Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-02-21
SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT REPORT.
ANNUAL RERORT b.
or the Storey County superintendent
of Ruhli In~afruCIion.
Hon. A. F. White, Superintendent Of Public In.
~siruetion for the State Of Nerada:

bursements OF school moneys In this county. for
what purposes expended, the amount OF cash III tue
hands OF the County Treasurer, the names OF the
teachers employed, the number OF schools, and the
number OF pupils attending the same, average at
tendance, an abstract from the reports OF me census
School Marshal, School Trustees, Teachers. and
such general Information Us the School Law requires;
Perhaps q few words, by way OF explanations ana
suggestion, In this connection. may not be out OF
place.
The School Law, approved March 20. 1856, repealed
the special school law Of November, 1862. which eN.
cmpted Storey county nom the school law approved
November. ls6l, under which the Storey, county
Board OF Education was organized. ana WORKED WITH
great efficiency for nearly three years. ms cnanEe
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 ths
small but comparatively thickly populaied county;
supervision on the 10Th day Of May, last past; !
found the county. which formerly consisted OF but
one School District, carved up, by my predecessor
who. by a decision Of the Supreme Court, held the
| office OF County Superintendent without legal al-
| thority-lnto four School Districts, two OF whlch,
from q pauclty OF population, couia moi mai ~ y !,
the funds, distributed by the State Board OF Educa'
ton, without ~rcsortlng to district taxation; though
| one OF these districts embraced the extensive Re
| ductIon Works OF the Gould h Curry Mining Com
pany, and seven or eight Quartz MilsIhaving an
amount OF taxable properly the sc TrNM, tu I1Sa a5TTr
support a hourishIng school for the entire year. Con-
slderlng so much OF the action of my predecessor as
Illegal, that divided the county INTO four districts. l.
1 NhV bhAAlN ~ Wv NAN
OF making the schools more efficient, by bringing
them under one management, and appointed ior
School Trustees for Storey School District, Messrs.
Louis FeusIer, d. o. Addison and 5. ii, Robinson.
three gentlemen well known for their public spirit,
energy OF character. business capacity, and devotion
to the Interest and prosperity OF popular educatloh.
These gentlemen addressed themselves at once TO
the important work of enlargng, repairing, renoVat-
| Ing, ventIlatlng and furnishing those school houses,
Which Which r %STe SSn rs ISfa aud II Isf a', With 'f thr IIen th ,%tt
they would soon be displaced by more cOmmodlOus
and permanent school cdliices. These Improve
ments were attended with considerable expense Out
been arduons. They have already accomplished
very much, but much more remains TO he accom-
| pllshed. 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 VIII
| probably serve a good purpose for n few years In the
mturc. 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 Inc h y y
two. Two of these are well constructed, hard finish
cd 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-
v~cnIence. 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 Will conf
pare iavorably with any In other cities. underth their
| AlTnlnlStTNtlOu TIE sCnOOlh NIc Iupllly IlNlnS III pun
lie estimation. Though the population OF the county
| Is diminishing, the schools have Increased about b
per cent, and are rapidly auginentlng In numbers.
happy 10 be able To report that our schools are III a
healthy and ilOurishlng condition. The Board of
Education employ n 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 soitening
and ~Subduing character. This enterprise thus Tar
has worked charmingly.
The county school lax for lS6i and lSt1 was fixed
by the Board Of County Commissioners at 10 cents
ty-a tax hardly equal TO the wants OF this depart
We shall probably be able 10 maintain the schools In
the county through the year.
SCHOOL LIBRARIES.
District School Libraries constitute one OF the
mos; efficient auXINaries 10 our Public Schools that
can be employed. Their Importance. when wisely
selected and judIciously managed, can not be easily
over estimated. There are books admirably adapt.
ed, both In style anil thought, TO every grade oil
mind, rich In Information, moral lessons and religious
instruction, untainted with sectarian bias. Wher'
ever these libraries have been successfully estab'
lishcd they have awakened and cultivated a spirit
for reading, and have essentially modified the char
actcr OF those districts for good. II the Legislature
would offer the Trustees OF each School District a
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 to be
added thereto, l feel confident tina; In less than one
year from the passage o. that ACT, there would 1e y,
School District In the State, insuring pleasure and
profit TO the pupils. and Q. 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.
1t Is very important for the continued prosperity
ofour Public Schools, especially In towns and cities,
that all the pupils should be vacCinated. Experience
has demonstrated that there are many parents ana
pcnse Of vaccination, who prefer their children
should rcmain ut home than to conform TO the rules
OF the Board. To Danish children from school on
| account of nlrprltul lNlvtcp Is contrary 10 tie genus
OF our Public School system; works a hardship both
TO the pupil and the public. and should not be tolcr'
ated. In such cases It certainly seems Just that the
school authorities should be Invested with the power
10 have such children vacclnatcd, al The dclnquentS'
expense, after = days notice by the Clerk OF tile
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, as IL Is iO OIL tns
should be qualified TO successfully resist the loath'
some disease " small poN.
NEGRO, INDIAN AND MONGoLIkS CHILDREN.
Some law more efficient than now exists, should
be France, to secure educational facilities to the chill
dren OF negroes. Indians and MOngolians. 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 State-denying any School District
even by a unanimous vote OF It's citizens. the right
10 admit one OF these unfortunatcS. The California
School Law. OF which ours In Its principal features,
| Is a transcript, has been, / 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 and eighteen
years OF age. The Board Of Education have cXpcnd-
ell much, both Of time and earnest labor, TO organize
| a Public School for their benefit; but there are mu-
tual prcjudiccs existing Of one race against another,
almost, IL not quite, as strong ~ that ofthe superior
| race, which bolts the doors OF educational halls
against them all; but thus far, have been unable TO
accomplish their purpose. without inclrrlng . much
greater outlay Of money than the occasion. In their
Judgment, seemed to Justify. From the organization
Of the Territory to the present IT. time naS the pT r. rdy, Of
| Schools. The Assessors books, for 1853, show that
the taxable property OF the colorcd people OF Virginia
City. for that year, amounted 70 the sum o. S ~ any,
| per cent. was paid into the County School Fund,
This is gross outrage upon u helpless class-Our
sclfrespect, IL not our sense OF Justice. should coun'
IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION.
The genius OF our institutions rests upon the pop
be- illSmincd only By a system Of popular education.
| The Public School system, as now unlerstoOu-
which holds the State responsible TO Furnish edilca'
| tIonal facilities to all the children OF the state. irrc-
spective OF condition or Chassis emphatically an
American system. II Is the hope, and should DO
the pride, Of our country: II the state Is morally
| bound 10 afford these facilities for the children. then
certainly the children are under obligation to the
| State to avail themselves OF these Invaluable iacil'
ties. Rights and duties are CO relative. Inc pubic
cannot afford to allow any class TO remain In lgno-
rance OF letters. Ignorance Is the natural enemy 10
society. II generates and carries with 1t an un-
healthy and contagious atmosphere. vastly more In
1 uTlOu I U Clt ANU " ON AthA' Sael'
those loathsomc and infectious diseases, which
are so strongly guarded against, by all governments,
by a perfect system Of most stringent sanitary regu'
lAtlOns.
The School Department is the most important In
It's conservative influence OF any branch Of the State
Governmcnt-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 cl0lucnce
and logic that should not pass unhecded. wisdom,
the fruit OF education, brings security andpeace.
The s~choolmaster ignorance destroys.
tain schools and than criminalC Courts
and criminal oflcers-to construct School, Academy
and University buildings, than prisons, penitentla-
ries and gibbets. As the morning dew disappears
before the warm and genial rays OF the ascending
sun. so reccdcs crime with Its necessary appliances
in those communities vltAllZed with u cOmprehen-
sive education, softened by moral and religious In
nuenccs. The recent rebelllon-thc greatest war OF
the centuries-that peopled nearly a million OF pre-
mature graves, and consumed the earnings OF the
present and past generations, AMI m0rtgaged the
labor or generations unbOrn-would probably not
have occurred had the worth and Importance OF the
schOolmastcr been better understood AMI apprccla-
ted, and his presence and influence been invoked In
every part OF our Federal Union. How t0rCibly, In
this connection. Ii Illustrated the truth Of the pro-
verb, that Prevention IN 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 joyfully for their support.
SCHOOL ATTENDANCE.
With the great fact staring us In the face, that
nlne,tenths Of the present generation OF Children IN
our State will be entirely dependent upon our Public
Schools for their educatlon-that more than four
ffths OF this number will be drawn into the various
channels Of labor before they shall attain 10 fourteen