Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-04-17
SCHOOL suPERINTENpRNr,s REPORT.
ANNUAL RRRORT
OF tho Storey County Supcrintcndcut
of Public Inntruction.

L0uptlC uhGEuCtlon
Hon. A. r. Waite, Superintendent of Public In.
s~trEetioa for the State Of Nerdda:
DEAR SIR: My statistical reports afford you nil
the information In regard to tho receipts and dis
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 same, average at
tendance, an abstract from the reports OF the enstis
School Marshal, School Trustees, Teachers, and
stich general Information as the School law requires.
Perhaps O few words. by way OF explanations and
suggestion, In this connection, may not be out OF
THE SchoolLaw approved March %. 1865. repealed
the special school law OF November, 1862, which eX-
cmpted Storey county from the school law approved
Soye1m 10 Pdn lStl ur wss o %nl 3 IL ana S'S Worked with
great efficiency for nearly three years. This change
SboIIshed the old Board Of Education and brought
which was poorly adapted to meet the wants OF this
small but comparatively thlckly populated county.
Tho schools OF this county were placed under my
supervision on tho 18th. day Of May. last past; !
found the county, which formerly consisted Of but
one School District, carved up, by my predecessor
who, by o decision OF the Supreme Court, held the
thohty-into four School Districts, two or which,
nom a paucity Of population. could not maintain n
school for a time sufficient TO entltle them TO draw
the funds, distributed by the State Board OF Educa-
lion. without rcsorting to district taxation; though
one OF these districts embraced tlie extensive He
duction Works OF the Gould 4 Curry Mining Com
Olny. anu SpNcu DT clHuL Sualth Ilhn aA
amount OF taxable property, dhe school fund from
which. IL expended In that district. would literally
support a nourishing school for the entire year. Con-
sIierIng so much Of the action OF my predecessor as
Illegal, that divided the county Into four districts, l
restored the anne to one School District, with q view
of making the schools more efficient, by bringing
them under one management, aud appointed for
School Trustees for Storey School District. Mcssrs.
Louis Fcusier, d. q. Adkison and s. III. 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 enlnrglng, repairing, renovat-
Ing, vcntilatIng and furnishing those school houses,
which were constructed or fitted Temporarily for
school purposes In 1862 and 1863, with the Idea that
they would soon be displaced by plorc commodlous
and permanent school edifces. These improve
| ments were attended with considerable expense, but
were indiSpcnsahly necessary. Their lnbors have
been arduous. They have already accomplished
very much, but much more remains 10 be accom-
pllshcd. 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 will
probably serve o good purpose for a few years In the
hturc. These houses have yard room. which. In
this city, are fenced In and covered, In part, by sheds
to protect the pupils from rain and sun. The Board
| own all these school houses with tho exception OF
two. Two OF these are wei constructed. hard finish.
| 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, nnd by
| means Of which can use their states without incon-
yenicncc, 1t 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 I~avOrably with any In other cities. Under hclr
administration the schools are rapidly rising In pub
lie estimation. Though the population OF the county
Is diminishing, the schools have Increased about -
Two new schools have been organized, and / am
happy TO be able TO report that our schools are In q
healthy and flourishlnE condition; The Board o.
him self entirely TO the work Of instructing the pupils
in all the schools In the county, In vocal music. The
influence upon the scholars has been OF a S1liening
and subdulng character. rms enterprise mus TAI
has worked charmlngly.
The county school tax for 1851 and 1875 was ixed
o oy sasS S sIM Of rs surface TfSSettg taxable property in the eoan,
iva tax hardly equal 10 the wants OF this depart
ment, but with economy and no 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 ciicIcnt auSiiarics to our Public Schools that
can he employed. Their Importance, when wisely
selected and JldIclously managed. can not be easily
over estimated. There are books admirably adapt,
ell, both In style and thought, TO every, grade Of
mind rich in Information, moral lessons aud religious
instruction, uniainted with ~scctarian bias. Whcr-
ever these libraries have been successfully estab-
llshed 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 n
premium Of my cents for each person, between SIX
aud eighteen years, on me &c, condition ,hi , thaa Pn ~ hS
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 In cvcry prominent
School District In the State, insurlng pleasure and
profit to the pupils, and n rich reward, particularly
I'm 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
- ..NI G,knnI AanagtallN In tnuynQ and riIins
that ali the pupils should be vaccinated. Experience
has demonstrated that there are many parents and
guardians. abundantly able to bear the small OK,
pcnsc OF vaccination, who prefer their children
should remain at home than 10 conform to the rule
OF the Board. To Danish children from school on
-four Public School system; works a hardship both
TO the pupil and, the public, and should not be toler
ated. 1nsuch cases Il certainly seems lust that the
school authorities should be Invested with the power
to have such children vaccinatcd,a at the delin1ucntS
expense, after - days notice BY the Clerk Of the
Board of School Trustees for the district. =.
There arc children OF INDECENT parents who should
be vaccinatcd at the public expense. In these cases
the county should bear the burden, Us II Is for the
interest Of the county that both children and adults
should be qualified TO successfully resist the lOath'
some disease Of small pON.
NEGRO, INDIAN AND AoSGoLIAS CHILDREN.
Some law more efficient than now exists, should
be framed, TO secure educational facilities to the chill.
dren OF negroes. Indians and Mongollans. a severe
penalty Is attached to any distT rHS. mat A. VII ~ sI 81 y
lie Schools Of this State-denying any School District
even by a unanimous vote OF Its citizens, the right
TO admit one Of these unfortInates. The California
School Law, OF which ours In Its principal features.
Is a transcript, has been, j believe, 30 far modified,
to meet the advancing spirit OF the age, rs TO repeal
The report Of the School Census Marshal returns
seven negro, thirteen Indian and fifteen Monaghan
children In this county, between SIX and .elEhtecn
years OF age. The Board OF Education have eXpcnd'
cd much, both of time and earnest labor, TO organize
q Public School for their benefit; but there are mu-
tual preJudiccs existing OF one race against another,
.t--... A nAN ,tIta m SlrnnRn . that nf fha ginaTIDf
race, which bolts the doors Of educational halls
against them all; but thus far, have been unable TO
a aSsC,nI ns,, sse " p m6pSS 't T11hG tSe t oscasIUn' IN + m sSeir
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 1868. show that
the taxable property OF the colored people Of Virginia
CITY. for that year am mount 70 tht sum 81 S ~ onc
per cent. was paid into the County School Fund.
This Is gross outrage upon q helpless clISs-onr
sci us TO terminate or modify this system OF wrong.
IMPORTANCE or EDUCATION.
ulnr viii. The great highway Of the multitude can
be illumlncd only by asystem or popular education.
The Public School system, rs now understood
tlonal facilities TO all the children OF the State, lire
spectlve OF condition or class-is einphaticany an
American system. II is the hope, and should be
the pride, OF our country. II the State Is morally
bound to afford these facilities for the children. then
certainly the children are under Obligation TO the
| State 10 avail themselves OF these lnVulunOlc lhClll-
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 TO
society. 1t generates and carries With II an I'M
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 q perfect system OF most stringent sanitary regn'
lations.
The School Department is the most important In
It's 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.
ments with the growing Intelligence OF ne people
| composing II. In the train OF ignorance, follow dis
ease. poverty and crime. The records or our criminal
| Courts testify against ignorance with an eloguence
| and logic that should not pass unheeded. Wisdom,
the fruit OF clucatlon, brings security hndpeacc.
The sch0oimastcr cOnscrves-ignorance destroys.
II is vastly morc economical for the State TO main.
tain schools and schoolmAstcrs than criminal Courts
and crimlnAl oniccrs-to construct School,. Academy
| aud University buildings, than prisons, penitentia-
ries aud glbbets. As the morning dew disappears
| before the warm and genial rays Of the ascending
in those communities vitalized with a comprchen-
slve education, softened by moral and religious In
| fuences. The recent rebclllon-the greatest war q
tho ccnturies-that peoplcd nearly q million OF pre-
mature graves, and consumed the earnings OF the
nresent and past generations, aud mOrtgagcd the
nbor OF generations unb0rn-would probably not
| have occurred had the worth and Importance OF the
schoollnaster been better understood and apprecla-
ted. and his presence and influence been Invoked In
eyery part OF our Federal Union. How forclbly. In
This Connection, Is Illustrated the truth or the pro-
verb, that Prevention Is better than cure: Ines
| great truths should inspire us TO cherish our fnollc
| 49, -, tho IIGo and hnnA of the State, and our