USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Newton > Town of Newton annual report 1871-1872 > Part 12
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SARATOGA, Newton. From Centre, near Church, to Newtonville Ave- nue. Distance - 19 rods.
SARGENT, Newton. From Centre, opposite Cabot, to Waverly Avenue, opposite Kenrick. Distance - 3-8 mile, 28 rods.
SCHOOL, Newton. From Washington to Pearl. Distance - 38 rods. SEAVERNS, Auburndale. From Lexington, crossing Melrose, to Ash. Distance - 82 rods.
SHAW, West Newton. From Winthrop to Lander. Distance - 41 rods.
SHERIDAN (unaccepted), West Newton. From River to Derby.
SHORT, West Newton. From Otis to Highland. Distance - 38 rods. SOUTH, East Newton. From Hammond to Ward. Distance - 1-4 mile, 8 rods.
SPRING, Upper Falls. From Summer to Winter. Distance - 15 rods. STANIFORD (unaccepted), Auburndale. From Lexington to Freeman.
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STATION, Newton Centre. From Centre, passing Warren, Glen Ave- nue, to Jackson. Distance - 1 mile.
SULLIVAN PLACE (unaccepted), West Newton. From River.
SUMMER, Upper Falls. From Chestnut to High. Distance - 24 rods. SUMNER, Newton Centre. From Station, passing Lyman, Willow, Gibbs, to Ward. Distance - 1-2 mile, 16 rods.
TEMPLE, West Newton. From Highland, passing Putnam, to Prospect. Distance - 1-4 mile, 12 rods.
TREMONT, Newton. From Park, crossing Waverly Avenue, passing Belmont, to Brighton line. Distance - 93 rods.
TROWBRIDGE, Newton Centre. From Beacon to Pleasant. Distance - 18 rods.
VERNON, Newton. From Centre, passing. Baldwin, crossing Park, to Waverly Avenue. Distance - 1-4 mile, 32 rods.
VINE, Oak Hill. From Brookline to West-Roxbury line. Distance - 1-4 mile, 10 rods.
VISTA AVENUE, Auburndale. From Woodland Avenue to Aspen Ave- nue. Distance - 69 rods.
WABAN STREET AND PARK, Newton. From School, crossing Jewett, to Pearl. Distance - 1-4 mile, 25 rods.
WALCOTT, Auburndale. From Lexington to Rowe. Distance - 1-4 mile, 18 rods.
WALES, Lower Falls. From Washington to Needham line, at Stone Bridge. Distance -17 rods.
WALNUT, Newtonville. From Crafts, crossing Watertown, Lowell, Washington, Homer, Beacon, passing Oak-hill Station, to Centre. Distance - 2 3-4 miles, 10 rods.
WALNUT PARK, Newton. From Washington to Waban Park. Dis- tance - 72 rods.
WALTHAM, West Newton. From Washington, passing Webster, River, Crafts, to Waltham line. Distance - 1 1-8 mile.
WARD, Newton Centre. From Centre, near Grafton, passing Waverly and Grant Avenues, Hammond, South, to Brighton line. Distance 1 1-4 mile.
WARREN AVENUE (unaccepted), West Newton. From Webster to River.
WARREN, Newton Centre. From Station to Glen Avenue. Distance - 62 rods.
WASHINGTON. From Brighton line, passing through Newton, Newton- ville, West Newton, Lower Falls, to Needham line, at Bridge over Charles River. Distance - 4 7-8 miles, 16 rods.
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WASHINGTON PARK, Newtonville. From Walnut to Harvard. Dis_ tance - 1-4 mile, 18 rods.
WASHINGTON PLACE (unaccepted), Newtonville. West of Walnut.
WATERTOWN, West Newton. From Washington, passing Cross, Low-
ell, crossing Walnut, Crafts, passing Bridge, Chapel, Pearl, to Watertown line. Distance - 1 3-4 mile.
WAVERLY AVENUE, Newton. From Washington, crossing Tremont,
passing Vernon, Church, Franklin, Kenrick, Sargent, Cotton, to Ward, opposite Grant Avenue. Distance - 1 1-4 mile.
WAVERLY PLACE (unaccepted), Lower Falls. From Washington, near Hamilton.
WEBSTER, West Newton. From Waltham, crossing Cherry, Elm, to Rowe. Distance, 3-4 miles.
WEBSTER PLACE, West Newton. From Webster.
WILLOW, Newton Centre. From Centre to Sumner. Distance - 34 rods.
WINCHESTER, Newton Centre. From Boylston, passing Dedham, to Nahanton. Distance - 1 1-2 mile, 32 rods.
WINTER, Upper Falls. From Chestnut to High. Distance - 22 rods. WINTHROP, West Newton. From Perkins to Putnam. Distance - 49 rods.
WOODLAND AVENUE, Auburndale. From Washington, passing Maple, crossing Grove, Hancock, Central, to Auburn. Distance - 3-4 m. WOODWARD. From Boylston, passing Lincoln, crossing Chestnut, to Beacon. Distance - 1 mile, 23 rods.
RULES AND REGULATIONS
FOR THE
GOVERNMENT OF
TOWN MEETINGS.
Approved by the Court, Dec. 29, 1857.
1st, No final vote shall be reconsidered, unless the person moving the same shall have made a declaration of his intention to do so at the time of its adoption, and shall have been one of the majority acting thereon ; and no article in any warrant shall be again taken into consideration, after it has been disposed of, unless ordered by a vote of two-thirds of the voters present.
2d, No person shall speak more than twice upon any question, with- out first obtaining leave of the meeting, except for the correction of an error, or to make an explanation, and not until others who have not spoken upon the question shall speak, if they desire it.
3d, All motions submitted for consideration of the Town shall be in writing, if so required by the presiding officer, or by the meeting.
4th, Every person speaking shall address the Chair, standing and un- covered.
5th, No vote fixing the period for closing a ballot shall be reconsid- ered after such ballot shall have commenced; but it may be in order to extend the period without such reconsideration.
6th, Committees shall be nominated by the presiding officer of the meeting, unless otherwise ordered by a vote of two-thirds of the voters present; and in nominations at large no person shall nominate more than one member of such committee.
7th, All motions to lay on the table, to take from the table, to take any article from its regular order, or to change the order of business, shall be decided without debate.
8th, The duties of the presiding officer shall be determined by the code of rules governing the presiding officer of the house of representa- tives of this Commonwealth, so far as they are adapted to the condition and powers of the Town.
BY-LAWS.
Approved by the Court, Dec. 29, 1857.
COLLECTION OF TAXES.
ARTICLE 1. - The assessment of all taxes shall be completed, and a list of the same delivered to the Collector, on or before the first day of July of each year.
ART. 2. - The appointed time for collecting poll-taxes of persons hav- ing no other tax shall be from the 20th to the 31st of July, and all other taxes from the 10th to the 20th of November of each year.
ART. 3. - It shall be the duty of the Collector, during each of said periods, to appoint at least eight different times and places, in different parts of the town, when and where he will meet the inhabitants, and re- eeive their taxes ; and he shall, immediately after receiving the tax-list from the assessors, make out the tax-bills, and send the same to each of said inhabitants and each non-resident, as he ean find, with a notiec thereon of said times and places and the penalties of non-payment of said taxes ; and the town shall furnish printed blanks for the use of said Collector.
ART. 4. - At the expiration of the time appointed for said payment of taxes, the Collector shall issue a summons to all delinquents ; and, if any taxes remain unpaid more than ten days after the service of said sum- mons, the Collector shall immediately procced to collect the same, with legal fees therefor.
REPORTS OF COMMITTEES.
No action shall be had at any town meeting on the report of any committee previously chosen, unless the same shall be specially notified in the warrant for calling said meeting.
PASTURING OF CATTLE OR OTHER ANIMALS IN STREETS AND WAYS.
No person shall pasture eattle or other animals in or upon any of the streets or ways in the town of Newton, either with or without a keeper, under the penalty of five dollars for each and every such offence; and it shall be the duty of the Selectmen to prosecute every violation of this By-Law ; and all fines or penalties collected for such offences shall be paid to the Treasurer for the use of the town.
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BY-LAWS OF THE TOWN OF NEWTON
CONCERNING
Truant Children and Absentees from School.
Adopted March 2, 1863.
SECTION 1. - The town of Newton hereby adopts the provisions of the forty-second chapter of the General Statutes of this Commonwealth, so far as applicable to Truant Children and Absentees from School, and all the provisions of the two hundred and seventh chapter of the Acts of 1862, and the several Acts in addition thereto, or in amendment thereof.
SECT. 2. - Any person convicted of any offence described in said Acts, or either of them, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding twenty dollars, or by confinement in any institution of instruction, house of ref- ormation, or suitable situation, which shall be provided for the purpose, for a term not exceeding one year.
SECT. 3. - The Selectmen of the Town shall provide a suitable lock- up, or institution of instruction, or house of reformation, or some other suitable place in the poor-house belonging to the town, or some other place in the town aforesaid, or in the County of Middlesex, which shall be assigned and used for the confinement of persons convicted and sen- tenced to confinement under said Acts.
SECT. 4. - Three Truant Officers shall be annually chosen in the town of Newton, at its Annual Meeting in March, to serve one year, whose duty it shall be to make complaints of all persons who have violated any provisions of the Acts aforesaid, or either of them.
SECT. 5. - The Selectmen of the town shall fix the amount of com- pensation of said Truant Officers, for their services, as they shall think just ; and the sum shall be paid from the treasury of the town.
SECT. 6. - It shall be the duty of the School Committee, and of the teachers of the public schools in said town, to report the name of every person or persons violating any or either of said Acts, to the Truant Officers of the town, that they may be complained of therefor.
To the foregoing By-Laws the following was appended : viz., -
SUPERIOR COURT, SUFFOLK. SS. January Term, 1863. I approve the By-Laws of the town of Newton, relative to Truant Children and Absentees from School, hereto annexed.
MARCH, 2, 1863.
THOMAS RUSSELL,
Justice of Superior Court.
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BY-LAWS OF NEWTON.
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS.
MIDDLESEX, SS.
At the Superior Court, begun and holden at Cambridge, within and for said county, on the second Monday of December, being the thirteenth day of said month, Anno Domini 1869.
The following By-Laws adopted by the inhabitants of the town of Newton in said county, at a legal town meeting, held on the second day of November, A.D. 1869, were presented to the Court by Marshall S. Rice, Esq., clerk of said town, and being seen and examined by the Court, and found conformable to the Statutes of this Commonwealth, are, on this twenty-seventh day of December, A.D. 1869, approved by the Court, to wit: -
SECTION 1. - No person shall play at ball, or throw balls or stones, or snow-balls, within any of the streets or public places in said town of Newton.
SECT. 2. - No owner, or person having for the time the care and use of any horse, shall ride, drive, or permit the same to go, at a faster rate than eight miles an hour, in any street, way, or public place in said town.
SECT. 3. - No person shall drive, wheel, or draw any coach, cart, handcart, handbarrow, or other carriage of burden or pleasure (except children's hand-carriages drawn by hand), or drive or permit any horse, neat cattle, swine, or sheep, under his care, to go or stand upon any side- walk in the town.
SECT. 4. - Three or more persons shall not stand in a group, or near to each other, on any sidewalk, in such a manner as to obstruct a free passage for foot-passengers, for a longer time than twenty minutes at any time, nor more than five minutes after a request to move on, made by any Police Officer or Constable.
SECT. 5. - No person shall fire or discharge any gun, fowling-piece, or fire-arm, or make any bonfire or other fire, in any street or public place in said town.
SECT. 6. - Any person violating any of the provisions of these By- Laws shall be liable to a penalty of not less than two, nor more than twenty dollars for each offence.
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After the above By-Laws had been read to the meeting, they voted, That we adopt said By-Laws as By-Laws of Newton.
Voted, That the Selectmen present said By-laws to the Superior Court for approval.
A true copy. Attest :
MARSHALL S. RICE, Town Clerk of Newton.
In testimony that the foregoing is a true copy of record, I hereto set my hand, and affix the seal of said Court, this eighteenth day of Janu- ary, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventy.
Attest :
JOHN JAMES SAWYER, Assistant Clerk.
THIRTY-SECOND
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
OF THE
TOWN OF NEWTON.
1871-1872.
LIBERTY AND UNION
NC
BOSTON : PRESS OF RAND, AVERY, & CO. 1872.
SCHOOL-COMMITTEE FOR 1871-72.
GEORGE E. ALLEN, CHAIRMAN. EZRA P. GOULD, SECRETARY. ISAAC HAGAR, AUDITOR.
DISTRICT COMMITTEES.
No. 1. EZRA P. GOULD.
66 2. JOHN A. GOULD.
66 3. ISAAC HAGAR.
66 4. CEPHAS BRIGHAM.
5. HORATIO F. ALLEN.
66 6. GEORGE E. ALLEN.
66 7. A. B. UNDERWOOD, A. B. ELY.
66 8. N. S. KING.
EXAMINING COMMITTEES.
Grammar Schools. - HAGAR, KING, BRIGHAM, II. F. ALLEN, G. E. ALLEN.
Primary Schools. - E. P. GOULD, UNDERWOOD, ELY, J. A. GOULD.
SUB-COMMITTEES.
High School. - G. E. ALLEN, E. P. GOULD, UNDERWOOD, ELY, BRIGHAM.
Music. - G. E. ALLEN, HAGAR, UNDERWOOD.
Mechanical Drawing. - J. A. GOULD, HAGAR, UNDERWOOD, ELY.
Drawing. - BRIGHAM, UNDERWOOD, J. A. GOULD.
Repairs and Supplies. - HAGAR, H. F. ALLEN, BRIGHAM, G. E. ALLEN.
Rules and Regulations. - UNDERWOOD, E. P. GOULD, H. F. ALLEN.
SUPERINTENDENT.
THOMAS EMERSON.
TOWN OF NEWTON.
IN BOARD OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE, Jan. 26, 1872.
Voted, that the Chairmen of the Sub-committees on the High, Gram- mar, and Primary grades of schools be a Committee to prepare the Annual School Report.
Extract from the Records.
Attest : EZRA P. GOULD, Secretary.
The Committee on the Annual Report, appointed by the above vote, met and requested the member from the Primary Committee to prepare said Report from data furnished by them.
EZRA P. GOULD, Sec'y of Sub-Committee.
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REPORT.
THE past year has been a busy one to your School Com- mittee, and an eventful and important one to the schools. Before this year we know that our schools had gradually improved in methods and character of instruction, in the ability and culture of the teachers, and in the excellence of our school-buildings. But lately, at least, this progress had been very gradual, and so far below the surface as to at- tract but little attention. And each year had seemed to cóntribute little that was new or eventful, though much that was good, to be embodied in these annual reports. This year, however, the spirit of change and of progress seems to have taken possession of the Committee ; and we have much that is new to record. We trust also that many steps have been taken in the direction of solid, permanent prog- ress. And, though so much of this nature has been done, we cannot think that we have violated in any way the maxim of conservative reform : " Make haste slowly." Because in nearly every case we have adopted things new to us, to be sure, but successfully tried elsewhere. And while we should not hesitate to adopt, or at least to try, any measure absolutely new, if it seemed to us sound in its theory, and while we should be glad and proud thus to lead the way in educational progress and reform, still, we congratulate ourselves that so far at least we have had the experience of others to lead us, and so are reasonably as- sured that change has been progress.
In the High School we find the following state of things. The number graduating from our Grammar Schools last
8
year was over one hundred ; that entering the High School was sixty-three ; the class that is to graduate from the High School this year numbers nine, three of whom are prepar- ing for college ; last year the college men were five in a class of eight ; and the whole number in the school prepar- ing for college is twenty-five. An analysis of these figures shows that only about sixty per cent of the small number graduating from our Grammar Schools enter the High School ; and of these only about twelve per cent graduate, two-fifths even of these being in the classical department; while the proportion of such to the whole school is only one-fifth : that is, the number entering the High School is very much too small ; and the number of graduates among the general-course students is ridiculously and sadly small, - only about eight per cent of these remaining to graduate.
Here, then, are two problems to solve : how shall we in- crease the attendance at our High School? and how shall we increase the proportion of graduates among the pupils ? As regards the first, we think that we find the difficulty partly in the comparative inaccessibility of the High School. The road to it has been a little too long, and pos- sibly entrance too difficult. And many have therefore dropped out on the way, or become discouraged on the threshold. And so we have reduced the Grammar-school course from seven years to six, and have abolished the ex- amination for entrance ; making such a fair stand in the Grammar School as shall entitle the pupil to a diploma of graduation the condition of entrance to the High School, subject always to the approval of the District Committee, Superintendent, and Principal of the Grammar School. Of course the objection to this is, that it may lower the stand- ard of the High School. And we recognize that as a ten- dency to guard against. A college has nothing with which to defend itself against this, except high standards of ad- mission : it has no control over preparatory schools them- selves, such as to insure it in any other way against the admission of unprepared material. But here, where the Committee have equal control over the High and Grammar
9
Schools, they can keep up the standard of the former with- out the test of an examination. And as regards the re- duced course of the Grammar Schools, the Committee feel sure that it has been secured by such a wise economy of time and studies, and such a systematic arrangement of the course, as by no means to depreciate the value of the work done, though its quantity has been diminished.
A special advantage is reaped from this arrangement by those intending to enter college. Public and private schools and academies, whose sole work is to fit boys for college, or which have an entirely separate department for this, receive them before they have finished the Grammar- school course, and so can send them to college at an earlier age, which is a great desideratum to those who in any case are giving much time to their education. And in our mixed High School, where pupils are admitted to both de- partments on the same conditions, and where completion of the Grammar-school course is thus necessary even for those fitting for college, a step is taken in the same desira- ble direction by shortening that Grammar-school course.
As regards the second problem, - how to retain a greater number of general-course students through the course, -the Committee have had this view. Very few schools can show a better record than ours in the classical course. When we say that a boy of average ability, graduating from the clas- sical department, is almost sure to enter Harvard without conditions, we are saying much, but nothing in the least untrue or exaggerated. Now, much of this success. is due to the fact that here principally the master's influence is felt. His time is mainly given to fitting boys for college ; while, except in the mathematics and some of the natural sciences, where the pupils receive the valuable instruc- tion of the sub-master, the rest of the work is done mainly by the lady teachers. Now, we do not mean to enter here into any smallest part of the vexed woman-question; and so we will not say that the stronger mind of the man makes him the fitter teacher of the higher branches. But he cer- tainly has in the present state of things broader culture,
10
and that as certainly gives him a decided advantage in such teaching. The inference from all which is, that it is our duty to distribute the principal more, - to give him less to do with the classical, and more with the general course. And yet we feel, that, in the present state of things, this can- not be done without danger at least of serious detriment to the classical department. For this, together with some other reasons, it has been determined to have another teacher in the school able to relieve the master of part of the classical department. If this is done, we shall be able also to leave one teacher each hour in the large room, with nothing to attend to but the discipline of the room, which has heretofore been maintained by the principal at the same time that he was teaching his classes.
As a further means of increasing the attendance at the school, it is intended to ask an appropriation to convey scholars from the east side of the town, very many of whom are prevented from coming merely by their distance from the school, and all of whom are seriously inconvenienced by this, especially in bad weather.
In this school the new Course of Study, prepared by the Superintendent in consultation with the master, and adopted by the Committee, has not been laid out with such elaborate attention to details as in the other schools. But a comparison of this with the old programme will show that that has been carefully revised to secure a wise selection and arrangement of topics and real progress in the studies.
The Committee wish to impress on the citizens the value and importance of the higher education to be obtained in our High School, and even further in colleges, in order to insure the welfare and usefulness of their children, and the character and continuance of our free institutions and civ- ilization. Of course if we fall in with the materialistic, or, as it is sometimes more graciously termed, the practical spirit of the time, and regard education only as a means of making successful business men of our sons, and enabling our daughters to make a respectable appearance in society, the arguments for higher education will be very much
11
diminished ; and, as regards boys at least, a commercial school might be the best thing with which to follow up the Grammar School. But on the only sound theory of educa- tion, that it is intended primarily and mainly to make the man himself more intelligent, cultivated, and useful, and thus to promote the best good of the community, which does not consist principally in material prosperity, but in the character of its citizens, and largely in their intelli- gence, - on this principle we cannot lay too much stress on the importance of thoroughness and completeness in the work of educating our children.
And we look with special gratitude and favor on the movement now making to secure this more generally to young women and girls. If we take the most limited view of women's duties, - that which confines them mainly to home work and the care of children, - we can hardly exag- gerate the importance of breadth and elevation of culture, in order to secure the refining and civilizing influence that she should exercise over her husband and children; mak- ing her a fitting companion of the one, and a wise guide of the other.
One fact shows strikingly the evil of this early closing of children's education. Most of them, on leaving the Gram- mar School, have not yet got to the period when the tastes or habits are or begin to be settled ; and specially they have not arrived at the time when maturer and higher tastes and sympathies are formed. They have not yet learned really to love and appreciate study and improvement. And so, if they leave it now, study is very apt to be something to which they look back with little interest ; and they have no stimulus to keep it up, and with it every thing bearing in the same direction of refinement and cultivation. But in the High School many of them do attain that stage, and acquire such habits and likings as lead them right on in the direction of culture and self-improvement.
We want, too, to see our High School more democratic, more generally attended by all classes, and especially by poorer and middle-class children. We wish to furnish
12
these, by every means, that by which they may rise, both for their own sakes and for the constant strengthening of the higher classes by the infusion of fresh elements. And it is our desire, too, in the High School to bring them within the reach of such influences as to awaken in them the am- bition to rise, and make the best of themselves. We recog- nize the difficulty of obtaining a thorough education for a poor boy, and the pressing temptation, both to himself and to his parents, for him to begin early to work for himself. But these difficulties have all been met by others, and none have ever regretted the struggle.
In the Grammar Schools we have not only determined on measures for their future advancement, as in the case of the High School, but have already inaugurated important changes. The most important of these has already been mentioned, in the'reduction of the course to six years' time ; and one of the principal reasons of this change - to facili- tate and encourage entrance into the High School - has also been named. We feel that all the argument here is not on one side. There may be an advantage, inasmuch as many leave school after finishing the Grammar-school course, in prolonging that one year, and thus beguiling them into an- other year's study, which they would not take, if it were put into the High-school course. But we think, that, as a rule, the programme should be laid out with reference to those who are going to complete it, and that no unreason- able hinderances should be put in their way, to accommodate those who stop at the way-stations. Especially is this the true principle, when sixty per cent of those graduating at the Grammar School enter the High School, and when the number of these can probably be increased at least twenty per cent by thus shortening the route.
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