USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Acton > Town annual reports of Acton, Massachusetts 1879-1894 > Part 33
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72 2
2
7. Oct. 10. 8. Oct. 13.
Frank P. Whitcomb of Ayer, 35
8 23
9. Mar. 1.
H. B. Sherman of Providence, R.I., 2 3
6
18
11. Oct. 25. James Libby of Stow, 85
84
5
12
13. Nov. 15. Ruth Pike of Hudson,
84
10
15
14. Nov. 16. Lewis Rouillard of Littleton,
79
-
21
15. Nov. 4. Otis H. Penniman of Concord,
74 3
13
16. Nov. 30. Susan White of Lewiston, Me., 82. 8
17. April --. Rev. Win. K. Davy of Amesbury, -
39 2
18
6. Aug. 27.
Charlotte F.Heustis of HydePark,64
8
8
7
10. July 31. W. Ashley Coster of Quincy,
-
12. Oct. 27. William Wheeler of Maynard,
50
ANNUAL REPORTS
NAMES OF PERSONS HAVING DOGS LICENSED IN
1893.
Luther R. Forbush, 2
Charles A. Hodges
Frank L. Stiles, female
Charles Morris
Calvin S. Simonds, female
John F. Coughlin
Tuttles, Jones & Wetherbee
Elnathan Jones
John Temple Wm. B. Holt
John Davis E. Eddie Fletcher
Norman A. Davidson, female
Otis H. Forbush
Lyman Tuttle
Aaron J. Fletcher
Frank W. Bulette
H. W. Sawyer
Charles Barker
John W. Randall
Fred H. Lewis
John H. Haniford
Sidney E. Gray
Chas. F. Shirland
Geo. A. Hayward
A. L. Lawrence
A. H. Perkins
W. W. Philbrick
Aaron C. Handley
Howard E. Faulkner
Lucius S. Hosmer
Moses Taylor John Grimes Daniel H. Farrar
D. H. Brown Solon A. Robbins
J. H. Standish Chas. S. Moulton
Wm. S. Jones
Wm. B. Manning, 2
Frank J. Taylor S. A. Allard L. W. Pratt
Geo. W. Tuttle
F. P. Brooks,
Chauncy B. Robbins, 2 Francis Pratt, 2 M. E. Taylor
Samuel Jones, Jr
Geo. H. Brooks Daniel Tuttle ,
Mildred E. Handley Henry L. Livermore Joseph L. Brown, female
James P. Brown
J. F. Moore
C. H. Mead & Co Fred. W. Green E. F. Shapley
A. L. Lawrence, female Luke Tuttle, 2
Wm. F. Stevens
TOWN OF ACTON.
51
C. B. Sanders Abel Cole
Charles H. Wheeler
William Jennings
Warren H. Jones
Abel Farrar, female
Martin Baker Hattie S. White
Henry Hanson
A. L. Tuttle
George Conant
Luther Conant
R. A. Desseaux H. M. Smith
Forbush & Hartwell
W. C. Robbins, 2 Mrs. C. Varney
David C. Harris
May L. Calder
Geo. A. Smith
F. R. Houghton, female S. H. Taylor
Dan J. Gallagher
Fred G. Jones
H. A. Littlefield Adelbert Mead
Sidney L. Richardson
A. C. Jenkins Wm. J. Moore
B. M. Kimball & Son
A. Merriam Thomas Robinson Alex. Allen
F. E. Penniman Henry Austin Willie S. Fletcher
E. L. Hall
James Hussey
G. N. Hoit
Frank E. Harris
E. G. Kraetzer
O. A. Knowlton
Geo. W. Worster Ralph Crooker Charles Wheeler Lyman C. Taylor R. G. Brooks Wilber G. Davis Almon H. Gilmore Faulkner estate Geo. A. Conant
John Kelley J. E. Durkee A. A. Wyman Frank R. Houghton J. R. Bassett
Frank Stroevonevecz John McGreevey Freeman Robbins John Fahey A. Risso C. B. Stone
F. S. Whitcomb Maurice Lane
Total number of dogs licensed,
132
52
ANNUAL REPORTS
Males 125 at $2.00 $250 00
Females 7 at 5.00 35 00
Total amount received from licenses in 1893, $285 00
WILLIAM D. TUTTLE, Town Clerk.
*
ANNUAL REPORT
- OF THE
TRUSTEES*
- OF THE
ACTON
Memorial
Library.
54
ANNUAL REPORTS
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES Acton Memorial Library 1893-94.
The trustees of the Acton Memorial Library in accord- ance to custom hereby submit their fourth annual report. We are glad to be able to say that the interest in the institu- tion shows no diminution, and feel assured that a permanent service of usefulness may be looked for.
The following summary will show the work and gains for the year ending March 12, 1894.
Total number of volumes in library,
5176
Increase during the year,
357
Increase by purchase,
330
Increase by gift,
27
Total number of persons who have taken out cards, 900
$12.83
Books taken out during the year, 8,102
Largest daily use, Feb. 17, 1894,
179 vols.
Smallest daily use, June 21, 1893, 22 vols.
Visitors registered during the year, 245
Of the new volumes, nearly 200 were purchased by the $150 given by Mr. Wilde.
List of periodicals regularly received at the Library :
Atlantic Monthly,
Cassell's Magazine,
Century Magazine,
Cosmopolitan Magazine, Child's Hour,
Cottage Hearth,
Harper's Magazine,
Harper's Young People,
New England Magazine,
Our Sunday Afternoon,
Scribner's Magazine,
Review of Reviews.
St. Nicholas Magazine,
Money received from fines,
55
TOWN OF ACTON.
PERIODICALS DONATED.
Child's Hour, Cottage Hearth, and Our Sunday After- noon, Wm. A. Wilde.
Our Paper, Massachusetts Reformatory.
Congressional Record, Chas. J. Williams.
Our Dumb Animals, Anon.
Royal Arcanum Guide, Anon.
Fifty-two numbers of The Churchman, Mrs. M. E. A. Williams.
INCREASE BY GIFT -- BOOKS.
Secretary of State, -
-
-
1
Bridgewater Normal School,
-
-
1
Ida A. Hale, Acton, - 1 .- - -
1
Dr. I. Hutchins, West Acton, - - -
7
John Fletcher, Acton,
-
-
1
W. A. Wilde, Malden, Mass., -
-
-
5
D. C. Harris, North Acton, - -
2
Edwin P. Seaver, Boston, - - -
1
Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D. C., -
-
1
Total,
27
Early in the year the president of the board of trustees placed in the trustees' room a hanging cabinet, for the safe keeping and exhibition of the many articles of interest be- longing to the library.
The chief addition for the year to the beautiful works of art presented by the donor of the library, came in the form of a copy, by a noted artist, of Andrea del Sortos' famous painting of "The Holy Family." The figures are of nearly life-size and very expressive. The painting, done in oil colors, is enclosed in a massive oak frame, richly carved and gilded, and would adorn any public building or gallery of paintings in the country.
-
56
ANNUAL REPORTS
During the past year the pleasant circle of the board of trustees has been first broken by death. The Rev. James Fletcher, who has been a member of the board since its or- ganization, passed away suddenly, March 28, 1893. Resolu- tions suitably acknowledging the interest and fidelity of the deceased, and our appreciation of his worth, were prepared by the secretary, Mr. Wm. D. Tuttle, and adopted by the unanimous vote of the board of trustees, and placed upon the records. Opportunity is here taken, in a more public manner, to renew our concurrence with the resolutions adopted.
We find by referring to past reports that about twelve hundred volumes have been added to the number in the library since its opening, either by gift or purchase,-an average of three hundred books a year. Most of these were new books of the class aptly described as current literature ; the placing of this class of books in a library is like infusing new blood in our bodies ; the whole system is toned up and invigorated. And in no other way can we expect to keep alive the interest of the patrons and beneficiaries of the in- stitution. Your trustees would recommend the usual appro- priation of four hundred dollars for current expenses, and one hundred and fifty dollars for the purchase of new books.
LUTHER CONANT, for the Trustees.
57
TOWN OF ACTON.
TOWN WARRANT.
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS. MIDDLESEX SS. To either of the Constables of the Town of Acton, in the County of Middlesex, Greeting :
You are hereby required, in the name of the Common- wealth of Massachusetts, to notify and warn the inhabitants of the town of Acton," qualified to vote in elections and town affairs, to assemble in the Town hall, in said town, on MONDAY, THE SECOND DAY OF APRIL, A. D. 1894, at nine o'clock A. M., then and there to act upon the following arti- cles as they may think proper, viz :
ARTICLE 1. To choose a Moderator to preside at said meeting.
ART. 2. To choose all necessary town officers and com- mittees.
ART. 3. To see if the town will accept of the jury list as revised by the selectmen.
ART. 4. To see if the town will authorize the treasurer, with the approval of the selectmen, to borrow money for the town, if necessary, in anticipation of the taxes for the cur- rent year.
ART. 5. To see if the town will direct the board of assessors to make for the school committee an accurate enu- meration of the children in the town, between the ages of five and fifteen years.
ART. 6. To see if the town will vote to heat the Town hall by steam, or act anything thereon.
58
ANNUAL REPORTS
ART. 7. To see if the town will allow a discount on taxes paid on or before November 1.
ART. 8. To see if the town will vote to charge interest on all taxes not paid on or before November 1, or act any- thing thereon.
ART. 9. To see if the town will reconsider the vote taken at their June meeting, whereby they voted not to accept of the road, from near the residence of J. C. Gates to the Leland Stevens road, as laid out by the selectmen, and vote to accept and build it.
ART. 10. To see if the town will accept the reports of the selectmen, overseers of the poor, school committee, and other town officers.
ART. 11. To see what sum of money the town will raise for the support of Memorial library for the ensuing year.
ART. 12. To see if the town will raise the sum of two hundred dollars to repair the road from the residence of Moses Taylor to the Turnpike road.
ART. 13. To see if the town will raise the sum of two hundred and fifty dollars to repair the road leading from the residence of John Kelley to South Acton.
ART. 14. To see what amount of money the town will raise for the support of schools the present year, and how it shall be divided.
ART. 15. To see what amount of money the town will raise for school supplies the present year.
ART. 16. To see if the town will vote to diminish the number of its school committee, beginning in 1895.
ART. 17. To see what action the town will take in regard to selling the school-house in the southeast part of the town.
59
TOWN OF ACTON.
ART. 18. To see if the town will raise and appropriate a sum of money to repair the Great road from Concord line to Littleton line.
ART. 19. To see if the town will erect and maintain street lamps the present year, or act anything thereon.
ART. 20. To vote " Yes " or "No" in answer to the question, "Shall licenses be granted for the sale of intoxi- cating liquors in the town the present year ?" i
ART. 21. To see if the town will appropriate a sum of money for the enforcement of the liquor law.
ART. 22. To see what amount of money the town will raise for the repairing of roads and bridges the present year, and how it shall be divided.
ART. 23. To see if the town will appropriate a sum of money for the due observance of Memorial day.
ART. 24. To see if the town will vote to widen the road from the house of Chas. L. Davis to the Estabrook road, or act anything thereon.
ART. 25. To see if the town will vote to build a cistern near the Town hall the present year, or act anything thereon.
ART. 26. To see if the town will offer a reward for the arrest and conviction of the person or persons who poisoned Mr. Charles Wheeler's cattle.
ART. 27. To see if the town will rescind the vote whereby they voted to accept of sections 64 to 68, both in- clusive, of chapter 27 of the Public Statutes, and any amend- ments thereto, providing for the election of members of the board of selectmen and assessors for the term of three years, or act anything thereon.
ART. 28. To see if the town will appropriate a sum of money for the purpose of erecting headstones or other mon- uments, to the memory of persons who, accredited to their
60
ANNUAL REPORTS
respective quotas, served in the military or naval service of the United States in the Revolutionary war, the war of 1812, the Seminole war, and the Mexican war, and for keeping in repair and decorating such monuments and the graves of such persons.
ART. 29. To see what amount of money the town will raise to defray town charges the present year.
And you are hereby directed to serve this warrant by posting up copies attested by you in the following places : One at the Post Office in the centre of the town. one each at the stores of Tuttles, Jones & Wetherbee, M. E. Taylor & Co., H. A. Littlefield & Co., C. H. Mead & Co., one at the Nagog House, one at each of the Railroad Stations, and one at the Post Office in East Acton, seven days at least before the time appointed for holding said meeting.
Hereof fail not and make due return of this warrant with your doings thereon, to the Selectmen or Town Clerk, on or before the time of holding said meeting.
Given under our hands in Acton this nineteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and ninety-four.
GUSTAVUS V. BOWEN, ED. F. CONANT,
Selectmen of Acton.
ANNUAL REPORT
- - OF THE
School
Committee
- FOR THE
SCHOOL YEAR
1893-94.
2
ANNUAL REPORTS
REPORT OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
To the Citizens of Acton :
The town at its annual meeting in April having, in ac- cordance with the recommendations of this committee, de- cided to continue the district system of superintendence of its schools and having again united with the towns of Stur- bridge and West Brookfield, the joint committee of the dis- trict met in Worcester on the 25th day of April and, having complied with the requirements of the statute, again selected Mr. Edward Dixon of West Brookfield as District Superin- tendent for the ensuing year. The superintendent's salary was fixed at $1550, viz : $800 and the amount appropriated by the State therefor, apportioned among the several towns as follows : Sturbridge, 4-10, West Brookfield, 3-10, and Acton, 3-10 ; the amount of the salary, so far as the towns are concerned, and its apportionment being the same as for the previous year. It was voted, also, to allow the superin- tendent a sum equal to the cost of the postage and stationery expended in his official correspondence, estimated at about forty dollars, the same to be equally apportioned among the towns of the district.
The benefits conferred upon the schools, the impetus given to school work and the increased interest in school life, as a result of the adoption of the present system of super- vision and the employment of a skilled professional superin- tendent, are easily apparent to all who are familiar with the schools. Not within the memory of any member of your committee have our schools been in so healthful a condition
3
TOWN OF ACTON.
as they are in to-day. The continuance of this system of superintendence is most earnestly recommended, together with an appropriation therefor of $475.
It is desirable here to direct your attention to certain changes in the law relating to union district superintendence. Under the old law, that of 1888, the State refunded to the towns composing a district the sum of $1,000, to be distrib- uted among them, $500 on the basis of the amounts ex- pended for a superintendent by the several towns the next preceding year, and $500 on the basis of the average attend- ance upon the schools of the several towns in the said year. The union might also be terminated at the expiration of any year by the withdrawal from it of any one of its members. Chap. 200 of the acts of 1893 provides : "Sec. 2. When such a union has been effected it shall not be dissolved . . for any reason for the period of three years from the date of the formation of such union except by a vote of a majority of the towns constituting the union." "Sec. 3. .. . A war- rant shall be drawn upon the treasurer of the commonwealth for the payment of one thousand two hundred and fifty dol- lars, seven hundred and fifty dollars of which amount shall be paid for the salary of such superintendent, and the re- maining five hundred dollars shall be apportioned and dis- tributed on the basis of the amount appropriated and ex- pended for a superintendent in the towns forming such district for the year next preceding." This act, to take effect upon its passage, was approved April 15, 1893.
Under the present law, therefore, the towns of the dis- trict receive from the State the sum of $1250, of which $750 is applicable to the salary of the superintendent, and the whole of which is distributed among them on the basis of the amounts they shall have severally expended for a superinten- dent during the next preceding year, and, furthermore, a
4
ANNUAL REPORTS
union district, once formed, cannot now be dissolved within three years of its formation, save by the consent of a ma- jority of the towns in interest.
In accordance with your action at the last annual meet- ing the High school is now permanently located at South Acton, where it occupies the two rooms upon the second floor of the school building. The task of selecting compe- tent teachers for this school was a somewhat difficult one, and to it much time and thought were given hy the superin- tendent and your committee. During the summer Mr. Wm. A. Charles was appointed principal, and Miss M. F. Fletcher assistant teacher, both of whom have proved faithful and competent instructors. The school, with a membership of sixty-seven against forty-four a year ago, is in a highly satis- factory condition. The employment of an assistant teacher in the High school being a new departure, and in a sense an experiment, the present incumbent was induced to accept the position at a salary of ten dollars a week for the first two terms of the year, with the understanding that a different arrange- ment should then be made. It is not to be expected that a thoroughly competent teacher can be retained in so import- ant a position at so small a salary.
In view of the duties and responsibilities devolving upon the instructors in this school, we recommend an appropria- tion which shall permit the payment to the principal of a salary of $1,000, and to the assistant of $450 per annum.
It need not be pointed out that at the present time the sciences hold a very large and a very important place in all schemes of education. It is impossible to teach them with effect in the absence of apparatus, and of scientific appara- tus we have, in a High school of sixty-seven members, little or nothing worthy of the name. A High school can be such in little more than title unless, among other things, it is pro-
5
TOWN OF ACTON.
vided with, at least, the more elementary apparatus for illus- trating the problems of chemistry and physics.
That something may be done towards supplying this deficiency, you are earnestly recommended to appropriate the sum of $100 for the purchase of such apparatus.
The allowance of a certain sum for transportation to the pupils of the High school from the centre, north and east parts of the town, has proved satisfactory to them and a par- tial compensation for the location of the school at a point remote from the geographical centre of the town. From the nature of the case the sum required for this purpose could be only approximately estimated, and the appropriation of last year has proved to be somewhat too small. We recommend the continuance of this allowance and the appropriation of $450 therefor, and that the amount of the allowance to the several pupils be determined by the committee.
The Southeast school was discontinued at the close of the spring term and the premises transferred to the custody of the selectmen in August. A contract was made with Mr. Wm. S. Jones for the transportation of the pupils of this school to South Acton for sixty dollars per term, the sum appropriated for the purpose, and the work has been satisfac- torily performed.
The closing of this school and the transfer of its pupils to the schools at South Acton have, we believe, proved en- tirely satisfactory and profitable to those personally inter- ested, as well as to the town. We recommend the appropri- ation of $180 for the transportation of these pupils during the coming year.
It is the hope and belief of your committee that the consolidatiou of the Southeast school with the village schools at South Acton, is but the first step towards a system of consolidation which shall presently unite the North and East
6
ANNUAL REPORTS
schools with that at the centre of the town, to form at the latter place, where accommodations are already provided, a primary and a grammar school in which advantages of grading and instruction can be afforded to the children, which cannot be offered under the present arrangement, while these advan- tages will be accompanied by but a slightly increased expen- diture. We respectfully urge upon the parents in these dis- tricts the careful consideration of this subject and of the benefits which will accrue to their children under such a sys- tem of consolidation. " An Account of the Movement in Massachusetts to close the Rural Schools," by Mr. Wm. L. Eaton, Superintendent of Schools in Concord, is appended to this report. The statements therein contained are of great interest and are entirely applicable to the conditions existing here. They are commended to your serious atten- tion. We recommend that this consolidation be effected during the ensuing summer, and that the town appropriate the sum of $480 for the transportation of pupils from the north and east sections during the two remaining terms of the year.
For detailed information regarding the work in the schools, for courses of study and statements of what has been accomplished during the past year, and of what it is hoped may be accomplished during the year to come, you are respectfully referred to the report of the superintendent of schools, submitted herewith. All of the recommendations therein contained merit careful consideration and should be adopted as rapidly as, and to the extent that, our resources will permit. The teachers' meetings, at which the superin- tendent meets all the teachers on one afternoon of each month for instruction and consultation regarding the con- duct of the schools, are of especial value and are held with the approval and by the authority of this board.
7
TOWN OF ACTON.
The report of the purchasing agent of the board is also submitted herewith. The limited means at our command, and the almost unlimited demands of schools conducted up- on modern methods, necessitated great care in expenditure, and painstaking selection of its objects. With comparative- ly but few dollars to spend, and with many things consid- ered essential to modern schools pressing upon our attention, it becomes a somewhat difficult task to select the one, or possibly two, which, in addition to the every day require- ments of school work, is the most needed and at the same time within the means at our disposal.
Last year we were able to purchase a few maps and charts of great value to the primary and grammar schools. This year a few more maps and a very fair selection of sup- plementary reading matter for the grammar and two higher grades of the primary schools have been procured.
The greatly increased numbers in the High school, and the change there made from a three years' to a four years' course of study, has necessitated the expenditure for new text books for that school alone of $112.61, and the demand from this source will probably not be less during the coming year.
Many of the text books in the other schools are worn out and unfit for further service. The text books in history and geography must be wholly replaced early in the coming year. With 297 pupils in our schools, the appropriation of $450 last year for supplies is an average of $1.51 per pupil. The average expenditure throughout the State for this pur- pose in the year 1891-92, the latest report received, was $1.70 per pupil. At the latter rate our appropriation last year would have been $504.90.
In view of these facts, and especially of the heavy de- mands of the High school, we ask for an appropriation for this year of $550 for supplies.
8
ANNUAL REPORTS.
Your committee has procured the insertion in the war- rant of an article looking to the making, by the board of assessors, for the school committee, of a more accurate enu- meration of the children in the town between the ages of five and fifteen years. The statute of 1874 directs the school committee to make this enumeration, but this town, in com- mon with many others, has heretofore neglected to comply with its provisions. An enumeration of the children be- tween the ages of five and fifteen years, which has been simply a statement of the number of such children, has been annually made by the assessors, but this is not such an enu- meration as the law requires, as will appear upon examina- tion of the statute.
Chap. 46, sec. 3. The school committee shall annually in the month of May ascertain or cause to be ascertained the names and ages of all persons between the ages of five and fifteen years belonging to their respective cities and towns on the first day of May, and shall make a record thereof.
Sec. 4. Whoever having under his control a child be- tween the ages of eight and fourteen years withholds infor- mation in his possession, sought by a school committee or its agents for the purpose of the preceding section, or falsifies in regard to the same, shall be punished by fine not exceed- ing twenty dollars, or imprisonment not exceeding thirty days.
It will be observed that the names and ages of the chil- dren must be obtained ; without them, indeed, the enumera- tion is of no value. In making returns to the State Board of Education of the number of children in town between the ages of eight and fourteen years (the compulsory school age), as we are obliged to do each year, we are compelled to rely upon mere guess work, and the board is hinting more and more broadly that there must be greater accuracy in this
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