Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-04-12
SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT REPORT.
ANNUAL RRRORT
or the Storey County Superintendent
Of Pablo InBtructiOn. .
Hon, A. +. Waite, Superintendent Of Public In
,tructfon for the Stdte Of Repdda:

,~trIetion for the Stats Of Rsuada:
DEAR Sin: My statistical reports afford you all
the In regard to tho receipts and dis
bursemcnts OF school moneys IN this county ioa
hands or tho County Treasurer, the names or the
teachers employed, the number OF schools, ana inc
number OF - pnB Pst,a as'S sfSm sbe ere reports or The Census !,
school Marshal, School Trustees, Teachers. and
such general Information rs the school, requires;
Perhaps q few words, by way OF eHpa,asions anT ~
The School Law, approved March %. 1865, repealed
the special school law Of November, iS0?. which OK;
Soyember, 1861, under which the Storey county
Board OF Education was organized, and worked Win
great efficiency for nearly three years. TINS cnange
nboIished the old Board OF Education and brought
ouT schools under the provisions Of the new law.
whieh vns poorly adapted to meet the wants OF this
small but comparatively thicEly populated county.
Inc IInn SsiSSS o. on the 18th day Of May, last past. I
sunnj tSe county. which formerly consisted Of but
one School District. carved up. 6y my prede ssiS H.
oalce Of County Superintendent without legal au-
thority-lnto four School Districts. two OF which,
from d paucity Of population, couiu not nalhtain q
school Tor a time sufficient 70 entltle them 70 draw
the fnnds. distributed by the State Board or Educa-
lion. without ~rcsortlng to district taxation; thougn
one OF these districts embraced the extensive re
dust!On Works 1EsS Of e. nc sIr S1p ons q Uni Mils MlhmHTi gam an
pmonnt of taxable property. the school fund from
which. If expended In that district, would literally
support u tlourlshlng school LOT me Snure gea n:so So M
illegal, that divided the county, into iour ulstricts. l
restored the same to ono School District, witha view
OF making the schools more einGieht, Dy Dti n5S 1Hs
School Trustees for Storey School DStrict, messrs.
Louis Fcusier, ID. o. Adklson anu 3. H.. hoDlnson'
three gentlemen well known for tllelr pubic spirlt,
energy of character, business capacity, ana devotlon
To Inc interest and prosperity or popular education.
These gentlemen addressed themselves AZ once 70
the important work Of enlsTglnS, repairing, rsh0Sas-
which were constructed or lifted temporary LOT
school purposes In 1862 and 1855, with the IDEA tnat
they would soon be displaced by more commodious
ments were attended with considerable expense, but
were indIspensably necessary. Their lnbors have
been arduous. They have already accomplished
plished. The result Is, the Board Of Education has
now eleven school rooms, which are comfortable.
neat, spacious, well lighted and well ventilated; and
probably serve q good purpose for q few years In the
hturc. These houses have yard room, which, In
this city, are fenced In and covered, In part, by sheds
10 protcct the pupils from rain and sun. The Board
own ali these school houses with the exception OF
two. Two OF these are well constructed, hard finish
cd buildings: The school furniture consists OF two
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
thn smallest pupils have comfortable seats, and by
means or which can use their states without incon'
ycnlence, II Is safe to affirm that there are not on
the Pacific coast, San francisco not excepted, moro
Comfortably furnished rooms than those Of Storey
county. The corps Of teachers employed Will COM
pare ~favorably With any IN other cities. Under theiT
administration the schools are rapidly rising IN pub.
lie estimation. Though the population OF the county
is diminishing, the schools have increased about 3
per cent, and are rapidly augmenting IN numbers
Two new schools have been organlzed, and am
healthy and ilourishing condition. The Board o.
Education employ q singing master, who devote,
himself entirely to the work OF instructlnR the pupil;
in ali the schools In the county, In vocal music. The
influence upon the scholars has been OF u s~oftenlnE
and subdulng character. This enterprise thus FIJI
U" The county school tax for 1861 and 1865 was fixed
nv the Board OF County Commissioners at 10 cent
on each SlW OF surface taxable property In the coun
iva tax hardly equal 10 the wants OF this depart
,nent. hut with economy aud no serious drawback'
VIC shall probably be able to maintain the SCHOOLS IL
the county through the year.
SCHOOL LIBRARIES.
District School Libraries constitute ono Of III,
most enncient nuxllIarles TO our Public Schools tina
can be employed. Their Importance. when wisely
selected and judiciouSly managed, can not be eaSly
over estimated. There arc books admirably adapt
mind rich In information. moral lessons and religious
instruction, untAlnted with sectarlan bias: Wher
ever these libraries have been successfully cStab
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 q
DrCnlluUl Ol MY NtlllN " ~ I'lNoht oA
and eighteen years, on the condition that private
donations In cash should double that sum, and TO DC
added thereto. / feel confident that In less than one
wear from the passage OF that Act, there would bt
reading matter for the little folks In every prominent
School District In the State, lnsurlng pleasure, and
profit to the pupils. and q rich reward, particularly
IN the future, to the public. One thousand dollars
expended in this way bS the State. would produce
results OF great moment.
VACCINATION.
Il IL very important for the continued prosperity
OF our Public Schools. especially In owns and cities,
that ali the pupils should be vacclnatcd. Experience
has demonstrated that there ART many parents, and
guardians, abundantly able 10 bear the small en-
pense OF vaccination. who prefer. their children
should remain at home than TO conform TO the rules
ofthe Board. To Danish children from school on
account Of parental nyaricc IL contrary to the genius
OF four Public School system: works a hardship both
10 the pupil and the public, and should not be toler'
ated. In such cases II certainly seems lnst that Ile
10 have such chlldrrn vaccinatcd, Mt the dellnquents'
expense, after days notice by the CLERK OF the
Board of School Trustees for the district.
There are children OF INDECENT parents who should
be yaccinated 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 70 successfully resist inc loath'
some disease Of small poS.
NEGRO, INDIAN AND NoSGoLIAN CHILDREN. =.
Some law more efficient than now exists. snouia
dren OF negroes, Indians and MOngollans. a severe
penalty is attached to any district that will admit
Children ofany OF the prescribed races Into the Pub
lie Schools o fthis State-denying any School District
even by q unanimous vote OF It's citizens, the right
TO admit one OF these unfortunatcs. The California
School Law. Of which oqS ~ us principal m IeS,Tres'
TO meet the advancing spirit Of the age, as to repeal
~ rcno2t of the School Census Marshal returns
seven negro, thirteen Indian and fifteen Monaghan
children in this county, between six and eighteen
years OF age. The Board OF Education have cXpcnd.
Public School for their benefit; but there arc mu.
tual prejudlces existing OF one race against another,
almost, fnot quite, as strong rs that OF the superior
race, which bolts the doors OF educational halls
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 thelr
Judgment, seemed TO justify. From the organization
Of the Territory to the present time the property Of
the negro has been taxed for the support OF Public
Schools. The Assessors books, for 1858, show that
the taxable property OF the cOlOred people OF virginia
City, FOR that year, amounted to the sum OF SS2.O0.
Upon this amount q school tax OF two-nths OF one
per cent. was paid Into the County School Fund.
This is gross outrage upon 2 helpless SlsSsn lou
sel us TO terminate or modify this system OF wrong.
IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION.
MAI, ThS SS Ssh'ITS s o. c Ssr SIsIWSy Of The multitude can can
be illumlncd only by n system OF popular education.
The Public School system. as now understood
tionai facilities TO all the children OF the State, IRE
spcctive OF condition or elass-ls emphatically an
American system: IL Is ths nope H6s t saS shS %or,I pc
bound to afford these facilities for the children. then
certainly the children are under obligation TO the
State TO avail themselves Of these Invaluable aclll.
ties, Rights and duties are co-relative. The public
cannot Afford to allow any clAss TO remain In igno-
rance ofletters. Ignorance Is the natural enemy 70
society. II generates and carries with II an UNI
healthy and contagious atmosphere, vastly more In
furious to society, and more to be dreaded than
those loathsome and infectious diseases, which
arc so strongly guarded against, by all governments,
by a perfect system Of most stringent sanitary regu-
The School Department Is the most important in
It's conservative Influence OF any branch oithe state
lioyernment-not In cure, but In prevention. Inc
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 elo1uence
and logic that should not pass unheeded. Wisdom,
the fruit OF education, brings security andpcace.
The schoolmaster conserves-ignorance destroys.
II IA vastly more economical for the State TO main.
tain schools and schoolmasters than crim,nalC Courts
and criminal oricers-to construct School, Academy
and University buildings. than prisons, penitentiA-
ries and gibbets. As the morning dew disappears
before the warm and genial rays or the ascending
ann. no recedes GRIM with Its necessary appliances
in thoso communities vitalzed with o comprehen-
sive education, softened by moral and religious In.
nuences. The recent rebenion-the greatest war OF
the centuries-that peopled nearly q million OF pre-
mature graves, and consumed the earnings OF the
present and past generations, and mortgaged the
labor OF generations u~nborn-w0uld probably not
have occurred had the worth and importance ofthe
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, 10 illustrated the truth OF the pro-
verb, that Prevention IA better thar. cure" These
great truths should inspire us to chertsh our Public