USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Acton > Town annual reports of Acton, Massachusetts 1853-82 > Part 29
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Nellie G. Hoar, Lizzie G. Rowell, Nellie F. Handley, Emma Stockwell, Lucie H. Hayward, Lilla A. Hayward, Lewis C. Hastings.
Flora S. Davis, Emma C. Hall, Mary Hurley, Rose E. Arnold, Emma A. Mead, Frank S. Davis, Edwin E. Davis, G. Sumner Wright, George A. Gardner, Arthur W. Stevens, Horace Whitcomb, Charles Teel.
WEST, PRIMARY.
John S. Hoar, Austin E. Lawrence.
Cornelia Hayward, Cordelia Hayward, Ella S. Teel, George Y. Hutchins, Alphonso Wyman.
Cora M. Arnold, Susie C. Hayward, Laura Stockwell, Mary S. Cutler, Lottie E. Handley, Hattie M. Whitcomb, Delette Handley, Eddie Hayward, Crosby Hoar, Willie T. Mason, George V. Mead, Willie A. Teel, Wallace McDonald, Arthur W. Houghton.
REPORTS OF
THE SELECTMEN
AND.
OTHER OFFICERS
-OF THE-
TOWN OF ACTON,
- FROM-
FEBRUARY 26, 1869, TO FEBRUARY 26, 1870, INCLUDING THE
Marriages, Births and Deaths in 1869.
-ALSO, THE-
REPORT OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
PRINTED BY TOLMAN & WHITE, 221 WASHINGTON STREET, BOSTON. 1870.
,
SELECTMEN'S REPORT.
APPROPRIATIONS AND RECEIPTS.
Unexpended balance of last year,
$2,530 63
Borrowed of J. K. Putney,
650 00
Town grant,
5000 00
Town grant for schools,
2325 00
Regular town grant for highways,
1200 00
Special town grant for highways,
300 00
Overlayings on taxes,
70 77
Overlayings on road taxes,
8 10
State tax,
2300 00
County tax,
936 33
State aid to Jan. 1st, 1869,
384 57
Corporation tax,
767 29
Military account,
253 80
Militia bounty,
738 50
Uniforms for Davis Guards,
1080 00
Armory rent, 1868,
150 00
State school fund,
150 92
Dog fund,
89 25
For timber, 66 feet,
1 98
Graham witness fees,
3 50
For use of Town Hall,
94 75
From George Kendall, for expenses incurred respecting his father,
20 00
From sale of Cemetery lots,
8 00
-- $19,063 39
EXPENDITURES.
SUPPORT OF SCHOOLS.
Appropriation for 1869,
$2,325 00
State school fund,
150 92
--
$2,475 92
(3)
4
PAYMENTS.
SUPPORT OF SCHOOLS.
Paid Moses Taylor, for Centre School,
$448 65
Levi W. Stevens, for West 642 53
E. F. Richardson, for South .. .
642 53
William B. Davis, for East
254 79
John White, for North 66
243 71
George Wilde, for Southeast 66
243 71
-
$2,475 92
REPAIRS OF SCHOOL-HOUSES.
Paid Moses Taylor, repairs on Centre sch. house, $6 55 Incidentals, 4 60
Levi W. Stevens, repairs on West 66 132 24
Incidentals, 3 62
E. F. Richardson, repairs on South "
10 45
Wm. B. Davis, repairs on East 66
24 46
Incidentals,
1 52
George Wilde, repairs on Southeast "
7 25
Incidentals,
1 05
$191 74
REPAIRS OF HIGHWAYS.
Paid Joseph Noyes,
$73 25
Daniel Fletcher,
76 50
Samuel Hosmer,
42 55
Ai Robbins,
67 63
John Conant,
39 50
G. W. Livermore,
46 60
L. R. Forbush,
108 15
Daniel Harris,
92 40
John White,
45 81
J. W. Loker,
24 00
Simon Tuttle,
78 40
George H. Harris,
36 71
John R. Houghton,
149 90
E. H. Cutler,
120 90
Antoine Bulette,
37 70
James Tuttle,
162 06
J. H. Conant,
176 41
Moses Taylor,
53 .11
$1,431 58
5
SPECIAL REPAIRS OF HIGHWAYS AND SLUICES.
Paid Benj. Hapgood, for repairing road in his district, $52 00
Ai Robbins, for repairing gravel pit road, 63 10 Nathan Brooks, for repairing road in his district, 17 00
Richard Kinsley, for repairing road near his house, 10 00
Daniel Tuttle, for repairing road and build- ing sluice near the centre of the town, 91 85
Do., for repairing road and building sluice in the centre of the town, 102 97
Moses Taylor, for repairing roads in his district, 25 00
Thomas Kinsley, for repairing sluice near the house of Samuel Chaffin, 5 00
James Tuttle, for repairing roads in South district, 600 00
Simon Tuttle, for repairing roads in his district, 25 00
E. H. Cutler, for repairing road near the house of William Reed, 15 00
J. E. Billings, for repairing road near the house of William Wheeler, 5 40
Thomas Kinsley, for work done on road near the house of Mrs. Harriet Davis, 2 50
Simon Hapgood, for gravel and work near the house of William Wheeler, 5 00
William W. Davis, for widening bridge on the road leading to his house, 2 50 George Chandler, for work done on bridge near Robbins' saw-mill, 2 50
$1,024 82
REPAIRS OF HIGHWAYS BY ORDER OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
Paid Francis Kinsley, balance for repairing road near Nagog Pond, $86 50
Thomas Kinsley, for laying wall and build- ing sluice near house of S. F. Hosmer, 20 50
Daniel Tuttle, for repairing road near East Cemetery, 56 00
Do., repairing road near Robbins' saw-mill, 51 90 Simon Tuttle, for railing the road near East Cemetery, 92 47
,
6
Paid Thomas Kinsley, for repairing road near East Cemetery, · 2 50
Simon Tuttle, balance for repairing road near East Cemetery, 345 00 E. J. Robbins, for repairing road near the house of John White, 60 00
Thomas More, balance repairing road near Concord line, 51 00
Daniel Harris, for repairing drive-way near Robbins' saw-mill, and for gravel, 9 50
J. K. Putney, for gravel for road near his house, 5 00
John Grimes, balance repairing road near Robbins' saw-mill, 75 00
Louis Rouillard, for building road near Nagog Pond, 66 50
Do., for gravel for the same, 8 00
J. E. Billings, for building sluice near Rob- bins' saw-mill, 15 50
William Reed, for putting in sluices near his house, 26 10
E. J. Robbins, repairing road in his district,
13 20
$984 67
BREAKING ROADS.
Paid John Conant, $9 00
Daniel Harris, 9 00
J. H. Conant,
6 20
W. H. Reed,
4 40
J. Noyes,
6 60
L. R. Forbush,
6 38
Ai Robbins, 2 60
$44 18
SUPPORT OF POOR.
Paid Town of Ashby, on account of Lot Fitch, $85 83
George M. Brooks, for advice, 10 00
Town of Natick, for Mary A. Law, 78 25
City of Boston, for Mrs. Childs, 16 40
Express to Natick, 60
Samuel Hosmer, journey to Boston respect- ing Mrs. Nancy Baldwin, 3 50
For John Whitney, 6 00
Joseph Noyes, journey to Natick, 3 00
For assistance rendered travellers, 5 75
Town of Westboro', for George F. Bullard, 8 75
$218 08
7
EXPENSES OF TOWN FARM.
Paid for yoke of oxen, $275 00
Abel Farrar, for balance of salary for 1868, 66 66
Simon Tuttle, for repairs on Town Farm barn,
74 10
Coffin and robe, for Titus Williams, 14 76
$430 52
INTEREST.
Paid Augustine Conant,
$240 00
Frederick Rouillard,
102 00
Lydia R. Keyes,
36 00
Daniel Harris,
48 32
Joel Hanscomb,
40 80
James E. Billings,
131 47
David M. Handley,
102 00
Cyrus Conant,
120 00
John R. Whitcomb,
60- 00
Isaac T. Flagg,
6 00
Luther Billings,
12 00
Incidental interest,
7 68
$906 27
-
PRINTING.
Paid Benjamin Tolman, for printing warrants, $12 50 for report of Selectmen, 21 00
for report of Selectmen, School Commit- tee and other Town Officers,
107 43
for voters' lists,
12 00
for burial permits for Town Clerk,
2 50
$155 43
MILITARY.
Paid for special duty June 16th, 1869, $253 80
May drill and Fall encampment, Uniforms,
738 50
1,080 00
,
$2,072 30
8
STATE AID.
Paid Hiram W. Wetherbee,
$18 00
Alson R. Sumner,
30 00
Hattie W. Wilder,
96 00
Rebecca C. Wright,
48 00
Emily C. Harding,
88 00
Joanna Moulton,
20 00
$300 00
CEMETERY.
Paid Martin Pike, for mowing Cemetery,
$23 70
Wm. D. Tuttle, laying out lots,
75
Henry M. Smith, do.
1 00
Samuel Hosmer, for furnishing posts and work, 2 00
$27 45
BRIDGE NEAR WETHERBEE'S MILLS.
Paid J. E. Billings, for lumber,
$243 26
66
iron,
6 64
nails,
5 67
labor,
178 43
$434 00
TOWN OFFICERS.
Paid Dr. Charles Little, Supt. of Schools,
$85 00
Wm. D. Tuttle, services as Assessor,
40 00
Phineas Wetherbee, do.
25 00
L. R. Forbush, do.
25 00
Wm. D. Tuttle, services as Town Clerk,
25 00
John E. Cutter, collecting taxes,
80 00
Wm. W. Davis, services as Selectman,
36 00
E. J. Robbins, 66 66
20.00
Charles Robinson, «
66
14 00
$350 00
TOWN HOUSE.
Paid John Fletcher & Sons, for 5,835 lbs. coal, freight, teaming, and weighing,
$36 58
George Sawyer, 500 lbs. coal,
3 50
37 gallons oil,
17 00
Washing floors,
5 00
One broom,
50
One box lamp wicks,
33
Opening hall and committee rooms, 71 times,
45 50
Cleaning funnel,
2 00
A. D. Holt, for repairs on funnel,
16 48
$125 89
9
MISCELLANEOUS.
Paid Jonas Blodgett, auctioneer, on roads, $6 00
J. E. Cutter, insurance on town-house, 150 00
A. R. Sumner, for painting monument and monument fence, 9 00
Richard Kinsley, building road near Charles Twitchell's house, 68 00
Cyrus Fletcher, for work in armory, 225 51
Wm. D. Tuttle, viewing roads, by request of Selectmen, 4 25
Do., writing lease of armory, 1 00
Do., grading road near Charles Twitchell's house, 5 00
Express paid on reports and public docu- ments, 2 80
Samuel Hosmer, for examining and reporting on school-houses, 3 00
Francis Dwight, for do., 2 00
L. R. Forbush, for express, 87
George F. Wetherell, for grave-stone for Ezekiel Davis, 30 00
James Tuttle, for rent of school-room, 50 00
Cutler Brothers, for do., 50 00
T. F. Lawrence, filling hole where hay scales stood, in West Acton, 6 00
J. E. Cutter, summoning 20 persons to take oath of office, 2 50
Stamp on note, 35
Francis Dwight, superintending burials, 45 00
Do., making return of 17 deaths, 1 70
Wm. D. Tuttle, journey to Sudbury, to make out election returns, 2 50
Do., postage on returns, 30
Do., paid express on Assessors' book, 30
Do., making copy of town tax-book for 1869, for State Department, 7 00
30
Do., express on law book,
Do., collecting and recording 28 births, 8 40
4 70
Do., recording 27 deaths,
Do., 66 17 marriages, 2 55
Do., putting in sluice near his house, 5 00
Do., Collector's book, 1 12
George Sawyer, care of town clock, 10 00
Do., tolling bell 22 times for deaths, 4 40
Do., cleaning town clock, 1 50
J. E. Cutter, abatement of taxes, 47 89
Do., discount on taxes, 612 00
$1,370 94
10
Receipts and Expenditures from Feb. 26, 1869, to Feb. 26, 1870. Unexpended balance as per report of Feb. 26, 1869, $2,530 63
8,825 00
Appropriations, Other receipts,
7,707 76
$19,063 39
EXPENDITURES.
Support of schools,
$2,475 92
Repairs of school-houses,
191 74
Repairs of highways,
1,431 58
Special repairs of highways,
1,024 82
Repairs of highways by order of County Commissioners,
984 67
Breaking roads,
44 18
Support of poor,
218 08
Expenses of Town Farm,
430 52
Interest,
906 27
Printing,
155 43
Military,
2,072 30
State aid,
300 00
Cemetery, ·
27 45
Bridge near Wetherbee's Mills,
434 00
Town officers,
350 00
Town House,
126 89
Miscellaneous,
1,370 94
State tax,
2,300 00
County tax,
936 33
$15,781 12
Balance in the Treasury Feb. 26, 1870,
$3,282 27
TOWN DEBT.
Ebenezer Conant,
$2,067 66
Augustine Conant,
4,135 33
Daniel Harris,
840 86
Frederick Rouillard,
1,778 10
Joel Hanscom,
700 40
James E. Billings,
2,237 57
David M. Handley,
1,745 90
Isaac T. Flagg,
105 50
Lydia R. Keyes,
627 60
Calvin Harris,
214 60
Luther Billings,
202 60
John R. Whitcomb,
506 50
Jonas K. Putney,
687 37
$15,849 99
11
Amount due from State aid, Rent of armory, Treasurer,
$300 00
200 00
3,282 27
$3,782 27
$12,067 72
WM. W. DAVIS, Selectmen E. J. ROBBINS, of Acton.
C. ROBINSON,
ACTON, Feb. 26, 1870.
REPORT OF THE
RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURES
AT THE
ALMSHOUSE IN ACTON,
FOR THE YEAR ENDING APRIL 1ST, 1870.
ARTICLES ON HAND APRIL 1st, 1870.
12 cows, $840,00 ; horse, 250,00 ; 2 shotes, 40,00, $1,130 00
22 tons hay, 65,00 ; straw, 6,40 ; 9 bush. wheat, 15,75, 87 15
21 fowls, 15,75; 18 bush. ashes, 4,50; 114} lbs. bacon, 26,00, 46 25
250 bbls. pork, 50,00; 140 do. beef, 16,80; 54 do. candles, 10,80, 77 60
50 bbls. lard, 11,50; 33 do. butter, 13,20; 1 bbl. apples, 4,00, 28 70
1-2 bbl. soap, 2,50; pickles, 1,00; 50 bush. pota- toes, 27,50, 31 00
5 M skewers, 3,00 ; 1 1-2 bush. meal, 1,65 ; beans, 1,00, 5 65 dried apple, .60 ; coffee, .50; tea, .65, 1 75
$1,408 10
RECEIPTS.
For milk, $1,281,00 ; carrying milk, 84,00 ; calves, 32,20, $1,397 20 hop-poles, 73,12 ; eggs, 10,51 ; old iron, 2,00, 85 63
beef, 43,40 ; hides, 16,08 ; pork, 4,77, 64 25
soap-grease, 6,31 ; potatoes, 94,05 ; straw, 10,42, 110 78
oxen, 255,00 ; berries, 32,83 ; grapes, 1,50, 289 33
oats, 14,40 ; skewers, 23,48 ; lard, 9,80, 47 68
apples, 242,60 ; onions, 1,48,
244 08
From Lucy A. Brown's estate, 52 98
$2,291 93
Recieved of treasury for oxen,
$275 00
$2,566 93
(12)
*
13
EXPENDITURES.
For grinding, $7,97; straw, .52; potatoes, 14,97, $23 46
paper, .05 ; butchering, 4,50 ; rice meal, 19,25, 23 80
cows, 214,50 ; pasturing, 42,00 ; driving, 6,50, 263 00
soap, .12; mending shoes and harness, 1,65; wheat, 5,63,
7 40
shotes, 27,00 ; labor, 78,78 ; whip, .10, 105 88
whitewashing, 1,75 ; hay, 59,90 ; fish, 7,87, 69 52
barrels, 10,54; axle-bed, 1,00 ; bug poison, .45,
11 99
meal, 121,96 ; Mr. Jackson, 1,50 ; Titus, 2,00,
125 46
expenses to Boston, 6,33 ; weighing, .93 ; butter, 75,98, 83 94
beef, 39,74 ; castings, 1,53 ; basket, .45 ; turnips, 15.10,
56 82
repairing clock and pump, .84 ; stove, 5,00,
5 84
blacksmith's bill, 25,06 ; brush, .45,
25 51
newspaper, 1,73 ; tin ware, .75 ; Dr. Cowdry's bill, 30,00, 32 48
sleigh bells, 1,25 ; soap, 3,67; cheese, 16,78 ; 21 70
269 07
smoking hams, .80 ; oil meal, 192,23 ; shorts, 76,04, plaster, 4,05 ; flour, 51,42 ; card, .50 ; beans, 3,37, salt, 8,27; rice, 1,01; tea, 18,40 ; molasses, 26,67 54 35
59 34
saleratus, .78 ; kerosene, 2,43 ; hoes, 1,20 ; snath, 92, 5 13
pork, 17,03 ; tobacco, 4,32 ; sugar, 25,35, 46 70
matches, 2,20 ; ropes, 1,25 ; crackers, 5,38, 8 83
nails, 4,58 ; medicine, 2,96 ; soap, 1,96 ; chalk, .04, 9 54
3 94
vinegar, .50 ; glass, .55 ; raisins, 2,82 ; thread, .07, saltpetre, .13 ; sage, .30 ; hops, .33 ; neats oil, 1,05, pails, .70 ; sulphur, .10 ; shirting, 1,62 ; spice, 3,57, mustard, .90 ; starch, .08 ; wicks, .43 ; broom, 1,00, washing-machine, 12,50; yeast, .12 ; lantern, 1,10, bags, .30 ; coffee, 2,40 ; peas, .99 ; phosphate, 7,98, crockery, 1,14 ; turnip seed, .70 ; blacking, .08, oyster shells, .10 ; clothes and cloth, 24,18,
1 81
5 99
2 41
13 72
11 67
1 92
24 28
scythes, 2,62 ; sponge, .10 ; grass seed, 7,37, starch, .28 ; mop handle, 12 ; blueing, .06,
46
veal, 2,84 ; cream tartar, .75,
3 59
ox work, 4,00 ; use of bull, 4,50 ; cider, .90,
9 40
Mr. and Mrs. Abel Farrar, for their services, one year,
375 00
Samuel Hosmer, for making report to Board of State Charities, and report to the town, Do., for services as overseer of the poor, 8 00
5 00
Joseph Noyes, services as overseer,
8 00
Simon Tuttle, 66
8 00
$1,802 34
10 09
14
Amount of inventory, April 1st, 1869, Interest on farm,
1,486 65 239 40
$3,528 39
Total amount of receipts, $2,566 93
Amount of inventory, April 1st, 1870, 1,408 10
$3,975 03
$446 64
Victualling travellers, $29 00
Cash on hand, April 1st, 1870,
$446 64
Cash from treasury, for oxen,
275 00
Income above expenses,
Loss of a cow, $75,00.
$171 64
Whole number of persons (exclusive of travellers) supported in the almshouse, 5 ; average number, 3 4-5 ; present number, 3.
SAMUEL HOSMER, Overseers JOSEPH NOYES, of Poor.
SIMON TUTTLE,
ACTON, April 1, 1870.
,
TOWN CLERK'S REPORT.
BIRTHS REGISTERED IN ACTON IN 1869.
No. Date of Birth. Name of Child and Parents' Names.
1. Jan. 30, Walter Clifton Gardner, son of George and Violette F. Gardner.
2. Feb. 22, Ora Josephine Cobleigh, daughter of Ephraim and Harriet E. Cobleigh.
3. Feb. 25, Jennie Robbins, daughter of Levi H. and Mary C. Robbins.
4. Feb. 27, Abby Pitman Colman, daughter of George W. and Louise M. Colman.
5. March 2, Susie Mary Davis, daughter of Alvin A. and Mary T. Davis.
6. March 27, George Cresswell Warren, son of George H. and Rebecca N. Warren.
7. April 14, Emily Bertha Hosmer, daughter of Horace R. and Carrie H. Hosmer.
8. May 17, Robert Gardner Reed, son of Isaac G. and Jane Maria Reed.
9. May 25, Hattie May Robbins, daughter of Simon and Nancy D. Robbins. .
10. May 26, Mary Ella King, daughter of Francis and Mary King. 11. June 5, Evelyn Stanwood Fletcher, daughter of Edwin and Susan Fletcher.
12. June 22, Otis Moody Cutler, son of Nathaniel E. and Sarah A. Cutler.
13. Aug. 4, Bessie Florence Winckley, daughter of John S. and Rose Winckley.
14. Aug. 21, Charles A. Fletcher, son of Aaron S. and Sarah T. Fletcher.
15. Aug. 24, Annie W. Brackett, daughter of William H. and Ellen L. Brackett.
16. Aug. 30, Mattie F. Randolph, daughter of E. L. F. and Hattie A. Randolph.
17. Sept. 4, Lilla May Teel, daughter of William H. and Mary E. Teel.
18. Sept. 26, Ernest Elwood Wetherbee, son of D. James and Augusta A. Wetherbee.
(15)
16
19. Oct. 2, Mary Florence Fletcher, daughter of Aaron J. and Mary E. Fletcher.
20. Oct. 30, Lilla Alice Thompson, daughter of Albert S. and Martha A. Thompson.
21. Oct. 31, Frank Ellis Fiske, son of James W. and Maria Fiske.
22. Oct. 31, Hannah Hayes, daughter of Michael and Mary Hayes.
23. Nov. 11, Emma Estelle Knowlton, daughter of George W. and Angie H. Knowlton.
24. Dec. 17, Lizzie Hannon, daughter of Michael and Mary A. Hannon.
25. Dec. 22, Mary Augusta Davis, daughter of William B. and S. Maria Davis.
26. Dec. 23, Emma Augusta Hartwell, daughter of Henry and Augusta H. Hartwell.
27. Dec. 27, Henry Bertram Going, son of Myron F. and Maria W. Going.
28. Dec. 30, Susie Lillian Kallock, daughter of Isaac M. and Sa- lome C. Kallock.
Males, 8 ; females, 20; total, 28.
Nov. 21, 1868, Nina Eloise Taylor, daughter of'Thomas and Martha A. Taylor.
MARRIAGES RECORDED IN ACTON IN 1869.
No. Date of Marriage. Names of Parties.
1. Jan. 1, Mr. Frederick C. Nash, of Columbia Falls, Me., and Miss Clara H. Hapgood, of Acton.
2. Jan. 21, Mr. Luther Conant and Miss S. Augusta Davis, both of Acton.
3. Jan. 24, Mr. Oliver C. Wyman, of Acton, and Mrs. Hannah Frost, of Lowell.
4. March 4, Mr. Zenas ' Folger, of Waltham, and Miss Ora A. Hosmer, of Acton.
5. April 4, Mr. Oscar E. Preston and Miss Mary Sophia Fuller, both of Acton.
6. April 8, Mr. Augustine Hosmer and Miss Susie H. Richard- son, both of Acton.
7. April 29, Mr. Varnum Tuttle, of Acton, and Mrs. Mary M. Jordan, of Worcester.
8. May 16, Mr. George McWhirter and Miss Maria G. Holmes, both of Concord.
9. Sept. 2, Mr. Addison B. Wheeler, of Acton, and Mrs. Barin- tha W. Sawyer, of Westford.
10. Sept. 9, Mr. Sylvanus R. Hunt and Miss Marion M. Sears, both of Acton.
17
11. Sept. 20, Mr. Henry S. Hapgood, of Acton, and Hattie M. Webster, of Marlborough.
12. Nov. 11, Mr. Henry Brooks and Mrs. Julia A. Munroe, both of Acton.
13. Nov. 17, Mr. John W. Kittredge, of South Groton, and Miss Ellen Franklin Taft, of Acton.
14. Nov. 18, Mr. Alfred A. Whitcomb, of Boxborough, and Miss Seraphina Moore, of Stow.
15. Nov. 21, Mr. Lowell A. Jones and Miss Sarah A. Parmenter, both of Acton.
16. Nov. 25, Mr. Julian Tuttle and Miss Hannah E. Livermore, both of Acton.
17. Nov. 25, Mr. Henry T. Billings, of Worcester, and Miss Emma F. Flagg, of Acton.
DEATHS IN ACTON IN 1869.
No. Date of Death. Names and Age.
1. Jan. 12, John W. Haggerty, son of William and Catherine Haggerty, aged 1 yr. 6 mos.
2. Jan. 29, Mr. Nathaniel S. Adams, aged 56 yrs. 9 mos.
3. Jan. 30, George Adams, son of Nathaniel S. and Louisa W. Adams, aged 17 yrs. 11 mos.
4. March 4, Susan Fiske, daughter of Robert and Susan Fiske, aged 5 yrs. 5 mos.
5. March 7, Emma E. Fiske, daughter of Robert and Susan Fiske, aged 9 mos. 12 days.
6. March 7, Herbert C. Fiske, son of Robert and Susan Fiske, aged 2 yrs. 8 mos.
7. March 10, Mrs. Sophia H. Taylor, wife of Mr. Silas Taylor, aged 77 yrs.
8. March 12, Jennie Robbins, daughter of Levi H. and Mary C. Robbins, aged 15 days.
9. March 15, Miss Hattie S. Decoster, aged 21 yrs. 9 mos. 27 days.
10. March 16, Mr. Ebenezer W. Hayward, aged 56 yrs. 6 mos.
11. March 16, Mr. Albert Adams, son of Nathaniel S. and Louisa W. Adams, aged 24 yrs.
12. March 20, Irving A. Flagg, son of Isaac T. and E. Maria. Flagg, aged 13 yrs. 3 days.
13. July 9, Mr. Moses Treadwell, aged 60 yrs. 3 mos.
14. July 17, Mrs. Mary E. Conant, wife of Mr. John Conant, aged 46 yrs. 6 mos. 9 days.
15. Aug. 6, Mrs. Nancy Estabrook, wife of Mr. Joseph Estabrook, aged 44 yrs. 2 mos. 6 days.
16. Aug. 16, Mrs. Damaris Handley, aged 63 yrs. 2 mos.
3
18
17. Aug. 16, Titus Williams, aged 63 yrs.
18. Aug. 22, Miss Ella E. Whitcomb, daughter of Joel H. and Eliza J. Whitcomb, aged 18 yrs. 6 mos. 6 days.
19. Sept. 3, Miss Rhoda S. Walker, aged 20 yrs. 8 mos. 9 days. 20. Sept. 22, Mrs. Mary T. Davis, wife of Mr. Alvin A. Davis, aged 32 yrs. 6 mos. 9 days.
21. Oct. 18, Delmar G. Barker, son of Henry and Louisa M. Bar- ker, aged 4 yrs.
22. Nov. 16, Dr. Charles Little, aged 32 yrs. 9 mos.
23. Nov. 17, Mrs. Mary Ann Wood, wife of William F. Wood, aged 41 yrs. 6 mos. 19 days.
24. Dec. 7, Miss Abbie Holden; aged 41 yrs.
25. Dec. 11, Alice G. Gardner, daughter of George and Violette F. Gardner, aged 5 yrs. 9 mos. 11 days.
26. Dec. 17, Mr. William M. Gilmore, aged 59 yrs.
27. Dec. 22, Mrs. Lovisa Randall, aged 85 yrs. 3 mos.
WILLIAM D. TUTTLE, Town Clerk.
ACTON, March 18, 1870.
REPORT OF CEMETERY COMMITTEE.
WEST CEMETERY.
DR.
To cash on hand, February, 1869,
$10 96
6.6 7 lots sold,
7 00
grass,
1 00
10 loads loam,
1 25
$20 21
CR.
By cash paid Ira Stockwell, labor,
$15-00
for teaming,
3 45
" on hand, February, 1870,
1 76
.
CHARLES HASTINGS,
For the Committee.
EAST CEMETERY.
DR.
To cash received for 6 lots sold,
$6 00
66 from town of Acton, 20 70
$26 70
CR.
By cash paid Martin Pike, mowing brush in Cemetery,
$23 70
do. Samuel Hosmer, for work in Cemetery, 2 00
do. H. M. Smith, numbering lots, 1 00
$26 70
H. M. SMITH, SAMUEL HOSMER, CHARLES HASTINGS,
Cemetery Committee.
-
(19)
$20 21
-
THE
ANNUAL REPORT
1 -OF THE-
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
-OF THE-
TOWN OF ACTON,
-FOR THE~
SCHOOL-YEAR 1869-70.
PRINTED BY TOLMAN & WHITE, 221 WASHINGTON STREET, BOSTON. 1870.
REPORT.
CITIZENS OF ACTON :
Owing to failing health, Dr. Little resigned his position of local committee for the Centre District, and chairman of the Board, at the close of the Spring term of the schools. At a meeting of the Selectmen and School Committee, during vacation, Mr. Moses Taylor was chosen to serve out the unexpired term of Dr. Little, as local committee ; and we as chairman of the Board. We assumed the duties of the office with extreme reluctance ;- indeed, would hardly have accepted at all, had we not cherished the hope that Dr. Little, after a rest, would so far recover his usual health as to assume the chairmanship again during the winter. This hope, however, proved delusive ; for, ere that time arrived, we sadly joined in the requiem over his mortal remains, and saw them carried to their final resting place. In the death of Dr. Little, the town lost an honored and respected citizen, and the cause of education a devoted friend.
We claim your indulgence while we present a few thoughts, which, we trust, will prove beneficial to our schools.
SCHOOL-HOUSES .- We heartily commend the action the town took, at its March meeting, to immediately commence the erection of one or more convenient buildings for the use of schools. The action was not taken a moment too soon, we can, from personal knowledge, most positively assert. We repeat what we have said before on this point, that we can never cultivate proper feelings of respect for property,
4
either public or private, in the minds of our children, by constantly sending them to school in rooms that present such an inconsistent, dilapidated aspect, as to render the temptation irresistible to hit the hanging ceiling a poke, or try their knives and pencils here and there, on the walls and benches, all the while reasoning to themselves,-and not far from the truth,- " can't make them look much worse." We hope the town will take the same action each succeed- ing year, until we have school-houses in every part of it that we shall not feel ASHAMED of ;- for what tends more directly to degrade a town, and lower it in public estimation, than a set of " old tumble down school-houses" that will not compare with the average of stables? We know the expense will be considerable, but we know, too, that we cannot put our money where it will yield a more sure or greater interest than in investing it in what will promote a right and judicious education of our children. If there is any class of men who hang like a dead weight upon progress, and the true moral and intellectual elevation of the masses, it is those who shrug up their shoulders and groan to think they cannot invest quite so much in government bonds and bank stock, because they must pay a tax towards promoting a truly worthy object. They are constantly harping that scholars " would tear new school-houses to pieces in a little while, so they would look as bad as the old ones." Such men would set their sons to mowing grass with a stub-scythe, for fear they would injure a better one, or let their daughters get down on their hands to wash floors to save the expense of a mop-handle. What, we ask, ought to give us more pleasure, when age has crept upon us, and our heads are whitened for the grave, than to think we contributed cheerfully towards those means of education and improvement that directly tended to place our sons and daughters in positions of honor and trust? And will not these same sons and daughters, when far away they hear some one speak in terms of praise of their native town, and .
5
her educational facilities, proudly say : that is my town- there I was educated ?
DISCIPLINE .- That there has been an evident lack of ef- ficient discipline in some of our schools the past year, we will not deny ; neither do we admit that the teachers have been wholly to blame. We know that, in some instances, parents have hurled their anathemas at teachers, and said they ought not to be retained in charge a single day, and blamed the Committee because they were. We would like to ask such, if they ever consider all the bearings of the case, as the Committee has to. That there is usually a cor- responding laxity of parental discipline at home; that a first-class experienced teacher cannot always be obtained, and the Committee must take a novice in the art, and help them through as best they can. There are some who clamor loudly for order just so long as the rules are applied to somebody's children but their own; but when their child- ren are made to " toe the mark," the teacher is all wrong, and no business to make such rules and regulations, and inflict punishment in this manner or that. Ah ! parents, do you ever stop to think, when using such language before your children, that they may sometime be placed in cir- cumstances where they will have the very life crushed out of them by just such opposition? When, with proper en- couragement, they might have become eminently successful. To those who wish for better teachers, and a more efficient discipline, as far as teachers are concerned, we would say : we must raise the standard of wages, and attract them to us, rather than repel by their meagerness. And yet, the rate of wages is not the whole reason why many teachers will not enter some of our schools. They well know there are some scholars who do not intend to come under the dis- cipline of any teacher, or any one, perhaps we might say. Now we have got to depend mainly upon female teachers, and cannot expect, in a majority of instances, to obtain those who are physically competent to cope with vicious .
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