Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-03-26
SCHOOL sUpER1NTESDBNTps REPORT.
ANNUAL RERORT
or tho Storey County superintendent
Of Public Instruction.
Hon. A. F. Waite, Superintendent Of Public In
,,,,lcfiou for The State Of Nerddd:

OIL uOlh
Hon. A, +. Waite, Superintendent Of Public In
s~,ruction for the State Of Nerddd:
nr.n Sir: Ny statistical reports afford you all
tho incarnation in regard TO the receipts and dis
bursements Of school moneys In TINS county iI
what purposes expended, the amount OF CASH " thc
hands OF the County Treasurer, we naInes . ,he
teachers employed, the number OF SCHOOLS, ana tue
humber OF pupils attending the same, average al
tendance, an abstract from the reports OF the census
School Marshal, School Trustees, Ieacners, anu
such general Information rs the School Law requires;
Perhaps a few words. by way OF explanations anu
suggestion. In this connection. may not be out Oh
place. .,o.,o,
the specInl school law OF November, 1867. which cN.
empted Storey county from the school law ApproSeu
Sovem6er, isSi, under whieh the mi SIT %eGrc S with
great efficiency for nearly three years. This change
abolished the old Board OF Education aud brought
which was poorly adapted to meet the wants Of this
small but comparatively thickly populated county.
The schools OF this county were placed under my
supervision on the %9ih day Of May. last past - !
one School District. Carved up. by my predecessor
who, by o decision Of the Supreme Court, held the
onice of County Superintendent without legal au-
t%hority-IHto four School Districts, two Of which,
from a paucity Of population. could not maintain a
school for a time sufficient to cntltlc them to draw
the fnnLs. distributed by tie state Board OF EdaSS,
one OF these districts embraced the extensive Re
ductlon Works OF the Gould & Curry Mining Com.
DuuN, uUu StNtHO vi CEhN SuuNk nuns ~ At
amount OF taxable property. the school fund from
which. II expended In that district, would literally
support a ilOurishlng school for the entire year. Con.
Sldering 80 much Of the action OF my predecessor rs
illegal, that divided the county into four districts. l
restored the same to one School District, with view
Of making the schools more efficient, by bringing
them under one management, aud appointed Tor
School Trustees for Storey School District, Nessrs.
Louis Fcuslcr, ID. D. Addison and >. H.. Robinson.
three gentlemen well known for their public spirit,
energy OF Character. business capacity. and devotion
10 the Interest aid prOsneTlty oil DOpuluT cuuclllOU.
These gentlemen addressed themselves at once TO
the important work OF cnlarGing, repairing, renovat-
Inc, rcntllating and furnishing those school houses,
which were constructed or fitted temporary for
school purposes In lSi2 and 1865. with the Idea that
they would soon be displaced by more conimodIOus
and permanent school cdIIccS. These improve.
mcnts were attended with considerable expense. but
were indisprnsahy necessary. Their labOrS have
been arduOus. They have already accomplished
| very much. but much more remains TO he accOnl-
| plishcd. The result Is. the Board OF Education has
now eleven school rooms. which are comfortable:
neat, spacious. well lighted and well ventilated, and
equal 10 the school demands Of the present, and Will
| probably serve a good purpose for a few years In the
future. These houses have yard room, which, In
this city. are fcnced In and covered. In part, by sheds
to protect the pupils from rain and sun. The Board
own all these school houses with the exception OF
two, Two Of these are well constructed, hard finish
ed buildings, The school furniture consists OF two
hundred and ten chairs and single mahogany desks,
for the accommodation Of the more advanced pupils.
The balance Of the school ICONS In the county are
furnished with neat and convenient desks, by which
the smalleS; pupils have comfortable seats, and by
means Of which can Use their states without incOii-
venlencc. II II safe to aillrm that there are not on
the Pacific coast, San Francisco not excepted, more
comfortably furnished rooms than those OF Storey
county. The corps Of teachers employed will cOnI-
pare iavorably with any IN other cities. Under their
administration the schools are rapidly rising In pub
lie estimation. Though the population OF the county
Is diminishing, the schools have increased about -
per cent, and are rapidly nuImcntlng IN numbers.
Two new schools have brcn organized, and j am
happy 10 be able TO report that our schools are IN n
healthy AMI iiouTishing condition. The Board 0i
Education employ \ singing. master, who devotcs
himself entirely to the work u instructing the pupils
in all the schools In the county, In vocal music. The
| influence upon the scholars has been Of a soficnIng
and subdulng character. This enterprise thus ir
has worked chRrmingly,
by the Board Of County Commissioners at Is cents
oil each 500 Of surface taxable property III the cOun'
ty-a tax hardly equal TO the wants OF this depart
men, n aG, n" nr %ish SeS Se npis I TO- m N UT The scHooIs n
the county through the year.
SCHOOL LIBRARIES.
District School Libraries constitute one OF the
most efficient auNiliaries 10 our Public Schools that
can be employed. Their Importance, when wisely
selected and judIclously managed. can not be easily
over estimated. There are books admirably adapt
eli. both In style and thought, TO every grade OIL
mind. rich In Information, moral lessons and religious
instruction, untaintcd with sectarian bias. Whcr
ever these libraries have been successfully cstnb'
lishcd they have awakened and cultivated q spirit
for reading, and have essentially modified the char
acier OF those districts for COOL. II the Legislature
would offer the Trustees Of each School District a
premium Of my cents for each person, between SIX
and eighteen years, on the condition that private
donations In cash should double that sum. aud 10 be
added thereto. / feel confident that In less than one
year from the passage Of that. Act, there would he
reading matter for the little folks ncvery prominent
School District In the State. inSurlng pleasure and
profit TO the pupils. and q. rich reward, particularly
In the future, TO the public. One thousand dollars
expended In this way by the state. would produce
results OF great moment.
VACCINATION.
It Is very important for the continued prosperity
| ~ nnr DFltIr ethnnis nsnnrlnllxi I'm . Aupa anil rlflps
that all the pupils should be raccinatcd. Experience
has demonstrated that there are many parents and
guardians. Nbundaatly able 10 bear the small eX'
pcnSn Of vaccination. who prefer their children
should remain nj home than 10 conform TO the rnlc-
Of the Board. To hanish children from school on
account OF parental avaricc Il contrary to the genius
ofour Public School system: works a hardship both
TO the pupil and the public, and should not be toler
ated. In such cases II certainly seems Just that the
school authorities should be invested with the power
10 have such children vaccInatcd. at the dellnQuents
expense. after days notice by the Clerk Of the
Board OF School Trustees for the district. =,
There are children OF lnhigent parents who should
be vaccinatcd at the public expense. In these cases
the county should bear the burden, as II IL for the
Interest of the county that both children and adults
should be qualified 10 successfully resist the loath'
some disease OF small pON.
NEGRO, INDIAN AND NOSGOLIAS CHILDREN.
Some law more efficient than now exists, should
he framed, to secure educational facilities to the chill.
drrn OF negroes. Indians and MongOllans. severe
penalty Is attached 10 any district that VIII admit
children OF any OF the prescribed races into the Pub
lie Schools OF this Statc-denylng any School District
even by A unanimous vote OF It's citizens, the right
TO admit one OF these uniOrtunates. The California
School Law, OF which ours In Its principal features,
Is = transcript, has been, ! believe, so far modified.
TO meet the advancing spirit OF the age, as TO repeal
The report OF the School Census Marshal returns
seven negro, thirteen Indian and fftccn Monaghan
children In this county, between SIX and eighteen
years Of age. The Boari Of Education have cNpend'
cd much, both OF time and earnest labor, TO organize
q Public School for their benefit: but there arc mu'
tual prcludicrS existing OF one race against another,
almost, e not quite, az strong az mat Of me superior
against them all; but thus far, have been unable to
accomplish their purpose, without mourning a much
greater outlay Of money than the occasion, In their
Judgment, seemed TO Justify. From the organization
OF the Territory TO the present time the property Of
the negro has been taxed for tue support OF Public
| Schools. The Assessors books, for lSS, show that
| the taxable property or the cOlorel people OF Virginia
City. for that year, amounted to the sum OF &?,00o.
| Upon this amount a school tax OF two-niths OF ols
per cent. was paid into the County School Fund,
This Is gross outrage upon n helpless class-our
sclf.respect, Il not our sense Of Justice, should coun.
sci US 10 termlnate or modify this system OF wrong.
IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION.
The genius Of our institutions rests upon the pop.
ular will. Tho great highway OF the multitude can
he illunined only by asyStem OF popular education.
The Public School system, as now Understood
which holds the State responsible to Furnish eiuca.
t.onal facilities TO all the children OF TIE state, IRE
spectivc Of condition or class-is en!phaticnlLy an
American system. II Is the hope, and should he
the pride, Of our country. IT the State Il morally
bound to afford these facilities for the children. then
certainly the children are under obligation TO tile
State 10 avail themselves Of these Invaluable facili.
ties. Rights AMI duties are co relative. The public
cannot Aforl 10 allow any class TO remain IN lgno.
rance OF letters. Ignorance Is the natural enemy TO
society. II generates and carries with IL an I'M
healthy and contagious atmosphere, vastly more IN
furious TO society, and more to be dreaded than
those loathsomc and infectious diseases, which
are so strongly guarded against, by all governments,
by a perfect system OF most stringent sanitary regu'
lations.
The School Department Is the most important In
Its conservative influence OF any branch OF the state
aforementioned In cure, but In prevention. The
power OF the State for all the purpose OF good aug.
mrnts with the growing intelligence OF the people
compcSin" Il. In the train OF ignorance follow dis.
ease, poverty and crime. The records OF our criminal
Courts testify against ignorance with an elo9uence
and logic that should not pass unheeued. VISION,
the fruit OF education, brings security andpeace.
The schoolmAster conserves-ignorance destroys.
It Is vastly more economical for the State TO maln-
tain schools and schoolmnsters thnn criminal Courts
and criminalo flcers-to construct School. Academy
and University buildings. than prisons, penltentia-
ries and gIbbets. As the morning dew disappears
before The warm and genial rays OF the ascending
| sun, 70 recedes crime with Its necessary appliances
I'm those communities vitalized With O colnpreheT-
slve education, softened by moral and religious IN.
fuences. The recent rcbelllon-the greatest war OF
the ccnturies-that peopled nearly q million OF pre-.
| mature graves, and consumed the earnings ot the
| present and past generations, AMI mortgagcd the
labor OF generations un~bOrn-would probably not
have occurred had tho worth and Importance OF the
schoolmASter been better understood and apprecla-
ted, and his presence and influence been invoked In
every part of our Federal Union. How forcibly. In
this connection, Is Illustrated the truth OF the pro-
verb, that Prevention Is better than cure." These