River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-11-28
REPORT OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF
THE PIERCE COUNTY BOARD
OF SUPERVISORS.
ANNUAL SESSION.

ELLSWORTH, Wis, Nov. II, 1878.
The County Board of Supervisors of
Pierce County met in Annual Session
at the Court House at 2 o'clock P NJ,
and was called to order by the Chair
man, j. d. Putnam. Roll called by |
the Clerk and the following members
answered to their names:
Clifton, j. NJ Copp; Diamond
Bluff, G. III. Nero; Ellsworth, j. A.
Hamilton; Ell Paso, John Buckley;
Gilman. N. A. Nelson; Hartland, j.
w. Davis; Isabelle, Adam Brown;
Martell, Henry Stark; Maiden Rock,
C. L. Taylor; Oak Grove, John MUIR
ply; Prescott, LIST ward-A. L Car
roll, Cd ward--G. A. Dill, Sd ward
j. l.. Barnes; River Falls, j. d. Put
nam; Rock Elm, David Scott; Spring
Lake, j. A. Martin; Salem, W. A.
Carson; Trimbelle, John Powers;
Trenton, E. H. Boustead; Union, w.
I'll. Taylor.
Board then adjourned until eight
(S) O'Clock Wednesday morning.
WEDNESDAY MORNING, Nov. 13-2d DAY
Board met. Roll called. A full
Board present. Minutes of previous
session read and approved. A COM
munication signed r. e. Porter, relat-
ing to the condition L. b. Atkins was
presented to the Board and on motion
was laid on the table.
The annual report of the County SUI
perintendent of Schools was then read
by the Clerk, which on motion was ac-
cepted and adopted.
| RIVER FALLS. Wis, Nov. IL. 1878.
| To the Board Of Supervisors, Pierce County:
| With single exception the outlook for
educational progress in this county is quite
| favorable. That exception is the very low
wages that teachers at present command.
| The result is injurious, as many OF the best
young men and women are driven into other
| fields of labor. Several young men who
could shine iii the ranks of teachers, are
now preparing for other professions. 1t APP
pears that those who give up teaching are
| those who are best qualified, rather than
those whose loss would not be felt. 1t Is
however largely due to the depression OF
business, and look for brighter days in the
| Helti vi 6uuCdLlOI WHCI WIN
dence shall revive-an event said to be near
at hand
On the other hand, teachers were never
more interested in their work. The school
facilities within easy reach have enabled me
to raise the standard of qualifications so high
| that our teachers compare very favorably
with many older counties IN the State, and
are certainly better prepared for their work
than those in our neighboring State. There
are twenty.six first-grade certificates IN force
in Pierce County, and twenty-nlne second
grade; and the number is rapidly lncreas-
| ing The teachers associations are pro-
ducing good results, and more than one
hundred educational papers come into the
county to give help to the teachers and
stimulus to parents. The Teachers Libra
ry Association is well at work, and the es-
tablishruent of branches in the different bus
mess centers of the county will soon place
supply of good reading within easy reach of
| every teacher. District boards in general
are more critical in regard to the certificate
of the applicant than formerly, and but few
districts, save those having very small
schools, care TO hire teacher without ex-
perience, unless the educational acquire
ments are quite high.
One of the most gratifying results of the
past year has been the very general adop-
/ tlOli vi tCAb DOOhS thIOhShVut viz NCuhbyt
and rendering impossible the evils Of mixed
text books, heretofore great hindrance to
the teachers work. Those districts that
have adopted number nearly eighty, and the
| work is still in progress. Many districts
| that are distant from bookstores, and those
| having parents who do not feel able to sup
| ply their children with books, have ordered
| the board to purchase. In most cases the
books chosen have been the best published.
| Upon an average, pupils will make nearly
one-third more progress in the coming year
| than they did a few years ago. owing to the
fact that no time is lost by multiplicity of
classes and delay in getting books at the
| opening of the term from distant market.
One hundred and thirteen teachers are re-
quired to teach the schools. There are one
| hundred and three school houses in the
county The number holding certificates of
all kinds is nearly two hundred. The appli-
cants for certificates every six months num-
Der from one hundred and twenty to one
| hundred and twenty-five. Not all, of course,
are successful. There are six thousand two
| hundred and seventy-two children in the
county between four and twenty years of
age. of whom only four thousand three hum
bred and fifty-six have attended school.
| The average wages of male teachers is now
thirty-sIx dollars and sixty-one cents-a de-
crease of nearly three dollars since last
year The wages of female teachers aver.
| age twenty-seven dollars and eighty-nine
cents The whole amount paid out for
school purposes during the year is thirty
four thousand and twenty-four dollars and
| forty-five cents-an increase of more than
| five thousand dollars over last year.
The work of school visitation during the
year has been quite satisfactory, although
| the impossible roads of last winter rendered
| it impossible to make the entire circuit.
| A better understanding prevails between
myself and the teachers than L thought pos
| sible, and the suggestions which 1 have
offered in nearly every case have been re-
ceived with apparent thankfulness. This
| duty is one the proper discharge OF which is
productive of unlimited good, but to see one
| hundred and thirteen teachers twice a year,
and some oftner, involves no light amount
of labor, but it is given cheerfully in view of
| the benefits
For further particulars you are referred
| TO the next annual report of the State Su-
perintendent, in which | have discussed the
situation at more length.
urge your hearty cooperation in this
work, which is of vital Importance to all
good citizens.
Respectfully submitted,
H. S. BAKER.
Board then adjourned until 2 o'clock
P. NJ.
AFTERNOON SEASONAL DAY.
Board met Roll called A full
Board present. Minutes of previous
session read and approved.
The Chairman appointed Sup's e.
L. Taylor and g. A. Dill committee
to examine the bonds of the County
Officers elect On motion of Sup. G.
l. Taylor the Chairman appointed a
committee of three CD to-wit: Sup's |
Scott, Brown and Murphey to investi-
gate the excessive tax charged against
lands owned by David Young in the
the town of Diamond Bluff.
The following bills were presented
by Poor Commissioner Green for con-
sideration by the Board: M. Ware
S2400; L. Clifford $53 so; III. Stark
$34 so; j. N. Schmit S2035 which
were audited and allowed as follows:
M. Ware S22-50 T. Clifford S16.50;
FL. Stark S34.5 so; J. N. S chmit $1,000 |
Sup. Barnes from the Auditing COM
mittee presented the bill of expenses
amounting to $214.75 for laying out
State Road through the towns of Maid |