USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Acton > Town annual reports of Acton, Massachusetts 1894-1900 > Part 22
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The supply of gravel in Acton is getting very scarce, especially in the south and center where the roads are naturally muddy and need gravel very much. It seems almost too bad that we cannot have a stone crusher in Acton so that we could use the abundant supply of
48
ANNUAL REPORTS
stone which would be almost as cheap as gravel and a good deal better.
We wish the use of crushed stone could be commenced this year as we shall have to use it sooner or later. An offer has been made the commissioners to crush two thousand tons for forty cents a ton, which we think would be money well expended.
· A number of our roads, we find, do not have any bounds estab- lished. It is important that they should. The road starting at railroad crossing, near Tuttle's store to West Acton, in particular, before the over-head bridge is made. We recommend that some action be taken.
ANSON C. PIPER, WM. H. KINGSLEY, NAHUM LITTLEFIELD. .
49
TOWN OF ACTON.
Treasurer's Report.
1899.
March 12, cash on hand,
$1,570.89
Received from the First National Bank of Ayer borrowed money,
5,000.00
State Treasurer, Corporation tax,
4,031.78
66 66 State aid,
612.00
66 66 Soldiers aid,
91.25
66 Income of Massachu-
setts school fund, 294.38
from State Treasurer, compensation for inspection of animals, 46.57
County Treasurer dog tax,
241.53
For supervision of schools,
375.00
From Band of Little Helpers for use of town hall, 5.00
C. H. Fairbanks for repairs on Acton street, 100.00
Town of Littleton, for stone bound on Cash road, 4.00
E. Gruber, for pedlar's license, 6.00
Max Saxenofsky, “ " 6.00
Middlesex Central District Court, for fines, 17.75
J. P. Brown, for South Acton fire en- gine, 15.00
D. C. Harris, for second hand fire hose, 10.00
RECEIPTS.
66 66 National Bank tax,
222.54
50
ANNUAL REPORTS.
Town of Westford, for 15 school desks, $11.25
Town of Boxboro, tuition, High school, 30.00
John Fletcher, lots sold in Woodlawn cemetery, 40.00
Horace F. Tuttle, lots sold in Wood- lawn cemetery,
12.00
D. C. Harris, milk sold from town farm,
859.74
apples sold from town farm, 700.10
66 COWS
94.58
66 calves “ 66 66 15.35
66 66
potatoes sold 66 66
21.70
66
poultry 66 66
7.62
66
eggs
66
12.82
Arthur F. Blanchard, license to slaugh- ter, 1.00
· J. E. Durkee, license to slaughter, 1.00
Income on Wild library fund,
186.35
Memorial library, for catalogues sold, " fines, 16.50
C. J. Williams, for school supplies sold. 3.29
Wm. H. Kingsley, for street cleanings,
9.50
Rent of town hall and cellar,
63.75
William F. Stevens, collector of taxes for A. D., 1898, 2,288.81
William F. Stevens, interest on taxes for A. D., 1898, 87.73
William F. Stevens, collector of taxes for A. D., 1899, 15,877.91
William F. Stevens, interest of taxes for A. D., 1899, 12,61
Interest on money in bank, 63.50
$33,070.30
3.50
51
TOWN OF ACTON.
EXPENDITURES.
Paid State tax,
$870.00
County tax,
1,572.03
On Selectmen's orders,
25,930.39
Cash in Treasury March 12, 1900,
4,697.88
$33,070.30
J. K. W. WETHERBEE, Treasurer of Acton.
Approved,
FRANK W. HOIT,
Auditor.
52
ANNUAL REPORTS
TREASURER'S REPORT OF MONEY HELD FOR CARE OF LOTS IN CEMETERIES.
1900.
Dr.
March 12, to Mary Skinner, fund,
$203.00 "
Nancy K. Handley, 66
500.00
Frederick Rouillard,
66
100.00
William W. Davis,
66
100.00
Mary W. Chaffin,
66
100.00
Mary Severance,
66
100.00
Eliza A. Whitcomb,
66
75.00
Hepsabeth Piper,
66
50.00
Henry Loker,
66
100.00
Henry O. Lothrop,
200.00
Luther W. Piper,
66
100.00
James Temple,
66
100.00
Cash received for interest,
30.56
By cash paid-
Julian Tuttle, care of Robbins
lot,
$2.50
66
66
Handley
6.00
Rouillard 66
2.50
66
66
Chaffin
66
2.50
66
66
Severance 66
2.50
66 66
66
Tuttle
66
1.00
66
66
Skinner
66
· 4.00
66
Loker
1.50
66
66 Davis
66
5.00
By cash in North End Savings Bank,
on hand,
200.00
Balance unexpended,
3.06
$1,908.56
J. K. W. WETHERBEE,
Treasurer of Acton.
Approved,
FRANK W. HOIT, Auditor.
$1,908.56
Cr
100.00
Warren Robbins,
50.00
Jedediah Tuttle,
66
$1,678.00
53
TOWN OF ACTON.
REPORT OF WILD MEMORIAL LIBRARY FUND.
Dr.
1900.
March 12, To cash deposited in North End Savings Bank, $1,000.00
To cash deposited in Middlesex Insti- tution for Savings, 1,000.00
To cash deposited in Home Savings Bank, 1,000.00
To cash deposited in Warren Institu- tion for Savings,
1,000.00
To cash deposited in Charlestown Five Cent Savings Bank,
1,000.00
Unexpended balance, A. D., 1898,
17.82
Interest received on deposits,
186.35
Town appropriation,
200.00
Cash received for fines,
16.50
catalogues sold,
3.50
$5,424.17
Cr.
By cash in banks,
$5,000.00
Paid for books and magazines,
DeWolfe, Fiske & Co.,
326.99
W. A. Wilde & Co.,
10.00
Henry D. Noyes & Co.,
34.45
William D. Tuttle,
2.35
Balance unexpended,
50.38
$5,424.17 J. K. W. WETHERBEE, Treasurer of Acton.
Approved,
FRANK W. HOIT, Auditor.
. ,
54
ANNUAL REPORTS
Report of Overseers of Poor.
ARTICLES ON HAND AT TOWN FARM MARCH 1, 1900.
1 horse,
$50.00
10 cows,
575.00
2 heifers,
40.00
2 yearlings,
30.00
1 hay wagon,
30.00
1 market wagon,
75.00
1 buggy,
18.00
1 pung,
8.00
2 sleds,
9.00
1 canvas,
1.75
1 double harness,
22.50
1 single
3.00
1 express 66
23.00
2 collars,
3.00
grain,
8.00
1 feed trough,
2.00
80 barrels,
16.00
plows,
16.50
farming tools,
20.00
wheelbarrow,
3.00
1 hay cutter,
2.00
ladders,
11.00
2 harrows,
8.00
1 cultivator,
3.00
9} tons hay,
171.00
pipe,
4.80
112 bushels potatoes,
72.80
soft soap,
3.00
55
TOWN OF ACTON.
fence wire,
$ 3.00
3} cords of wood for schools,
18.75
31 cut wood,
155.00
5
66 66 66
17.50
1 horse cart,
27.50
1 rake,
18.00
1 mowing machine,
25.00
1 grindstone,
2.00
1 spray pump,
8.00
25 bushel boxes,
2.50
1 range,
30.00
1 lounge,
1.50
coal,
2.00
3 saws,
2.00
1 wrench,
.75
41 hens,
30.75
oil and tank,
1.50
lumber,
7.50
pails and tubs,
3.00
5 baskets,
1.25
1 stove,
4.75
1 chair,
1.50
1 stove,
10.00
2 chairs,
1.25
beds and bedding,
25.00
1 stove,
3.00
2 cabinet chairs,
2.50
1 table,
1.00
8 chairs,
3.00
1 drag,
2.50
2 traps,
.50
2 blankets,
3.00
1 set measures,
.50
20 gallons oil,
12.00
1 washing machine,
8.00
tea,
.60
coffee,
.67
1.40
salt,
56
ANNUAL REPORTS
crackers,
$ 2.00
canned fruit,
3.00
brooms,
.50
fruit jars,
3.00
sugar,
.55
flour,
3.50
spices,
.50
5 lbs. butter,
1.50
lard,
.30
molasses,
.25
beans,
.50
axe,
1.00
soap,
.15
vinegar,
.20.
· onions,
.10
lamps,
2.00
1 razor,
1.00
$1,688.07
Receipts from farm,
1,711.91
Work on Cash Road,
4.00
Vitualing and lodging 363 tramps,
90.75
3,494.73
Expenditures,
$1,712.38
Interest on farm $3500. at 5 per cent.,
175.00
Stock on hand March 1, 1899,
1,717.35
3,604.73
Less receipts and stock on hand,
3,494.73
Cost of supporting poor on farm,
$110.00
Examined and approved, FRANK W. HOIT, Auditor.
57
TOWN OF ACTON.
INMATES AT FARM DURING YEAR.
Sarah Hunt,
Lucy Hapgood, Frank H. Harris,
Eben Jones, from March 12 to May 9, 1899,
Thomas Morey, from March 12 to Dec. 30, 1899.
Wm. Quinlan, " Dec. 6, 1899 to Mar. 12, 1900.
DAVID C. HARRIS, WM. F. STEVENS, E. F. CONANT,
Overseers of Poor.
-
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
TRUSTEES
OF THE
Acton Memorial Library,
1899-1900.
61
TOWN OF ACTON.
Reports of Acton Memorial Library.
The trustees of the Acton Memorial library herewith present their tenth annual report. After ten years of constant use the interior of the library has been thoroughly renovated and all parts present a pleasing and harmonious effect.
While the circulation is less than that of the year previous, this is partly accounted for by the closing of the library during two library days while the interior work was being done.
The new books for the year have been in especial demand and to those upon whom the duty of selecting and purchasing has fallen, should be given much credit.
The Board of Trustees would recommend the same appropriation as in years past ; $200 for new books and $400 for current expenses.
Respectfully submitted,
LUTHER CONANT,
For the Trustees.
LIBRARIAN'S REPORT.
The librarian herewith presents the tenth annual report of the library :
Accessions : Number of volumes in the library March 12, 1899, 6627 ; increase by purchase, 300 ; increase by gift, 52 ; increase by binding periodicals, 25; number of volumes in the library March 12, 1900, 7,004.
Circulation : Number of days the library was open, 100; number of volumes circulated, 8,578 ; average daily circulation, 85 ; largest
62
ANNUAL REPORTS
daily circulation, March 25, 160 ; smallest daily circulation, June 14, 14 ; amount received for fines, $16.50; amount received from sale of catalogues, $3.50.
No munificent gifts of historical or artistic merit have been re- ceived except a pair of ornamental cuff-buttons worn by Solomon Smith at the Concord fight, presented by his son, the late Luke Smith.
Gifts of books have been received from the following people : Luke Blanchard, 2 vols .; W. G. Chase, 1 vol .; Luther Conant, 1 vol .; Mrs. Luther Conant, 1 vol .; J. M. Harlow, M. D., 2 vols. ; Samuel Hoar, 1 vol .; Hon. H. L. Parker, 1 vol .; C. J. Williams, 15 vols.
Gifts from libraries, institutions, etc .: American league associa- tion ; Boston city hospital; Concord free public library ; city of Fall River ; Home market club; Institute of Technology ; town of Lexington ; Library bureau, Chicago; Massachusetts Agricultural college ; Commonwealth of Massachusetts ; Massachusetts Volunteer Aid association ; Massachusetts Total Abstinence society ; city of Malden ; Malden public library ; trustees of Public Reservations ; United States (various department) ; University of California ; Win- throp public library.
Periodicals in the reading room. Cassell's Magazine, town fund ; Century, town fund ; Chautauqua, town fund ; Child's Hour, W. A. Wilde; Cosmopolitan, town fund; Forum, town fund ; Har- per's Magazine, town fund; Harper's Weekly, town fund ; Ladies' Home Journal, town fund ; Lowell Mail, Publishers ; McClure's Magazine, town fund; Munsey's Magazine, town fund ; New England Magazine, town fund; Our Dumb Animals, M. S. P. C. A .; Our Paper, Reformatory ; Review of Reviews, town fund ; Scientific American, town fund ; Scribner's Magazine, town fund; St. Nicholas, town fund; Youth's Companion, town fund.
VIOLA S. TUTTLE,
Librarian.
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
AND THE
Superintendent of Schools
OF THE
TOWN OF ACTON, MASS.
For the Year 1899=1900.
R
DONI
-1735.
ACTON
HUDSON, MASS .: THE ENTERPRISE PRINTING COMPANY 1900
65
TOWN OF ACTON.
School Organization.
SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
Horace F. Tuttle, Secretary,
Term expires 1900
* Dr. Isaiah Hutchins,
66
66 1901
Charles J. Williams, Chairman, 66
66 1902
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS.
Andrew S. Thomson, Residence, Littleton, Mass.
TRUANT OFFICERS.
James Kinsley,
Moses A. Reed.
Charles L. Bradford.
* Deceased.
STANDING RULES.
RULE 1. Children under five years of age shall not be admitted to the public schools.
RULE 2. Pupils shall be promoted from grade to grade and school to school, according to merit. Thorough and satisfactory work will be required of pupils in a lower grade or school before entering a higher grade or school.
RULE 3. Children who have not previously attended any school shall be admitted to the public schools only at the beginning of the fall term.
RULE 4. Pupils will be held responsible for books loaned to them until such books shall have been returned to the teacher.
RULE 5. No repairs shall be made upon the public property in the care of the School committee except by their authorized agents.
66
ANNUAL REPORTS
School Calendar, 1900=1901.
HIGH SCHOOL -40 weeks.
Fall term begins Sept. 4th.
66 ends Nov. 28th.
*Winter term begins Dec. 3rd.
ends March 15th, Spring term begins March 25th,
66 ends June 21st.
COMMON SCHOOLS - 36 weeks.
Fall term begins Sept. 4th.
ends Nov. 23rd.
*Winter term begins Dec. 3rd.
ends ® March 1st. Spring term begins March 25th. 66 ends June 14th.
* Recess of 1 week - Christmas week.
67
TOWN OF ACTON.
EXTRACTS FROM THE STATUTES.
Chapter 496, of the Acts of 1898.
SECTION 11. No child who has not been duly vaccinated shall be admitted to a public school except upon presentation of a certifi- cate signed by a regular practising physician that such child is an unfit subject for vaccination. No child who is a member of a house- hold in which a person is sick with smallpox, diphtheria, scarlet fever or measles, or of a household exposed to contagion from a house- hold as aforesaid, shall attend any public school during such sickness or until the teacher of the school has been furnished with a certifi- cate from the board of health of the town or city, or from the attending physician of such sick person, stating in a case of small- pox, diphtheria or scarlet fever, that a period of at least two weeks, and in a case of measles a period of at least three days, has elapsed since the recovery, removal or death of such person, and that danger of the conveying of such disease by such child has passed.
SECT. 12. Every child between seven and fourteen years of age shall attend some public day school in the town or city in which he resides during the entire time the public day schools are in session, subject to such exceptions as to children, places of attendance and schools as are provided for in sections three, seven, ten and eleven of this Act : provided, that the superintendent of schools, or, where there is no superintendent of schools, the school committee, or teachers acting under authority of said superintendent of schools or school committee, may excuse cases of necessary absence ; and provided, further, that the attendance of a child upon a public day school shall not be required if such a child has attended for a like period of time a private day school approved by the school commit- tee of such town or city in accordance with Section two of Chapter four hundred and ninety-eight of the acts of the year eighteen hun- dred and ninety-four, or if such child has been otherwise instructed for a like period of time in the branches of learning required by law to be taught in the public schools, or has already acquired the branches of learning required by law to be taught in the public schools, or if his physical or mental condition is such as to render such attendance inexpedient or impracticable. Every person having
68
ANNUAL REPORTS
under his control a child as described in this Section shall cause such child to attend school as required by this Section.
SECT. 31. Any person having under his control a child between seven and fourteen years of age who fails for five day sessions or ten half-day sessions within any period of six months while under such control, to cause such child to attend school as required by Section twelve of this Act, the physical or mental condition of such child not being such as to render his attendance at school harmful or impracticable, upon complaint by a truant officer and conviction thereof, shall forfeit and pay a fine of not more than twenty dollars. Any person who induces or attempts to induce any child to absent himself unlawfully from school, or employs or harbors while school is in session any child absent unlawfully from school, shall forfeit and pay a fine of not more than fifty dollars.
SECT. 19. The several school teachers shall faithfully keep the registers of attendance daily, and make due return thereof to the school committee or to such person as such committee may designate. No teacher of a public school shall receive payment for services for the two weeks preceeding the close of any single term until the register, properly filled up and completed, is so returned. All regis- ters shall be kept at the schools, and at all times during the school hours shall be open to the inspection of the school committee, the superintendent of schools, the truant officers, and the secretary and agents of the state board of education. In reckoning the average membership and the percentage of attendance in the schools no pupil's name shall be omitted in counting the number of persons belonging to the school and the number of absences of such persons, until it is known that such pupil has withdrawn from the school without intention of returning, or, in the absence of such knowledge, until ten consecutive days of absence have been recorded ; but nothing in this provision for computing the average membership and the percentage of attendance shall be construed to invalidate pro- cedure against habitual truants, absentees or school offenders, or other persons, as provided in Sections twenty-four to twenty-six inclusive, and Section thirty-one of this Act. A pupil who is no; present during at least half of a session shall be marked and counted as absent for that session.
.
69
TOWN OF ACTON.
Report of the School Committee.
To the Citizens of Acton :
Your committee herewith respectfully submit their annual report upon the condition of the schools, in which is included that of the superintendent. We regret that we have to inform you that Mr. Andrew S. Thomson, superintendent of schools, having been ap- pointed superintendent at Weymouth, Mass., has tendered his resig- nation, to take effect April 1st. Mr. Thomson's work in our schools has been highly successful, and in accepting his resignation we relinquish the services of a most faithful and efficient executive.
Mr. W. A. Charles, the principal of the high school, after a very successful administration of the affairs of that school during a term of six years, resigned his position at the close of the school year and Mr. Walter A. DeVault was selected to succeed him.
Under Mr. DeVault, the condition of the school continues to be highly satisfactory.
In the death, in August, 1899, of Dr. Isaiah Hutchins, a member of this committee, the town lost a faithful and devoted servant and the committee a most sincerely esteemed and respected member. The following resolutions were adopted by the board and ordered spread upon the records :
Whereas, The recent death of Dr. Isaiah Hutchins has removed a member of this committee,
Resolved, That we deem it proper to place on record our testi- mony to the pleasant and harmonious relations he sustained to us during the many years he served on this Board, and to the valuable services he rendered to the cause of education in this town.
As a citizen, he stood foremost among those who supported by voice and influence those measures which were for the best interests of the public.
70
ANNUAL REPORTS
We feel that in his death we have experienced a personal loss, that the schools have lost a generous and devoted friend and the town a faithful public officer and worthy citizen.
During the year several important changes have been effected in the school system, changes which have for some time urged them- selves upon us but which have for various reasons been deferred un- · til now.
As required by a recent statute, the high school year has been lengthened from 36 weeks to 40 weeks. In compliance with the provisions of the same statute, the enumeration of children between the ages of 5 and 15 years is now made in September of each year and the return of school statistics to the state authorities is to be made annually in April, for the school year ending in the preceding June.
The compulsory school age is now from 7 to 14 years instead of from 8 to 14 years, as formerly.
At the beginning of the school year, intermediate schools were established at the Center and South villages and the North school was closed, its pupils being transported to the Center schools; at the same time 9 grades were established in the schools below the high school, the primary, intermediate and grammar schools having in each three grades.
There being no room for another school in the South school building, Central hall was leased in August, at a rental of $125. per annum, and fitted up for the use of the grammar school.
The room in the Center school building, heretofore occupied for a supply room, being required for school purposes, it became neces- sary to secure suitable accommodationselsewhere. Mr. A. L. Noye; kindly permitted us to partition off a part of a storehouse belonging to him, and the room so secured is now occupied as a supply roo.n, at a very moderate rental.
New and convenient sanitaries have been built at the Center and the interior woodwork in all the school buildings has been cleaned and varnished.
In September, Miss Marion M. Brown of Littleton, a skilled mu -. sician, who had received special training for the work, offered her
.
71
TOWN OF ACTON.
services as instructor in music in the schools, at a nominal salary. The need of such an instructor has been great and the offer was at once accepted.
The enumeration of September, 1899, discloses the fact that more than 67% (67.03) of the children of school age have never. been vaccinated. The percentage of children belonging in the sev- eral schools thus unprotected is as follows :
South schools, 100 pupils,
unvaccinated, 52%
West
87
79.31%
Center "
92
66
71.74%
The attention of the community, and especially of parents and physicians, to the large number of children unguarded against the attacks of a loathesome and very fatal form of disease, is earnestly requested.
The prevalence of small-pox, in epidemic form, in many localities in the southern and western states, the recent outbreaks of this dis- ease in a number of Massachusetts cities and towns, and the in- creased liability to contagion in consequence of the return from time to time of soldiers and camp-followers from the Philippine Islands, where small-pox is now and has been for many years generally prev- alent, should influence parents to see to it that their children are properly protected, thus anticipating action which the authorities may at any time find themselves compelled to take.
The town, for several years past, has very generously appropri- ated the sum of $100 for the purchase of books and apparatus for the High school and the school is now well provided with apparatus. Many books are, however, still needed for the reference library. For the purchase of these books, of laboratory supplies and of such pieces of apparatus as may from time to time be required, we recommend an appropriation of $50.
The appropriation of $1600 for the support of the High school has been, in recent years, insufficient for the purpose. Deficits have, however, been more than met by receipts from tuition fees. With the close of the present school year the income from fees will probably have ceased, while the cost of maintenance will be slightly greater on account of the lengthened school year. We therefore
72
ANNUAL REPORTS
ask for $1700 for the support of the High school, a net increase in the appropriation for High school purposes, the appropriation for apparatus, etc. being considered, of $50. .
We also ask for an appropriation of $3550 for the support of the common schools.
· The system of transportation of pupils to the school centers being now completed and well organized and there being necessity, at times, slight differences in the demands made upon the funds at our disposal by the several branches of the system, it is recommended that the appropriation for transportation of pupils be made under a single item.
During the year gifts of valuable engravings, for the high school rooms, from the High school class of '99, and of a piano for the use of the Center schools from Dr. Arthur Cowdrey, of Stoneham, have been received. The thanks of the town and of the committee are due and are here tendered to the givers.
The appropriation of $100 for the purchase of apparatus and books for the High school has been expended as follows : apparatus, $61.75 ; books, $34.56 ; express, $1.80.
There has been received from the commonwealth the sum of $375 on account of superintendency for the year ending Sept., 1899.
The report of the purchasing agent of the board is appended.
Pupils, who have not previously attended school, will, in future, be admitted to the primary schools only at the beginning of the fall term.
RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURES
ON ACCOUNT OF SCHOOLS FOR THE YEAR 1899 -1900.
RECEIPTS.
Appropriation for common schools,
$3,400.00
High school,
1,600.00
66
" school supplies,
475.00
transportation S. E. pupils,
270.00
66
E.
360.00
66
66 N
240.00
66
66
S.
240.00
35
17 4
73
TOWN OF ACTON.
Appropriation for apparatus and books for High school,
$100.00
" salary of superintendent, 450.00
Received from Massachussetts School Fund,
294.38
66
dog licenses,
241.53
66
" tuition fees, High school, 50.00
$7,720.91
NOTE. The item of $240 for transportation of South pupils necessarily appears here since the sum was appropriated. It, how- ever, has not been drawn upon or in any way considered as a part of the school fund.
EXPENDITURES.
For common schools,
$3,904.35
High school,
1,684.99
School supplies,
483.21
Transportation S. E. pupils,
255.00
E.
380.00
N.
210.40
Apparatus and books for High school,
98.11
Salary of superintendent of schools,
450.00
$7,466.06
Apparent unexpended balance,
$254.85
See above " note,"
240.00
Actual unexpended balance,
$14.85
ESTIMATES FOR THE SUPPORT OF SCHOOLS FOR THE YEAR 1900 -1901.
For common schools,
$3,550.00
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