USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Acton > Town annual reports of Acton, Massachusetts 1853-82 > Part 45
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66 1.25, 11 56
4
66 66 Moses Taylor, 1.50, 6 00
1-5
66
G. T. Knowlton, 25
Powder,
9 50
Fuse,
1 80
Scraper,
6 25
44 lbs. Castings,
2 67
S. A. Guilford, Blacksmithing.
65
D. Harris, 66
4 34
E. A. Phalen.
66
6.53
Scraper Plate,
6 50
Planks,
1 50
Luther Conant, use of Plow,
50
$769 08
By Order of County Commissioners.
Paid Wm. Reed, for Stone Bounds,
$6 00
A. H. Jones, work on So. Acton Road, 670 55 Chas. Wheeler, do. 392 92
A. C. Piper, Railings for " 66
5 00
$1,074 47
Support of Poor.
Paid E. H. Cutler, balance due Town Farm April 1, 1878, $301 43
E. H. Cutler, on account expenses the present year, 164 50
E. H. Cutler, for support of-
Clara Wheeler, 321 61
John Carney, 115 27
George J. Dole,
26 71
7
John Dakin,
63 00
Traynor Family, 83 36
Burial expense of Traynor child, 1876, 11 00 Lucy Oliver,
6 24
Sarah B. Child,
13 50
Patrick Sullivan,
2 00
Lucy Hosmer,
6 25
Michael McMurphy,
8 00
1
Levi Chamberlin,
13 52
Betsey Chaffin,
163 75
Burial expense of Robert Fisk,
26 00
Journey to Needham, respecting G. J. Dole, 3 00
66
W.F.Whitney 3 00
Boston respecting J. Carney, 1 50
Worcester
" Clara Wheeler, 3 50
Stationery and Postage, 75
$1,337 89
Town Debt.
Paid Joseph Noyes, Note and Interest,
$213 33
Concord Bank, "
.56
3,606 75
Daniel Harris,
500 00
$4,320 08
State Aid.
Paid R. C. Wright,
$48 00
Hattie W. Wilder,
48 00
$96 00
Indigent Soldiers' Aid.
Paid William Reed,
$42 00
W. F. Wood,
70 00
Benj. Skinner,
22 00
E. H. Cutler for B. Skinner, 47 12
J. Carney,
140 97
8 00
Allen Smith, $330 09
8
Cemetery Expenses.
Paid John Fletcher, Jr., for labor and ma- terial for Woodlawn, $168 38
R. R. Fletcher, Trees, 63 00
John Blood, Hay for mulching trees, 10 90
Ai Robbins, Building Wall, 223 10
Silas Conant, Labor, 76 12
Calvin Harris. Mud,
2 50
J. F. Rouillard, Stone,
8 00
J. F. Cole, Labor, Mount Hope, 40 50
66
Seats, 10 61
$603 11
Town Officers.
Paid F. P. Wood, Supt. Schools, 1877-78. $50 00 Reuben L. Reed, Sealer Weights and Measures, 1876-1877, 20 00
Francis Dwight, Collector Taxes, 1877, 50 00
F. P. Wood, Supt. Schools in part, 1878, 45 00 P. Wetherbee, Assessor, 30 00
A. C. Handley, 66
25 00
Wm. D. Tuttle, 66
30 00
66 Town Clerk,
25 00
D. J. Wetherbee, Selectman,
70 00
John White, 66
45 00
C. B. Stone, 66
45 00
Francis Dwight, Supt. Burials, 1878, 81 00
$516 00
Interest on Town Debt.
Paid J K. Putney,
$39 00
I. T. Flagg,
12 00
Concord Bank,
105 00
F. Rouillard,
150 00
Philip Peters,
24 00
Mary P. Hosmer,
60 00
Daniel Harris,
48 00
9
Paid D. J. Wetherbee,
34 51
Joseph Noyes,
60 00
Calvin Harris,
12 00
J. Piper,
36 00
J. E. Billings,
201 96
Harriet Davis,
30 00
1
Daniel Harris,
10 17
David M. Handley,
180 00
G. H. Harris, 6 00
Sarah C. Noyes,
4,8 00
Thomas F. Noyes,
24 00
Luther Billings,
24 00
$1,104 6
Miscellaneous.
Paid H. M. Smith, Repairing Town Clock, 5 50
M. Coffee, Damage received on highway, 20 00 C. W. Leach, printing 500 Selectmen's Reports, 17 00
C. W. Leach,
12 Warrants, 1 25
66 66 66 14 1 50
66
66 66 Town Reports, 55 00
W. W. Worster, Repairing Hearse, 7 75
F. P. Wood, School Books for poor children, 1 25
Dr. Dwight Russell, Black Bass for stocking Magog Pond, 136 25
Waldo Littlefield, Painting, 21 00
J. Cole, digging well,
36 00
C. B. Stone, brick, cement, pump and platform,
46 81
D. J. Wetherbee, license blanks, 1 50
66 66
order 1 25
66 screens for Town House, 5 40
66
coal 66 21 45
66
lease of Magog Pond, 10 00 recording By-Laws, 3 90
10
Paid I. W. Flagg, iron for railings, Wm. D. Tuttle, express, 66 יו
9 44
1 95
laying avenues East Cemetery, 4 50
66
registering deed So. school, 1 95
66
postage and stationery, 1 97
66
66 setting glass and screens in Town House cellar, 1 46
66
66
journey to Concord, election returns, 1 50
66
יי.
journey to Boston, Tax Commissioners, 1 50
16
recording 23 births, 11 50
66
10 marriages, 1 50
66
66% 30 deaths, 5 00
A. C. Handley, 2 Assessors' books, 42
J. W. Fiske, opening Town Hall 39 times, 29 25
"
care of clock, 10 00
66 " " cellar, 3 00
66
repairing clock, 1 40
66 labor cleaning vault, &c., 1 90
66
stove for Lower Hall, 8 00
66 1 barrel oil,
10 63
66 $6
1 cord of wood, 5 50
66
cutting same, 2 00
cleaning Hall,
2 00
6
matches, 10
S. Robbins, 1 day's work on Town House, 1 50
lumber, 2 22
E. Forbush, burying horse and remov- ing rubbish, 1 75
Francis Dwight, Tax Book, 1 00
enforcing dog law, 4 50
2 combs, .15
66
express on chimneys, 25
11
Francis Dwight, making returns of 26 deaths, 6 50
66 coffin and burial ex- pense of A. S. Bergendahl, 15 00
$542 15
Receipts from February 26, 1878, to February 26, 1879. Unexpended balance as per report of Feb. 26, 1878, $3,717 09 Appropriations and Receipts, 16,089 48
$19,806 57
Expenditures.
Support of Schools,
$2,855 01
Repairs on Town Buildings, 6 " Highways,
291 47
Regular Highway Work,
1,475 83
By Order of County Commissioners,
1,074 47
Support of Poor,
1,337 89
Town Debt,
4,320 08
State Aid,
96 00
Indigent Soldiers' Aid,
330 09
Cemetery Expenses,
603 11
Town Officers,
516 00
Interest on Notes,
1,104 64
Miscellaneous,
542 15
State Tax,
720 00
County Tax,
520 10
State Treasurer, Liquor Licenses,
87 75
Francis Dwight, Discount, 1878,
689 55
$16,622 18
Balance in Treasury, Feb. 26, 1879,
$3,184 39
Town Debt. Notes.
Daniel Harris, D. J. Wetherbee,
$819 33 595 41
58 04
12
J. E. Billings,
3,440 96
I. T. Flagg,
105 41
Calvin Harris,
202 63
Luther Billings,
405 49
J. K. Putney,
686 94
Joseph Barker,
1,019 24
J. A. Piper,
205 16
D. M. Handley,
3,046 50
Philip Peters,
1,570 70
J. A. Piper,
404 66
G. H. Harris,
100 00
Frederic Rouillard,
2,606 69
Sarah C. Noyes,
800 00
Thomas F. Noyes,
400 00
M. P. Hosmer,
1,039 33
Harriet Davis,
506.41
-$17,954 86
Amount due from State Aid, $96 00
65
Indigent Soldiers' Aid, 330 09
66
66 66 Town Treasurer, 3,184 39
$3,610 48
Balance against the Town,
$14,344 38
D. J. WETHERBEE, ) Selectmen JOHN WHITE, of CHAS. B. STONE, Acton.
ACTON, Feb. 26, 1879.
13
REPORT OF THE
RECEIPTS and EXPENDITURES
AT THE ALMSHOUSE IN ACTON,
For the Year Ending April Ist, 1879.
ARTICLES ON HAND APRIL 1, 1879.
10 cows,
$425 00 380 lbs salt pork,
$38 00
1 horse,
115 00 1 pork barrel, 1 50
13 tons hay,
195 00 Vinegar, 5 50
Husks,
2 00 Salt pickles,
1 00
550 lbs. cotton meal,
6 60. Beets,
1 00
400 lbs. meal,
4 00 Soap.
1 80
500 1bs. shorts,
4 25 110 lbs. lard,
11 00
60 bush. corn,
36 00 Butter,
2 00
Bags,
3 00 20 1bs. tea,
6 80
Calfskin,
75|Flour,
3 00
3 shoats,
18 00 Salt,
1 00
12 cords wood cut for stove, 60 00/Sugar,
30 hens,
15 00 Spices,
30
Lumber,
10 00 Candles,
25
40 barrels,
4 50 Crackers,
75
Boxes,
1 00 10 lbs. dried apples,
80
15 bbl. apples,
15 00 Oyster shells,
70 bush. potatoes,
56 00
100. lbs. ham,
11 00
$1057 60
RECEIPTS FROM TOWN FARM 1878.
Received for milk,
$575 54 Received for eggs,
$2 12
apples.
685 15
66 potatoes,
98 90
66 Bowker fund, 25 00
tobacco, 1 60
66 cows, 123 00
butter,
6 32
66
boarding B.Skinner, 47 12 66 M. C. Murphy, 4 00
poultry,
4 34
66 berries,
12 00
calves, 7 50|
$1,592 59
30
50
14
EXPENSES.
Paid for tea,
$24 79 Paid for soap,
$2 68
cloth and clothing,
63 52
almanac,
06
crackers,
31 66
rope,
08
cream tartar,
3 30
printers' ink, seeds,
43
tobacco,
13 52
twine,
24
fish,
11 65
cheese,
7 31
pails,
45
sal soda,
10
axes,
1 70
Bristol brick,
10
coffee,
3 12
clothes pins,
20
crockery,
1 99
vinegar,
50
peas,
1 03
oat meal,
1 20
yeast,
96
jug,
20
axe helves,
92
shoes,
9 44
spices,
2 94
phosphate,
26 25
beans,
4 13
whetstone,
08
mustard,
90
blueing,
20
dried apple,
4 68
oil can,
67
Paris green,
1 90
sage,
45
brush,
15
cards,
45
malt,
40
shovel,
56
faucet,
06
shells,
68
brooms,
1 05
eggs.
1 00
mops,
50
expres marketing,
13 10
chimneys,
80
labor,
230 70
shade,
25
boxes.
30
butter,
67 29
washing fluid,
30
prunes,
36
cushion,
1 75
spoons,
1 27
cash rendered paup's, 2 75
onions,
1 15
tinware,
2 31
starch,
11
straw,
50
grain,
344 58
use of team,
14 75
meat,
84 14
stove,
18 00
wicks,
26
blankets for tramp
bil
8 79
room,
13 50
corks,
40
butchering,
4 00
snuff,
32
barrels,
125 75
nails,
2 38
castings,
3 75
apple header,
1 17
cider,
3 52
mustard,
2 05
repairing shoes,
2 07
sulphur,
08
‹‹ harness,
2 75
baskets,
1 92
pump,
2 00
paper,
15
66
lantern,
1 00
flour,
74 05
pasturing cows,
27 00
molasses,
9 10
cows,
100 00
1 27
sugar,
32 92
15
Paid for saleratus,
1 10|Paid for axe,
90
salt,
5 89
pigs, 9 00
rice,
1 12
blacksmith bill, 13 18
corn starch,
24
Dr. Sanders' bill,
13 25
raisins,
88
coffin and robe for Sarah Bowker, 13 00
chalk,
02
services of N. S. Brooks, 350 00
lemons,
58
lard,
1 14
services of E. H. Cutler, 50 00
sweet potatoes,
1 80
John White. 10 00
medicine,
4 16
Thomas P. Sawyer, 3 00
rye meal,
25
saltpetre,
32
$1,079 01
Total amount of Expenditures, 66
Receipts,
1,592 59
Deficiency,
$326 55
Balance due as per report of the Overseers of the Poor,
April 1, 1878,
301 43
$627 98
Drawn from the Treasurer balance due
April 1, 1878,
$301 43
Drawn from the Treasurer for use on farm 1878-1879. 164 50
465 93
Balance due April 1, 1879
$162 05
Deficiency,
$326 55
Interest on farm,
240 00
$566 55
Victualing 372 tramps at 40 cents,
148 80
Cost of supporting poor on farm,
$417 75
Whole number of persons, exclusive of tramps, supported in Alms house, 8; average number, 6; present number, 6.
ELISHA H. CUTLER,
OVERSEERS JOHN WHITE, OF THOMAS P. SAWYER, POOR.
glycerine,
30
candles,
1 50
$1,919 14
16
TOWN CLERK'S REPORT FOR 1878.
-
Births in Acton in ;1878.
No. Date of birth. Name of child. Names of parents.
1. Jan. 31, Rebecca Bradley, daughter of Dennis and Hannah Bradley.
2. Feb. 12, James O'Neil, son of Patrick and Hannah O'Neil.
3. Feb. 24, Edward Wellington Rich, son of Edward S. and M. Alice Rich.
4. Mar. 10, Edna Augusta Knowlton, daughter of George T. and Clara E. Knowlton.
5. Mar. 15, Bertha May Newton, daughter of Theron F. and Anna A. Newton.
6. Mar. 18, Joseph Dennis Donahue, son of Timothy and Bridget Donahue.
7. Mar. 24, Frank Herman Tuttle, son of Julian and Hannah E. Tuttle.
8. May 4, William Peters, son of Philip and Margaret Peters.
9. May 8, Thomas Manion, son of Thomas and Mary M. Manion.
10. May 25, George W. Potter, son of George and Lizzie Potter.
11. July 20, Frank Jones, son of William S. and Laura A. Jones.
12. July 25, Frank Elbridge Hapgood, son of Hiran J. and Augusta A. Hapgood.
13. July 25, Bertha Jane Parker, daughter of Edwin C. and Hannah H. Parker.
14. Aug. 27, Sheldon Ellsworth Littlefield, son of Hanson A. and Florence M. Littlefield.
15. Sept. 8, Florence Ethel Wayne, daughter of Robert and Lizzie A. Wayne.
16. Sept. 14, John Albert Hayward, son of George A. and Susan E. Hayward.
17
17. Sept. 27. Avis Vesta Fowler, daughter of Loring N. and Addie' M. Fowler.
18. Sept 29, Augustine Bradford Conant, son of Luther and S. Au- gusta Conant.
19. Oct. 22, Sara A. Wood, daughter of Rev. Franklin P. and Abby (). Wood.
20. Oct. 25, Jacob II. Dockendorff, son of Jacob and Martha A. Dockendorff.
21. Nov. 4. Thomas Warren Elliott, son of George W. and H. Isa- bella Elliott.
22. Nov. 10, Albert E. Willis, son of Edward and Ora Annie Willis.
23. Nov. 24, Carl Markland Worcester, son of Charles E. and Louise S. Worcester.
Marriages Recorded in Actom in IST8.
No. Date of Marriage. Names and residence of parties
1. Jan. 16, Mr. Daniel Collins and Miss Julia A. Crockett both of Acton.
2. June 19, Mr Edwin M. Wheeler of Boston, and Miss Ellen G. Hoar of Acton.
3. Aug. 10, Mr. George W. Barnard of Stow, and Miss Catherine Doody of Harvard.
1. Sept. 4, Dr. Charles B. Sanders and Miss Lizzie S. Taylor, both of Acton.
5. Sept. 8, Mr. Frank Marshall and Miss Ada I. Jones, both of Acton.
6. Oct. 16, Mr. Robert C. Dickinson of Groton, and Miss Laura J. Hosmer of Acton.
7. Nov. 13, Mr Charles L. Beck of Acton, and Miss Lulu Adelaide Proctor of Needham.
8. Dec. 4, Mr. Walter H. Whitney of Boston and Miss Georgia E. Tuttle of Acton.
9. Dec. 13, Mr. Charles D. Griggs of Acton, and Mrs. Sarah Jane Jewett of Groton.
10. Dec. 20, Mr. George R. Keyes of Acton, and Miss Mayetta E. Tubbs of Gillsum. N. H.
18
Deaths in Acton in IS78.
No. Date of Death.
Names and Ages of Deceased.
1. Jan. 8, Mr. Charles F. Richardson, aged 62 years, 4 months, 23 days.
2. Jan. 9, Eva Bassett, daughter of Joseph R. and Clara Bassett, aged 4 years, 11 months, 6 days.
3. Jan 28, Howard W. Hesselton, son of Lucius A. and Martha F. Hesselton, aged 2 months, 5 days.
4. Feb. 1, Mabel E. Stone, daughter of Charles B. and Marietta C. Stone, aged 6 year., 2 months, 2 days.
5. Feb. 21, Mr. William Shattuck, aged 85 years, 9 months, 26 days.
6. Mar. 10. Mrs. Harriet Tuttle, widow of Francis Tuale. Esq., . aged 82 years, 6 months. 6 days.
7. Mar. 12, Mr. Archibald Turpening, aged 26 years.
8. Mar. 12, Mr. Lowell Foster, aged 27 years.
9. April 4, Mr. Robert Fiske, aged 64 years, 2 months. 15 days.
10. April 10, Mrs. Henrieta C. Cummings, wife of Mr. M. B. C. Cummings, aged 39 years, 11 months, 23 days.
11. April 10, Mr. Lorenzo C. Andrews, aged 54 years, 8 days
12. June 12, Mr. A. S. Bergendahl. aged about 60 years.
18 July 14, Marietta Morin, daughter of Joseph C. and Lucy D. Morin, aged 10 months.
14 July 16, Mr. Nathan Chaffin, aged 77 years, 6 months, 17 days.
15. Aug. 8, Charles Edwin Nelson, son of Oscar and Mary Ann Nel- son, aged 2 years, 4 month, 18 days.
16 Sept. 5, Mr. Leonard Bulette, aged 49 years. 7 months, 26 days.
17. Sept. 17, Mrs. Martha A. Conant, wife of Francis Conant, aged 46 years, 9 months, 2 days.
18. Sept. 21, Deacon Albert Hayward, age:l 64 years, 7 months.
19. Sept. 24, Bertha Jane Parker, daughter of Edwin C. and Hannah
HI. Parker, aged 2 months.
20. Oct. 4, Mr. Thomas Taylor, aged 72 years, 1 month, 24 days.
21. Oct. 11, Mrs. Catherine E. Worster, wife of W. W. Worster, aged 42 years, 10 months, 11 days.
22. Oct. 14, Mr. Philip Peters, aged 45 years.
23. Oct. 19, Mr. Alonzo W. Moore, aged 32 years, 9 months.
24. Oct. 28, Mr. William W. Worster, aged 50 years, 1 month, 17 days.
19
25. Nov. 5, Miss Mary M. Withington, aged 57 years, 6 months, 24 days.
4 26. Nov. 13, Mrs. Sarah F. Bowker, aged 83 years.
27. Nov. 16, Mr. William C. Mansfield, aged 60 years, 2 months, 3 days.
28. Dec. 1, Miss Submit Wheeler, aged 75 years, 3 months, 26 days.
29. Dec. 8, Mrs. Martha T. Davis, wife of William W. Davis, aged 53 years, 5 months, 2 days.
30, Dec. 28, Mrs. Sarah Rouillard, wife of Frederic Rouillard, aged 58 years, 11 months, 1 day.
20
NAMES OF PERSONS HAVING DOGS LICENSED IN 1878.
Mrs. Augusta Hosmer,
|John Temp'e, John We'ch.
Jas E. Richardson,-
Alonzo L. Tuttle,
Daniel Har is,
Joseph Wherren. Lyman C. Tavlor,
Edwin Tarbell.
Geo. R. Keve-,
Francis Dwight 2 ..
Levi Houghton,
John H. W. Tufts,
Frank Barker,
E. F. Füller,
James Wa'dron. Patrick Redding.
Danie F. Hayward,
Frank Wetherbee,
Sylvester Haynes
Daniel J. Wetherbee,
E. B. Hooper,
John W Charter.
Myron F. Going,
Joseph Wheeler,
A. B. Brown.
Albert Moult n,
Summer F. Re-d,
Taylor Brothers & Co.
G-o. C. Conam
Luther Conant.
Geo V. Mead,
John Fletcher Jr .. Darie Tutde,
Windsor Pratr, Geo W. Knowlton, Walter A. Gilmore, Herbert E Preston, Geo. F. Flagy. L-vi W. Stearns.
H. Waldo Tuttle,
Francis Conant,
Allen Smith,
Tuttles, Jones & Wether- Jobn White,
bee. 2.
Robert N. Gowell,
Francis Robbins.
Henry Haynes.
Solan A. Robbins,
Isaac Barker,
Elvin Tuttle,
M. E. Taylor
Anson C. Piper,
Elnathan Jones, 2,
Willie F. Richardson,
Mrs. Martha D Bal,
Charles Handley,
Cyrus Hayward,
Geo. C. Wright.
Lucius S. Hosmer,
Isaiah S. LPach, Frank Marshall, Oscar Preston,
Theron F. Newton, Neil Currie,
Charles Wheeler,
Charles Worcester
Aaron S. Fletcher,
John Fletcher & Sons, Geo. W Livermore,
Charles H. Conant,
Aaron C. Handley,
H. A. Littlefield.
Andrew J. Willis,
Frank E. Harris,
Henry Brooks, William Tufts.
92 Males at $2.00=$184.00 3 Females at $5.00=$15 00
Total, 95
$199.00
WM. D. TUTTLE, Town Clerk,
Acton, March 15, 1879.
Frank Pratt. r. P Goding. Hemy Hanson.
Adalbert Mead,
Joseph Reed,
Mrs. H. M Beck.
James Hannon.
Augustus Fletcher,
Geo. H. Shapley,
Lestor Fletcher,
John D Moulton,
Charles Morri-,
William Moore.
Frank Houghton,
Chas. A. Harrington,
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
School Committee Town ofActon
FOR THE
SCHOOL YEAR, 1878-9.
To THE CITIZENS OF ACTON :
In accord with a wise provision of the statutes of this Commonwealth, your School Committee and the Superin- tendent of Schools respectfully submit the following report :
We consider it highly proper that you who appropri- ate the money by which our schools are supported and who commit your children to our schools to be instructed in the most necessary branches of knowledge under our direction, should be fully informed, not only in respect to the particular management of each school in town, but also as to the general principles of the system of education which is practiced in the conduct of all our schools at the present time. For this reason we have endeavored to make this report the farthest possible from being a mere matter of form, to satisfy the technical provision of the statute law, and, in its composition, have endeavored to set before you without any reserve whatever, the principles by which we have been governed in all our actions as re- gards the supervision of the schools of this town, during the past year. Before we enter upon a statement of these principles, we wish to state that we have adopted them as he basis of our actions after much careful reflection and a
2
considerable observation of the unsatisfactory or positively harmful results of other methods. We do not claim that our ideas upon common school education are perfect or beyond dispute, but we do claim that they are the result of much thought, of a considerable experience in teaching and of no small amount of observation of the practical conduct of schools.
That our ideas upon this important subject may be before you in the most definite form possible we divide them into topics as follows : 1st-The aim of our Schools. 2d-Methods of Instruction. 3d-Methods of Discipline. 4th-Text Books. 5th-Treatment of Teachers.
THE AIM OF OUR SCHOOLS.
This is a most important topic ; but how few persons there are who are most vitally interested in our schools who ever gave it any serious consideration! Were the question, "what is the aim of our schools?" to be put to any company of our citizens the answer would be with but few exceptions, "The aim of our schools is to impart knowl- edge to the scholars," and this would be given as a suffi- cient answer. But as we look upon it, this is only a part of what ought to be the beneficial work of our schools. In order that these institutions may be most successful, it is necessary that the matter of self control and mental dis- cipline should not be overlooked. Moreover, it is not the amount of knowledge which a pupil seems to come into possession of that determines his success as a scholar, but it is the thoroughness with which he has learned what he has attempted, especially as regards the fundamental prin- ciples of the branches of knowledge taught, which is the important thing. Take for example a class commencing written arithmetic ; if that class in one term can become so versed in the study as to express any number in figures with the most perfect readiness, and can read numbers with a similar facility and can add columns of figures with something of the same ease that an accountant. can, that amount of knowledge will be of far more service to him than the comparitively imperfect knowledge of the study which he would have gained in going over a very much larger portion of the book, for he will be able to perform arithmetical processes which he will find it necessary to
3
perform almost every day in his business life in half the time and with a far greater certainty of being correct than would have been possible had it not been for the thorough- ness of his mental work in this part of arithmetic, and yet there is not a parent in this town who would be satisfied with this amount of apparent progress in the scholar's study.
What may be said of arithmetic is equally true of the other branches of knowledge which are taught in our schools. If scholars are allowed to be content with sim- ply a superficial knowledge of their studies, they will fail to acquire a habit of persistent thoroughness which would be of the greatest service to them in the future.
Another aim of our schools is to secure to the scholars a facility in expressing what they know, such as they would not otherwise possess, and this is almost as impor- tant to a person's success in life as the possession of knowl- edge. For this reason we consider it just as much a teacher's duty to see to it that the scholars express themselves con- cisely and correctly as that they commit their lessons per- fectly.
Another aim of our schools is to develop in the schol- ars the power of self control, and to inspire them with habits of obedience, so that they will be more obedient in the family and more law abiding in the state. Said a parent to us not a long time since, "I can tell very quick- ly whether the scholars in our school are kept under proper restraint or not by the conduct of my boys at home. When the order of the schools is good, they are easily man- aged at home, and are pleasant when corrected ; but when it is not, and they are given a loose rein there, it is just the reverse." In this respect we consider the service of our common schools, if properly managed, invalua- ble.
In short, it is the aim of our sehools to prepare the young in every particular to go out into society and take their places in it as law abiding and useful members, fur- nished with the most necessary elements of knowledge, and so disciplined as to be able to make the best use of what they know, and we should strive to accomplish these results to the fullest extent possible.
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METHODS OF INSTRUCTION.
Just as there are several systems of medicine, each claiming an equal degree of success in the treatment of disease, so there are various methods of instruction which have the indorsement of educators of unquestioned ability. The method which is employed in most of our higher in- stitutions of learning at the present time is what may be termed"Recitation by Topics." According to this method, few questions are asked and the scholar is thrown entirely upon his own resources for a successful recitation. If a scholar were to pass thoroughly through a text book, ac- cording to this method, he would be able, at the close of his study of it,to give the contents of the whole book with- out any question being asked. For scholars who have re- ceived a considerable degree of mental discipline, this is an admirable method and is always attended with the best results.
But our experience with this method in our common schools has convinced us that it is not the most advanta- 'geous method in them. We have found that the tax on the memory of scholars whose retentive faculties are not very strong is so great that they become discouraged and pursue the study with no pleasure but the reverse, and that it is the tendency of the scholars who are easy to learn to commit the exact language of the book and recite it, parrot-like, so associating the ideas of the subject with the language of the text book that when the exact lan- guage is forgotten all the knowledge which it conveyed is lost. For these reasons we have found the practice of rec- itation by questions far preferable to any other method.
This as it seems to us is the most natural method of training for scholars who expect to have no particular use for their knowledge except in ordinary business, for they will find it practically the case in the future, that it is in answer to questions, that they need to have their knowledge in an available shape. Some one asks, "Why the need of plying the scholars with so many questions in our schools ?" We reply, this is necessary to afford them facility in an- swering the practical questions which will arise every day in their lives. If our scholars were to be public lecturers or essayists, we would prefer some other method, but as they
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are to be practical men and women, whose great need of knowledge is to fit them to solve problems and answer ques- tions which will arise every day, we think the method of recitation by questions is the most natural one.
Moreover, we have found that this method is better than any other in stimulating our scholars to study their les- sons, and it is such stimulus that most of our scholars especially need. The proportion of scholars in any of our schools who have such a natural thirst for knowledge that they would study without anything to stimulate them is very small. It is one of the principal duties (or ought to be) of every teacher to excite an interest in study in the minds of the scholars, so that they will give the applica- tion to their books which is necessery to any degree of success. If a scholar knows that certain questions are to be asked him, he will apply himself to the study of their answers as he will not,if he thinks he will not be called to give any account of his mental progress. We think the method of instruction which is preferable is the one which is best adapted to the mental training of the great majority of our scholars, and not one which would be attended with good results in the cases of a few, who would make good progress under any system. For this reason we welcome every expedient whose tendency is to excite an interest in the minds of all the scholars, whether it be by object lessons. exercises upon the black board, spirited general exercises or what not, and especially do we welcome a teacher who is an enthusiast in her work and who is able to impart the magnetic influence of her spirit to those who are under her care.
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