Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-02-23
school SUPERINTENDENT REPORT.
ANNUAL RERORT.
OF the Storey County Superintendent
of Public Instruction.
Hon. 4. F. White, Superintendent Of Public In.
s~truction for the State Of Nerddd:

DEAR SIR. MY STATISTICAL reports alOTl you All
the Information In regard TO the receipts AMI dis
bursements Of school moneys In this county, for
what purposes expended. the amount Of cash In the
hands OF the County Treasurer, the names OF the
teachers employed, the number OF schools, anu the
number OF pupils attending the same. average at
tendance, an abstract from the reports Ofthe Census
School Marshal, School Trustees. Teachers, AMI
such general niOrmatio as the School Law requires.
Perhaps q few words. by way OF explanations and
suggestion, in this connection, may not be out oil
place.
the special school law OF November, 1862. which eX-
emptcd 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 10 meet the wants Of this
small but comparatively thickly 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 q decision OF the Supreme Court, held the
office Of County Superintendent without legal au-
thOrlty-Into four School Districts. two Of which.
from a paucity OF population, could not maintain n
school for a time sufficient TO entitlc them TO draw
the funds, distributed by the State Board OF Educa-
tIon, without rcsortlng to district taxation; though
| one OF these districts embraced the extensive Re-
ductIOn Works OF the Gould & Curry Mining Com.
pany. and seven or eight Quartz Mills-haylng an
amount OF taxable property, the school flnd from
which, II expended In that district, would literally
support n iiourIshing school for the entire year. Con-
| sldcring so much OF the action OF my predecessor as
Illegal. that divided the county Into four districts, |
restored the SAINT TO one School District. with n view
OF making the schools more efficient, by bringing
them under one management. and appointed for
| School Trustees for Storey School District. Messrs.
Louis FcusIer. i. o.. Addison 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 enlarging. repairing, renoyat-
ing, vcntilatIng and furnishing those school houses.
which were constructed or lifted temporary for
school purposes In lSd2 and 1853, with the idea that
they would soon be displaced by more cOmmodlOus
and permanent school edltceS. These improve
mcnts were attended with considerable expense, but
were indispcnsably necessary, Their labors 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
neat, spacious. well lighted and well ventilated, and
equal to the school demands OF The present, ana VIII
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
TO protect the pupils from rain and sun. The Board
own all these school houses with the exception OF
two. Two OF these are well constructed hard finish
ed buildings. The school furniture consists OF two
hundred and ten chairs and single mahogany desks,
for the accommOdatlon 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'
vcniencc. II 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 OF 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
is diminishing, the schools have increased about g
per cent, and are rapidly nugmenting in numbers,
Two new schools have been organized, and ] am
happy to be able TO report that our schools are IN a
healthy and lourishing condition. The Board OF
Education employ a singing master, who dcvOtcs
himself entirely to the work Of instructlng the pupils
In all the schools In the county, In vocal music. The
influence upon the scholars has been Of a sOftcning
and subduing character. This enterprise thus far
has worked chnrmlnGly.
by the Board OF County Commissioners at 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 thu
most cHlcIen, auXillarIcs TO our Public Schools thai
can be employed. Their Importance. when wisely
selected and Judiciously managed. can not be easil,
over estimated. There are books admirably adapt
cd, both In style and thought, TO every grade o
mind, rich in Information, moral lessons aud religious
Instruction., untainted' with sectarian bias. WhGr
ever these libraries have been successfully cstab
llshed they have awakened and cultivated 4 spirit
for reading, and have essentially modified the char
acter Of those districts for good; i the, legislator,
would offer the Trustees OF each School District q
premium OF my cents for each person, between siN
and eighteen years. on the condition that prIvat,
donations In cash should double that sum-, and to Dt
added thereto. ! feel confident that In less than one
wear from the passage Of that Act, there would b,
reading matter for the little folks nevery prominent
School District In the State, insuring pleasure ald
profit TO the pupils, and a rich reward, particularly
In the future. TO the public. One thousand dollar
expended in this way BY the State, would produc(
results OF great moment.
VACCINATION.
II Il very important for the continued prosperity
OF our Public Schools, especially In towns and cities
that all the pupils should be vNccinated. Experience
has demonstrated that there are many parents ad
guardians. abundanily able to bear the small eX
pensc OF vaccination. who prefer their children
should remain at home than TO conform 10 the rule
OF the Board. To Danish children from school OF
account of parental avarlcc Is contrary to the genius
OF our Public School system; works a hardship DOLL
to the pupil and the public, and should not DC toler
atrl. In such cases II certainly seems Just that tn
school authorities should be invested with the p0wcl
TO have such children vaccinatcd, at the dcllnquentS
i expense, after - days notice by the CLERK Of tht
Board OF School Trustees for the district.
There are children Of INDECENT parents who should
be vaccinated at the public expense. In these caSc'
the county should bear the burden, as II Is for tit
interest OF the county that both children and adults
should be qualified TO successfully resist the loath
some disease Of small poN.
NEGRO, INDIAN AID MOSGoLIAN CHILDREN.
Some law more efficient than now exists, SHOULD
be framed, to secure educational facilities 10 the chill
drcn OF ncSrocs, Indians and MongOllans. A severe
penalty Is attached TO any district that VIII admit
children OF any OF the prescribed races into the Pub
lie Schools OF this Stitc-denying any School District
even by a unanimous vote OF It's citizens. the right
10 admit one of these uniortunates. The California
School Law, of which ours In Its principal features
Is a transcript. has been. i believe. so Ear modified
10 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 ana ciEhteen
cd much, both OF time and earnest labor. TO organize
q Public School for their benefit: but there are nu'
tual preiudIces existing OF one race against another,
almost, IL not quite, as strong as 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 lncurTlng = much
greater outlay OF money than the occasion, In their
Judgment, seemed to Justify. From the organization
OF the Territory 10 the present time the property OF
the negro has been taxed for the support OF Public
Schools. The Assessors books. for 1853, show that
the taxable property OF the colOred people OF Virginia
City, for that year. amounted TO the sum OF SS?,00.
Upon this amount a school tax or two.iiths OF one
| per cent. was paid into the County School Fund,
This is gross outrage upon u helpless claSs-our
sclfrespect, II not our sense OF Justice, should coun'
IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION. r.n...
The genius Of our institutions rests upon the pop
ular Will; The great highway OF the multitude can
The Public School system, as now understood
which holds the State responsible to Furnish cduca-
tional facilities TO all the children Of the State, IRE
~spectivc Of condition or Chassis emphatically al
American system. II Is the hope, and should he
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 to avail themselves OF these invaluable iacill-
ties. Rights and duties are co relative. The public
cannot afford 10 allow any class to remain In ignO-
rance OF letters. Ignorance Is the natural enemy to
society, II generates and carries with It MI un-
healthy and contagious atmosphere, vastly more In
| furious to society, and more TO be dreaded than
those loathsome and Infectious diseases. which
are so strongly guarded against, by all governments,
by a perfect system ofmost stringent sanitary reSu'
latlons.
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 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 eloguence
and logic that should not pass unheedcd. Wisdom.
the fruit OF education. brings security %andpeacc.
The schoolmaster conservcs-ignorancc destroys.
It is vastly more economical for the State to main
tain schools and schoolmasters than criminal Courts
and criminal oficcrs-to construct School. Academy
and University buildings, than prisons, penitcntia-
rics and gibbets. As the morning dew disappears
before the warm and genial rays OF the ascending
sun, so reccdes crime with Its necessary appliances
In those communities vltallzed with u comprchcn-
sive education. softcned by moral and religious In:
fucnces. The recent rebclllon-thc greatest war OF
the centurics-that pcopled nearly n 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 the worth and Importance OF the
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 Ia better than 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 joyfuly for their support.
SCHOOL ATTENDANCE.
With the great fact staring US In the face, that
nine-tcnths OF the present generation OF CHI ldrcn in
our State will be entirely dependent upon our Public
nths OF this number will be drawn into the various
| channels OF Tabor before they shall attain to fourteen