Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-02-26
SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT REPORT.
ANNUAL RRRORT-
or tho Storey County superintendent
Of Public InStructiou.
Hon. A.. +. White, Superintendent Of Public In.
s~tructioH for the State Of Herada:

what purposes expended, tho amount OF cash In the
hands Of the County Treasurer, the m Of the
teachers employed, inc number OF schools. aud the
OF pupils attending the same, average at-
tendance, an abstract from the reports Of the Census
School Marshal, School Trustees, Teachers, and
Sucn general as the School Law requires:
a few words. BY way Of explanations and
suggestion. In this connection, may not be out OF
place.
The School Law, approved March %. lSs. repealed
Storey county from the school law approved
November, le6l, under which the Storey county
Board Of Education was organized, and worked with
great efficiency for nearly three years. This change
the old Board OF Education and brought
our schools under the provisions OF the new law,
which was poorly adapted 10 meet the wants Of this
small but comparatively thlckly populated county.
The schools OF this county were placed under my
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
who. by u decision OF the Supreme Court, held the
Otlce Of County Superintendent without legal au-
thorlty-into four School Districts, two Of which,
from a paucity OF population, could not maintain u
school for q time sufficient to entltle them to draw
the funds. distributed by the State Board Of Educa-
tlon, without ~resorting to district taxation; though
ductIon Works of the Gould & Curry Mining Com
paIly, and seven or eight Quartz Mins-having an
amount OF taxable property, the school iund from
which. II expended In that district, would literally
support q hourlshlngs school for the entire year. Con.
sldering so much OF the action OF my predecessor as
Illegal, that divided the county Into four districts. i
restored the same 10 one School District, witha view
OF making The schools more efficient, by bringing
them under one management, and appointed ior
School Trustees for Storey School District, Messrs.
Louis Feusler, u. o. Adki IN and 5. IL. 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 Of enlarRing, repairing Jenovat-
ING, ventllating and furnishing those schoof houses.
which were constructed or lifted temporary Tor
school purposes In ls62 and 1865, with the Idea that
fh0p usnuI1 ann ha hiGnlur0l LV mnra TnplfnDIIOnl
and permanent school editccS. These improve
mcnts were attended with considerable expense. but
been arduous. They have already accomplished
very much. but much more remains TO bG accom-
pliShed. The result Is. the Board Of Education has
now eleven school t."1I ICONS rooms ' which Hnoi arc e1 ,'ns, nd sWi
equal TO the school demands Of the present, and will
probably serve o good purpose for a few years IN the
future. These houses have yard room, which. IN
to protect the pupils from rain and sun. The Board
own all these school houses with the exception OF
e eTP br,i AVE o. ' TSs s ! Mn m,TUiture 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 arc
furnished with neat and convenient desks. by which
the smallest pupils have comfortable seats, and By
means Of which can use their states, without lncon-
venIence. II Is safe TO afirm 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 WIN com.
pare ~favornbly 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 j
per cent, and are rapidly augmenting In numbers.
Two new schools have been organized, and / am
happy 10 DO able 10 report that our schools are In a
healthy and fiourishIng condition. The Board OF
Education employ Il singing master, who devotes
himself entirely TO the work Of instructlnR the pupils
In all the schools 10 the county. In vocal music. The
influence upon the scholars has been OF a sottening
and subduing character. This enterprise thus Tar
has worked charmingly.
The county school tax for 1851 and 1865 was nSed
By the Board OF County Commissioner nj Is cents
on each 500 OF surace taxable property in the coun'
ty-a tax hardly equal 10 the wants OF this depart
ment, but with economy and 10 serious drawbacks
we shall probably be able TO maintain the schools In
the county through the year.
SCHOOL LIBRARIES.
District School Libraries constitute one OF the
most efficient auXllartes TO our Public Schools that
can be employed. Their importance. when wisely
selected and Judlciously managed, can not be easily
over estimated. There are books admirably adapt
cd, both In style and thought. 10 every grade Of
mind, rich In Information, moral lessons and religious
instruction, untalntcd with sectarlan bias. Wherr
lIshed they have awakened and cultivated a spirit
for reading, and have essentially modified the char
acter OF those districts for good; u the legislature
would offer the Trustees OF each School District q
premium OF lity cents for each person, between ak
and eighteen years. on the condition that private
donations In cash should double that sum, and 10 be
added thereto. l feel confident that In less than ono
wear from the passage OF that Act, there would be
reading matter for the little folks In every prominen,
School District In the State, insnring pleasure and
profit To the pupils, and Il 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.
II Is very important for the continued prosperity
Of our Public Schools. especially In towns and cities,
that oil the pupils should be vaccinated. Experience
has demonstrated that there are many parents ana
guardians, abundantly able TO bear the small eS'
pense OF vaccination, who prefer thelr children
should remain al home than TO conform 10 the rules
OF the Board. To Danish children from school on
account OF parental avartcc Is contrary TO the genius
OF our Public School system: works a hardship both
10 the pupil and the public. and should not be toler'
ated. In such cases Il certainly seems Just that the
school authorities should be invested with the power
TO have such children vaccinatcd, at the dclinquents
expense, after - days notice BY the CicrE Of inc
Board Of School Trustees for the district.
There are children Of INDECENT parents who should
be vaccInated at the public expense. In these cases
the county should bear the burden, as II Is for thC
interest OF the county that both children and adults
should be qualified TO successfully resis, the Ioath'
some disease OF small poN.
NEGRO, INDIAN AND NoSGoLIAS CHILDREN.
Some law more efficient than now exists. should
be framed, 10 secure educational facilities TO the chill
dren OF negroes. Indians and MonGollans. 4 severe
penalty Is attached 10 any district that VIII adml'
children ofany OF the prescribed races Into the rub
lie Schools Of this State-denylngG any School District
even by q unanimous vote Of Its citizens, the .righi
to admit one Of these unfortunates. The California
School Law. Of which ours In Its principal features
Is a transcript, has been. l 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 fifteen Monaghan
children In this county, between SIX md eighteen
years OF age. The Board or Education have eNpend'
cd much. both OF time and earnest labor, to organize
q Public School for their benefit; but there are mu'
tual preludlccs existing or one race against another,
almost, ifnot quite. as strong rs that or the superior
race, which bolts the doors OF educational nails
against them all; but thus far, have been unable e
accomplish their purpose, without mourning q much
greater outlay Of money than the occasion. In thelr
Judgment, seemed TO Justify. From the organization
81 the Territory Snt SSo 10 .ns P[ f~ NJ .' snnp 1oS pF ~ PnSlIc
Schools, The Assessors books, pr lsb3, show that
the taxable property o. the colorcd people OF Virginia
G(,lty: for that year sI,SaaiGd 10 the S sum e, s n one
per cent. was paid into the County school Fund,
This Is gross outrage upon : helpless cmSsn0uI
sei M % terminate or modify this system 0! wrong.
MroRTAScE OF EDUCATION.
Tho genius Of our institutions rests upon tnS POP,
SlaT INV, VIII; !. The LEFT great "a h .Es,S% OF o. p tnS d EDUCATION.
The Public School system, as now understood
which holds the State responsible TO furnish ednca'
tionnl facilities toa the children OF the state, ire
~spcctIve Of condition or Chassis cIlphaucaily an
American system. II Is the hope. and should nc
the pride, Of our country. II the state Is morally
bound TO afford these facilities for the children. then
Certainly the children arc under obligation to the
State 10 avail themselves OF these invaluable iacili-
ties. Rights and duties are co relative. me public
CAnnOL uIOTu " hllON uhg Nih1S w NhAhhih a' NV
rance orIetters. Ignorance Is the natural enemy 10
society. II generates and carries with II an un-
healthy and contagious atmosphere, vastly more In
furious 10 society, and more 10 be dreaded than
those loathsome and Infectious diseases, which
are so strongly guarded against, by all governments,
by a perfect system Utmost stringent sanitary regu-
latlons.
The School Department is the most important In
its conservative Influence Of any branch Of the State
Government-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 II. In the train OF ignorance follow dis.
ease. poverty and crime. The records OF our criminal
Courts testify against ignorance with an clo9uence
and logic that should not pass UNDECIDED. Wisdom,
the fruit OF education, brings security andpeace.
The schoolmastcr conserves-lgnorance destroys.
It Is vastly more economical fot the State TO main.
tain schools and schoolmasters than criminal Courts
and criminal oficers-to construct School,, Academy
and University buildings, than prisons, pcnitentia'
ries and glbbets. As the morning dew disappears
before the warm and genial rays OF the ascending
sun, 70 recedes crime with Its necessary appliances
.sive education. softened by moral and religious In.
fuences. The recent rebcllion-the greatest war OF
the cen~turies-that peopled nearly a million OF pre-
mature graves, and consumed the earnings OF the
present and past generations. and mortgagcd the
labor Of generations unborn-would probably not
have occurred had tho worth and Importance OF the
schoolmAstcr been better understood and npprccia-
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 thnn cure" These
great truths should inspire US to cherish our Public
Schools as the life and hope OF the State, and our
Legislature should give joyfully for their support.
SCHOOL ATTENDANCE.
With the great fact staring us In the face, that
ninc.tenths OF the present generation ofchildren In
our State will be entirely dependent upon our Public
Schools for their education that more than four.
hths Of this number will be drawn into the various
aha1natR NJ ahnr haGnra sha "a. uhaM .tNala q fo,.tn.,