AUDITORS' REPORT OF

THE

FINANCIAL CONDITION OF THB

TOWN OF NORTHFIELD, March 1, 1862.

MONTPELIE&: WALTOJf'8 8TBAM PKINTINS S8TABU8HJO«ff. 1862.

AUDITOR'S REPORT. ORDERS UNPAID—EXPENDITURES OF 1861'. To Levi Smith for plank, Estate of Lebbeus Bennett, laud damage us of 1860, The Auditors of the town of Northfield, in pursuance of their duties as such, have examined the accounts presented to them, and report for the year ending March 4th, 1862, as follows :

SELECTMEN'S REPORT. ORDERS PAID—EXPENDITURES OF 1861. To L. W. Avery, damage to wagon, Amos Plastridge, for plank and powder, Jesse Richardson, error in tax, A. K. Rice, for plank, J. L. Batcheldcr, damage to bedding, George W. Wardrier, for plank, Ira Whittaker, timber for bridge, E. P. Walton, printing reports, John A. Tyler, lumber and plank, Freeman Thresher, damages to horse, Heman Carpenter, for land damages, David Denny, for timber, Josiah W. Williams, for timber, J. P. Jenks, for rebuilding bridge, Sam'l Smith, services as trustee, Benjamin Porter, professional services, Geo. W. Wardner, timber and plank, A. B. Houston, cash paid out for witnesses—case Brigham & Ellis, and blank books, Willard A. Rice, for plank, V. H. Averill, for recording, T. A. Miles, for recording births and deaths in District No. 4, V. II. Averill, table for town house, Roswell Dewey, for surveying, Thomas Elliott, for building road, H. P. Churchill, for plank, John Heath, for timber and building bridge, Zera Dickinson, moving bridge timber, S. D. Foss, building road, Lewis Hassam, timber and labor, Wm. Winch; " " .:•:,-,' James Wilej-, land damages,, i Total amount of arderi paid,

3 25 7 04 1 10 7 00 6 00 7 26 4 00 12 00 0 26 22 50 30 00 10 25 7 48 125 00 6 50 50 00 11 39 9 69 5 20 16 30 5 45 4 10 7 00 G 00 8 70 12 00 5 50 13 40 6 00 30 00 50 00

$396 36

a 09 15 00

Total amount of orders unpaid,

$20 00

CLAIMS EXAMINE!:) AND ALLOWED ON ACCOUNT OF EXPENDITURES OF 1861, BUT NO ORDERS DRAWN.' E. W. Culver, plank and timber, 3 28 5 50 John Walbridge, " " I. W. Brown repairing hearse, 10 00 William Benson, timber for bridge, 4 80 Henry Averill, " " •2 00 W. H. Loomis, " " 8 7.7 Almon Latham, plank, 1 80 S. U. Richmond, " 2 71 A. J. Averill, " 10 W. S. Newton, 41 Rent of Armory for New England Guards, 20 00 68 37 G. M. Fisk, for services heretofore rendered and money expended in several suits, as per bill rendered, 81 f 149 74*

Respectfully submitted, MARVIN SIMONS, W. C. WOODBURY, A. J. BRALEY, Nortkfield, March 1, 1862.

SelectiH'ftn:

OVERSEER'S REPORT. TOWN or NOKTHFIELD, In account with BBXONI WEBSTER, To the support of the following persons from March 1st, 1861, to March 1st, 1862, to wit: James Sullivan's family, 14 Jlti John Fitzgerald's 1 50 John MeCiillough's 16 89 Mrs. O'Neal's 19 29 Paul Knapp's 6 18 Mr. Well's 8 04 Mrs. Keeser 37 17 Michael Frauley's 57 36 Mrs. Burke's 58 12 Mrs. Harrington's 41 40 Mrs. Duffany's 23 69 Ruel Blake's 3 50

Dr.

Harriet gflict, Ann Shipman, Jabeson Cawshtwgaacft, Michael O'Briani Mrs. Hassett's family, Mrs. La Platt's Mrs. Stratton's Amiable Duke arid wife*, Henry Jones' family^ Charles Plofi'.« Mrs. Dumas' " Edward Bane, Ellen Wind* George Harlow's family, George Annii, John Martin, Mr. Welch and family, Mrs Nathan Knapp, Alva Stiles' family, Miss Terress* Briggs, James Sullivan for Mrs. Harrington's D-oardTransient persons,

Hfo. 1

II

1 I

1

16 11

$1,170 04 6 00

Paid interest on one hundred dollars,

By prders drawn on £he Treasury,

Or.

Balance due Overseer,

$1,176 01 866 23 $809 78

This day settled with Benoni Webster, Overseer of the Poor, and find due him the sum of three hundred and nine dollars and seventy-eight cents. GEOEGE NICHOLS, > Auditors. , GEORGE M. FISK, ftorthfeld, March 1, 1862.

SURPLUS FUND. The Trustee of the Surplus Fund Reports : That the whole amount of the Fund is For this sum the Trustee holds the Notes of the town to the amount of NoteS against individuals,

16,119 $4,483 00 1,636 00 $6,119 00

12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21

District Clerki.

Average attendance.

W. H. Loomis, Thomas Averi!!* V. H. Averill, T. A. Miles, A. Kathan, Joel Winch, A. Holton, Geo C. Mayo, S. TJ. Richmond, A. V. Rawson, H. Densmoor, B. L. Perry, Jdihn Gould, W. G. Wiley, S. B. Holdeiij Jos. Bates, Wallace Felch, William Allen, Hezekiah Davis, Hopson Barker, S. F. Judd,

28 33 55 519 42 8 72 88 27 42 18

m

i 29 31 82 IS 24 24 26 79

Money drawn.

23 OS 28 23 40 17 280 95 82 91 15 23 48 51 66 83 25 11 32 91 20 43 44 35 62 55 26 15 27 19 27 61 17 83 23 55 23 55 24 59 52 15

$933 75 1348 We hereby certify the above to be a true division of School Money in the Treasury of the town of Northfield, the last Tuesday of March, A. D. 1861; the above payable to the several District Treasurers. MARVIN SIMONS, W. C. WOODBURY,' Selectmen. A. J. BRALEY, SCHEDULE OF CLAIMS AGAINST THE TOWN FOR SERVICES RENDERED BY CERTAIN TOWN OFFICERS. |10 00 Due Oliver Averill, as Treasurer, 12 00 I. W. Brown, as Lister, eight days, 22 50 TK. Thresher, " fifteen days, 16 50 A. J. Braley, as Selectman, eleven days, 25 50 W. C. Woodbury, " seventeen days, Marvin Simons, " eighteen and one-half days, 27 75 Benoni Webster, as Overseer forty-three and one half days, 65 25 Sam'l Smith, as Trustee, 6 50 George M. Fisk, Auditor, 2 00 George Nichols, " 2 00 $190 00 We have examined the above claims, and herewith respectfully submit them, agreeably to an act approved A. D. 1860. GEO. NICHOLS, GEO. M. FISK, '

AGGREGATE. TREASURER'S REPORT, • '

-Y

TOWN OF NORTHFIELB,

In account with OLIVER AVKBILL, Treasurer, Dr. To cash paid on selectmen's orders, §2498 21 Cash paid Benoni Webster, as of 1860, $247 07 Interest on do., 5 44 252 61 Cash paid on overseer's orders of 1861, 725 00 Abatement of taxes, 50 00 $3525 72

LIABILITIES. Old claims heretofore rendered—outstanding : Isaac L. Stevens, land damage, Adin Smith, labor on bridge, ,T. H. Orcutt, services as Auditor, Selectmen's orders outstanding Claims allowed on which no orders are drawn, Due School Fund, interest on deposit money, Due Overseer, balance of account, Balance of orders drawn by Overseer, outstanding, Clams reported as due sundry officers,

Cr.

By balance in Treasury, Feb. 23, 1861, $1137 60 A. B. Houston's receipt, 2603 40 Cash of selectmen—license fees, 15 00 Cash of M. M. Graves, justice of the peace, ou account of fines and costs, $120 78 Less Counsel fees and expenses by him paid, ' ' 106 56 14 22 Note against Nelson Duffany, as of Feb. 20th, 1862, payable in one year, 12 50

41 20 149 268 309 141 190

66 00 79 99 78 23 00

$1,121 45 ASSETS. Balance of Cash in Treasury,

3782 72

Balance in Treasury, $257 00 CONTINGENT CLAIMS IN FAVOR OF THE TOWN. Fine and costs vs. Evan Lloyd, $25 92 " " " Edward Gorman, 15 38 " " " Francis Yettar, 1538 " " " Louis Bennard, GO 12 " " " Michael Starr, 9 14 " Philip McGrath, 7 7 6 $13370 Ministerial money in Treasury, 38 41 School money in Treasury, March 1, 1861, 972 50 Amount divided in 1861, 933 75 Abatement of taxes for 1859 and '60, 18 00 951 75 Balance of school money undivided last rear, Amount paid in this year,

37 00 2 41 2 25

$20 75 921 04

Amount to be divided this year, $941 79 We have examined the accounts of the Treasurer and find the above statement to be correct. GEO. NICHOLS, GEO.M. FISK, Northfield, Feb. 24, 1862.

257 00

Balance against town, $864 45 The Auditors herewith present the above as a true statement of the Financial condition of the town, according to the accounts presented to them for that purpose. GEO. NICHOLS, GEO. M. FISK,

REPORT OF

THE

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10 In No. 4, Main St., the boys and girls have recess together with apparently good effect. This school has produced excellent compositions declamations, singing and tableaux. The pupils have improved beyond all expectation within three years, considering the size of the school. In No. 4, Pleasant St., the elementary sound of the letters are given with remarkable exactness. In No. 4, School St., the recitations went off with "snap;" the pupils added with unusal quickness, and seemed wider awake than others. In No. 4, Cady's Block, the teacher labors severely and zealously, with great disadvantages. In No. 7, unusually good order and recitations were enjoyed. No. 8 has voted to build a new school house. The new one will probably atone, by its uncommon beauty and value, forthe shameful delay in its erection. May it represent truly the ability and needs of the dis"trict! No. 12 has nearly as wretched a building as No. 8, and the little shanty that gaps open at its sides is a standing insult to the public! No. 13 requires and will probably soon have a better school house and yard. A building worthy of this populous district, might be a noble structure. The grading of the scholars here has had a capital effect on the progress of study. No. 16 has voted to move and improve the school house, There is need of it. No. 20 has long had a disgraceful shanty near by, but the pupils this winter recited better than any others the Lord's Prayer and Ten Commandments. In No. 21, the best ventilation is enjoyed. Good order was kept, maps were well drawn, the singing was pleasant. But the committee, like nearly all others in the same office, either has not time or is too pure minded to attend to all parts of the premises of the District. Decency requires attention to disagreeable matters at times, and when the modesty and morals of our youth are at stake, too much care cannot be spent on certain matters now almost entirely ignored. Need I be more explicit? "A word to the wise is sufficient."

11 QUESTIONS. Would it not be well for every school house to be well painted outside, and within, to have white clean ceiling and walls, to have a clean floor, washed windows, and stove and pipe well blacked and polished ? Why cannot all have good black boards, globes, outline maps and high ceilings and ventilation ? Why can we not care as much for the well being and happiness of our own children, as for our cattle ? Expense devoted to our schools is no charity or loss, it is only an extension of family expense. TIME AND COST. 529 weeks of school have been kept by female teachers, 94 by males. Total 623. The cost during the summer and fall, for teachers, including board, was $1,345 50. During winter term, $1,436 24. Total $2,781 74. When you add to this the interest on school property and incidental expenses, the yearly cost of our schools should lead us to see that we receive in good study and teaching and morals and manners, the worth of our outlay. We report 160 more scholars than last year, and a larger average attendance, showing improvement. STUDIES. Many are neglecting Grammar, History, Composition and Writing, without progressing any better in the few other studies than they could by carrying forward all that the law requires. PARENTS need to visit the schools frequently and critically, to uphold the teacher's authority, never speaking against him before a scholar. They need to insist on the regular attendance of their children at school, on their pursuing all the studies required by law, and as many others as the teacher approves. They need to teach their children moral purity and decency, and personal cleanliness; to take a pride in the well being and beauty of the school and all its surroundings ; to realize that next to money paid for religion, the school tax is the most important to their families, neighborhoods and country. COMMITTEES need more moral courage—more close attention to the school. They should look after its interest as after their own, believing their own reputation depends on the credit of their district. They should insist on having good teachers, and on keeping them at any cost when once secured. They should insist on every scholar studying industriously all six studies, and submitting to the teacher's authority on pain of positive expulsion.

12 TEACHERS should be more ambitious to make the most of their time. They should insist on being obeyed at all hazards, and remember their accountability to God as well as man. They cannot possibly succeed without more prayer. BOOKS. Nearly all the books used now are those required by law, but it is time that they all were. Parents lose more than they save by delaying to procure the new books. The Board of Education are the best judges of that matter. Uniformity of books in the school is absolutely essential. Worcester's Spelling Book should be mastered by all our older classes. "S. G. Williams's" book on the " Constitution oftlie United States " is about to be introduced with great advantage. All the older classes can master its contents in one term, and thus become intelligent citizens. Every Protestant pupil should carry his Testament to school, and read it as the teacher directs. HOLIDAYS. A great and common evil is the irregularity of tlje scholars, the parents indulging them with holidays as suits their fancy, thus retarding the classes. In other States Christmas, New Year's, Wednesday afternoons and the whole of every Saturday are holidays, besides Fast Day, Thanksgiving day, and the Fourth of July. By adopting more holidays, when all can take recreation at the same time, and all attend school the same days, better progress can be made in study, and better discipline can be maintained.

GRADED SCHOOL FOR THE TOWN. About ninety scholars are through Fractions, who together with the more advanced classes in the Academy, would about make sufficient material foraschool of two ormore grades. They could all be accommodated in our present Academy building. I recommend that a Committee be appointed at town meeting to consider the feasibility of having a graded school for the whole town, and report next year. W. C. HOPHINS, Superintendent,