USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Westford > Town of Westford annual report 1902-1907 > Part 36
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Whitney, Mrs. E. J., Littleton Common, 28 and 29, E. D. 2 00
Willis, Wm. T., Lowell, 19, E. D.
1 00
Woodbury, E. H., Littleton Common, 311, E. D. .
1 00
Wright, A. A., Hudson, 34, W. D.
1 00
Wyman, George W., Camden, N. J., 376, E. D.
1 00
$229 00
EXPENSES.
FAIRVIEW.
Paid C. N. Richardson and others $216 79
W. W. Johnson, labor 147 76
C. E. Walker for loam. 6 00
Lester Prescott, labor 8 25
Bannister, Greig and Bicknell, labor 5 00
For one lawn mower
3 00
For 2 quarts oil and oil can 50
For grass seed 1 99
$389 29
WESTLAWN.
Paid W. H. H. Burbeck for care of ceme- tery
$12 00
W. H. H. Burbeck for care of lots as per bill
21 00
J. A. Healy for dressing
6 00
Thompson Hardware Co. for one can paint for fence 1 81
Wright & Fletcher for grass seed 48
$ 41 29
Amount carried forward .
$430 58
98
Amount brought forward $430 58
HILLSIDE.
Paid W. H. H. Burbeck for care of ceme- tery $10 00
W. H. H. Burbeck for care of lots per bill
6 00
J. A. Healy for dressing 2 00
$ 18 00
GENERAL EXPENSES.
Paid for envelopes, stamps, &c. $6 94
For teaming fertilizer 2 00
For nails .
08
Courier-Citizen Co. for 100 receipts for Perpetual Care Lots 1 25
Courier-Citizen Co. for printing Town Seal on stamped envelopes. . ... Peavy Bros. for 153 lbs. castings for Perpetual Care markers
1 00
7 65
Freight on castings 25
G. T. Day for painting and gilding markers, iron fence and gates at Westlawn, Hillside and Wright Cemeteries, also for stock . 5 25 For scraping and painting wooden posts two coats at Westlawn 3 50
Wright & Fletcher for envelopes, &c. 1 14 One receipt book . 50
Express and telephone charges. 3 15
Balance due in excess of receipts in 1906 2 25
$ 34 96
Amount expended
$483 54
Amount appropriated by the town $250 00
Amount received for care of lots 229 00
$479 00
Balance due in excess of receipts .. . $ 4 54
99
PERPETUAL CARE FUNDS.
NAME.
CEMETERY.
FUND.
J. W. P. Abbot
Fairview
$ 100 00
Cyrus Babbitt
50 00
Sally B. Burrill
66
100 00
Mary E. Brigham
66
100 00
Mary E. Brigham (Kittredge Lot)
66
100 00
Francis Caldwell
66
50 00
John Carmichael
66
50 00
John B. Carmichael
100 00
George Davis
50 00
Charles S. Dodge
100 00
Cephas Drew
66
50 00
George Drew .
50 00
Edmund F. Dupee
50 00
Rachel Dupee
66
50 00
Wm. Z. Dupee
66
50 00
Daniel Falls
66
50 00
Abijah Fletcher
66
50 00
Andrew Fletcher
66
100 00
Charles H. Fletcher
66
50 00
Julia A. Fletcher
66
50 00
Sherman D. Fletcher
66
50 00
Sherman D. Fletcher
Westlawn
50 00
Charles H. Follansbee
Hillside
100 00
Joseph B. Griffin
Fairview
100 00
Timothy L. Griffin, lot by Viola Griffin Whithead .
50 00
Theodore C. Hamblett
66
50 00
C. and C. A. Hamlin
66
100 00
M. Hennessey
50 00
Henry Herrick
Westlawn
100 00
Samuel Horne
Fairview
50 00
Silas Lawrence and Mrs. Drake
Westlawn
100 00
Amount carried forward
$2,150 00
.
100
Amount brought forward
$2,150 00
Francis Leighton
Westlawn
50 00
Edwin D. Metcalf
Fairview
50 00
James M. Parker
50 00
Fletcher Peckens
50 00
Prescott & Babbitt
66
100 00
Charles H. Prescott
Westlawn
100 00
Joseph H. Prescott
66
50 00
Frances A. Prescott
Fairview
50 00
Nathan P. Prescott
50 00
Mary A. Putnam
Hillside
100 00
Polly Quigg .
Fairview
50 00
Abijah C. Reed
50 00
Anan Reed
Westlawn
50 00
Sarah S. Reed
100 00
Anna Richardson
Fairview
50 00
Sarah E. Richardson
50 00
C. Frederick Seifer
66
50 00
Levi Snow
66
100 00
Salmon L. Snow
66
100 00
Sarah E. P. Wells
Westlawn
100 00
Clara M. Wiley
Fairview
100 00
Luther Wilkins
75 00
John Wilson
50 00
Capt. Ezekiel Wright
Westlawn
50 00
Varnum B. Wright
Fairview
25 00
$3,800 00
GEORGE W. HEYWOOD, Chairman, GEORGE T. DAY, Secretary, Commissioners of Public Burial Grounds.
66
Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Middlesex, ss.
To either Constable of the Town of Westford, in said County.
Greeting:
You are hereby required in the name of the Commonwealth aforesaid, to notify and warn all the inhabitants of said Town qualified to vote in elections, and also in Town affairs, to meet at the Town House, in said Westford, on Monday, the sixteenth day of March, being the third Monday in said month, at 7.45 o'clock A. M. The polls will be opened at eight o'clock A. M., and may be closed at one o'clock P. M .; and they are then and there to act upon the following articles, to wit:
1st. To choose a Moderator.
2nd. To bring in their votes for one Selectman, one Overseer of Poor, one Assessor, two School Committee, one Commissioner of Public Burial Grounds, one Trustee of the Public Library, all for three years; one Com- missioner of Public Burial Ground for two years (to fill an unexpired term); Town Treasurer, Collector of Taxes, two Constables, one Auditor and one Tree Warden, all for one year; also to vote on the following question: "Shall licenses be granted for the sale of intoxicating liquors in this town?" All on one ballot.
3rd. To hear the report of the Selectmen, and act in relation to the same.
4th. To hear the report of the Selectmen on Guide Boards, and act in relation to the same.
102
5th. To hear the report of the Overseers of the Poor, and act in relation to the same.
6th. To hear the report of the School Committee, and act in relation to the same.
7th. To hear the report of the Trustees of the Public Library, and act in relation to the same.
8th. To hear the report of the Commissioners of Public Burial Grounds, and act in relation to the same.
9th. To see if the Town will accept the report of the Auditor chosen to audit the accounts of the Town Officers, and act in relation to the same.
10th. To see if the Town will determine the compensation of the Tax Collector, and act in relation to the same.
11th. To raise and appropriate money to repair Roads and Bridges.
12th. To raise and appropriate money for Town Debts and Charges.
13th. To raise and appropriate money for Public Schools. 14th. To raise and appropriate money for High School purposes.
15th. To raise and appropriate money for support of Poor.
16th. To raise and appropriate money for School Text Books and Supplies.
17th. To raise and appropriate money for the alteration of the Carlisle Road, as ordered by the County Commissioners, and act in relation to the same.
103
18th. To see if the Town will raise and appropriate money to meet the deficiency incurred by the School Committee in the support of public schools, and act in relation to the same.
19th. To see if the Town will raise and appropriate money to furnish and equip the new school building erected at Westford Center, and act in relation to the same.
20th. To see if the Town will raise and appropriate money for the purpose of draining and grading the land recently purchased by the Town, and known as the "Foss Lot," and act in relation to the same.
21st. To see if the Town will raise and appropriate money for destruction of gypsy and brown tail moths, and act in relation to the same.
22nd. To see if the Town will vote to purchase a road roller, appropriate money therefor, and act in relation to the same.
23rd. To see if the Town will appropriate a sum of money, not to exceed forty dollars ($40), to furnish a block of Westford granite to be placed in the Provincetown Monument, and act in relation to the same.
24th. To see if the Town will raise and appropriate money for the repair and equipment of schoolhouses, and act in relation to the same.
25th. To see if the Town will appropriate money for graduation purposes at Westford Academy, and act in relation to the same.
26th. To see if the Town will vote to appropriate money for medical inspection in the public schools, and act in relation to the same.
104
27th. To see if the Town will vote to authorize the School Committee to obtain plans and estimates for the building on and equipping an additional room to the Forge Village Schoolhouse, and act in relation to the same.
28th. To see if the Town, in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 560, Section 369 of the Acts of 1907, will vote to elect three Road Commissioners at the next annual meeting, and act in relation to the same.
29th. To see if the Town will vote to appoint a Committee of five, to be comprised of the Board of Selectmen and two others, to inquire into and report at the next Annual Town Meeting as to the best method to pursue in repairing the Graniteville road, so called, and improving the grades thereon, between Caunter's Bridge and Julian A. Cameron's barn, and act in relation to the same.
30th. To see if the Town will vote to change the date for the ending of its financial year, and act in relation to the same.
31st. To see if the Town will authorize the appointment of five persons, who shall constitute a Finance Committee. It shall be the duty of said Committee, when a warrant for a Town Meeting contains any article or articles calling for the appropriation or expenditure of money, to investigate the same and report its recommendations at the said meeting. Said Committee shall also issue a printed report of its recommendations relative to appropriations required at the Annual Town Meeting for the proper and economical maintenance of the several departments of the Town on or before the first day of March of each year, or act in relation to the same.
105
32nd. To see if the Town will appropriate money to erect a fence around the school house lot at Forge Village and act in relation to the same.
33rd. To see if the Town will establish the compensation of election officers, and act in relation to the same.
34th. To see if the Town will vote to sell and convey the Center Schoolhouse, so called, situated upon the easterly side of the Boston road, together with all the land appurtenant thereto, containing about sixty square rods, and act in relation to the same.
35th. To see if the Town will vote to sell and convey the Nashoba Schoolhouse, so called, situated on the easterly side of the Concord road, together with all the land appurte- nant thereto, containing about seventy-nine square rods, and act in relation to the same.
36th. To see if the Town will vote to sell and convey the School- house, located in the district formerly known as Number Eight, situated upon the easterly side of the Tenney road, together with all the land appurtenant thereto, containing about one-fourth of an acre, and act in relation to the same.
37th. To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Town Treas- urer, under the written direction of the Selectmen, to borrow such sums of money as may be required for the demands upon him in anticipation of the taxes for the current year and payable therefrom, and act in relation to the same.
38th. To determine the manner of collecting taxes for the ensu- ing year, also the rate of interest on taxes remaining un- paid at a time to be fixed by vote of the Town, and when and how said taxes shall be paid into the treasury, and act in relation to the same.
106
39th. To choose all other Town Officers necessary to be chosen by hand vote, and act in relation to the same.
40th. By request of the Veteran Association, to see if the Town will appropriate the sum of one hundred fifty dollars ($150) to commemorate Memorial Day, and act in relation to the same.
41st. By request of the citizens of Graniteville, Forge Village, and Parkerville, to see if the town will appropriate the sum of seventy-five dollars ($75) for the purpose of distributing books from the Public Library in these three villages, and act in relation to the same.
42nd. To see if the Town will authorize the Selectmen to act as its agents in any suit or suits that may arise during the current year; also in such other matters which may arise, requiring in their judgment the action of such agents, and act in relation to the same.
43rd. To see if the Town will appropriate two hundred dollars, ($200) for the suppression of the liquor traffic in town and instruct and. authorize the Selectmen to employ or appoint Constables or Police Officers to enforce the law and act in relation to the same.
44th. To see if the Town will authorize the Selectmen to offer a reward of one hundred dollars ($100) for the arrest and conviction of any person or persons setting forest or other fires in town, and act in relation to the same.
And you are directed to serve this warrant by posting up true and attested copies at the Town House and each Depot in said Westford, eight days at least before the time of holding said meeting.
Hereof fail not, and make due return of this Warrant, with your doings thereon, to the Town Clerk, at the time and place of holding the meeting aforesaid.
107
Given under our hands, this Twenty-eighth day of February, in the year of our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Eight.
OSCAR R. SPALDING, WESLEY O. HAWKES, EDWARD M. ABBOT, Selectmen of Westford.
A True Copy. Attest:
Constable of Westford.
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
OF THE
TOWN OF WESTFORD, MASS.
FOR THE
School Year ending March 1, 1908.
TOWN
WESTFORD
INCORPO
1729.
OR
3.
ORATED
S
LOWELL, MASS. COURIER-CITIZEN COMPANY, PRINTERS 1908
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
SCHOOL COMMITTEE 1907-1908.
ALBERT R. CHOATE, Chairman Term Expires 1910.
HENRY B. READ
Term Expires 1910.
HOMER M. SEAVEY
Term Expires 1909.
CHARLES O. PRESCOTT
Term Expires 1908.
T. ARTHUR E. WILSON
Term Expires 1908.
WALTER C. WRIGHT, Secretary
Term Expires 1908.
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS.
ARTHUR B. WEBBER, Littleton, Mass.
BOOKS AND SUPPLIES. WALTER C. WRIGHT.
TRUANT OFFICERS.
E. G. BOYNTON,
JOHN A. HEALY.
SCHOOL PHYSICIAN. DR. CYRIL A. BLANEY.
Report of the School Committee.
To the Citizens of Westford:
We have the pleasure of reporting to you that the past year in your schools has been a successful one and that the schools are now in excellent condition.
To the reports of the Superintendent of Schools, Principal of the High School, and Supervisor of Drawing and Music, in- corporated in this report, we invite your careful attention.
We believe that we have at present a corps of teachers who are competent, progressive, and earnest. It is exceedingly fortunate for the schools of Westford that so many of the teach- ers are residents of the Town, as it has been a great inducement for them to accept salaries lower than were offered elsewhere. But we cannot depend greatly in the future upon this favoring element in the problem of supplying our schools with good teachers. It will perhaps be effective in a few cases, but what shall be done relative to schools when there is no resident teacher of ability, and when the salary is not sufficient inducement to retain any teacher of assured reputation? The School Com- mittee must frequently be at a loss to know how to solve the question. They must resort to much experimenting and if they are successful in finding a competent teacher among the many candidates who seek schools, they must anticipate soon to be outbid by other towns that are paying larger salaries.
The Committee wish to call your attention to the fact, which has been amply confirmed by carefully and widely gleaned information during the past year, viz: That we are paying smaller salaries to teachers than our neighboring towns. In this connection we earnestly ask our townsmen to be liberal in the voting of school funds. A comparatively small margin of difference in salary may make necessary the loss of a valuable teacher and the employment of one whose ability is unknown,
4
and the experiment may result in the waste of the money ex- pended for the school where she is employed.
Owing to the large number of pupils in attendance of the Eighth and Ninth Grades in the Academy building at the opening of the Fall term, an assistant teacher was appointed for that school at a salary of three hundred and sixty ($360) dollars.
We again bring to your attention the urgent need of making some arrangement for relieving the congested condition of the Forge Village school. At the present time the Committee are using a room at the Club House, so called, where about twenty- five pupils are being taught, at an expense to the Town of about five hundred dollars a year extra. This sum being for a teacher and fuel. This arrangement does very well temporarily, but, of course, cannot continue indefinitely as the room is not adapted for school purposes and probably will not satisfy the require- ments of the State much longer. The Committee realize the great expense the Town has been to the past year in the building of the Center school and do not wish, without the sanction of the people, to put an extra burden on them, if it can possibly be avoided. Bearing these conditions in mind there seems, after careful consideration, to be only two solutions of the problem. The one to enlarge the present school building, which can be done for about fifty-five hundred dollars. This would mean the addition of two rooms. To equip these and to put in the necessary heating and ventilating system acceptable to the State would probably cost in the neighborhood of fifteen hundred dollars, making a total of seven thousand dollars.
The second solution, and a very feasible one it would seem to us, is to have the scholars from the Sixth and Seventh Grades transported to the Graniteville school. This can be made possible by the small number of children now attending the Graniteville school. The electric car service is good and it does seem as though this scheme could be carried out without detri- ment to the older children and certainly at a great saving to the Town. In this saving could be enumerated a teacher's salary of four hundred dollars extra, coal necessary to the heating of the enlarged building-two hundred dollars, interest on money borrowed at four per cent .- two hundred and eighty dollars,
5
making a total of eight hundred and eighty dollars, besides which, of course, there is the seven thousand dollars which sooner or later would have to be taken care of.
Bearing these two propositions in mind we have put an article in the warrant recommending the appointment of a Committee to obtain an estimate of the expense of enlarging the present Forge Village schoolhouse, and to report at a later meeting. The Committee feel, however, that it would be far wiser for the present at least, to transport the scholars.
At a meeting of the School Committee held February 22, 1908, the reports of the Committee and Superintendent were read and accepted.
CHARLES O. PRESCOTT, Secretary, Pro tem.
ALBERT R. CHOATE, Chairman,
T. ARTHUR E. WILSON, WALTER C. WRIGHT, Secretary,
HOMER M. SEAVEY,
H. B. READ, CHARLES O. PRESCOTT,
School Committee.
APPROPRIATIONS RECOMMENDED FOR FISCAL YEAR 1908-1909.
Schools $7,000 00
High School 2,300 00
Text books and supplies 700 00
School Physician
50 00
Graduation Exercises-High School
50 00
Water rates, Center School
50 00
Water rates, Forge Village School
10 00
Miscellaneous 440 00
$10,600 00
Truant Officers' Report for the Year Ending March 1, 1908.
Number of cases investigated 8
Brought to trial 0
E. G. BOYNTON, JOHN A. HEALY,
Truant Officers.
TEXT BOOKS AND SUPPLIES FURNISHED.
High School
$218 72
Center, three schools
124 89
Graniteville, four schools 169 45
Forge Village, three schools
107 65
Stony Brook
48 92
Minot's Corner
38 91
Parkerville
38 71
Nabnassett
20 63
$767 88
EXPENSE OF SUPERVISION.
Salary paid by Town
$800 00
Rebate from State 625 00
Net cost to Town $175 00
TEXT BOOKS AND SUPPLIES FURNISHED SCHOOLS.
Appropriation . $700 00
Amount expended 752 90
Balance overdrawn $52 90
Financial Statement.
INCOME.
Balance unexpended from 1906 $ 773 41 Appropriation, school 6,500 00
Appropriation, High School 2,200 00
From State on account of Supt. of Schools 250 00
Income from Mass. School Fund. 1,079 99
$10,803 40
EXPENDED.
Tuition of scholars at High School $2,750 00
Teachers
5,469 44
Transportation
1,059 20
Fuel
698. 04
Janitor service, cleaning, etc.
676 80 - $10,653 48
Balance unexpended $ 149 92
Report of the Superintendent.
To the School Committee:
Herewith I submit my second annual report; it is the 16th in the series of superintendents' reports.
Our creed is this,-We believe that the object of teaching is to prepare boys and girls for life. Preparation for life must necessarily go beyond the acquisition of the old three R's. It must include an acquaintance with the world in which living will be done-acquaintance with the world's good art and good literature, with its good music, with its history and geography, with nature, and with civic life. In so far as a boy or girl fails to get this acquaintance just so far will his life be dwarfed and narrowed. Unless he gets it in school it is a matter of chance if he ever gets it.
A still more important essential in this preparation for life is the awakening of the mind to realities. Things taught in the schools must be real; things presented vividly, and capable of being put to use outside school. Learning reached for and drawn in by the pupil will count for far more than learning crammed in by the teacher. Self activity should be the key note in all education. Individuality must be fostered. Our work is to prepare pupils to live in a world outside of school, and we must hold fast to the idea that the primary object of our teaching is to enable the child to get along on his own responsibilities.
In carrying out this creed certain lines of work have been attempted the past year which are, I believe, leading to the desired results. The work in arithmetic has been modified in the lower grades to introduce more comparison and more individ- ual thought. This work will be advanced by the introduction of new texts with the coming year, and a more decided improve- ment may be looked for with additional equipment in some schools in the line of measures, scales and weights-only a few rooms being now equipped for practical work. In one third grade a store has been fitted up with sand, blocks, and paper to represent merchandise, price lists, scale, measures, and toy
9
money. The pupils are interested. They are learning real things; they are learning arithmetic too, and learning it better than they ever did when it was taught abstractly and bore no relation to life. I am confident that one of the greatest needs of our schools today is the relating of all our arithmetic to life, so that figuring may follow and grow out of actual business practice.
To make our geography more real the pupils are taking imaginary journeys, and corresponding with pupils in different parts of the world. Each grade is at work upon some special industry connected with their grade work in the subject, collecting specimens, pictures, descriptions of processes in the manufacture of the raw material, and mapping the areas of production, routes of transportation and centers of manufacture. Sand modelling and the making of relief maps are giving excellent returns in making more definite the ideas of land and water forms.
The work in English in all grades seemed too technical, and failed to produce the result which is to be desired, namely, a freedom of expression both in oral and written work. To remedy this the Guides to English and the Baker-Carpenter Readers were introduced. This step gives a wider range of material and offers an admirable scheme of correlation in the language work. The best preparation for writing is writing. Fluency comes first, correctness afterwards, and by giving abundant exercise in composition both oral and written, thus leading the child to see his own errors and correct them, we secure work which is greatly superior and far more lasting than by furnishing outlines which must be followed, and returning blue pencilled papers. Throughout the work we strive to secure the closest correlation between the composition work and the lessons in literature, history, geography, nature study and personal experiences.
In several classes the "book plan" is being developed. The idea here is that the pupil will be more interested and so do better in a real thing than in a mere exercise. Special papers in history, literature, science and geography are written involving not only the material found in the school books, but bringing in matter
10
gathered in library research, magazine articles and other services. These sketches are illustrated by drawings, pictures collected from magazines, original photographs, and many are embellished with decorative initial letters and head and tail pieces. Appro- priate covers are designed, and many pupils have taken great pride in the finished result.
The work in music and drawing is now upon a thorough basis, and the results reflect the greatest credit upon the super- visors in those branches. The arrangement by which we secure the services of our supervisor of drawing are due to the enthu- siasm of the man, and the helpful intercession of Mr. Frederic L. Burnham, the State Agent for the Industrial Arts. We have, I feel sure, established the value of good supervision, and it is to be hoped that the town may see its way clear to making such appropriation for the subject that we may be able to hold to the standard established. I invite your careful consideration of the reports herewith appended.
Mr. A. B. Webber, Supt. of the Schools of Westford, Mass.
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