HomeMy WebLinkAbout1850-1851 Auditors and School Committee ReportsREPORTS
OF THE
AUDITORS AND THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE
OF THE
TOWN OF LEXINGTON,
FOR THE YEAR 1850-51.
PUBLISHED BY ORDER OF THE TOWN.
BOSTON:
GEORGE C. RAND & COMPANY, 3 CORNHILL.
1851.
A
REPORTS
OF THE
2tuhithr ad itirntuthi't
OF THE
TOWN OF LEXINGTON,
FOR THE YEAR 1850-51.
PUBLISHED BY ORDER OF THE TOWN.
BOSTON:
GEORGE C. RAND & COMPANY, 3 CORNHILL.
1851.
Dr. TOWN of LEXINGTON, in account with NATHANIEL MULLIKEN, Treasurer. Cr.
From March 14th, 1850, to April 24th, 1851.
To arnount of interest paid on sundry notes,
Cc
CC
cc
principal " "
paid Overseers of Poor,
Surveyors of Highways,
Roads and Bridges,
Support of Schools,
Town Officers and others,
Miscellaneous charges,
Balance due the Town,
$829 98
4900 00
934 00
851 60
934 85
2053 35
1004 73
934 10
192 13
$ 12,634 74
By balance due the Town, March 14, 1850, $ 1234 83
By amount J. C. Wellington, collector for 1850, 7922 36
borrowed, 3300 00
State School fund, 71 04
Guardian of Mary Buckman, 41 75
for Horse sold Wm. Simonds, 20 00
income of Hay Seeds, 39 76
Rent of Town Hall Land, 5 00
fC
cc
CL
CC
$ 12,634 74
1•
ATIDITOIS' REPORT.
EXPENSES OF ALMSHOUSE.
Abel Butterfield, for 21871 lbs. fresh
delivered at 92 different times,
Reynolds & Darby, for 2921 lbs. fresh
Fresh Fish, - -
Locke, barrel pork, -
J. P. Pattee, for bread,
Slaughtering Hogs, -
Paid Parker & Davis for
2 barrels flour, -
26 gallons molasses,
26 lbs. coffee, -
384 " tea, -
40 " sugar, -
177 " salt fish,
50 " butter, -
20 " tobacco,
7 bottles liniment,
Salt, - -
64 bushels Indian meal,
6 " rye meal, -
" fine feed, -
Saltpetre 21, crackers 50,
3 gallons lamp oil, -
Pass books, 30, snuff 79,
Pruning saw $1, Powder 50,
Grass seed, - -
Cloves 24, pepper 18,
301 lbs. cheese,
C. S. Hoe $1.25, do. 63,
Hoe handle 12, fusee 8,
Seed peas 26, garden seeds 12
Earthen pans 65, starch 13, -
meat,
$126 46
meat, 14 82
8 38
15 00
6 25
- 2 50
12 25
7 02
3 62
16 33
3 20
6 61
9 00
4 71
1'75
1 60
48 18
- 5 60
7 30
71
2 95
1 09
1 50
10 50
42
2 78
1 88
20
38
78
$173 41
66 09
M•
Paid for Nutmeg 12, dippers 25,
Scythe $1, beans 47, -
Paregoric 34, matches 34,
Saleratus 25, bed cords $ 1
Sieve 50, brooms 62, -
2 baskets and cheese boxes,
2 lbs. rope 30, logwood 16,
Ball wicking 8, rifle 12, -
25 lbs. nails $1.17, hinges 32,
Sundries 50, salts and senna 13,
2 buckets 34, butcher's knife 29,
Shovel $ 1, curry comb 34, -
Lantern 75, vinegar 17, -
Almanac 6, sundry goods 23, -
Tacks 12, tray 50 - -
23 lbs. turkey, - -
Axe and handle $1.25, Pail 50,
3 wash tubs $2.66, brooms 62,
5 lard pots 50, clothes line 50,
39 lbs. potash $3.29, rosin 36,
6 dozen clothes pins, - -
Mustard 17, tartar 6, card 17,
6 pipes 5, matches 45, -
Bottle fluid 33, starch 13,
Hot drops 20, sulphur 40,
Epsom salts 20, salve 25,
3 pass books 12, almanac 6, -
Window Glass 8, sundries 40, -
1Vlolasses fassett, - -
$ 37
1 47
68
1 25
1 12
1 50
46
20
1 49
63
63
1 34
92
29
62
3 45
- 1 75
3 28
1 00
3 65
24
40
50
46
60
45
18
48
29
Smith and Hill for
100 lbs. sugar, 7 Q0
40 " " $3.10, 2 lbs. 21 3 31
31 gallons molasses, - 7 74
100 lbs. butter, 18 00
1 barrel flour, - 6 50
25 lbs. rice $ 1.13, coffee 10, - 1 23
6 " tobacco $1.20, saleratus 35, 1 55
tea $2.95, bucket 37, 3 32
Cinnamon 33, cloves 10, 43
Raisins 32, Nails 15, - 47
161 lbs. cheese, - 1 30
]h. nutmeg, 74, soap 32 1 06
Cassia, - 33
Smith & Hill,
W. H. H. Reed, for
18 bushels meal, - 14 12
54 " rye meal, - 4 47
31 gallons molasses, - 789
$180 06
:b`2 24
6
Paid for 31i- lbs. butter,
1 barrel flour,
81 lbs. cheese, -
Salt $1.69, snuff 23, -
Ginger 13, Pepper 30,
12 lbs. saleratus 75, oil 80,
Crockery ware, -
40 lbs. sugar $3, tobacco 30,
Broom 13, basket 31, -
Mat 25, mop handle 12
Matches 17, stove polish 10,
4 pairs mittens,
Wm. H. Smith, 2d, for
1 barrel flour, -
200 lbs. salt fish,
24 " cheese,
bushel beans $1, 1
15 gallons molasses,
3 lbs. tobacco,
• $5 04
• 6 75
68
1 92
43
1 55
2 85
3 30
44
37
27
2 00
- 6 25
- - 7 25
- - 2 05
gallon oil 70, 1 70
- 3 75
65
Benjamin Gleason, for
4 hens, of Butterfield, -
Wm. Smith, cart saddle,
repairs of harness,
Thos. Greenleaf, use of cart, -
2 bushels potatoes of I. Mulliken,
Marshal Wellington,
Expenses of 14 market days, -
to Brighton,
Horse liniment, -
I. Mulliken, 2 bushels beans, -
6 lbs. paint 75, turnip seed 25, -
E. Simmons, use of roller,
J. Butterfield, teaming pork, -
2 bags meal, - - -
20 barrels $4, setting shoe 10,
F. M. Harrington, use of horse,
N. Chandler, use of cider mill,
Making 8 shirts, - -
Wakefield, for tin ware,
Coal hod and shovel, -
Lakeman, repairing clock,
Pasturing 2 cows, -
Other expenses of cows,
J. P. Merriam, use of oxen 41 days,
A. Chamberlin, for oxen, -
Samuel Locke, 121- days,
Eben Homer, 7 days, -
2 00
3 00
2 00
1 00
1 00
25
5 18
50
1 00
1 50
1 00
75
37
2 92
4 10
50
90
1 33
1 34
95
50
5 00
1 74
5 00
3 50
3 13
7 00
$52 08
21 65
7
Paid Peter Bannon, for ditching and bogging, $13 00
J. G. Sherman, I day, - - - 50
Michael Crowley, 3 days, - - 2 25
2 measures and repairs, - 49
Supplies furnished those not in the Alms House.
Edward Winship, -
Nursing Mrs. Winship, -
Wood for Martha Smith, -
Fuel and Goods, for J. Trask,
Cash paid Cynthia Blodgett,
Jona. Wood
Expenses of Eliza Stearns, -
John Bannon, son's board, -
Board of Joel Stearns,
Goods for John Johnson, -
Supplies furnished poor travellers,
MISCELLANEOUS
Wm. Brigham, for cart, -
Benjamin Gleason, services,
44 C4 note and interest,
Wyman, for manure,
J. D. Sumner, mason work,
A. E. Bridge, for cow, -
Isaac Hoffmaster, "
Philip Russell GG
Cooking range,
J. H. Russell, for coal,
Hollis Gerry, dry goods, -
Davis, for blacksmith work,
Wm. Hudson, mending shoes,
Sherman, for teaming milk,
Blasting rocks, -
O. W. Kendall, sexton,
Loammi Saunders, interest,
Samuel Rice, sundries,
C. K. Tucker, wheelwright work,
Postage, - - -
Dr. Currier, medical services,
J. S. Parker, note, - -
Services as overseer,
William Brigham, note,
Services as overseer,
Samuel Rice, ditto,
Amount miscellaneous,
▪ 15 52
3 00
11 34
8 61
15 00
10 00
62 96
10 00
4 84
4 00
2 09
EXPENSES.
55 00
260 01
132 18
16 00
950
35 00
35 00
34 00
36 00
26 66
39 65
6 32
3 15
• 2 25
3 00
6 00
1 80
1 63
14 37
50
• 42 25
37 00
30 00
18 50
15 00
• 15 00
73 70
147 36
875 77
8
Expenses out of the house, - $147 36
Gleason paid, - 73 70
W. H. Smith's bill, 21 65
W. H. H. Reed's bill, - 52 08
Smith and Hill's " 52 24
Parker & Davis' " - 180 06
Butterfield and others, - - 173 41
Whole disbursements,
Whole Credit,
Due overseers,
CREDIT BY OVERSEERS.
Received balance due last year of
Treasurer, - - -
Received balance of Grant of 1850,
for cow sold, - -
W. M. Blodgett, for milk,
" Bennett, -
" Articles of produce,
Wm. Brigham, old cart,
B. Gleason, for cow, -
City of Boston for Martha Nois'
board, - - -
for Labor of Gleason and horse,
Whole credit,
GG
Town
184 00
750 00
- 22 00
103 63
51 80
- 147 97
18 00
25 00
SCHOOLS.
37 50
54 59
CENTRE DISTRICT SCHOOL.
Paid Miss Z. D. Johnson's services, 12 weeks,
E. D. Pratt, "44
Paid Mr. E. A. Rogers, 34 months,
Miss S. E. Richardson, 13 weeks,
Samuel Rice, as follows :
B. Thompson, 5 tons coal,
Putting in same, - -
4 cord wood, and cutting, - -
Wm. Locke and Francis Willis, build-
ing fires, - - -
Repairing settees, -
windows and black board, -
Building coal bion,
66 00
60 00
130 00
65 00
31 25
1 25
6 00
1 25
1 00
50
75
$1,576 27
1,394 49
$181 78
1,394 49
41,
9
Paid for Coal Hod, Dippers, &c., -
Brooms, brushes, and chalk, -
3 charts, - -
Pail and brush,
Mrs. McMahon,
house, -
Miss Z. D. Johnson, services 10
Miss E. D. Pratt,
Wm. Locke, building fires and
ing, 12,1 weeks, -
Sawing and splitting wood,
J. Viles, 6 feet wood, -
Mr. McMahon, -
2 feet pine wood, -
2 brooms of W. H. H. Reed,
Ira Leland, 2 books -
Man's services, -
S. E. Richardson, for reap,
for cleaning
school
weeks,
sweep -
$1 33
1 83
5 00
40
16 00
55 00
50 00
12 50
3 00
3 75
1 50
1 00
62
45
75
50
SOUTH-EAST DISTRICT SCHOOL.
Paid Miss Susan E. Rice, services 16 weeks, $64 00
Mr. S. D. Hayden, services 4 months, 220 00
Miss S. E. Rice, 13 weeks, - - 67 58
Mr. W. H. Ropes, 131 weeks, 128 41
Wm. Brigham, for coal, - 20 33
Making fires and sweeping house, 9 68
Cleaning rooms, - - 2 00
NORTH-EAST DISTRICT SCHOOL.
Paid Miss M. A. Merriam, services 24 weeks, $ 120 00
Mr. James Parker, services 131 weeks, 118 12
SOUTH DISTRICT SCHOOL.
Paid Miss Lucretia K. Viles, services 28
weeks, - - - - $ 126 00
Do., for 15 weeks, - - - 90 00
for 4 cords of wood, and cutting and
splitting, - - 26 00
Sweeping and building fires, 6 00
Washing room twice, - - 2 00
Setting glass, - 1 75
Warning district meeting, - 1 00
Pail, dipper, bowl, &c., - 1 03
516 63
512 00
238 12
r
10
laid for Towel, broom, brush, &c., -
Clock, and repairing same, -
Books and ink, - -
- $ 1 25
- 4 13
- 3 01
WEST DISTRICT SCHOOL.
Paid Miss Lucy A. Downing, services 18
weeks, -
Mr. Charles Tidd, services 4 3-11
months, - - for 21 cords wood, - -
Sawing and splitting same, •
Chairs, - - - -
Brooms and towels, - Building fires, - -
Repairing house, -
$90 00
149 00
11 25
3 75
1 40
1 00
6 43
1 50
NORTH DISTRICT SCHOOL.
Paid Miss L. B. Fiske, services 5i months, - $110 00
Miss Lucy Dodge, services 20 weeks, - 120 00
for 4 cords wood, - 19 00
Cutting same, - 5 75
2 brooms, - - - - 60
Making fires and care of room, 4 75
REPAIRING SCHOOL -HOUSES.
Centre District.
Paid Samuel Rice for laying floor, &c.,
for repairs at sundry times, -
I. N. Damon, repairing windows,
A. P. Richardson, iron work, -
A. Goddard, zinc, - for repairing settee,
$6 25
- 1 75
95
3 38
75
25
South-east District.
Paid Wm. Brigham for repairing stove,
A, Goddard, 44 «
- $4 25
• 75
$262 17
$264 33
$260 10
$13 33
11
Paid for repairs of house, -
E. Gleason, repairing windows,
for brooms, dipper and ink, -
- $2 00
- 1 17
- 1 78
South District.
Paid I. N. Damon for painting school room, $3 13
Davis Clark for carpenter work, - 6 18
Wm. Locke, plastering and whitewash-
ing, - - - 1 75
for 11 days work at school -house, 1 50
North District.
Paid N. H. Reed for 2 locks,
for repairs of windows,
`4 appendage,
- $0 53
50
- 1 00
Paid Charles Tidd for 39 square rods of land for
North school -house, - -
RECAPITULATION
Of Expenses connected with Schools.
Paid Centre District, -
for repairs, -
Southeast District,
for repairs,
South District,
for repairs,
West District,
North "
for repairs, -
Northeast District,
for land for North District,
•
REPAIRS OF HIGHWAYS.
Paid J. F. Simonds, 371 days, - - $75 00
S. A. Davis, blacksmith work, - - 2 79
J. A. Locke, self and oxen 22 days, - 66 00
Luke W. Wright, self and oxen 16i
days, - - 49 50
$9 95
$12 56
$2 03
$200 00
$516 63
13 33
512 00
9 95
262 17
12 56
264 33
260 10
2 03
238 12
200 00
$2,291 22
12
Paid for man 9 days, $13 50
use of plough, - 1 50
John Ryan, 16 days, - - 16 00
James Crawley, 111 days, 11 50
Pat McGrath, 45,3: days, 55 25
James Bailey, - - 50
Benj. Fiske, horse and cart 23 days, - 4 12
for blasting rocks, - - - 1 28
Parker & Davis, 4 shovels, 10 lbs. nails,
powder and fuse, - - 4 75
Wm. Page for gravel, 50
Benj. Locke for stone, 75
Paid Galen Allen, 40 days,
Frank Finley, 50 days,
Oceanna Straw, 34 days,
John O'Neil, 23i days,
Reuben L. Cooper, 21 days,
Timothy Collins, 31 days,
Pat. Daley, 7 days, -
for labor of oxen, 25 days,
J. A. Wellington, do. 5 days
Eli Simonds, 7 days -
for horse 1 day, cart 8 days,
horse keeping 161 weeks,
Wm. L. Smith, use of cart,
Wm. Gleason, man and oxen,
A. W. Briant, blacksmith work,
S. A. Davis, 'C CC
Ammie Hall, cc cc
John A. Russell, " cc
Win. Brigham, pick handle,
Pat. McGrath, 10 days,
Lock, Smith & Wellington,
80 00
62 50
42 50
23 50
3 12
3 50
7 87
31 25
6 25
10 75
3 25
34 50
1 25(
1 50
1 51
3 C 8
50
39
25
12 50
2 00
Paid Luke Wright, 37 days, - - 74 00
for labor of oxen 22 days, cart and
plough, - - 36 00
for horse keeping 4 weeks, - 11 00
Abijah Harrington, 2d, 30 days, 37 50
Charles Stearns, 2 days, 2 25
Pat. McGrath, 22 days, - 27 12
Morgan O'Brien, 2 days, 2 00
Daniel Kenisteen, - 1 25
for 125 loads gravel, - 3 75
Charles Tidd, pasturing horse, 7 00
S. A. Davis, repairing tools, - 1 89
for shovel and hoe handle, - 93
mending harness, - 1 00
$302 94
$331 97
13
Paid Pat. Daley, 4 days, - - - $4 50
Bartlett, 2 days, - - 2 50
Cyrus Reed for 2 men and oxen 1 day, 4 00
Building Street on Petition of David Leavitt.
Paid Galen Allen, 8 days,
for hired men 11 days,
horse and cart, 8- days,
keeping road horse 11 days,
Luke Wright and oxen, 71 days,
J. C. Wellington, men, horse and cart,
7 days, - - J. A. Wellington, oxen 64 days,
Jonas Munroe, cart 51 days, -
Pat. Berry, labor 51- days,
Pat. Daley, labor 6 days,
James Healey, 7 days,
Sherman Wood, 8 days,
Pat. Wolland, 73; days,
Pat. McGrath, 83- days,
A. P. Richardson, blacksmith work,
S. A. Davis, " "
David Leavitt for stone bounds and set-
ting same, - - -
Clerk's fees for entry of petition,
bill of costs laying out,
$16 00
13 75
10 62
4 25
21 75
17 50
7 81
1 38
5 50
6 00
7 00
8 00
7 50
10 63
1 81
58
3 00
2 40
43 86
Railing Roads.
Paid Lincoln Haywood for 200 chestnut posts, $41 00
Isaac Huffmaster, 50 " " 10 00
Jesse Hall & Son, 11,307 feet spruce
lumber, - - - - 135 66
for R. R. transportation of same, - 7 37
O. W. Kendall and horse 241- days put-
ting up railing, - -
S. A. Davis, repairing iron posts,
S. W. Hendley, 4 days labor, -
James Crowley, 4 days labor, -
for digging 190 post holes, -
Wm. Chandler, teaming,
A. Harrington, 2d, 3i days,
S. A. Houghton, teaming,
George Tuttle, 11 days,
55 13
20
7 00
4 00
11 88
75
4 38
3 00
2 50
$216 69
$189 34
14
15
Paid J. Garmon, digging holes, - -
Parker & Davis, 280 lbs. spikes and
nails, - - -
J. Fogg for labor, - -
for spikes,
$1 70 Paid N. Jewett, 15 days labor on bridge near
Lincoln line,
for oxen 2 days,
stone for bridge,
13 83
1 50
15
$300 05
at
Rebuilding Bridges.
Paid J. F. Simonds, 41 days labor on bridge
near G. Henchman, - -
Pat. McGrath, 41 days,
J. A. Locke and team 31 days,
for 2 stone of N. Chandler, -
9 00
5 62
10 50
2 00
Paid J. F. Simonds, 14 days labor on bridge
near A. P. Richardson's, - - 28
James Crowley, 13 days, - 13
David Harrington, 7 days, - - 12
for use of derrick, - - - 9
A. P. Richardson, repairing tools,
Benj. Fiske 4 days, and horse 2 days, 8
Luke Wright with oxen, 41 days, - 13
Pat. McGrath, 241 days, 27
Mrs. Mussey for stones, 2
Paid Galen Allen, 5 days labor on
on Bedford Road, -
S. W. Robinson, 2 days,
for 92 days by Allen's men, -
oxen, 41 days, - J. C. Wellington, oxen 3 days,
cc cc man 2 days,
James Crowley, 3 days, -
Thomas Cutler for 4 stone,
N. Jewett for 1 stone, -
S. A. Davis, repairing tools,
bridge
$27 12
00
00
25
00
92
00
50
62
25
$114 54
10
4
9
4
3
2
3
1
00
00
50
50
75
50
00
00
25
62
Paid Galen Allen for discontinuing and filling up dry
bridge against his land, - - -
Paid N. Garmon, 51 days labor on bridge
near Wm. L. Smith's, - - 11 00
J. P. Gould, 5 days, - 8 75
L. Brooks, 51 days, - - 8 75
E. Garmon and oxen, 31 days, 10 50
J. A. Russell, repairing tools, - 60
B. Harrington, use of truck, - 25
$18 75
2 00
4 25
-
Paid city of Cambridge for repairs of Great Bridge,
from March 1, 1849, to March 1, 1850,
Paid Gorham Bigelow for keeping road horse
on hay and grain, from Nov. 12, to
Jan. 26, - - - - 31 72
do. from Jan. to April, 11 weeks, - 13 75
Paid for fencing between railroad and burying ground,
materials and labor, - - - -
Paid Moses Bacon for 25 guide boards, - $40 62
S. A. Davis for iron post, - - 2 48
J. Winning, 8 chestnut posts, - 8 00
O. W. Kendall, 1 " " 1 00
for 2 days labor with horse, - - 5 00
3 days, building fence against town
hall lot, - - 5 25
Crowley $1, nails 50 cents, 1 50
B. Thompson, 25 posts, 5 00
GG 535 feet boards, - 7 84
for freight of same, - - - 58
Daniel Hartford for 200 stone posts for
bounds, - - - 33 33
Paid O. W. Kendall for making bier,
S. A. Davis for irons, -
I. N. Damon for painting,
3 50
50
75
$25 00
$32 76
$45 47
$52 00
$110 60
$4 75
$39 12
$15 00
EXPENSE OF RECEIVING TOMB.
Paid Chandler & Colby for granite front,
E. Clarke for brick, -
O. George -'G
W. E. Coggswell, labor,
Edwards & Holman for
$39 85
- $115 00
82 50
15 00
40 00
iron door and
lock, - - -
B. Thompson, lime and cement,
railroad freight of same, -
J. Crowley for digging and grassing,
O. W. Kendall, lumber and labor,
21 00
25 95
1 58
11 25
5 50
16
Paid L. Locke for sand, - - $3 25
P. Russell for stone, - - 6 00
S. A. Davis for iron and labor, - 2 50
Thomas Greenleaf, fixing threshhold, 1 00
I. N. Damon for painting, 50
F. M. Harrington, teaming, - 6 50
J. Butterfield, ,, - 2 00
P. Russell, 2 journeys to Medford, - 3 00
S. W. Robinson, to Medford and Som-
erville, - - - - 2 00
for superintending, - - 4 00
$348 53
COST OF ALMSHOUSE REPAIRS.
Paid B. Thompson & Co. for lumber,
F. R. R. for freight, -
S. Hendley for labor, -
Lowell Skelton " -
J. D. Sumner -
W. H. Smith, painting, &c., -
Samuel Rice, labor, $8.25, deduct for
old lumber, $3.75, - -
Wm. Brigham, -
Parker & Davis for nails,
W. H. H. Reed, «
for labor of Gleason,
- $106 51
3 61
37 03
13 50
9 15
9 55
4 50
1 00
1 49
3 61
3 00
Paid Wier & White for printing Reports of School
Committee and Auditors, - - -
Paid S. W. Smith, ringing bell for funerals, 2 years,
Paid 0. W. Kendall for care of town hall to
March 1, 1851, including fuel and
lights, - - - - $56 66
Received for use of hall, - - . 36 00
Paid for notifying 7 town meetings,
printing, - - notifying Selectmen to draw
5 times, -
distributing reports,
attending 34 funerals,
Returning 35 deaths,
Paid A. W. Bryant, town clerk,
for 2 record books, -
jurors
$192 95
$30 00
$ 10 00
$20 66
35 00
17 50
2 50
2 00
34 00
3 50
- $15 00
- 6 75
$115 16
17
Paid for recording and returning marriages,
births and deaths, $11 70
distributing laws, - 2 00
postage and paper, 2 16
printing and distributing by-laws of
town, - - - - 6 50
services as Committee on same and
school districts, - - - 3 75
$47 86
Paid Parker & Davis for repairs of hay
scales, - - - 16 64 16 64
illegally assessed taxes abated for Wm.
Chandler, - - - - 69 70 69 70
C. K. Tucker, ringing bell, - - 35 00 35 00
Ira Leland, 34 days on General School
Committee, - - - 34 00
for freight on school books, - - 1 25
Fiske Barrett, 27 days, 27 00
J. A. Coolidge, - 23 75
Wrn. Chandler, 631 days taking valua-
tion and making taxes, - - 127 00
for printing valuation, - - 16 00
books, stationary and postage, 9 50
Silas Cutler, - - - 75 00
J. S. Parker, 421 days, 85 00
Isaac Parker, 34 days, 68 00
J. C. Wellington, 321 days, - - 65 00
for collecting taxes and distributing val-
uation books, - - - 67 50
Philip Russell for journey to Chelmsford, 2 50
for notifying towns and perambulating
town lines, - - - - 8 00
Nichols 75 cents, Fessenden 25 cents, 1 00
for other services in town, - - 16 50
for recording deed, - 50
Paid. S. W. Robinson, 31, days perambulat-
ing, - - -
West & Co. for 3 locks,
for carting and setting stone posts,
2 stone monuments,
other services in town,
86 00
152 50
75 00
85 00
68 00
65 00
67 50
28 50
7 00
3 00
1 37
1 60
14 50
27 47
Paid Joseph Howe, 31 days perambulating,
for 4 days railing roads, -
underpinning engine house,
repair of road 50 cents, engine 40
cents, - -
other services in town,
2
7 00
9 00
3 00
90
18 00
37 90
18
Paid Bowen Harrington as Auditor for
1849—'50, - -
Isaac Parker, do.,
Sylvanus Smith,
for Treasurer's services,
$12 00
12 00
7 50
50 00
RECAPITULATION OF WHOLE TRANSACTION.
Whole expense connected with schools,
Surveyors, Simonds, -
`4 Alien -
Wright, - New street, -
Railing roads,
Rebuilding bridge near B. Gleason's,
44 44 44 A. P. Richardson's, -
44 G4 44 James Gould's,
GG 44 44 N. Jewett's, -
City of Cambridge, -
Road horse keeping, -
Fencing against R. R.,
Guide boards and posts,
Bier, - -
Receiving tomb, -
Repairs of almshouse,
Bridge near Wm. L. Smith's,
« discontinued,
Wier & White,
S. W. Smith,
O. W. Kendall,
A. W. Bryant,
Hay scales, -
Abatements,
Ringing bell, -
General School Committee,
Wm. Chandler and associates,
Collector, - - Board of Selectmen,
Treasurer and Auditors,
Overseers of Poor, -
Principal of sundry notes,
Interest paid, -
Balance due the town,
•
$81 50
$2,291 22
302 94
331 97
216 69
189 34
300 05
27 12
114 54
39 12
25 00
32 76
45 47
52 00
110 60
4 75
348 53
192 95
39 85
15 00
30 00
10 00
115 16
47 86
16 64
69 70
35 00
86 00
445 50
67 50
93 87
81 50
934 00
4,900 00
829 98
192 13
12,634 74
19
RECEIPTS OF THE TREASURER.
Balance due the town on settlement 1850,
Received of J. C. Wellington,
Borrowed, - - -
Received of State Treasurer,
Guardian of Mary Buckman,
Wm. Simonds for horse, -
Income of hay scales,
Rent of town land, -
The town owes sundry notes amounting to -
The town holds a note of Benjamin Mussey for
All which is respectfully submitted by
NATHANIEL MULLIKEN,
JONAS C. WELLINGTON, Committee.
$1,234 83
7,922 36
3,300 00
71 04
41 75
20 00
39 76
5 00
12,634 74
- $8,718 50
- $ 1,000 00
w
SCIIOOL COMMITTEE'S REPORT.
in closing their labors, the School Committee for the year 1850-1
ask leave, as their annual report, to make a statement of their doings
and of the condition of the Schools during the year.
The duties of the Committee are comprised principally, in the two
departments of examining 'Teachers and of visiting and examining
Schools.
In regard to the first, the law makes it the duty of School Commit-
tees to ascertain the qualifications of Teachers by personal examina-
tion—a requirement the utility of which will be apparent when it is
considered that this is the only way in which they can know whether
or not candidates are qualified for the employment of School teach-
ing. It is not difficult for almost any person to present written testi-
monials in his favor. These frequently come from sources in which
confidence might be placed, could Committees be sure that those who
furnish them speak from actual knowledge of the competency of the
persons recommended. There is reason to think, however, that this
is not always the case. Testimonials are frequently obtained from
men of standing and influence out of regard to the individuals, or
their friends who apply ; or merely because such testimonials are
asked for, and it is unpleasant to refuse them.
Nor is it certain evidence that a person is fit to be employed as
teacher, because he has kept school to the satisfaction of some dis-
trict, and has secured the approbation of the School Committee. A
district may be satisfied without reason. Persons sometimes re-
ceive approbation that is not deserved. Your Committee, believing
the requirement to personally examine candidates for teaching, a judi-
cious one, have acted strictly upon it, and thus satisfied themselves
that the literary qualifications of all the teachers who have been em-
ployed in town were good. This is about all for which the Commit-
tee can be justly considered responsible, in respect to the qualifica-
tion of teachers. Their ability to maintain good order, and at the
same time secure the esteem and confidence of the scholars must be
21
learned from trial, and failure from the want of such ability, can be
guarded against only by care in engaging teachers who have proved
by experience that they possess the requisite capacity. It is true that
the Committee possess the power to dismiss teachers whenever
they may think proper so to do ; but where a teacher is engaged for
a short time only, the breaking up of the School, on the uncertainty
of obtaining a better teacher for the rest of the term, would gene-
rally be a greater evil than to allow the School to close with only
partial success.
In visiting and examining the Schools, the Committee have endeav-
ored to perform their duty as imposed by the law of the Common-
wealth. We have examined the Schools, near the commencement
and close of each term, and some one of the Committee has visited
them once a month during the intervening time. We have made
such suggestions and given such directions to teachers and scholars
as we thought were needed.
During the year the different Schools have been attended with
various success. While none of them have experienced what can
properly be called a failure, some of them have done much better
than others. Perhaps as a whole, they have been attended with as
great a degree of success as, under the circumstances, could reason-
ably be expected. Most of the Schools have had one, and some of
them two stranger teachers during the year. As a matter of course,
several of them have not remained long enough to accomplish any
great amount of good. It seems to the Committee desirable that, as
far as practicable, the Schools should be supplied with permanent
teachers. Care should be taken to secure such as are competent,
and we should then endeavor to retain them for a sufficient time to
give good proficiency to the Schools under their instruction.
In some of the Schools there has been an evident want of order—
a defect fatal to the usefulness of any School, in proportion as it pre-
vails. We think it our duty respectfully to remind all parents and
others who may send scholars to the Schools, of the importance of
co-operating with the teachers and the Committee in securing and
maintaining good order in the Schools. We apprehend that compa-
ratively few realize how much the success of our Schools depends
upon such co-operation. Difficulty seldom occurs in school where
scholars are under the right kind of influences at home. We, there-
fore, in behalf of the cause of education, earnestly request all to see
that their influence in this respect goes in the right direction.
.`r
A
22
Irregularity in attendance has been a fault which has prevailed to
an extent greater or Less in all the Schools. The registers not only
show that the absences of many of the scholars have been numerous,
but that the habit of tardiness has been far too general. Such irregu-
larity not only interrupts and hinders the progress of those who in-
dulge in it, but is also, in many ways, a detriment to the whole
school. Every backward scholar, and such every irregular attend-
ant is likely to be, is a weight and drawback upon the more ad-
vanced scholars. Your Committee consider scholars whose attendance
is very irregular, a great annoyance to any school, in some instances
too great to be tolerated. So also are scholars who are habitually
tardy. During the greater portion of the day they are interrupting
the school by their continual coming and going. Some scholars who
are usually late at school, and bring with them a request to be dis-
missed before the school closes, derive but very little benefit from
their attendance. We have known some of this class of irregular
scholars, who have in this way attended school, year after year,
where most of the scholars made commendable progress, who have
remained just about stationary during the whole time. And what is still
worse, if any difficulty occurs in school, it is almost sure to originate
with. such attendants. This can be accounted for from the fact that
such are seldom what can be called good scholars in any sense of the
term. We insist that it is the duty of all who send to school, to see that
their scholars are punctual and constant in their attendance, unless
hindered by unavoidable causes. This duty they not only owe to
their own children, but to all who are interested in the prosperity and
advancement of the Schools.
The Committee have obtained for each district in town a copy of
Webster's Unabridged Dictionary. These are furnished at the ex-
pense of the Commonwealth, by an Act of the Legislature, passed a
year ago. We consider them important reference books for the use
of the schools, and think the Legislature did a good thing in making
the provision.
We have also made a change in the reading hooks, substituting
Tower's and Walker's series for Worcester's. We endeavored care-
fully to examine all the different sets of reading books that came to
our knowledge, and were unanimous in the opinion that those selected
were the best. In this, our opinion has been sustained by numerous
competent Committees in other towns. We made arrangements
with the publishers to furnish the books at a greatly reduced price,
410,
23
until they should be introduced. We have heard no expression of
disapprobation with the change, and trust the citizens are satisfied
that it was judiciously made.
We should be glad to see better school -house accommodations in
all the districts than exist at present. There is but one of the school-
houses in town which, in their present condition, we consider really
fit for the purpose for which they were designed, and even that one
would be far better were it more capacious. A school -room ought
not to be filled with seats to the extent of its capacity; except just
room enough to place a stove for the warming of the house.
Such, however, is too nearly the case with the school -houses in
town. In one of them there are two stoves, one at each end of the
room, made necessary in winter by the open condition of the
house. If the design were to roast and freeze the children in about
equal proportions, we can scarcely conceive of an arrangement bet-
ter adapted to the purpose. There are other objections to most of
the school -houses. The seats and desks are badly constructed, and
most of them so much defaced as to be unfit for use. Some of the
school -houses are badly located — standing almost on the line of the
street, with little or no spare room around them. We think the
North District mistook their interest in not building a school -house,
with the appropriation made by the town for that purpose. We
hope before the next winter the Centre District will be accornodated
with a better school -house in a better place.
The design of our system of public education undoubtedly is, to
offer equal facilities to all the children and youth in the State — to
those who may reside in a poor no less than to those who may live
in a rich district — to those who may belong to a small not less than
to those in a large district. This is as it should be, and we cannot
sympathize in the least with any feeling or action that would be cal-
culated to pervert the object. We are glad the town has made so
liberal an appropriation for the support of schools the ensuing year,
and we trust it will prove a most productive investment.
For the number of scholars, the average attendance, &c., in the
different schools, reference may be made to the table appended to
this Report.
IRA LELAND, School Committee
JOSIAH A. COOLIDGE, of
FISKE- BARRETT, Lexington.
LEXINGTON, April 7th, 1851.
DISTRICTS,
TEACIIERS.
Centre,
Grammar.
Centre,
Primary.
South East,
Grammar.
South East,
Primary.
South.
West.
North.
North East
Z. D. Johnson,
Edwin A. Rodgers.
E. D. Pratt,
S. E. Richardson.
S. D. Hayden,
Wm. H. Ropes.
Susan E. Rice.
Lucretia K. Viles.
Lucy A. Downing,
Charles Tidd.
Lucy B. Fiske,
Lucy Dodge.
Maria A. Merriam,
James Parker.
5z
5
4
4
7
41
51
6
Months in Winter.
CC
Number of Schol-
ars in Summer.
Av'ge attendance
in Summer.
Number of Schol-
ars in Winter.
Av'ge attendance
in Winter.
Wages per Month
in Summer.
O
31
84
42
28
59
51
22
31
g1.
60
43
46
38
20
:-4
7i
47
40
60
49
55
34
74
54
43
48
43
16
34
104
36
29
40
37
18
41
84
39
26
36
29
20
5
101
30
24
40
32
20
31
9
25
19
28
21
20
40
20
38
20
24
:35
24
35
4
8
2
3
2
6
9
3
2
2
17
25
7
3
7
4