Catoctin clarion., 1885-12-03


Restorer.
We enjoyed an hour with our old friend
and patron, DR.. G. NJ Zimmerman, who
called to sec us on Monday afternoon last
lie is not strong, but is well ablG to get
about and is the same pleasant gentleman as
of yore.
SERIOUS Loss. Mr.. John r. Stoncr, re-
siding two miles northeast of this place has
lost during the past summer and fall about
eighty head Of hogs, they having succumhcd
to the disease that is now prev alent in this
locality.
TEMPORARY SToPpAGE On Friday last
it was discovered that some of the brick
work lining of the furnace at Catoctin' had
in the furnace below the part effected and
the blast was then taken of and after some
hours work was commenced and the dam
age repaired. The blast WAS put on again
on Sunday night and the furnace is now
working again in the very best shape.
Brcr Mottcr knows some newspaper men
with lmaginations sufficiently vivid to en-.
able them to substitute for celery; pepper,
salt, vinegar and turnip tops. lie has not
had occasion to exercise his imagination. an
appreciative gardener having sent him sew
cral lunches g feet long, blanched to the
utmost leaf and inches thick which we
take TO mean "across the stump"
But we haven't heard of any Thanksciv-
ing Turkeys that were sent in with kind
regards and SIGH.
We are in receipt of a letter from Mr.. J.
VI, Fogle, late of Franklin Mills, now in
Flor,t,a. He has purchased land there, says
it is the best place in the world for farming,
hunting and fishing Oysters ten cents per
hundred in the shell, delivered, as good as
he ever ate. He also asks ns to come down,
right of, with ourpresscs, type, etc, as there
is magnificent fortune awaiting us.
We are glad to learn that Mr. Fog.c is
we'll and doing well and if that fortune will
Just agree to wait, we will take it, just as
soon as we can arrange to gobblc it up and
invest it,
We publish in this issue the Annual Re
port of the County School Commissioners.
The disbursements foot up $70,245.G4, in
Guiding $104 AZ cash on hand.
From the statement we CLEAN some inter-
esting facts in reference to the "book fee
question, which, in our opinion, will add to
fast. forming belief that the whole matter
of books, as it now exists in our public
schools, is an unlimited nuisance.
We find The amount received from Book
Fees and the Sale Of Books to be $G5l6.09.
TO which if we add the value
of Books on hand 90
We have q total of 7944 90
Paid for books (Whitc) 57377S
(Cololcd) 35G.73
6095.51
Difference in totals $1S4S SO
In our Judgement, the Book Fec system is
wrong in principle, but that besides the tax
levied, the county should make u profit of
$1S4S.5S from this source, aggravates the
evil True, this may not all be profit, but
that any appreciable part thereof should be,
is certainly grevious wrong. The hooks
should either be Us free MS the schools, or
they should be bought and paid for by par
ents In the former case there would be re-
lief from not incOnsidcrablc expense to
heads Of large f,Iuilics of moderate means
and in the second instance, both parent and
child would have all incentive placed before
them to take care of the books and they
would only pay for what the used and as 1t
was worn out. We know of no sound rea-
son why the present "book fee" system
should not be reformed out of existence We
also find in the Statement m item, $41 .S3
charged up against Fire Insurance. This
can cover but slight proportion of the
property owned by the Public Schools in
this county. Is it that certain property
stands in more danger from fire than others
The report makes an excellent showing in
the matter of attendance, but it does seem to
us that the average cost per pupil is very
high, unless we have committed an error in
our calculation which is as follows
Total Disbursements $7O,2G
Less Debt Paid 81 900
" Cash on hand 104
" Books COOS
Repairing Houses 2,29S
$13,304
$56,s51
Average Attendance 5536
Average Cost per Pupil $l0.65
Having in the above allowed for the OK
penge of the books, the amount Of the book
fec must of course be added to- this average,