USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Wakefield > Town annual report of the officers of Wakefield Massachusetts : including the vital statistics for the year 1875-1881 > Part 51
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THIRD GRAMMAR.
This school has remained as for some years past under the charge of Miss Warren. During the year ending June, 1881, there was a class in this school of equal grade with the second grammar, and really a part of it which could not be accommodated in that school room. Both classes did good work, and as large a percentage belonging to the sec- ond grammar school in this room as in the other passed suc- cessfully the examination for promotion.
THE CENTRE INTERMEDIATE SCHOOLS.
In these schools there has been no change of teachers dur- ing the year. Miss Field, Miss Emerson and Miss Currier,
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in the first, second and third intermediates respectively, have done their usual faithful work, and their schools have made corresponding progress.
FIRST PRIMARY.
During the summer term of this school Miss Stearns' health began to fail, and it became apparent to her friends that she was over-worked, and during the vacation following a leave of absence for one year was granted her. The town can very ill afford to lose the services of a teacher like Miss Stearns, and it is confidently hoped that at the beginning of the next school year she will be able to resume her position.
Miss Mansfield, so long a teacher in the West Ward Pri- mary, was transferred at her own request to the place made temporarily vacant by Miss Stearns' absence, and has now the charge of the school with her usual success.
SECOND PRIMARY.
Miss Hersey contiued in this school until she completed five years' service in December last, when she resigned on account of ill health. Her resignation occasioned universal regret, and she will carry with her the highest esteem of all who have been associated with her in any way during her stay in the town. She came to us in 1876 fresh, vigorous and full of enthusiasm, and imparted a new impulse to the primary work in pur town, which no one familiar with it can fail to recognize. It is to be hoped that she will regain her health, and that the town may again enjoy the benefit of her services. Miss Emma L. Randlitt, a young lady who has had special training for primary instruction, was chosen to fill the vacancy, and, so far as we are able to judge, her work meets with the approbation of those connected with the school.
168
NORTH WARD.
During the summer vacation Miss Evans, who had been a teacher in this town for more than twenty years, was com- pelled to resign on account of sickness in her, family. In this long term of laborious service she has proved an accom- plished teacher, a lady of singularly attractive disposition and character, and hundreds of our people have happy mem- ories of the time spent under her care. Miss Alice Free- man, a graduate of our High School, and the former assist- ant in the First Grammar School, was promoted to the charge of this school, and is exhibiting in it much aptness for teaching and more than ordinary originality of method. We shall be disappointed if her individuality does not afford corresponding results.
EAST WARD.
At the close of the school year Miss Killoran, who had been in that school for some years, retired from it and went west for a short time ; returning with improved health, she accepted a situation offered her as principal of the grammar school in Middleton, where, we understand, she has just closed a very successful term of service. Miss Etta Hamil- ton was elected to fill the vacancy occasioned by the retire- ment of Miss Kilforan, and now has charge of the school. Whenever we have visited it since the change of teachers it has appeared in good order and condition and we believe the appearance true.
WOODVIELE.
Miss Brown continues to interest and instruct the scholars in this school. During her administration we have been pleased to notice marked improvement in her classes ; an enthusiasm has been awakened among her pupils that we have not seen before equalled in this school. We expect good results at the next examination.
169
GREENWOOD.
Miss French, the teacher of this school at the time of our last report, resigned during the April vacation to assume more congenial duties in life, and Miss Susan S. Beebe, a teacher of long experience, was secured to fill the vacancy, and is now discharging her duties in a most satisfactory manner.
FRANKLIN STREET.
Whether there is anything in the atmosphere of these schools provocative of a missionary spirit we do not know, but a desire for that work has again this year deprived us of a valued teacher. Miss Hervey resigned in December to take charge of a missionary field of labor in the territory of Utah, under the auspices of the New West Commission, of which Rev. Mr. Bliss, formerly the Chairman of our School Committee, is the Secretary. We hear good reports of her work in that territory, and we feel sure that all who knew her here will wish her abundant success there. After a week's delay and some difficulty, Miss Bertha Dana, of Rutland, Vt., a young lady of excellent education and successful ex- perience in similar schools, was appointed to the vacant po- sition. Her work thus far seems thorough and earnest, and we apprehend that her administration will be a satisfactory one.
The Primary School still continues under the care of Miss Howlett, who, during the year, has done the same faithful and successful work as heretofore.
WEST WARD.
We said in our report submitted in 1878, just after Miss Miller was appointed teacher in the intermediate school in this ward that she gave promise of becoming a successful teacher, and we are glad to be able to record a fulfilment of our expectations. The results in her room show a conscien- tious devotion to her work. Upon the transfer of Miss
22
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Mansfield from the Primary in this Ward to the Primary in the Centre District, Miss Abbie M. Andrews of this town, a graduate of the Salem Normal School, was appointed substi- tute, and has been discharging the duties of that position since that time with a good degree of satisfaction.
MUSIC TEACHER.
Mr. George F. Wilson has for several years had the charge of the music in our schools. His popularity and efficiency are well known and appreciated. His careful labors have borne good fruit in ways too numerous to specify here.
Contrary to our usual practice, we have thus given some details in relation to all our schools, endeavoring to avoid in- discriminate praise, while we have sought to say what of each may be truthfully said. We would not have either the town, the teachers or the scholars think that our schools are in a condition no longer susceptible of improvement, but we do believe that the standard of our schools is as high as in our neighboring towns, and that they approach as nearly the standard as they, and that this is due to the assiduous labors of the teachers in charge, than whom there are no more la- borious corps of public servants anywhere.
TEACHERS' LIFE.
It used to be said frequently, and we hear it now occasion- ally, that a teacher's life is an easy one, occupying five and one-half hours a day for five days out of a week. No more mistaken idea ever prevailed. The majority of the teachers. in this town average ten hours per day of labor six days out of a week for the whole school year, and some of them ex- ceed that number of hours in their school work. Time was when it was considered an assumption to call teaching a. profession. Time is when not only teaching is recognized as a profession, but when teaching different grades of schools
171
have become distinct professions. The training and education required to be a successful teacher in a high or classical school is no longer the training and education required to teach a primary or grammar school, and it does not follow because a person is an excellent teacher in one grade of school that he will prove even a fair teacher in another ; the oppo- site is the rule. Persons who now propose to teach in any given grade of school should have a training adapted to that grade.
Remembering the readiness with which our teachers ac- cepted several reductions in their salaries a few years since, when from necessity the most rigid economy was exercised ; the increased labor and expense of fitting for a teacher's life ; the large amount of labor to be done and the enhanced cost of living, we ought now in more prosperous times to meet their desire for a larger compensation as they met ours for a decrease, cheerfully and not grudgingly, and in a man- ner that will show our appreciation of their work. The re- mark made lately that as good teachers as ours can be read- ily had at the same or less price than we pay, must have been.made by one who was wofully ignorant or maliciously untruthful. The experience we have had the past year in filling the thirteen vacancies which have occurred, will satis- fy any mind capable of satisfaction upon that point. Good teachers cannot be had and kept without fair pay. Poor teachers can be had by the score for a pittance, but it would be far wiser to hide the money in a napkin than to expend it in pay for such service.
SCHOLARS.
Last year we took occasion to notice in our report the im- provement in the tone and manner of our scholars, and to express our approbation thereof and our hopes for the future. We have occasion to think that this a plant of slow but steady growth, subject alike to the blight of the frost and the quickening of the sunshine. We have had some un-
172
pleasant experiences and evidences of evil tendencies and dishonesty, but many, very many more, of integrity and true nobility of character, and it is a pleasant thing to recall instances of manly truthfulness at the risk of punishment, and frequent instances of nice discrimination upon individual duty. The uniform testimony of our teachers is, that the talent in our schools is good, and that we have many pupils who are destined to make a significant mark in the various professions and callings in life if rightly directed. And we earnestly ask our young friends to be true to their best na- tures, and believe the experience of their elders, which tells them. that labor has its sure reward. " Go to the ant, thou sluggard," if such thou art, and learn something from a lowly yet enterprising insect, that by patient labor builds its hill of sand, grain by grain, and to the bee, who collects his winter's store of honey by long continued search and myriad visits to the flowery sweets. Some of you, we well know, have many temptations in your way ; many difficulties to overcome. Some are called upon to do much hard work outside of school life, and some (not many) feel at a tender age the pangs of poverty. Let these hindrances only nerve the arm to better deeds. Recently one of the great men of Massachusetts passed away under the sunny skies of Italy, one whose name is rendered familiar and dear to many of you by his early boyhood work, " Two Years Before the Mast." At a meeting of the bar of the United States, hold- en in Boston to do some honor to his memory, a great law- yer and former judge of our highest court said : " His so- cial position, and what would be called his social advantages, never helped him, but were a hindrance. He turned his back upon all social favor in this community, when, with his living to get, and his young family to support, he took up the cause of the slave and the fugitive, when merchants and financiers, ladies and scholars, frowned upon him, and I have often thought, instead of being born in Boston or in Cambridge, the grandson of a Chief Justice, the son of a
173
distinguished scholar. he had been born thirty or forty miles inland, and the son of a Congregational deacon, coming from the district school, the farm and the wooden meeting-house, he would have been the foremost man in Massachusetts by all men's acknowledgment."
It is said that in one of the great battles of the late war a division of our army was sent across an open field to dis- lodge a force of the enemy stationed upon a high hill. As they hastened to the hand-to-hand conflict the enemy poured upon them a terrible fire which mowed down their ranks like grass before the scythe, and they faltered. At once from their commander ran along the line the ringing words, "Close up! move on! touch the elbow !" and with the mighty electric power born of the touch, they scaled the heights and won the day.
SCHOOL PROPERTY.
From the appearance of the school houses in town no one will question the wisdom of the appropriation made during the last two years for painting, and when the figures of the cost are read, no one will question the wisdom and economy with which the same has been in part expended.
There are several school yards, notably the Centre, West Ward, Franklin Street and Greenwood, which are in a very bad condition, and quite an expenditure of money ought to be made upon them at once. Slight repairs have been made occasionally as the money could be spared from the contin- gent appropriation, but with this we were able to do only the most temporary work. We ought now to adopt some system of permanent improvement, and pursue it systemati- cally. Experience elsewhere has fully tested the value of well laid concrete for walks and yards about public build- ings, and we respectfully suggest that [the town appropriate such sum as it deems proper upon the walks through our school yards and about the entrances of our school houses. We are satisfied that this would prove an economical meas- ure in many respects. The fence about the school yard in
174
the Centre District is very much dilapidated, and ought either to be repaired and painted or removed. The same is true of the fences about some of the other.school houses in town. It is our duty to call the attention of the town to these facts, and then to do what the town in its greater wis- dom directs.
APPROPRIATIONS.
In view of the debt already upon us, and the evident in- crease in the cost of schools the ensuing year upon the pres- ent basis, we recommend an appropriation of $13,000 for regular school purposes, $1.000 for a contingent fund, and such sum as the town may think wise for a Supervisor, and for permanent improvements as above suggested.
COMMITTEE.
At the close of this year Mr. Balch retires from the Board and will take up his residence in Iowa, that he may the more efficiently discharge the duties of his position as Chan- cellor of Central University of Iowa, and the other members of the Committee desire in this public and permanent man- ner to express their high appreciation of his services on this Board since he became a member of it in 1876. Of the other members, the terms of the Secretary and Chairman ex- pire by limitation, so that it will be necessary for the town at its annual meeting to elect three new members to this board.
Hereto appended may be found some statistical tables of interest to which we call the attention of the town, and which, with the foregoing, we respectfully submit as our an- nual report.
SAM'L K. HAMILTON, Chairman .. LUCIUS BEEBE. THEO. E. BALCH. E. P. COLBY. WM. N. TYLER, Secretary. SELIM S. WHITE.
March 14th, 1882.
175
[NOTE.]
WAKEFIELD, March 13, 1882.
S. K. Hamilton, Esq., Chairman, and the other members of the School Committee :
GENTLEMEN-I hereby resign my membership of your honorable board, to take effect at the clese of the current school year.
I have been honored with this position for many years, and believe that the time has now arrived when I should ask to be relieved from it, and that the interests of our town and schools will not be prejudiced thereby.
With thanks, gentlemen, for the courtesy you have ever shown me, and wishing you success in your official duties as well as in your pri- vate relations, I remain,
Respectfully and truly yours,
LUCIUS BEEBE.
The above letter, which explains itself, was received before the report was placed in the the hands of the printer, but was not acted upon in the hope that Mr. Beebe could be prevailed upon to withdraw it, but the urgent solicitations of the other members have failed to induce him to remain long- er upon the board, and his resignation has been reluctantly accepted. Twelve years' active experience upon this board have made his services particularly valuable upon it, and we know the whole town will experience a sense of personal loss upon his retirement.
S. K. HAMILTON, Chairman. March 21, 1882.
176
NAMES OF PRESENT TEACHERS FOR THE YEAR, SALARIES, AND DATES OF ELECTION.
Names of Schools.
Teachers.
When Elected
Salaries.
High
Abbott Sanford,
Sept .. 1870. |$1100 pr. yr.
. .
David N. Putney,
1881.
1100
Walter C. Hill,
Dec. 1581.
1500
Martha Keith, Ass't
April, 1878. 600
Lucy P. Greenough, ..
Sept .. 1879.
400
Advanced Gram'r,
Mrs. M. E. Wentworth.
Mar., 1871.
.00
Ctr. Gram. No. 1.
Abbie S. Perkins.
Sept., 1873. 575
Alice Freeman, Ass't .
. . 1880.
200
Lizzie F. Ingram, “
1881.
250
. . .. Cir. Giam. No. 2,
Fred'k S. Cutter.
Jan .. 1878.
800
. . .. . .
E. W. Wright.
Dec., 1881.
800
..
..
Philander A. Gay.
Feb. 1882.
1000
Ctr. Gram. No. 3.
M. Annie Warren, Alice Field,
Jan., 1879.
3-0
..
Interme'ate. 1, 2.
Clara E. Emerson.
Dec., - 1879.
380
..
3.
Alice G. Currier.
Mar., 1880. 360
Myra A. Stearns,
Sept., 1875.
400
..
6. 2.
Mary I. Hersey.
Dec., 1876.
400
Emma L. Randlitt.
1881.
360
West Intermediate
Nellie A. Miller,
Sept., 1877. 380
L. J. Mansfield.
1881.
380
Abbie M. Andrews,
1881.
380
Franklin St. Int.,
Sarah C. Herrey,
Aug., 1880.
380
Bertha Dana,
Dec., 1881.
380
Primary, North Ward,
Francella M. Evans,
April, 1862.
380
Alice Freeman,
Aug., 1881.
580
East Ward, 6 6
Annie R. Killoran,
Sept., 1873.
380
Woodville.
Kate L. Brown,
Aug., 1881. 1880.
380
Greenwood,
Mary F. French,
Nov. 1880.
380
Susan S. Beebe,
April, 1880. 380
Geo. F. Wilson. (Music)/
Sept., 1876.
500
..
F. B. French.
Sept., 1881.
500
-
.
.
Dec., 1871.
500
Centre Primary, 1,
L. J. Mansfield,
1881.
380
..
Primary,
Eva E. Howlett,
July. 1880. 380
Etta Hamilton,
380
Number of Scholars between 5 and 15 years of age, May 1st, 1881, 1014 ;
Males, 476 ; Females, 538.
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TABLE OF ATTENDANCE.
SCHOOLS.
No. belonging to schocl.
Feb. 28, 1882.
Average whole number.
Average daily attendance.
Average per cent. of atten-
dance.
of age.
High School,
68
65.5
63.60
97
56
Advanced Grammar,
55
49.6
47.4
95.5
25
First Grammar,
64
62.7
59.4
94.7
8
Second Grammar.
54
54.7
51.4
92
S
Third Grammar,
44
44.5
41
92
First Intermediate,
37
38
34
89.4
Second Intermediate,
35
38
34
89.4
Third Intermediate, .
55
43.8
39.4
86
Centre Primary, No. 1,
47
45.1
38.8
83
Centre Primary, No. 2,
3.5
45.11 39.05
86
North Ward,
43
38.2
32.7
89.3
East Ward,
40
39.9
34
85.2
Woodville,
37
39.5
31.8
80.1
Greenwood,
45
47.5
39.1
82
Franklin Intermediate,
.
59
54.4
49.3
90
Franklin Primary,
.
61
54.9
46.8
85.8
West Ward Intermediate,
.
.
53
48.3
42.2
87
West Ward Primary.
.
.
37
49.4
40.1
81
.
Number over fifteen years
I
-
23
TOWNS.
of 1880.
Population-Census
Valuation in 1881.
No. of children in town between the ages of five and fif- teen years, May 1st,
No. of diff. scholars in school, 1880-81.
school 1880-81.
of age, 1880.81.
Sum appropriated to each child between five and fifteen years
to public schools.
ation Percentage of valu- appropriated
Principal.
Salary of High School
male teachers per
Average salary of
female teachers
Average salary of
Arlington,
·
4100
$5,190,493.00
814
870
767
20.885
.00328
$1700.00
$112.69 $46.06
Malden,
12017
10,339,075.00
2082
2731
2021
15.37
.00310
1750.00
175.00
51.83
Melrose, .
4560
3,705,058.00
888
1065
756
12.387
.00297
1600.00
· 160.00
47.50
North Reading,
900
537,143.00
144
169
144
11.111
.00298
None
None
33.00
Reading, ·
3181
2,523,165.00
498
594
522
16.064
.00317
1000.00
105.25
37.75
Stoneham, ·
4891
2,991,770.00
887
952
768
13.247
.00393
1540.00
155.00
43.84
Wakefield,
5548
3,433,456.00
914
859
882
12.582
.00335
1100.00
95.00
40.89
Watertown, .
5426
7,881,820.00
855
992
746
17.567
.00191
1600.00
97.50
47.25
Winchester. .
3802
3,741,844.00
563
730
584
21.314
.00320
1600.00
130.00
40.60
Woburn, .
10938
8,216,383.00
2229
2280
2035
13.459
.00365
1800.00
105.00
45.00
Quincy, Norfolk Co ..
10529
7,560,381.00
1948
2097
1643
13.398
.00345
1400.00
100.00
42.50
178
month.
per month.
·
·
.
1880.
Average number in
REPORT
OF THE
TRUSTEES OF BEEBE TOWN LIBRARY,
WITH LIST OF
ACCESSIONS OF BOOKS
During the Year.
180
BEEBE TOWN LIBRARY.
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS FOR 1881-2.
Lucius Beebe,
Chairman.
Theo. E. Balch,
Secretary.
Chester W. Eaton, Treasurer.
Miss Victorine E. Marsh,
Librarian.
Miss Octavia A. Yale,
Ass't Librarian.
COMMITTEE ON LIBRARY.
Lucius Beebe, Azel Ames, Jr., Otis V. Waterman, Joseph M. Sculley, George H. Teague.
COMMITTEE ON FINANCE.
S. O. Richardson, Cyrus Wakefield, J. M. Cate.
Francis P. Hurd, W. N. Tyler.
COMMITTEE ON PURCHASE OF BOOKS.
Chester W. Eaton, Thomas Winship, T. E. Balch, W. H. Morrison, J. R. Mansfield.
The Library is open for the delivery of books Monday, Wednesday and Saturday evenings from 7 to 9. Wednes- day and Saturday afternoons, from 2 to 5.
181
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES.
The Trustees herewith present their twenty-sixth annual report to the town, together with those of the Treasurer and Librarian.
By the latter it will be seen that the Library continues to be appreciated by our citizens, and that the demand for books steadily increases from year to year.
BOOKS.
In the selection of books for the Library the Trustees have endeavored to purchase such as would be acceptable to all portions of our reading community, and believe that the accessions made compare favorably with those of any previ- ous year. A preference has been given to those of a stan- dard character. and such as will be of permanent value to the Library. But in catering to the tastes of those who read for recreation as well as for instruction, many works of a lighter character have been bought, for
" A little nonsense now and then, Is relished by the gravest men."
But they have taken care to exclude all such as would be objectionable or out of place in a library like ours.
182
EDUCATIONAL.
The importance of the Library as an auxiliary to our pub- lic schools is made manifest by the constant application of scholars to the Librarian, for works that will elucidate the matter of their text-books. And it is also useful as a means of initiating them into the familiar use of books for investi- gating subjects of study, whether scientific or literary.
The teachers also avail themselves of the store of educa- tional works which the shelves contain; and although the Library has ever been an assistance to them, it becomes more effective in proportion as our schools are improved, and their scope of usefulness extended.
MUTILATION.
The usual amount of injury by marking, scribbling and defacing, as well as by careless handling, has been in- flicted by a few thoughtless readers upon a portion of the cheaper works, but the more valuable and costly books are comparatively safe, as they are taken by a more appreciative and responsible class of readers. We bespeak for our Li- brary the co-operation of the citizens in our efforts to pre- serve it from injury.
STATISTICAL.
By reference to the History of Reading, Page 499, it will ,it will be seen that "the Act of the Legislature authorizing towns to raise money to establish and support public libra- ries, was passed during the session of 1851, and the town of South Reading, having already shown its liberality in making appropriations for the support of free schools, was among the first of the country towns of this Commonwealth to avail itself of the provisions of the statute and establish a free town library," and the records of the Library show that dur-
183
ing the twenty-six years of its existence its benefits have been shared by our citizens and children of all classes ; and that a growing interest is manifested in its success and pros- perity. If any one should doubt this let him visit the Library at a proper time, and witness the eagerness with which the crowd of applicants manifest their desire and press their claim for books.
MISCELLANEOUS.
The new classification of the books and their re-arrange- ment on the shelves, as indicated by the catalogue, has been tested, and found to be a manifest improvement, affording additional facility to the public as well as to the Librarian.
The library now contains 7,232 volumes by actual count, all of which are in good condition for use. The work of the Library has been performed by the Librarian and her assist- ants with efficiency and fidelity, and they have co-operated with the Trustees in their endeavor to extend its benefits to all the residents of our town, with as few restrictions as would be consistent with its preservation and safety.
CONGRATULATORY.
The Trustees would improve this opportunity to congrat- ulate our citizens on the improved condition and prospects of our town during the past municipal year.
At the commencement of it we were still suffering from a depression in business and monetary affairs that was une- qualled in its duration, and in its application to every branch of industry that gave support to a large proportion of our people. And this had been augmented by the calamitous fire that destroyed several of our largest mauufactories, de- priving hundreds of laborers of work, and causing a feeling of sadness that was shared by all.
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