The weekly miner., 1881-01-04
Written for the Holiday MINER.
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF
BUTTE.
BY PROF. r. b. HASsELL.

Another year mas passed rapldiy Dy
and in it's course wrought many changes
in our midst. The growth of the town Il
has been marked. Every business i'm +
terest has been augmented; promising II
mines have been developed, costly mills
erected, substantial business blocks OF Z
brick have taken the place of the old un-
slightly frame buildings; the continual
hum of machinery. the noise of blasting,
the unceasing stroke of the pickaxe, the
hopeful faces of our people, the crowds
upon our streets, all bespeak greater COM
fidence in the future of the Silver City \
than was ever before manifested.
While we have occasion to rejoice that
the valuation of property has increased
nearly million dollars during the last
twelve months, we only regret that the
cost of new and spacious school build
ing has not had something to do with
that increase. The necessities of our
schools have kept pace with the prosper-
ity of the place. Last year we had 300
children; this year the census gives us
!, 1,O28. 567 drew school money for the last
session of school, while this fall 756 drew
money. Last year about $500 was
raised and expended for schools; this
year our tax will bring us about $40, 900.
The enrolment for the whole year Of
1890 was 41S; this year it will be not
less than 500. Owing to the failure of the
district to erect new school building or
rather to make an addition to the present
one, we are renting three rooms at a
cost of about $40 per month. Thepeo-
pie very generously voted the bonds for
S., 900 last summer, SO it is due to no fault
of theirs that we have not proper build
ings with ample room. Neither does the
fault rest with the school trustees, who
have done all in their power to provide
handsomely for the schools in their
charge The blame is rather to be laid
upon short-sighted aud would-be econ
omical legislature of two years ago,
which refused to grant us permission to
issue bonds for more than 5000 even
: when the people of Butte were left tosde-
eide whether or not bonds for any
amount should be issued That proper
and considerate action may be taken ins
our favor by the coming Legislature we
will ever pray. .y{ssSs,.R
This district has reason to be thankful
: when it thinks of its financial condition
as compared with that of places of
its size all over the country-s Ne have
property valued at $25 900 and the dis
trict as yet hardly knows What special
! tax is. The provision made fpr the dis
-. ~, ..f 2 lot.
and the care exercised by the HON
: orable board of trustees, in theSexpendi-
I ture of it's funds have given us adj that
. we possess, besides from eight toAnine
months of school for three years.
The district to-day does not owe cent.
e Those who contemplate moving to
v Butte need have no fear of heavy taxes
g. Should the legislature be prevailed upon
r to grant permission for the issuance of
|, bonds for $10,0 600, subject to the vote of
the people, and the payment of them be
made in five equal annual installments,
y as was provided in the bill of two years
$ ago, the burden will be too light to be
u mentioned as such, even if the property
= valuation should not increase one iota.
II Three fOurths of mill on So, ,000, 900, to-
g gether with the money saved on rents
would more than pay the yearly proper
Is ton.
l. A noticeable advance has been made
e in all respects during the year. A large
e and experienced corps of teachers is do
IS ing intelligent work. The best approved
II methods of discipline and instruction are
If employed, and, what is more gratifying
II parents are manifesting greater interest
: in the schools than ever before. The
II work during the past three months has
y been very unsatisfactory, because of the
Al prevalence of children's diseases, which
must occa sionally sweep every commu
nifty. Membership in all the grades has
been very irregular and class work great
ly interfered with. The attendance is
s. now daily increasing and the schools
d promise to be full at the opening of the
T. session after the holidays.
" During the last year some valuable
he purchases have been made by the young
ID ladieso of the high school. A HOltZ elec
IL trio machine with dozen most import
n, ant accessories, a bi-chromate of potash
ar Battery with Ruhmkorf coil, helix mag
J. nets, etc, have been added to the appa.
Id ratus Besides these there have been pur
I'd chased three more sets of Guyot's maps
fine Tellurian with light attachments
X five globes, five sets of writing charts, ,
id set of anatomical charts, six new Web
L ster's dictionaries, an achromatic mi
IN croscope with a power of magnifying 6O'
dinr,otars ON addition of fiftu=nirht vol