Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-03-17
SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT RRfOkf.
ANNUAL RERORT
or tho Storey County superintendent
of Public Iuatructiou.
Hon. 4. F. Waite, Superintendent Of PnbHc IN
s~ruetioa for the State Of Neeadd:

bursements OF school moneys In this county. for
what purposes expended, the amount OF cash in the
teachers employed, the number OF schools. and the
number Of pupils attending the came. average at
tendance, an abstract from the reports Of the Census
School Marshal. School Trustees, Teachers. and
such general az the School Law requires.
Perhaps u few words, by way Of explanations and
suggestion In this connection. may not be out OF
The School Law, approved March ~. ISIS, repealed
the special school law Of November. 1852, which ex.
empted Storey county from the school law approved
November. ls6l, under which the Storey county
Board OF Education was organized. and worked with
great efficiency for nearly three years. This change
abolished the old Board OF Education and brought
our schools under the provisions Of the new law,
which was poorly adapted TO meet the wants OF this
small but comparatively thickly populated county.
supervision on the 29th day OF May, last past. /
found the county. which formerly consisted Of but
one School District, carved up. by my predecessor
who, BY a decision OF the supreme Court, held the
Office OF County Superintendent without legal au-
th%ority-int0 four School Districts, two Of which,
from q paucity OF population. could not maintain q
school for a time sufficient to entltle them to draw
the funds, distributed by the State Board OF Educa-
ton, without r~esorting to district taxation; though
one OF these districts embraced the extensive Re
ductlOn Works of the Gould & Curry Mining Com
pany. md seven or eight Quartz Mlls-having an
amount OF taxable property. the school fund from
which, If expended In that district, would literally
support a tiourlshlng school for the entire year. Con-
sldering so much OF the action OF my predecessor rs
Illegal, that divided the county into four districts, l
restored the Sme to one School District, with view
Of making the schools more efficient, by bringing
them under one management, and appointed for
School Trustees for Storey School District, Messrs.
Louis Feuslcr, d. o. Addison and S. II. Robinson.
three gentlemen well known for their public spirit,
energy OF character. business capacity, and devotion
10 the interest and prosperity OF popular education.
These gentlemen addressed themselves at once TO
the important work OF charging, repairing, renovat-
Ing, ventilatlng and furnishing those school houses,
which were constructed or lifted temporary TOR
school purposes In ls62 and lSG3, with the idea that
they would soon be displaced by more cOmmOdlouS
AMI permanent school cdliices. These improve
mcnts were attended with considerable expense, but
were indlSpenSahly necessary. Their lab0rs have
been arduous. They have already accomplished
very much, but much more remains TO BE- accom-
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 to the school demands Of the present, and wlll
probably serve q good purpose ior q lew years IN the
this city, arc fenced In and covered. In part. by sheds
10 protect tho pupils from rain and sun. The Board
own all these school houses with the exception Of
two. Two Of these arr we'll constructed. hard llnish-
cd buildings. The school furniture consists OF two
hundred and ten chairs and single mahogany desks,
for the accommodation OF the more advanced pupils.
This balance nf the school rooms In the county are
furnished with neat and convenient desks, by which
the smallest pupils have comfortable seats. and by
means Of which can use their States without incOIl-
vcnIencc. II IL safe TO affirm 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 VIII com.
pare ~favOrably 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 Is
per cent, and are rapidly nugmcnting In numbers.
Two new schools have been organized, and i am
happy to be able 70 report tina, our schools are in .
Education employ u singing master, who dcrOtcs
himself entirely TO the work Of insIructinG the pupils
In all the schools In the county, In vocal music. The
| influence upon the scholars has been OF q ~so(lcning
| and Subduing character. This enterprise thus far
| has worked charmingly.
by the Boarl Of County Commissioners al Is cent:
| on each SlO0 Of surface taxable property In the coun
ty-a tax hardly equal 10 the wants OF this depart
mcnt, but with economy and no serious drawbacks
we shall probably be able to maintain the schools II
the county through the year.
SCHOOL LIBRARIES.
District School Libraries constitute one of IA,
most efficient auxlllarlcs TO our Public Schools tina
can he employed. Their Importance, when wisely
selected and jndlciously managed, can not be- easily
over estimated. There are books admirably adapt
eli, both In style AMI thought. to every grade o
mind, rich In information, moral lessons and religious
instruction, untainted with Sectarlan bias. Wher
ever these libraries have been successfully cstnb
lIshed they have awakened and cultivated a spirit
for reading, and have essentially modified the char
actcr OF those districts for good. II the Legislature
would offer the Trustees OF each School District q
md Eighteen wears, on the condition that private
donations In cash should double that sum-, and TO bt
added thereto, ] feel confident that In less than one
year from the passage OF that Act, there would bt
reading matter for the little folks lncvcry prOmlnrn,
School District In the State, Insurlng pleasure md
profit TO the pupils. and u rich reward. particular,
In the future. TO the public. One thousand dollar
expended in this way by the State. would produce
results OF great moment.
II IA very important for the continued prosperity
Of our Public Schools, especially In towns md cities
that all the pupils should he vaccinatcd. ESpericnc,
has demonstrated that there are many. parents ant
guardians, ahundantly able 10 bear the small eS
pense OF vaccination, who prefer their children
should email at home than 10 conform To the rule
OF the Board. To Danish children from school OF
ofour Public school system; works 4 hardship botl
10 the pupil and the public. anil should not he toler
ated. In such cases It certainly seems Just that TN
school authorities should he invested with the powei
TO have such children vacclnatcd. at the delinquents
expense, amer days notice by the Clerk OF TN
Board of School Trustees for the district.
There arc children Of INDECENT parents who should
be raccinated at the public expense. In these case;
the county should bear the burden. as II Is for thu
Interest OF the county that both children and adults
should he qualified 20 successfully resist the l0athr
some disease OF sma poS.
NEGRO, INDIAN ASp MOSGoLIAS CHILDREN.
Some law more efficient than now exists, should
be framed, TO secure educational facilities TO the chill
dren OF negroes, Indians and Mongollans. \ severe
penalty Is attached TO any district that Will admit
children OF any OF the prescribed races Into the Pub.
lie Schools OF this State-'lcnying any School District
even by a unanimous vote OF Its citizens, the right
to admit one OF these uniortunatcs, The California
School Law. OF which ours In Its principal features,
Is q transcript, has been. | believe. 50 far modified
TO meet the advancing spirit Of the age, rs to repeal
this penalty.
seven negro. thirteen Indian and fifteen Mongollar
children In this county. between six and eighteen
years or age. The Board Of Education have expend
cd much. both Of time and earnest labor. TO organize
a Public School for their benefit; but there are mu
| tual preludlecs existing OF one race against another
almost. II not quite, as strong as that OF the superior
| race, which bolts the doors OF educational hall,
against them all; but thus far, have been unable L
accomplish their purpose, without mourning a mucf
greater outlay OF money than the occasion, In thcil
| Judgment, seemed to justify. From the organization
Of the Territory TO the present time tho property O
the negro has been taxed for the support Of Publit
Schools. The Assessors books, for ls63, show thai
| the taXable property Of the cOlOred people OF Virginia
City, for that year. amounted TO the sum OF Ss2.U0
| Upon this amount q school tax OF twO-hlthS GI one
per cent. was patti into the County School Fund,
This Is gross outrage upon \ helpless clasS-OuI
Self-respect, II not our sense OF Justice. should coun'
sci us TO terminate or modify this system OF wrong
| ,-.L IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION.
The genius OF our institutions rests upon tho pop
ular will. The great highway Of the multitude can
be illumined only by q systcni OF popular education.
which holds the State responsible to Furnish educa.
tIonal facilities 80 oil the children Of the state; lire.
s%peeilye Of sS.iIuon Or e., slss s ! cm mp .SSaIS S Ss
the pride, Of our country. II the State Is morally
| bound 70 afford these facilities for the children. then
STATE 10 avail themselves OF these Invaluable facili.
ties. Rights and duties are co relative. The public
cannot afford 10 allow any class to remain In igno-
rance OF letters. Ignorance IL the natural enemy TO
society. II generates and carries with It an un.
| healthy and contagious atmosphere, vastly more In.
furious TO society, and more 10 be dreaded than
those loathSome aud Infectious diseases, which
are 80 strongly guarded against. by all governments,
by q perfect system Of most stringent sanitary regu-
! lati0ns. .u..
The School Department Is the most important in
its conservative Influence OF any branch OF the state
Goyernment-not In cure, but In prevention. The
power OF the State for all the purpose Of good aug
| ments with the growing intelligence OF the people
composing Il. In the train OF Ignorance follow dis.
| ease, poverty and crime. The records OF our criminal
Courts testify against Ignorance with an eloquence
and logic that should not pass unheeded. Wisdom,
the fruit OF education. brings security andpeace.
Tho schoolmaster conserres-ignoranec DESTROYS.
II is vastly more economical for the State TO main.
tain schools and s~choolnasters than criminal Courts
and criminal oficers-to construct School, Academy
and University buildings, than prisons. penltentla.
rles and gibbets. As the morning dew disappears
before the warm and genial rays or the ascending
sun, so rccedes crime with It's necessary appliances
sIve education, softcned by moral and religious vi.
fuences. The recent rebclllon-the greatest war OF
the centuries-that pcopled nearly a million OF pre-
mature graves, and consumed the earTingsoi the
present and past generations, aud mortSageu tne
labor Of generations unbOrn-would prooaOIy. not
have occurred hAd the worth and Importance OF tne
schoolmaster been better understood and apprcclh-
ted. and his presence and Influence been lnv9kee ~ y
every part OF our Federal Union. How f6rcibly, IN
this Connection, lsilustratcd the truth Of the pro.
verb, that Prevention Is better than cure. Lnese
great truths should inspire US TO cherish our PUBIC
Schools as the life and hope OF the STATE, anu our
Legislature should give ~j0yiully for their support.
'a' ..'' SCHOOL ATTENDANCE.
With the great fact staring us IN the lace, thht
nine-tenths OF the present generation oil chhdren IN
our State will be entirely dependent upon our fno,e
o. r. aLI- Aa.- a. NHaN NNF han t0lT