USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Brookline > Town records of Brookline, Massachusetts, 1838-1857, v. 1 > Part 10
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Given under our hands and seals, this twentieth day of Feb- ruary in the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Forty-Four.
DANIEL SANDERSON, [L.S. 7 Selectmen L.s. ] of
THOMAS GRIGGS, [L.S.
Brookline.
NORFOLK, SS.
BROOKLINE, March 1, 1844.
By virtue of the within warrant I have notified and warned the within named persons to appear at the time and place for the purposes within mentioned.
ELISHA STONE, Constable of Brookline.
The meeting was opened with prayer by Rev. John Pierce, D. D. The following officers were chosen for ensuing year :
Captain Daniel Sanderson was chosen Moderator. L
Otis Withington was unanimously re-elected Town Clerk and the Oath administered by the Moderator.
Daniel Sanderson, 2d Balloting 53 out of 90. )
David Coolidge. do. do.
Thomas Griggs, do. do.
Selectmen.
Charles Stearns, Jr., 47 out of 77 - - A. W. Goddard, 46 out of 77 Assessors .
Timothy Corey, 44 out of 77
By ballot.
108
Brookline Town Records.
Artemas Newell, 71 out of 91, Treasurer and Collector.
By ballot.
Rev. John Pierce, D.D., unanimously
Wm. Shailer, do. Samuel Philbrick, do. } Committee.
Charles Stearns, Jr., Northi District - Prudential
T. W. Wellington, South
Samuel Hills, South West
Elisha Stone, Surveyor of Wood & Lumber.
Charles Stearns, Jr., 1st North District
Thomas Griggs, 2d
North
Samuel Philbrick, 3d Nortlı
Royal MacIntosh,
1st & 2d Middle
William White, 3d Middle
Surveyors of
George W. Goldsmith, Ist
South 6:
Higliways.
Caleb Craft, Jr., 2d
South
6:
John W. Warren, 3d
Soutlı
Hugh M. Sanborn, Eastern Section of Turnpike Simon Warren, Western do.
do.
Marshal Stearns, - Seth T. Thayer, Fire Wards.
James Bartlett,
Voted, To choose 8 Field Drivers Viz. :
Samuel A. Walker, sworn at Town Meeting, Clark L. Haynes,
Charles Warren,
Benjn. Bradley, sworn at town meeting,
Thomas C. Quimby, sworn at town meeting, Caleb Clark.
James L. Oliver,
Timothy Corey, Jr.,
William W. Clement, Fence Viewers.
T. W. Wellington,
Simon Warren, Pound Keeper.
Charles Wild, M. D.,
Elijah Corey, Committee on Town Accounts.
Marshal Stearns,
Elisha Stone, Constables.
A. H. Clapp,
Samuel A. Walker,
James Bartlett, Cemetery Committee.
Hugh M. Sanborn,
John Bullard had seventy-six Votes for County Treasurer.
Voted, Not to choose Tythingmen.
The following Report of the Treasurer & Auditors was read :
TREASURER'S REPORT.
In accordance with a vote of the town the Treasurer would now render a report of the state of the Treasury, an account of receipts into the Treasury, and settlements of all bills due from the town up to the first
7
Field į Ì Drivers.
General School
109
Meeting, March 4, 1844.
day of February last, including some bills of more than a year standing which will necessarily show a much larger amount than the current expenses of the town for one year. The expenses have also been much increased by sundry contingencies which were not anticipated at the last Annual Meeting, and has consequently caused the expenses to exceed the estimates and appropriations in many cases.
There was cash on hand at the last report of the Treasurer 1339 95 Received from the State Treasurer for Support of State ? Paupers
25 55
Received from State Treasury on Account of Military Bounty 15 00
Received from State Treasury as income from the Massachu- setts School Fund .
34 32
Amount of Taxes levied for 1843 4721 52 ) Less the Amount of Abatements by Assessors 63 50 4658 02
Received of the Overseers of the poor the Amount of dam- ages they recovered of William Redding on account of Eliza Thompson, one of the paupers
52 10
Received of Dea. Thomas Griggs Treasurer of the Brookline School Fund .
291 79
Received of Mr. Stephen S. C. Jones the Amount of income ? from the Hay Scales 89 60
Received of Merchants Bank Boston the Amount borrowed ? by the Selectmen for the repairs of the Engine 500 00
Making the whole Amount received into the Treasury during the year ending February 1, 1844, including the amount on hand at the last report 7006 33
There has been paid from the Treasury by order of the Selectmen for the various expenses of the town the following Amounts, Viz. .
FOR THE SUPPORT OF THE POOR $854.39 Viz. :
For the Maintainance of a Son of Amasa Jackson . 56 25
For the Support of George Thompson & his wife 161 38
For the Support of William C. Aspinwall 273 29
For Support of Mrs. Kenrick 74 17 .
For Assistance of Mrs. Bond
20 22 .
For Support of Harriet King
. 67 59
For Support of Eliza Thompson . 101 18
For the Support of the Child of Eliza Thompson 17 00
For Assistance to Anna Dana 21 00
For Support or Assistance to Samuel Walcott 43 03
For board of Lucy King 19 28
Making the Whole Amt. for the Support of Paupers 854 39
EXPENSE OF EDUCATION $1812.11 as follows :
For the Establishmont and Support of the High School including the necessary Apparatus for the School Rooms, &c. $765.59 to wit :
To Mr. Benjn. H. Rhoades for his Salary for Nine ? Months @ 700 dol. per year . 525 00
110
Brookline Town Records.
Brought forward 525 00 $854 39
To Mr. James Pierce for his services as Assistant in
the high school Three Months @ 15$ per month . 45 00 To Mr. James Pierce for his services as Assistant for two Months by a subsequent agreement @ $250 per year. 41 66
For the expense of Fuel, Stoves, Maps and other fur- niture and apparatus for the use of the School . 153 93
Making the expense 765 59
There has been paid for the expense of the North district School 372 46
For the expense of Middle district school 1 22
For the expense of South district school 334 84
For the District School Library .
45 00
Making the whole expense on Act. of schools 1812 11
EXPENSES OF HIGHWAYS $1114.49, as follows :
There has been paid to Martin Morse for expense of repairs of highways on first North District . 100 00
To Dea. Thomas Griggs for 2d North District ? $170. expense of laying drain 12 dols. 182 00
To Mr. Samuel Philbrick for third North district 82 55
To Mr. George S. Cushing for first Middle dis. 110 00
To Mr. Daniel Sanderson for Second Middle district 40
To Mr. Geo. W. Goldsmith for 1st South District . 60
To Mr. George Craft for 2d South District 100
To Mr. John W. Warren for 3d South District 120
To Mr. Hugh M. Sanborn for Eastern Turnpike 160
To Mr. Timothy W. Wellington for Western Turnpike 90
To Mr. Royal McIntosh for widening the road and relaying the wall on Heath Street 20
To Mr. David Whitney for laying wall and repairing side walk on Harvard Street near the residence of Mr. Bartlett . 43
To Mr. Joseph Goddard the amount of his highway tax for the repairs of the road to his house 3
To Mr. Abijah W. Goddard the amount of his high- way tax for the repairs of his road 3 94
Making the whole expense of Repairs of Roads 1114 49
EXPENSES OF FIRE DEPARTMENT, ENGINE, &C., $883.70.
The Expenses of this department have been increased to a very unusual amount, by the circumstance as probably is well known, of the Engine House being discovered to be on fire on the morning of the 12th day of September last, which resulted in the total destruction of the house, and the almost entire destruction of the Engine and all its apparatus, besides some property owned by the Engine Company, it was sup- posed to be the work of an incendiary. The expense of
Carried up
$3780 99
111
Meeting, March 4, 1844.
Brought forward . $3780 99
repairs of the engine, and new Hose & apparatus together with the other expenses consequent upon the refiting of the Engine & Company originated most of the following charges to wit :
There has been paid to Mr. Alfred Tufts for Sundry ? repairs, New Wheels &c. for Hose Carriages 17 75
To Mr. Wm. H. Brown for part of Harness and other work on account of Engine 12 58
To Mr. Henry S. Ward, his bill for sundry articles ? purchased for the Engine Co. 24 02
To Mr. A. H. Lambert for his bill for repairs of the Engine . 10 93
To Messrs. Hunneman & Co. their bill of Repairs and New apparatus for Engine Company . 627 90 To Mr. Coolidge for 6 Benches for Engine House .
6 00 To Mr. Cousens for making tables for Engine House 4 81 To Mr. Wm. Conway for his services taking care of Engine &c. 26 00
·
To Mr. A. H. Clapp for taking care of Engine 43 00 . To Mr. Morse & A. Newell for storing and other ex- penses of Engine & Co. 15 46
To E. Stone for repairing fence &c. about Engine House : 20
To Mr. Stephen S. C. Jones for merchandise for Engine House & Company 10 89
To Mr. J. Davenport for refreshments supplied the Company 3 66
For making the whole expense for Engine & Co. $833 70
TOWN OFFICERS, ASSESSING & COLLECTING TAXES, STATION- ARY, PRINTING, ROOM FOR SELECTMEN, &C.
Paid to Dr. Pierce & Mr. Shailer for their services ( as School Committe for three years 150 . Paid for sundry bills for printing, assessors books, postage, bills & stationary, &c. · 41 07
Paid to Selectmen for Services and traveling Ex- penses when attending to town affairs · 78 62
Paid Mr. Otis Withington for services as Town Clerk 35 00
304 69
Paid Assessors for assessing Taxes, 7$ eachı 21 00 paid for casting taxes and all other expenses of Ass's . 30 00
51 00
Paid for room and lights &c. for use of Selectmen and assessors during the year 25 00
Paid A. Newell for Collecting Taxes, services as Treasurer and duties with Selectmen & Station- ary, &c. 168 03
Paid Elisha Stone for warning Town meetings and for other services as Constable 27
Making the whole Amt. under the head of Town Officers
575 72
Carried forward
$5495 10
112
Brookline Town Records.
Brought forward $5495 10
REPAIRS OF BUILDINGS, PURCHASE OF REAL ESTATE, &C.
There has been paid to Thomas A. Davis for 18107 feet of land for the accomodation of the School in the North District, & for gravel for the high- ways @ 2 cents per foot . 362 14 63
Recording deed
Paid Sundry bills to the school Committee & others for the expense of altering the town House into school rooms and for repairs of the building 391 69
Paid small bills for repairs of School House 4 95 .
Making the cost of repairs, land, &c.
759 41
GUIDE & STREET BOARDS.
Paid to Samuel A. Walker, Esq., for the expense of
painting two Street boards in Cypress street ·
3 00
Paid Mr. Silas Snow for painting street boards 5 50
Paid Mr. Elisha Stone for Guide boards and putting
.up the same ".
5 10
Expense of Guide & Street Boards. 13 60
TAXES $450.75.
Paid County Taxes
448 40
" Tax on land in Needham
2 35
450 75
SUNDRY EXPENSES.
Paid for four Soldiers for Military services 20 00 · Paid Collector for Bad Money Recd. for Taxes 5 00 .
Paid Josiah Russell for Repairing Pound Wall . ·
10 50
Paid Mr. Stone for expense for room, &c. of corro- ners inquest on the body of Robert Noyes 2 50
Paid for Lyceum Hall for Nov. Meeting · ·
15 00
Paid Merchants Bank, interest on five Hundred Dol- lars borrowed for 8 Months @ 4} per cent 15 19
Paid Charles Sterns, Jr., for Cash advanced the State Lunatic Hospital 30 04
Amounting in all to $98 23
And making the whole amt. pd. from the Treasury since the last report ·
6512 40
Which being deducted from the receipts, leaves a balance in the Treasury, including a small amount of uncollected taxes of 493 93
$7006 33
All of which is Submitted.
ARTEMAS NEWELL, Treasurer.
Meeting, March 4, 1844.
COM. ON TOWN ACCOUNTS.
BROOKLINE, March 1st, 1844.
The undersigned have carefully examined the accounts of the Treas- urer Mr. Artemas Newell of which the above is a close and true report and again find it their duty as it is their pleasure to express their unqual- ified approbation of the unsurpassible accuracy & fidelity which has marked the performance of his duties during the past year. They find it necessary to recommend to the town an augmented tax to meet the increased expenditure already voted at a former town meeting. This tax they base upon the following Estimate, Viz. :
For Support of the Poor 850
Repairing buildings & roads
200
Mending Highways
1000
Education 1900
Engine 150, Town Officers 250 400
1
Assessing & Collecting taxes 200
County & Needham taxes 450$ Contin- gences 200 . 650
Borrowed Money 500, 1st pay't Town house 500 . 1000
6200
From which may be deducted probable receipts 785
L School Fund
125
Hay Scales
75
Paupers .
25
State payts.
50
On hand .
475
785 as above.
5415
In round numbers 5500$.
CHARLES WILD, Committee.
ELIJAH COREY,
Voted, To accept the report.
SCHOOL COM. REPORT.
The School Committee of the Town of Brookline would respectfully submit the following report :
In presenting our report last year we took the liberty of suggesting some alterations in regard to the schools in this town. The suggestions which were then made, had been the subject of mature deliberation with your Committee and originated in their observations and experience, while visiting, examining and carefully watching over the interests of the schools. To change merely for the sake of change we were then, and still are opposed. But in all progress there must be some changes.
8
113
114
Brookline Town Records.
New plans must be adopted, to meet the wants of society in its onward march. There is no one of us who supposes that the advantages for a common school education, enjoyed in the days of our childhood, will meet the demands of our children, at the present day. As society progresses in literature and general knowledge, nothing is more evident than that changes must be effected in the system of common school instruction. That the changes then proposed would discommode some individual fam- ilies to a certain extent the Com. were fully aware, but yet they were decidedly of the opinion that the interests of the town as a whole demanded that such changes should be made.
One of these changes pertained to the establishment of a High School in the centre of the town. For several years there have been individuals who had felt the need of such a school, and who for a want of it had been obliged to send their children to a private school in town, or to send them away from home, at considerable expense at the very age when they especially need to be under the parents watchfullness and care. There were other families whose children were growing up, and needed to be thoroughly educated. But their parents felt unable to incur the expense of educating them in a private school at home, or to keep them at an academy abroad. And yet no parents felt a more tender solicitude for their children, a stronger desire that they might be educated and pre- pared for respectability and usefulness in future life, than these. The plan then laid before the town seemed to grow out of the exigences in which we were placed, and called for by the increasing wants of the town. By orders which were then passed, your Com. procured a teacher, and made arrangements for the opening of a school for instruction in the higher branches of a good education on the first of May. The terms for admission were that a scholar should be a resident of some family in town, and have passed the age of ten years. It was thought that the room under the town hall would be sufficent to accommodate all that might wish to attend for some two or three years. But on opening the school it was found that all who came could not be furnished with seats, and some further provision must of necessity be made. Immediately desks and seats for ten more scholars were procured. These however were not adequate to meet the demands, and during the summer term some were obliged to occupy benches and settees, with nothing before them upon which to rest their slates, or their books. Under these circumstances the Com. saw that they must either alter the terms for admission into the school, fixing upon certain qualifications to be demanded, or still further advancement in age, or the town must make some more ample provision for the accommodation of the scholars.
To the first alternative your com. were unwilling to resort, as it would turn out from the school some who were receiving and who needed its advantages. At their request therefore a meeting of the town was called in August, and the subject laid before them in a full report of your com. The intelligent view which the town took of this subject, the promptness and unanimity with which they agreed to make more ample provision for the school is deserving of remark, and showed that the education of their children was in their estimation a subject of much
115
Meeting, March 4, 1844.
interest and importance. A room was therefore fitted up, and made ready for the opening of the fall term, which for neatness and beauty and convenience is surpassed by very few in the Commonwealth. The school at that time had so increased that it was found to be not only expedient, but absolutely necessary, that an assistant should be provided. Arrangements were accordingly made, and since that time, both rooms in the building have been occupied. Your com. considering the age of the scholars, the distance from which some of them came, the evils that might result to the house, and to them, by remaining there during an intermission, thought it advisable to have but one session per day and that continued five hours. This, together with the rules adopted to secure the punctual & regular attendance of the scholars, we believe to have been highly beneficial to the school, and they see no sufficient reasons for proposing an alteration at present. The school has now been in operation ten months, during which time the whole number of scholars attending is ninety, of these forty eight were males and forty two were females. The largest number in attendance at any one time has been about seventy five. The average for the whole ten months has been about fifty seven.
The expense to the town for each scholar during a whole year under the present arrangement is about $13.50 exclusive of interest on value of building repairs, &c., while in the Boston High School it is about $36.00 exclusive of the same. Upon the whole the school thus far, has sur- passed the fondest expectations of your Com. Its teachers we believe to be well qualified for their station, and from our monthly visits and quarterly examinations, we are prepaired to say that they have been faithful and thorough in their instructions, and we cannot but hope the school will be of great and permanent benefit to the town. Another change proposed by your Com. in their last annual report pertained to the continuance of female teachers, in the other schools during the year, rather than changing from male to female teachers once in six months. This plan was maturely considered, with its advantages and disadvan- tages by your committee before it was proposed to the town, and from actual experiment which had been made in one school in this town for a number of years, from observation made in towns, where the plan had been in operation for some time, from the localities of our districts and the number of scholars which they embraced, we firmly believed it to be the best arrangement that could be made under existing circum- stances. We have carefully watched the working of this plan during the past year and see no sufficient reason for its being changed.
Having altered the time of our annual examination of the schools from the last week in March to the last week in Feb. in order to have our annual report fully inade up to the annual meeting of the town, we are prepared to speak with more confidence upon this point. All our schools were thoroughly examined the last week, and those under the tuition of females, appeared at least as well as they usually have under the instruc- tion of males during the winter term. We can now have permanent teachers, and when we obtain good ones can continue them on, term after term and year after year without interuption. There have been in
116
Brookline Town Records.
attendance at all our schools during the year 204 different scholars, about fifty more than were in attendance last year, and the number present at the examinations last week was much greater than in any preceeding year. As our town is rapidly increasing in population, and as our terri- tory will be somewhat enlarged in the course of two weeks, when the late law of the legislature annexing. a part of Roxbury, shall take effect, it will be necessary to make some immediate arrangement for an additional teacher or for a division of the school in what is now termed the North district.
That school has had fifty-four in attendance the past year with an average of about forty-four, and though its faithful teacher will take care of as many scholars as any other person, it would be unwise to have the school much enlarged without some provision for assistance. Your Com. think for the present at least the exigency may be met by the employment of another well qualified female to aid in such way as their successors in office may hereafter find it necessary to direct.
We would also suggest whether under the present arrangement of our schools, it would not be advisable to have the employment of teachers for all the schools the duty of the general Committee. The law makes this their duty unless otherways ordered by the town. As it now is the general Com. employ a part, and the prudential committee a part, and we believe the whole business of employing teachers might with safety and advantage be referred to the same Com. The town will doubtless try to select men, who would not abuse this power, and in whose ability to decide respecting the merits of teachers they could have confidence. Such an arrangement would prevent some evils growing out of our present course, and we believe secure all of its advantages. We throw out the suggestion for the consideration of the town.
In closing this report, it affords pleasure to your Com. to say that there is evidently an increasing interest among us in the great cause of education. We find it in the promptness and liberality with which suit- able provision is made for our schools, in the efforts which parents have made to have their children regular and punctual in their attendance and in all the improvements which have been realized in our system of common Schools. May this interest increase still more until we shall act worthily of the age in which we live, and furnish our children with the means of acting well their part in the age which shall come after us.
Respectfully submitted,
March 4, 1844.
WM. H. SHAILER, Sec'y.
Read and accepted by vote.
The following was read, and accepted :
CEMETERY COM. REPORT.
The committee chosen by the town to superintend the cemetery for the past year would respectfully represent, that on entering upon the duties assigned to them they found by the last report of the former
117
Meeting, March 4, 1844.
Clerk, that there was a ballance in the treasurer's hands of eighteen dollars & fifty-eight cents. This was obtained, and as it appeared that there was a demand outstanding against the committee of twenty dollars it was resolved to discharge it forthwith by using this sum, and by raising the amount of deficiency by the contribution of the committee. The only revenue which has accrued to the cemetery during the past year, was the sum of twenty-five dollars advanced by one of the com- mittee as the price of a burial lot, not yet selected. This amount was appropriated to repairing and gravelling the avenues, trimming trees, &c., and has constituted the principal operations of the committee during the year.
The Treasurer's account stand therefore in thiswise, viz. :
BROOKLINE CEMETERY IN ACCOUNT WITH MOSES JONES, Treasurer. 1843. Dr.
Jan. 10. pd. David Whitney outstanding bill ·
20
Sept. 8. Pd. Jas. Gallagher for labour, 25g days 25 50
1844.
Mch. 2. pd. Caleb Clark for gravel 1 00
46 50
Cr.
June 30. Rec'd of former Treas. bal. in his hands 18 58
Augt. 14. Cash advanced for burial lot .. 1844.
25
Mch. 2. Contributed by members of Com. 2 92
46 50
Your Committee are sorry to represent, that the unusual drought of the last summer has produced serious hovoc among the young trees recently transplanted into the cemetery, and that the returning spring will exhibit the total destruction of from fifty to sixty of them, with the mutilation of many others. They found also that the stakes marking the boundries of the lots, as laid out on the plan were mostly removed, and before any sales can take place must be replaced in a substantial manner, & by a new measurement. It will be necessary during the ensue- ing season to clean the avenues from weeds and to prune the trees, if not to replace some of those which have been destroyed. To accomplish these and similar purposes, your Committee recommend that an annual appropriation should be made by the town of a suitable sum, to be placed at the disposal of future committees, whenever the revenues of the ceme- tery may be found inadequate to its contingences. Such a state of things will very probably occur during the next season as there is no prospect of further sales of lots for the present.
But one grave has been dug in the grounds during the past year, and the privelege was gratuitous, as the subject was poor and died by casualty. Eight bodies have been entombed in the same period, making nine interments only in the cemetery; two of which were of bodies brought from other towns as follows, Viz. :
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