USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Burlington > Town annual report of the officers of Burlington, Massachusetts year ending 1914 > Part 3
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GREETING :-
In the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, you are directed to notify and warn the inhabitants of the Town of Burlington, qualified to vote in elections and Town Affairs, to meet in the Schoolhouse in said Town on Monday, Novem- ber the 9th, at 7.30 p. m., there to act on the following articles :
Article 1. To choose a Moderator to preside at said meeting.
Article 2. To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Board of Selectmen to convey by deed or release all right, title and interest that the Town may have in the land and building thereon situated in the northerly part of Burlington and known as the North Schoolhouse Property, for a nominal consideration.
Article 3. To see if the Town will accept from the Trustees under the will of Marshall Simonds the sum of five thousand dollars ($5,000) to be added to the Fifteen Thousand Dollars ($15,000) heretofore appropriated by the Town and to be used under the direction of the Town Hall Committee for the erection of the Town Hall; and a further sum of money from said Trustees equal to the total expense to the Town of Burlington of acquiring the land on Bedford Street, conveyed by Catherine Rogan to the Town, and will include said Rogan land in, and make it a part of Simonds Park, and will accept said Rogan land for this purpose in accordance with the will of Marshall Simonds and the Statutes of this Commonwealth relating to Public Parks.
Article 4. To see if the Town will vote to appoint a Standing Committee of five (5) citizens, with power to fill
39
vacancies, to be known as the "Civic and Development Com- mittee" who shall investigate and report from time to time to the Town matters of Public Interest, which they may deem important.
And you are directed to serve this warrant by posting up attested copies thereof ; one at the Schoolhouse, one on the billboard on South Bedford Street, one at Wilmington Road, and one at the store of Wm. G. Fuller, seven days at least before the time for holding said meeting.
Hereof fail not, and make due return of this warrant with your doings thereon to the Town Clerk at or before the time and place of said meeting as aforesaid.
Given under our hands this thirty-first day of October, 1914.
THOMAS W. POLLOCK GEORGE McINTIRE JAMES MCLAUGHLIN
Selectmen of Burlington.
Special Town Meeting, November 9, 1914
.
Meeting called to order by Town Clerk at 7.30 p. m. and warrant read.
Article 1. A motion was made that the Clerk cast one ballot for David E. Barnum to serve as Moderator and it was so voted; the vote being unanimous. David E. Barnum was declared elected and sworn.
Article 2. Voted that the Town authorize its Board of Selectmen to convey by deed or release all right, title and interest that the Town may have in the land and building thereon situated in the northerly part of Burlington and known as the North Schoolhouse Property, for the considera- tion of one dollar ($1.00). 17 in favor and none opposed.
Article 3. Voted that the Town will accept from the Trustees under the will of Marshall Simonds the sum of
40
Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000) to be added to the Fifteen Thousand Dollars ($15,000) appropriated by the Town and to be used, under the direction of the Town Hall Committee, for the erection of the Town Hall, and a further sum of money from said Trustees, equal to the total expense to the Town of acquiring the land on Bedford Street conveyed by Catherine Rogan to the Town, and will include said Rogan land in and make it a part of Simonds Park, and will accept said Rogan land for this purpose in accordance with the will of Marshall Simonds and the Statutes of this Commonwealth relating to Public Parks. 25 in favor and none opposed.
Article 4. Voted that the Moderator appoint a Committee of five (5) citizens with power to fill vacancies, to be known as the "Civic and Development Committee" who shall in- vestigate and report to the Town from time to time any matters of public interest which they may deem important. 18 in favor and none opposed.
Voted that the Moderator be allowed one month in which to appoint the Committee, and at the end of one month to report his choice to the Selectmen.
Meeting dissolved at 7.57 p. m.
41
LIST OF DOGS LICENSED DURING THE YEAR 1914
M F
M F
Webster Bennett
2
Catherine Breen
1
Dennis Cleigh
1
Martha E. S. Curtis
1
Morris Comley
1
1 John Moglia
1
William J. Carroll
1 Hugh McCafferty 1 Joseph Marcotte
1
Mrs. Chapman
1
William McDevitt
1
Beatrice E. Dubois
1 George McIntire
1
1
Harry Davies
1
Wilbur C. McIntire
1
Thomas Demarico
1 Walter S. McIntire
1
Charles Dearborn
1 Robert Mclaughlin
1
Patrick Donovan
1
Selwyn H. Graham
1
Wm. G. Fuller
1
G. W. Page
1
Joseph L. Foster
1
George B. Perkins
1
Charles H. Foster
1 William J. Pollock
1
Owen Gorman
1
Everett Parke, Jr.
1
Given Brothers
1
John Peterson
1
Willard Ginn
1
George Reed
1
William Graham
1
E. M. Sherman
1
Mrs. Ella Getchell
1
Frederick W. Richardson
1
John H. Graham
1 George Brochu
1
Bernard F. Gerhard
1 Joseph Brochu
1
Chester H. Graham
1 John Salamone
1
Howard A. Goodwin
1
Estate of John Taylor
1
James W. Gowen
1
Edward Sullivan
1
Charles Hayes
1
N. C. Skilton
2
Charles W. Hawkins
2
George T. Stubbs
1
George A. Hicks
2
Walter W. Skelton
1
Joseph M. Howe
2
Herman Simmer
1
Peter Chris Johnson
1
O. Turnbull
1
Christopher Johnson
1
John Taylor
1
Patrick Keating
1
Addison Twining
1
George E. Kendall
1 Lillian E. Wilson
1
Herbert E. Lord
1
Mrs. William Winn
1
John A. Lawson
1
Alfred Watts
1
David F. Lundin
1
John G. Winn
1
Daniel Lundrigan
1
Robert C. Wilson
1
John A. Little
1 William Winn
1
Olive S. Barnum
1
James Wood
1
1
Joseph H. Butters
1
Mrs. Caroline Von Webber
1
D. Leland Barnum
1 Berthold Bamberg
1
Whole number 88, Males 80, Females 8, 1 Breeders' License.
42
1
Mrs. John Cummings
BIRTHS RECORDED DURING THE YEAR 1914
Date
Name
Parents
Feb. 28
Lillian M. Johnson
Simon and Olga (Danielson)
Mar. 13
Turnbull
Robert and Chris- tine (Matthison)
April 14
Kenneth W. Holbrook
Harrison E. and Lillian (Hrowes)
Aug. 19
Gladys May Nichols
William A. and Nellie ( Blake)
Sept. 2
Dorothy F. Walsh
John H. and Mar- garet (Bryant)
Sept. 13
Edna May Dexter
Daniel and Lilla (Pattison)
Oct.
8
Rubelle Neste
Bunndo and Aelles (Tirgen)
Oct. 9
William Frederick Graham
Chester H. & Ser- aphina (Morse)
Whole number, 8-Males, 3; Females, 5
NOTICE TO PARENTS.
Extracts from the Revised Laws, Chapter 29, Section 6.
"Parents, within 40 days after the birth of a child * shall cause notice thereof to be given to the Clerk of the city or town in which such child is born."
The Town Clerk hereby gives public notice that he will furnish blanks for the return of births agreeable to the pro- visions of Section 16, Chapter 29, of the Revised Laws.
43
MARRIAGES RECORDED DURING THE YEAR 1914
Date
Name
Residence
April 29
John H. Given Martha Given
Burlington Burlington
May 6
Francis A. Partridge, Jr. Emma V. McLean
Woburn Burlington
Aug. 27
James E. Bray Grace E. Green
Burlington Burlington
Oct.
2
Charles A. Raymond Euretta M. Sherman
Burlington Burlington
Oct. 14
Joseph H. Butters Gladys N. Small
Burlington Burlington
Nov. 24
Loren H. Blenkhorn Viola L. Harmon
Burlington Burlington
Nov. 29
George H. Nichols Clara M. Cross
Burlington Lowell
Intentions of marriages filed-6
NOTICE.
R. L., c. 151, 16, as amended by St. 1911, c. 736, 1, is as follows :-
"Persons who intend to be joined in marriage in this Commonwealth shall, not less than 5 days before their mar- riage, cause notice of their intention to be entered in the office of the clerk or registrar of the city or town in which they respectively dwell, or, if they do not dwell within the Common- wealth, in the office of the clerk or registrar of the city or town in which they propose to have the marriage solemnized."
44
DEATHS RECORDED DURING THE YEAR 1914
Ages
Date
Name
Cause of Death
Yrs.
Mos.
Days
Jan. 3
Carrie A. Skelton
General Peritonitis
37
8 00 /
26
Mar. 13
Turnbull
Stillborn
Mar. 14
Almira Skelton
Intestinal Obstruction
72
6
21
April 1
Frederick G. Graham
Meningitis
30
2
18
May 29
Abby A. Walker
Peritonitis
78
9
1
June 2
Harriet Perry
Lobar Pneumonia
77
11
22
June 13
Katherine Meyer
Cerebral Hemmorhage
74
4
20
June 16
Oscar E. Johnson
Chronic Brights Disease
83
9
20
Willard Ginn
Acute Peritonitis
56
6
26
July Dec. 6
Joseph H. Brochu
Lobar Pneumonia
70
-
-
Whole number, 10-Males, 4; Females, 6
A true copy : Attest :
SELWYN H. GRAHAM, Town Clerk.
FEES OF CLERK'S OFFICE RETURNED TO TREASURER.
Dog License Fees
$17.60
Hunters' License Fees
5.60
Marriage License Fees
6.00
Recording Personal Property (Mortgages) 1.50
2.60
Recording Orders for Pole Locations
$33.30
45
APPOINTMENTS MADE BY SELECTMEN APRIL 4, 1914
Public Weigher SOLON JOHNSON
Sealer of Weights and Measures FRANK C. PEARSONS
Measurer of Wood and Lumber HORACE B. SKELTON
Special Police JOSEPH M. HOWE
Special Police ORRAY S. SKELTON
Inspector of Animals THOMAS W. POLLOCK
Inspector of Slaughtering FRANK C. PEARSONS
Forest Warden and Supt. of Moth Dept. WALTER W. SKELTON
CIVIC AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE.
According to the vote of the Town at a Special Town Meeting held November 9th, the Moderator appointed the following to serve on the Civic and Development Committee : Everett B. Park, Jr., James McLaughlin, Walter W. Skelton, Thomas W. Pollock, Selwyn H. Graham.
A true copy : Attest :
SELWYN H. GRAHAM, Town Clerk.
46
Report of Selectmen
To the Citizens of Burlington:
The Selectmen herewith present their report for the year nineteen hundred and fourteen.
The repairs on South Bedford Street have been com- pleted and a detailed statement of the expense will be found in the financial report. We strongly recommend that some action be taken by the Town at the annual meeting along the line of preserving our macadam roads. Macadam roads are expensive propositions and are well worth the cost, but must be taken care of after they are built. A small outlay each year is much more economical than to let them go until large expenditures are needed.
WINN STREET.
This street has been repaired the past year and a coat of Tarvia applied under the supervision of the Mass. Highway Commission, they assuming half of the expense. Another coat of Tarvia the coming year would be beneficial.
We recommend that a small appropriation be made this year for the Selectmen to use in curbing lawlessness in the Town. The past year much good work has been done along this line and a number of persons have been brought before the Court and fined. This has served to make the Town a better place to dwell in and given those who think our patience is inexhaustible a lesson they will not soon forget.
Respectfully submitted,
THOMAS W. POLLOCK GEORGE McINTIRE JAMES MCLAUGHLIN Selectmen of Burlington
47
ANNUAL REPORTS
OF THE
School Committee and Superintendent of Schools
OF
BURLINGTON, MASS.
IT
642 . WOBURN PREC
WOBURN.1
INC
INC
1799
SEWALL HOUSE
28
ORPORATED
FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31,
1914
Annual Report
OF THE
School Committee of Burlington MASSACHUSETTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1914
Organization
JAMES McLAUGHLIN, Chairman. Term expires 1915. WALTER W. SKELTON, Secretary. Term expires 1916. JOSEPH M. HOWE. Term expires 1917.
George P. Armstrong, Superintendent.
Violet A. Twining, Principal and teacher Grades 7 and 8. Cora McIntire, teacher Grades 5 and 6.
Florence B. York, teacher Grades 1 and 2.
Linda C. Smith, teacher Grades 3 and 4.
Supervisors
Evelyn F. Cross, Drawing.
Bernice E. Newhall, Sewing.
Henry L. Stone, Music.
School Physician
C. Guy Lane, M. D.
Janitor
George T. Stubbs, resigned.
Frank C. Pearsons.
Attendance Officer
Joseph M. Howe.
51
Burlington Students Attending High Schools.
Woburn.
Date of Graduation
Augusta E. Bamberg
1915
Charles W. Dearborn
1915
Helen W. McIntire
1915
Harold E. McGann
1915
John Lloyd Boston
1916
Ralph R. McDonald
1916
Marguerite J. Mckenzie
1916
Lillian M. Perkins
1916
Arthur C. Benner
1917
Joshua H. Bennett
1917
Margaret Brady
1917
Clarence J. McIntire
1917
Dorothy H. Sewall
1917
William H. Walker
1917
Vora E. Foster
1918
Chester P. Knowles
1918
Marguerite J. McDonald
1918
Clara L. McGann 1918
Harold C. Pattison
1918
Maitland Pearsons
1918
George B. Perkins
1918
Fred Straw
1918
Lexington.
Helen S. Little 1915
Margaret Kinneen
1916
Timothy Kinneen
1918
Graduates of High School, 1914.
Doris Perkins.
Graduates of Industrial School, 1914.
Wilmot L. Pearsons.
Philip Foster.
52
The Superintendent's report refers fully to what he con- siders is needed for the improvement of the schools and the Committee heartily concurs in his suggestions and ask you to give them careful consideration.
Necessary repairs have been made on the building, and the general work of the Committee attended to. The school building should be painted this year and the Committee will ask you to provide for this expenditure.
Respectfully submitted,
JAMES McLAUGHLIN WALTER W. SKELTON JOSEPH M. HOWE School Committee.
53
Report of the Superintendent of Schools
To the Burlington School Committee:
I herewith present for your consideration this, my fifth annual report, and the twenty-fourth in the series of annual reports to the Town.
The Town has been fortunate in retaining its excellent corps of regular teachers.
Before the last report reached the hands of the citizens Miss Mary J. Wilson, who had but a few months before been elected instructor in sewing, was called upon to undergo a critical surgical operation which resulted fatally. Miss Wilson was a woman of fine character and a skilful teacher. In the short time she had been at work she had won the confidence and esteem of her classes and laid a good foundation upon which another must build.
Miss Bernice E. Newhall of Newton, Mass., who had also received her training for this work at Simmons College, was engaged to continue the work. Coming from the same school the plans and methods of the two teachers were similar, so the work has gone on without any serious break.
The girls in the older classes soon mastered the various stitches, etc., and were ready to begin upon work in the con- struction of useful garments. It was soon found that but little could be accomplished if all the sewing must be done by hand, since one or two garments would require all the time of the class for a year. Furthermore, as but little of the sewing is now done by hand, except where time is abundant and something especially fine is wanted, it seems best that each girl should learn to operate a sewing machine, both as a means of learning to construct by actually making a considerable number of
54
garments and to facilitate the work of this kind to be done later in life or from this time forward. A new machine was purchased during the fall term and all the older pupils in the class are learning to operate it.
ยท Some irregular work in manual training is given the older boys. They have put up a teeter board upon the playground, also a swing, digging the post holes and setting the posts. They are also continuing the work of providing better facilities for caring for the hats, coats, rubbers, lunches, etc., of the school. The class last year completed this work on the second floor so far as construction, but did not have time to shellac and varnish the work done. The present class are at work upon similar divisions for those on the first floor. They have also made some bread boards, shelves, ink stands, etc.
INCREASED ACCOMMODATIONS.
There has been a steady increase in numbers throughout the year. By the middle of the year the first room was full and the third room crowded so that there was neither floor space, seating accommodations, or sufficient air to provide properly for the number regularly in attendance, and both pupils and work suffered in consequence.
Soon after the opening of the schools in September it was found absolutely essential that another room should be opened and an additional teacher secured. As the desks of the larger and older pupils require more space and as these pupils require more air per pupil and for the further reason that it is desirable that the principal of the school should be upon the ground floor, it seemed best to re-arrange the rooms. The room which has for some years been used for municipal purposes was fitted up for the use of grades VII, VIII and IX. The room formerly occupied by these grades was fitted up for the use of grades III and IV, and Miss Linda C. Smith, a skilful and experienced teacher, was placed in charge of the classes and is doing very satisfactory work with them. In order to equalize more nearly the numbers in the several rooms, some six of the older and stronger pupils of grade II were also brought to this room. Some of these will be able to work into grade III before the end of the year.
55
As arranged now there are, speaking generally, two grades in each room. The average number in each room is about 30 pupils. By having some seats and desks, stored in the attic, re- finished, and re-arranging others, the Committee was able to provide seats and desks fairly well adapted to the size and age of all the pupils at comparatively slight expense. Some ad- justable irons should be placed upon more of the desks and chairs for the better accommodation of pupils above or below the normal size in each of the rooms.
The King Geographies having been in use seven years or more, had become so worn as to be unfit for further service. These have been replaced by the revised edition of the Tarr and McMurry Geography. This latter is a four book series and is in form more convenient to handle. The text is much fuller than that of the old series in use, maps are more numerous and varied. They are well illustrated.
Some further additions have been made to the list of supplementary readers. Now that there are but two grades in each room instead of three, more time can be given to this important subject.
Some of the wall maps are old and much worn, but the present is an inopportune time to replace them since it is not unlikely that there may be some important changes on those of one or more of the continents about the time the present European war closes.
The course in reading has been much improved by the introduction of books of proved literary merit as supple- mentary readers. Some of these are standard works of their class, as Swift's Gulliver's Travels, DeFoe's Robinson Crusoe, Scott's Talisman, etc. Others are children's classics whose authors are less well known, but whose works are a source of much enjoyment to the children.
In all of the work of the schools in which a text book of any kind is used, there is a very marked difference in the quality of the work done by the children who come from homes where books are abundant and everybody reads and those who come from homes where little if any reading is done and the formation of the reading habit receives little encouragement. With the present length of school days and the number of subjects which must receive daily attention,
56
it is quite impossible to do much in reading beyond training in expression and the acquisition of a fair knowledge of the pronunciation and meaning of words. Reading for informa- tion, beyond the work done in the text books of Geography and History, must be done in the homes. So, also, with most of the reading which must be done by all who would ever attain a fair acquaintance with the standard authors of English and American literature.
MORAL TRAINING.
There has long been considerable criticism of the public schools on the ground that they do not give sufficient attention to moral training. The reply has generally been that the teacher teaches morals more by what he or she is and does than either can possibly do by regular set lessons in morals. It has been urged further that moral instruction is best given incidentally. The fact still remains that there is an over- abundance of evidence that too many grow up either without clear moral perceptions, or lack either the purpose or the will to square their practice with their moral code.
Under these circumstances it is well for those engaged in educational work to consider the ground for their present procedure carefully, also whether there is anything which the school may do to improve upon the present results. In doing this many have reached the conclusion that the force and example of the teacher will not be lessened if he or she should do with some systematic planning that which is now done, as one might say, by haphazard or incidentally. It is also urged that what is wanted is not systematic lessons in morals so much as training in moral actions. Not infrequently it comes out that those who say that moral instruction is best taught incidentally have not expressed their thought clearly. What they really mean is that the child is incapable of considering a theory of morals and can only judge when the case in point is put before him concretely as a specific act or case which is undoubtedly sound pedagogy.
For the best results it is not necessary at all that the action under consideration be that of one of the members of the school or class. Indeed, the judgment is much less liable to be biased if the personal element does not enter into the
57
consideration of the matter. The concrete example, then, is better taken from a story, read or told them, than from an incident in school or class experience and the desirability or necessity of acting in accordance with the conclusion reached may be as strongly urged upon the individual in the one case as in the other. Such being the case there is no good reason why such a series of stories or incidents should not be so arranged as to secure a well ordered presentation of the topics to be considered in a well graded course of moral instruction without the use of any text book on moral instruc- tion or the introduction of another subject into the course of studies. It cannot be harmful to do with sufficient system to make sure that all topics are considered and each introduced at the best time, what we are doing in a manner so irregular and unsystematic that for aught we know one topic may be harped upon ad nauseum because a school virtue is involved. while another of equal or higher importance fails of con- sideration because its presence or absence does not strongly affect school life.
The Superintendent would like very much to see a Parent Teachers' Association formed to promote a more thorough co-operation between the home and the school. Both are working earnestly for the education of the same children. That the highest efficiency may be reached by each, they must each profit by the other's knowledge, experience and aid.
Some form of School Savings should be instituted as a means of teaching thrift. The statutes of the Commonwealth require that this subject should be taught in the schools, and this is found to be a most practical way of reaching the desired result.
In the matter of facilities for washing and for drinking there is great need for more adequate provisions. The increas- ing numbers serve to emphasize the need.
THE SCHOOL CENSUS.
Changes in the compulsory attendance law made necessary a census that should include the names of all children between the ages of 5 and 16 years. The state has provided a card system for the convenience of the census taker and also as a means of keeping fuller and more accurate records. These
58
have added greatly to the amount of work required of the enumerator.
The results in tabular form are as follows :
Between 5 and 7 years of age, girls 13, boys 20, total 33 Between 7 and 14 years of age, girls 45, boys 44, total 89 Between 14 and 16 years of age, girls 10, boys 10, total 20
Totals 5 and 16 years of age, girls 68, boys 74, total 142
The census of last year included only those between 5 and 15, and was 108 in all. The results of the two cannot properly be compared, since the number of years included is different. It shows, however, an increase of 34 in the num- ber required by law to attend school unless they have secured an educational certificate allowing them to be engaged in work at home or elsewhere.
A comparison of the statistical tables may be of interest as it brings out clearly the growth during the year. The whole number of different pupils who were enrolled during the school year which ended in June, 1914, was 110. The number enrolled during the remaining four months was 116.
CALENDAR 1915-16.
Mid-winter recess, 1915 February 22-28 inclusive Spring recess, 1915 April 19-23, inclusive Summer vacation, 1915 June 21 to September 6, inclusive Christmas vacation, December 24 to January 2, 1916, inclusive Mid-winter recess, 1916 February 21-25 inclusive Holidays in term time - Columbus Day, Thanksgiving Day and the Friday following, Memorial Day.
In concluding this report I wish to express my hearty appreciation of cordial support given me by the Committee at all times, and also to thank the supervisors and teachers for their faithful and efficient work and hearty co-operation.
Respectfully submitted,
GEORGE P. ARMSTRONG.
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