replaced it with a now one. I have placed one new one-inch valve in return pipe from the radiators, also one new three-quarter-inch valve under each water column to the boilers.
I have put five new grate bars under boiler No. 1. 4.
I have painted the Blake pump, new leaded the gutters and painted the same.
I have also painted the covers to the coal shed windows.
From measurement I find that Great Pond was at the greatest height on March 4, and March 11; it being at that time one and one-half inches above high water mark, and at its lowest point on November 25, it being at that time thirty-nine inches below high water mark.
Respectfully yours,
GEORGE W. SARGENT.
.
RECORD OF BLAKE PUMPING ENGINE FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1910
MONTHS.
Separate Days Pumping.
Number Hours Pumping.
Average Number Hours Pumping.
Total Number Revolutions
per Month.
Total Number of Gallons
Average Dynamic Head
Average Temperature of
Raising Steam, Bank-
ing Fires and Heat-
ing Building.
Pumping.
Total Coal.
Ashes.
No. Gallons Pumped per
ib. of Coal on Total Coal.
No. Gallons Pumped per
lb. of Coal while Pump-
Average Duty in Foot lbs.
per 100 lbs. Coal on Total
Average Duty in Foot lbs. per 100 lbs. Coal while
Pumping.
January.
17
H. M. 83 15
H. M. 4 53
Rev. 168,920
Gals. 5,912,200 4,419,905
Ft. 145 144
89º
Lbs. 4,318 3,932
Lbs. 23,357 1,7284
Lbs. 27,675 21,016
Lbs. 5,061 3,517
Gals. 213 210
255
25,257,561 30,711,230
March . .
30
142 45
4 45
268,701
9,404,535
145
97º
7,568
32,524
40,092
6,063
234
283
20,837,016
34,967,728
May .
15
76 50
5 07
153,248
5,363,680
145
108º
3,788
18,506
22,294
3,366
249
289
29,094,367 35,049,704
Junc. .
15
113 20
7
35
207,717
7.270,095
145
110°
3,367
24,603
27,970
4,818
259
295
31,432,698 35,734,365
July. .
30
168 05
5
36
333,139
11,659,795
142
113º
4,217
39.093
43,310
7,725
269
298
31,882,849 35,322,083
August.
27
166 50
6 10
322,829
11,299,015
143
110°
4,240
35,031
39,271
6,237
287
322
34,350,436 38,508,063
September.
15
85 43
5 42
163,650
5,727,750
145
108º
3,988
200,90
24 078
3,719
237
285
28,767,206|
34,477,690
October.
16
92 37
6 06
277,198
6,201,930
144
109º
4,264
21,676
25,940
4,106
239
297
28,713,431
34,361,801
November.
15
76 25
05
143,073
5.007,555
146
98º
3,818
19,716
4,550
212
264
25,908,441
30,926,147
December ...
16
81 35
5 05
151,928
5,317,480
146
90°
4,102
22,494
23,534 26,596
4,954
199
238
24,344,979
28,784,162
Totals and averages.
210
1151 30
5 29
2,216,684
77,583,940
144
101°
47,402
274,374
321,776
54,116
241
282
28,956,567 33,959,197
O 88°
February
14
64 05
4 34
126,283
Pumped per Month.
Against Pump.
Hot Well.
ing.
Gals. 253
Ft. Lbs.
Ft. Lbs. 25,834.231 30,610,195
.
.
255
.
COAL CONSUMED.
Coal.
April. ..
5
RECORD OF DEANE PUMPING ENGINE FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1910
MONTHS.
Separate Days Pumping.
Number Hours Pumping.
Average Number Hours
Total Number Revolutions
per Month.
Pumped per Month. Total Number of Gallons
Average Dynamic Head
Average Temperature of
Raising Steam, Bank-
ing Fires and Heat-
ing Building.
Pumping.
Total Coal.
Ashes.
No. Gallons Pumped per
lb. of Coal on Total Coal.
lb. of Coal while Pump- No. Gallons Pumped per
Average Duty in Foot
lbs. per 100 Ibs. Coal on
Pounds per 100 Pounds
of Coal while Pumping.
January ..
14
62 15
4 18
Rev. 119,764
Gals. 4,191,740
Ft. 145
0 89°
Lbs. 3,374
Lbs. 17,312
Lbs. 20,686
Lbs. 3,812
Gals. 202
Gals. 242
Ft. Lbs. 24,504,845]
Ft. Lbs. 29,280,679
February.
11
62 15
4 26
117,481
4,111,835
145
91º
3,308
16,966 36,502
20,274 44,386
6,999
213
250
25,808,103 31,382,348
April
May .
16
73 10
4 34
147,371
5,157,985
146
104°
4,162
18,482
22,644
3,578
227
278
27,736.126 33,982,084
June.
22
91 35
4 09
182,439
6,385,365
145
108°
4,135
25,111
29,246
5,221
218
283
26,403,025
30,750,754 -
July .
27
179 05
38
347,932
12,177,620
142
113º
3,719
39,079
42,798
7,280
284
340
33,697,186 36,940,060
August ..
23
159 40
56
318,071
11,130,595
146
110°
3,817
35,797
39,614
6,475
280
310
34,212,797
37,022,816
September.
15
78 37
5 14
158,681
5,553,835
146
110°
3,842
19,606
23,448
3,144
237
283
28,793,806 34,436.250
ctober.
15
74 25
4 57
144,810
5,068,350
147
102°
3,926
20,112
24,038
4,204
210
252
25,680,673
30,895,464
November .
15
71 35
4 46
129,787
4,542,545
149
98°
3,822
19,246
23,068
4,556
196
236
24,463,971
28,802,602
December.
15
76 35
5 06
150,008
5,250,280
147
76°
4,024
21,929
25,953
4,618
202
230
24,416,207
28,896,567
Totals and averages.
207
1072 25
5 10
2,086,935
73,042,725
145
99%
46,013
270,142
316,155
53,313
231
270
27,935,584
32,697,828
256
March ..
31
143 13
4 37
270,645
9,472,575
145
94°
7,884
Against Pump.
Hot Well.
COAL CONSUMED.
Average Duty in Foot
Total Coal.
H. M.
H. M.
Pumping.
ing.
24,526,203
29,308,275
3,426
202
242
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
OF THE
TOWN OF WEYMOUTH
1910
GAZETTE PUBLISHING COMPANY, WEYMOUTH, MASS., 1911.
SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
Term Expires.
Thomas V. Nash, Chairman . March, 1912 John F. Reardon, Secretary . March, 1912 F. H. Torrey . March, 1911
Eugene M. Carter .
March, 1911
H. F. Perry . .
March, 1913
Clarence P. Whittle
March, 1913
Regular meetings of the Committee are held the first Tuesday in each month at the Selectmen's Room, East Weymouth.
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
Parker T. Pearson. Office hours : Tuesday at close of school, Jefferson. Wednesday at close of school, Howe. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, 4.30 P. M. to 5.30 P. M., at home 511 Com- mercial Street, East Weymouth.
SCHOOL CALENDAR.
Winter term closes March 24, 1911. Spring term begins March 27, 1911, closes June 23, 1911. Fall term begins September 5, 1911, closes December 22, 1911. Winter term begins January 1, 1912, closes March 22, 1912.
HOLIDAYS.
Washington's Birthday, Patriots Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Friday following.
NO SCHOOL SIGNAL 2-2-2, 2-2-2
At 7.30 A. M. no school in any school during A. M. At 8 A. M. no school in grades I-IV inclusive. At 11.45 A. M. no school in grades I-IV inclusive during the P. M. At 12.45 P. M. no school in any grade during the P. M.
REPORT OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
To the Citizens of Weymouth :
The School Committee herewith presents for your consideration the annual report for the year ending December 31, 1910, in- cluding the following statement of our finances :
RESOURCES.
Balance unexpended January 1, 1910
$17,589 47
Appropriation March 14, 1910
62,000 00
One-half dog license money
712 09
Tuition of State children .
111 00
Supplies and tickets sold
.
83 95
Stove, Tufts School, sold
12 00
W. J. Sladen, error in bill
62
Total
$80,509 13
EXPENDITURES.
Superintendent
$1,933 33
Instructors
·
38,823 00
Janitors
4,605 00
Fuel
4,401 26
Repairs .
5,097 88
Water rent
333 00
Supplies
4,587 21
Miscellaneous
601 56
Transportation
2,390 00
Total
$62,772 24
Balance unexpended January 1, 1911
$17,736 89
.
.
·
.
The Board has as in the past three years kept well within the annual appropriation, and has by the addition of an English teacher in the High School and a writing teacher two days in each week increased the efficiency of the teaching corps. Exten-
4
sive repairs have been made, a major portion of the outlay occur- ing in Ward Two and Ward Three. . In Ward Two the Washing- ton was shingled, two rooms fitted with adjustable seats, of which the seats for one room were taken from the Franklin. At the High School settees and tablet arm chairs for the lecture room have been added. Early in the year an accident to the boiler at the Hunt made necessary the replacing of several sec- tions. During the summer, the old sanitary arrangements were abolished and modern toilets installed. At the Tufts School, the stoves having proved inadequate to properly heat the building have been replaced by furnaces. Adjustable seats have been placed in two rooms at the Shaw School.
In accordance with a
recent statutory requirement public drinking cups have been abolished, and it has been neces- sary to provide the various buildings with drinking fountains.
Realizing the inadequacy of the past system of Medical Inspection to meet the intent of the statutes, we have inaugu- rated a system of weekly Medical Inspection, the physicians of the town readily co-operating with the Board.
We urge the voters to give their consideration to existing school conditions in Ward Five. In this Ward we have main- tained in the outlying districts ungraded schools (grades I .- IV.) which have gradually fallen off in school population until at the present time the Pond School enrolls but twelve pupils and the Hollis eleven. It would be economy for the town to close these two schools, and at the same time it would be an educational advantage to the children to be transported to the graded schools, but a natural reluctance to interfere with the established con- ditions has prevented the Board from taking action.
We have had more than the usual number of changes in the teaching force, seventeen resignations having been received during the year.
We respectfully submit the following estimate of school expen- diture for the ensuing year :
Teachers' salaries $41,500 00
Superintendent
.
2,000 00
Janitors and cleaning
.
. 4,500 00 .
Amount carried forward $48,000 00
5
Amount brought forward $48,000 00
Supplies
4,000 00
Fuel
4,600 00
Repairs .
3,500 00
Transportation
2,000 00
Miscellaneous
500 00
Water Tax
400 00
Total
$63,000 00
Respectfully submitted,
THOMAS V. NASH,
JOHN F. REARDON,
H. FRANKLIN PERRY,
EUGENE M. CARTER,
FRANK H. TORREY, CLARENCE P. WHITTLE.
EAST WEYMOUTH, Dec. 31, 1910.
REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT.
Members of the School Committee :
I herewith submit my second annual report, the same being the twenty-fifth in the series of annual reports of the Superintendents of this town.
The system of Medical Inspection as adopted by the Commit- tee in November has not been in force long enough to give any tabulated results, but it is probably the most important move made by the Committee during the year. Five physicians have been appointed to make weekly visits to their respective buildings and have been assigned as follows :
Athens, Adams . Lester W. Horne, M. D.
Washington, Jefferson
J. C. Fraser, M. D.
Humphrey
Joseph Chase, Jr., M. D.
Hunt, Lincoln, Tufts
Norbert V. Mullin, M. D.
Shaw, Pratt .
K. H. Granger, M. D.
Bates, Howe
E. N. Mayberry, M. D.
In accordance with the recommendations of the State Board of Education children showing the following symptoms are referred to the Medical Inspectors on their weekly visits :
Emaciation. Pallor.
Puffiness of the Face.
Shortness of Breath.
Swellings in the Neck.
General Lassitude and other Evidences of Sickness.
Flushing of the Face.
Eruptions of Any Sort.
A Cold in the Head with Running Eyes.
Irritating Discharge from the Nose.
Evidences of a Sore Throat.
Coughs. Vomiting.
Frequent Requests to Go Out.
7
The Inspectors in their visits look for the following :
Infectious diseases ; Diphtheria, Scarlet Fever, Measles, Mumps,
Chicken Pox.
Defects of eye not discovered in teacher's examination.
Defects of ear not discovered in teacher's examination.
Diseases of Throat and Nose.
Diseases of the Skin : Scabies, Head Lice, Ringworm, Impetigo.
Diseases of Bones and Joints.
Decayed Teeth.
Nervous Troubles and Mental Defects.
Observance of School Hygiene.
Correct use of School Furniture.
From the eye and ear tests given by the teachers during the month of September, we get the following results :
Number of pupils examined .
- 1554
Number found defective in eyesight
147
Number found defective in hearing 68
Number of parents or guardians notified 153
Per cent. found having defective eyesight 9++
Per cent. found having defective hearing
.
4++
In connection with the Medical Inspection, it might be well to. state that a concerted action is being taken by all the grammar principals to get the pupils into the open air during the recess periods. Basket ball is being played by all the pupils of the upper grades and a series of games has been arranged at the Clapp Memorial Building in which the pupils of the six grammar schools are competing for a silver cup offered as a prize to the winning team. It has been found that this open air exercise and the judicious supervision of the playground activities has assisted materially in the disciplining of the class rooms and the quality of mental work done during school hours. It has been said that "we seem sometimes to have forgotten that the aim of school and college is not primarily learning, but the development of strong, well-balanced men and women who can bear the bur- dens and do the work of their own place in life and meet tlie emergencies of a complex civilization. The chief business of the lower grades (below the High School) should be to promote healthy physical growth. The body of the young boy or girl de- mands more care and attention than the mind. Pulmonary rather
8
than cerebral capacity is the best promise of future usefulness. Playground, garden and gymnasium can help more than desk and recitation. Both are needed, but the physical is first, afterwards that which is mental and spiritual."
An attempt was made early in the spring to interest the pupils in the grades above the third in the subject of home gardening. Professor W. R. Hart of the Massachusetts Agricultural College offered to furnish each boy or girl who desired to take part in a contest with 400 grains of seed corn and three seed potatoes. About three hundred children took part in the contest, but owing to the long dry spell in July and August the results were not very satisfactory. A few prizes were taken at the local fair in South Weymouth, but none of the specimens were considered good enough to send to the central fair at Worcester. The object of the contest was to teach the boys and girls the first simple lessons in plant culture. Pamphlets were given to each child telling just how to plant and care for each specimen. An effort will be made the coming year to have school gardens near the buildings where possible. At several of the buildings there is already consider- able training along this line. At the Bates and the Howe the children take excellent care of the grounds and shrubbery, while at the Athens the pupils have done a large amount of grading and planting of flowers around the building.
Miss Sanger is still being employed to teach sewing to the girls of the eighth and ninth grades, the members of the Old Colony Club and the Monday Club having voted to furnish the money again this year. One hundred and eighteen girls are taking the work, distributed as follows : Athens 18, Bates 32, Humphrey 15, Hunt 26, Pratt 9, Shaw 18. An exhibition of the work of both boys and girls was given at a meeting of the Monday Club.
That the work is appreciated by the pupils is shown by the fact that at the close of the regular lessons in April the pupils of the Athens school voted to continue the work under the instruction of the regular teachers.
One hundred and thirty-six boys are taking the work in Manual Training, distributed as follows : Athens 28, Bates 24, Hum- phrey 26, Hunt 35, Pratt 7, Shaw 16.
The work has necessarily been rather simple in all buildings except the Bates and Shaw which are equipped with work benches and tools. The most of the work has been done with sloyd
9
knives, although some of the pupils have brought tools from home for general work. Such articles as coat hangers, sleeve boards, book racks, picture frames, decorated pin holders and war clubs have been made. In November, cane seating was introduced at the Hunt and Shaw, and about eighty chairs have been repaired, the pupils paying merely for the cost of the material used. The work is proving so popular that it will probably be used in the other buildings.
During the summer the course of study was rewritten and placed in loose-leaf note books, which makes it possible to re- vise any portion of the outline without interfering with the rest of the course. The teaching of number has been resumed in the second grade. The work in history, geography and arithmetic is to be completed in the eighth grade, so as to give time for thorough reviews and more advanced work in the ninth. Nearly all the pupils who leave school to go to work, do so in the seventh and eighth grades, and for that reason every effort should be made to give the pupils as complete and practical an education as possible before they leave school. The most of the ninth grade pupils enter the High School. Last June 124 pupils graduated from the ninth grade, and this fall 124 freshmen entered the High School. Of course not exactly the same pupils entered the High School as graduated from the ninth grade as the constant change of popu- lation carried some of the graduates from the town whose places were taken by later arrivals.
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.