Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-03-13
SCHOOL sUpERINTENpENTs REPORT.
ANNUAL RERORT
OF the Storey County superintendent
OF Public Instruction.
Hon. a. F. Whitc, Superintendent Of Public In.
s~truction for The Stale of Nerddd:

s~tructioa for the Stale Of Nerdda:
DEAR SIR: Ny statistical reports afford you all
the Information In regard TO the receipts and 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. and the
number OF pupils attending the sanlc, average at
Tendance, All abstract from the reports OF the Census
School Marshal. School Trustees, Teachers, and
such general as the School Law requires.
Perhaps q few words, by way OF explanations and
suggestion. In this connection, may not be out Of
place.
the special school law OF November, lS62, which en-
ernptcd Storey county from the school law approved
November, ls6l, under which the Storey county
Board Of Education was organized, and worked with
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 placcd under my
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 q decision OF the Supreme Court. held the
office Of County Superintendent without legal au-
thOrity-!nto four School Districts, two Of which.
from u pauclty Of population, could not maintain a
school for u time sufficient to cntitlc them 10 draw
the funds, distributed by the State Board Of Educa-
ton. without %resortlnS TO district taxation though
one OF these districts embraced the extensive Re
ductlon Works OF the Gould & Curry Mining Com
pany, and seven or eight Quartz Mills an
amount Of taxable property, the school iGnd from
hhhNh NlNht'A ih thaN n ~ "puiA lhhs
support q ilourishing school for the entire year. Con-
sldering so much Of the action Of my predecessor rs
Illegal, that divided the county Into four districts. |
restored the same TO one School District, with u View
Of making the schools more efficient, by bringing
them under one management, and appointed for
School Trustees for Storey School District, Messrs.
Louis Fcuslcr, d. o. Addison and s. II. Robinson.
three gentlemen well known for their public spirit,
energy Of character, business capacity, and devotion
!F, the Interest ana PT1spSrIity G o. popular e. ed0 6ern ~
the important work OF charging, repairing, rcnovat-
Ing, vcntilatlng and furnishing those school houses,
which were constructed or lifted temporary for
school purposes In lS62 and 1868, with the Idea that
they would soon be displaced by more cOmmOllous
and permanent school cdIilccs. These Improve
mcntS were attended with considerable expense. but
were lndIspcnsahly necessary. Their labOrs have
been ar,luous. They have already accomplished
very much, but much more remains TO BE- accom-
plishct. The result Is. the BOarl OF Education has
now eleven school rooms, which are comfortable.
neat, spacious, well lighted and well ventilated, and
equal 10 the school demands Of The present. and will
probably serve q good purpose for 4 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 aud sun. The Board
own all these school houses with the exception Of
two. Two OF these arc well constructed, hard finish
cd buildings. The school furniture consists OF two
hundred and ten chairs and single mahogany desks,
for the accommodation Of thu 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 inc0n-
venIencc. IL 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 COM
pare ~iavorably with any In other cities. Under their
administration the School1arc rapidly rising In pub
lie estimation. Though the population OF the county
Is diminishing. the schools have Increased about IS
per cent. and are rapidly augInentinc IN numbers.
Two new schools have been organized, and ! AIN
happy to be able 10 report that our schools are In n
healthy and fourishing condition. The Board Of
Education employ a singing master, who drrotes
himself entirely 10 the work OF instructing the pupils
IN all the schools Ia The county. In vocal music: The
and subdulng character. This enterprise thus far
has worked charmlngly.
The county school taN for lS6i and lSiS was 1Scd
by the Board OF County Commissioner at Is cents
OH each 500 OF surface taxable property In the coun-
ty-a tax hardly equal TO 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.
pIStrI,, School Libraries constitute one OF the
most efficient auXillarics to our Public Schools that
can be employed. Their importance, when wisely
selected and Jnd!ciOusly managed. can not be easily
over estimated. There are books admirably adapt.
Ell, both In style and thought. 10 every grade OF
Instruction, u~ntaintcd with sectarlan bias. Whcr-
ever these libraries have been successfully estate
llshed they have awakened AMI cultivated \ spirit
for reading, AMI have essentially modified the char
acter OF those districts for good. II the Legislature
would offer the Trustees OF each School District n
premium Of my cents for each person, between six
ana tlEHlctl hNAlNt Sl wv fiiti hiAN '
donations In cash should double that sum. and ~ be
added thereto, ! feel confident that In less than one
year from The passage 81 ,hat ", AL InSrc wSntI Hc
School District In the State, insuring pleasure aud
proiit TO the pupils. And n rich reward, particularly
in the future. 10 the public. One thousand dollars
expended In this way by the State, would produce
results Of great omcnt.
vAccISArIoN.
Il IL VERY important for the continued prosperity
Of our Public Schools. especially In towns and cities,
that all the pupils should be vAcclnatcd. Experience
has demonstrated that there are many parents AMI
guardians, ahundantly able to bear the small cN-
nrnsr OF vaccination, who prefer their children
should remain 1T home than 10 conform TO the rules
OF the Board. To Danish Children from school on
OF our Public School system; works n hardship both
10 the pupil and The public, AMI should not he t0ler-
ated. In such cases II certainly seems Just that the
school authorities should be- invested with the power
to have such children SaCcInatel. At the delinqucnts'
expense, alter - days notice by the Clerk OF the
Boari OF School Trustees for the district.
There are children OF inligCnt parents who should
be vaccinatcd at the public expense. In these cases
the county should bear the burden. as II Is for the
interest OF the county that both children and ADULTS
should be qualified 10 successfully resist the loatlI'
some disease of small pOX.
NEGRO, INDIAN AND AoSGOLIAS CHILDREN. -.
Some law more efficient than now exists. should
be framed, 10 secure educational facilities TO the chll.
dren OF negroes, Indians and MonIolianS. A severe
penalty Is attached To any district that VIII admit
children Ofany Of The prescribed races Into the Pub
lie Schools Of this Statc-dcnyinG any School District
even By q unanimous vote Of It's citizens, the right
10 admit one of these uniortunatcs. The California
School Law. OF which ours In It's principal features.
Is a transcript, has been. / believe, SO TAR modified;
10 meet the advancing Splrl, OF the age. as TO repeal
this penalty.
The report OF the School Census Marshal returns
seven negro. thirteen Indian and fifteen Mongolian
children In this county. between six and eighteen
years OF age. The Boarl OF Education have cNpend'
ed much, both Of time and earnest labor, 10 organize
tial prciudlccs existing Of one race against another,
almost, II not quite. as strong as that oil 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 their
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 lsh3. show that
the taxable property Of the colorrd people Of Virginia
City, for that year, amounted 10 the sum OF 5000.
Upon this amount n school tax OF twO-nfths Of one
per cent. was paid into the County School Fund.
This is gross OUTRAGE upon = helpless ciaSs-onr
sci us to terminate or modify this system OF wrong.
IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION.
The genius OF our institutions rests upon the pop
ular will. The great highway OF the multitude can
be llumIncd only by q system OF popular education.
The Public School system. as now understood
which holds the State responsible TO FURNISH educa.
tIonal facilities To all the children or the state, IRE
~spcctIve OF condition nr class-ls enphhucally 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 lncsc lHNulunoic Wiz
ties. Rights and duties are co relative. Ihe pubic
cannot afford to allow any class TO remain IN lgno-
rance OF letters. Ignorance Ii the natural enemy 10
society. II 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 loathsomc aud Infectious diseases, which
are so strongly guarded against, by all governments.
by a perfect system OF most stringent sanitary rcgu.
lations.
The School Department ., the most Important in
its conservative influence OF any branch Of the State
Governmrnt-no In cure, but In prevention, The
power OF the State for all the purpose uf good aug
mrnts with the growing Intelligence OF the people
composing II. In the train or ignorance follow dis.
case, poverty and crime, The records OF our criminal
Courts testify against ignorance with an eloguence
and logic that should not pass UNDECIDED. wisdom,
the fruit OF education. brings security andpeace.
The s~choolmaster conscryes-ignorance destroys.
II IL vastly more economical for the State TO main
tain schools AMI schoolmastcrs than criminal Courts
and criminal oficers-to construct School, Academy
and University buildings, than prisons, penitcntia-
rIrs and glbbets. 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 vitalized with q comprehen-
sIve education, sOftened by moral and religious In.
nuences. The recent rebelllOn-the greatest war OF
the centurles-that peoplcd nearly a million or pre-
mature graves, and consumed the earnings OF the
present and past generations, and mortgaged the
labor OF generations u~nborn-would probably not
have occurred had the worth and importance Of the
schoolmnster been better understood and apprccia-
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 than cure" These
great truths should inspire us to cherish our Public
Schools rs the life and hope Of the State. and our
Legislature should give joyfnlly for their support.
SCHOOL ATTENDANCE.
With the great fact staring us In the face, that
ninetenths OF the present generation Of children In
our State will be entirely dependent upon our Public
Schools for their education that more than four