Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-03-16
SCHOOL sUpBRIYrRNDRNfs RRf6kf.
ANNUAL REPORT
OF tho Storey County superintendent
Of Public Instraction. 2 e.,
Hon. 4. F. WRits, Superintendent Of Public In.
~struetion for the Stale of !Nerddd! - "

what purposes expended. the amount Of cash In tho
teachers employed. the number OF schools. and tho
number OF pupils attending the same, average at
tendance, an abstract from the reports OF the Census
School Marshal. School Trustees, Teachers, and
such general Information as the School Law requires.
Perhaps u few words, by way OF explanations and
suggestion. In this connection, may not be out OF
place. ....... -..I .
The School Law, approved March 20. 1865, repealed
the special school law Of November, 1862. which OK
smpted storey county from the school law approved
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 thlckly populated COUNTY.
supervision on the 18th day OF May, last past.
found the county, which formerly consisted Of but
one School District, carved up. BY my predecessor
once OF County Superintendent without legal au.
thority-into four School Districts, two OF which.
from = Pausity OF pS ;rsi1sn !, e Sn,I,I nG ,hn maintain p a
the funds, distributed by the State Board OF Educa-
ton, without rcsortlng 10 district taxation; though
one OF these districts embraced the extensive Re-
pany. and seven or eight Quartz Mllls.having an
amount OF taxable property, the school fund from
which. II expended In that district. would literally
support q flOurlshing school for the entire year. Con-
sidering so 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 q View
OF making the schools more efficient, by bringing
them under one management, and appointed for
School Trustees for Storey School District, Messrs.
Louis Feusier, D. o. Addison and s. H.. Robinson,
three gentlemen well known for their public spirit.
energy OF Character. business capacity, and devotion
TO the interest and prosperity OF popular education.
These gentlemen addressed themselves at once to
the important work orenlarglng, repairing. renovat'
Ing, vcntilating and furnishing those school houses,
which were constructed or lltted temporary for
school purposes In lS62 and lS63, with thc idea that
they would soon be displaced by more commodlous
and permanent school ediiices. These improve
mcnts were attended with considerable expense, but
were indispcnSahly necessary. Their labOrs have
been Arduous. They have already accomplished
very much, but much NOR. remains TO be accom-
plishcd. The result is. the Board Of Education has
now eleven school rooms, which arc comfortable.
neat. spacious. well lighted and well ventilated, and
equal TO the school demands Of the present, and win
probably serve q good purpose for a few years In the
future. These houses have yard room. which. In
this city, are fenced In and covered. In part, by sheds
10 protect the pupils from rain and Sun. The Board
own all these school houses with the. exception Of
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 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 incon-
venience. IL Is 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 or teachers employed VIII COM
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
per cent, and are rapidly augmentinc In numbers.
Two new schools have been organized, and / am
happy to be able 70 report that our SCHOOLS are ~ 3
Education employ q singing master, who devotcs
himself entirely 10 the work Of instructlng the pupils
influence upon the scholars Ia: been Of a s%ofieninS
and subdulng character. This enterprise thus far
The county school lax for 1861 and 1885 was fixed
by the Board OF County Commissioner at Is cents
on each 500 Of surface taxable property In the coun.
1 gen, tax AK, h %Its . eSSSI 70 s snS % wa .srjO 81 'a dToS SepSIs,
We shall probably be able to maintain the schools In
the county through the year.
SCHOOL LIBRARIES.
District School Libraries constitute one OF the
can De employed. Their Importance, when wisely
selected and judiclously managed, can not be easily
over estimated. There are books admirably adapt.
ed, both In style and thought, 10 every grade oil
| mind, rich In information, moral lessons and religious
instruction, untainted with sectarinn bias. Wher'
ever these libraries have been successfully estab'
| lIshed they have awakened and cultivated a spirit
for reading, and have essentially modified the char
acter OF those districts for good. IL the legislature
would offer the Trustees OF each School District .
premium Of my cents for each person. between SIX
and eighteen years, on the condition that private
| donations In cash should double that sum, and 10 be
added thereto. j feel confident nat n less ihSh one PC
| reading matter for the little folks In every prominent
School District In the State, lnsuring pleasure and
profit 70 the pupils, and 9 rich reverb, particularly S1ni'5
expended In this way by the State, would produce
results OF great moment.
VACCINATION.
II IL very important Tor the continued prosperity
OF our Public Schools. especially In towns and cities
that all the pupils should he vacclnated. Experience,
has demonstrated that there are many parents am
pense OF vaccination, who prefer their children
should remain nj home than 10 CONFORM TO the rules
| OF the Board. To Danish children from school OH
| aSrnunf nf nafantal uynricp In contrary TO the genius
ofour Public School system: works a hardship both
to the pupil and the public. and should not be tolsr'
atcd. In such cases II certainly seems Just that the
school authorities should be invested with the power
10 have such children vacclnatcd, at the dellnQuents'
expense. arer days notice by the Clerk OF the
Board OF School Trustees for the district.
There arc children OF INDECENT parents VINO should
be vacclnatcd at the public expense. In these cases
Interest OF the county that both children and adults
should be qualified 10 successfully resist the loatll'
some disease or small poN.
NEGRO, INDIAN ANp NoSGoLIAS CHILDREN.
Some law more efficient than now exists. should
BE- framed, TO secure educational facilities 10 the Chill.
dren OF negroes, Indians and MonSollans. \ 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-denylnga any School District
Sot ADMIT nj one Of these @fortunaies. The California
School Law. OF which ours IN Its principal features,
n a transcript, has been. l believe. so far modified.
10 meet the advancing spirit OF the age. as to repeal
The report Of the School Census Marshal returns
seven negro, thirteen Indian and fifteen Monaghan
children In this county, between SIX and eighteen
ed much, both OF time and earnest labor, 10 organize
a Public School for their benefit but there are mu-
tual preIudiccS existing Of one race against another,
almost, If not quite, as strong as that OF the superior
race, which bolts the doors OF educational haus
against them all; but thus far, have been unable to
accomplish their purpose. without mourning 4 much
greater outlay OF money than the occasion, In their
Judgment, seemed 70 Justify. From the organization
OF the Territory To the present time the property OF
L. ,,a~ra has haan laval fnF fhn GtlnnnFt nf Dnblf
Schools. The Assessors books, for 1873 show that
the taxable property OF tho colored people OF Virginia
City. for that year, amounted TO the sum OF Ss22'oO.
Upon this amount 4 school tax OF two.fths Of one
per cent. was paid into the County School Fund,
This is gross outrage upon. q helpless class-our
s sci = e ,s,m u not our Sr n senST % nv Iss srss:m shS ol r Tong,
IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION.
The genius OF our Institutions restsupon the pop.
be illumined only by a system o Unpopular education.
The Public School system, as now understood-
which holds the State responsible to furnish educn-
tionRl facilities TO all the children OF the State, IRE
specuve OF condition or claSs-Is emphatically an
American system. II Is the hopc, and should be
the pride. OF our country; II the state y morally
esrtaIniy the children are Under oSiisation 10 The
State to avail themselves OF these inNalnaolef Heili-
ties. Rights and duties arc co relative. ThS pubic
cannot afford TO allow any class to remain In igno-
rance or letters. Ignorance Is the natural enemy 10
society. 1t generates and carries with u an I'M
healthy and contagious Atnospnere, yssuy more ,h ~,
lUIIOuh " NC NNttA N'N
those loathsomr and infectious diseases, which
are 10 strongly guarded sgainst, by oil governments,
by a perfect system OF most stringent sanitary rcgn'
latlons.
The School Department is the most important In
its conservative Influence OF any branch oithe STATE
power OF the State for all the purpose 81 good aug,
ments with the growing intelligence OF the people
composing Il. III the train OF Ignorance follow dls.
ease. poverty and crime. The records OF ourcrimlnai
Courts testify against ignorance with an eIo9uence
and logic that should not pass unheeded. WISDOM
The schoolmaster Ignorance destroys.
II Is vastly more economical for the state 70 main.
tain schools and than criminal Courts
and criminal offcers-toc construct Scnool, Academy
and University buildings. than prisons, penitentia.
ries and giObcts. As the morning dew disappears
sun, so recedes crime with It's necessary appliances
IN those communities vitAlized with a comprehen-
siye education, softened by moral and religious In.
duences. The recent rebelllon-the greatest war OF
the ce~nturies-that peopled nearly q million or pre-
mature graves. and consumed the earnings OF the
present and past generations, and. mortgaged the
fabor OF generations u~nborn-would probably not
nave occurred had the worth and Importance ofthe
schoolmaster been better understood and apprecia-
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 cire." These
great truths should inspire US to cherish our Public
Legislature should give joyfully for their support.
SCHOOL ATTENDANCE.
With the great fact staring liz in the face. that
our State Will be entirely dependent upon our Public
Schools for their education that more than four
lfhs OF this number will be drawn into the various
channels oflabor before they shall attain 10 fourteen