History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;

1798.1 MEMORIAL TO CONGRESS—CANALS—SCHOOLS. 583
Wliat the selectmen were to do is not clear. If no money
was to be given towards the payment for the school-house,
it is difficult to see what there was for the selectmen to
do in the premises. They were not ordered to report.
At the same meeting $20 was granted towards the erection
of a school-house at Roberts Meadow ;
the money was to
be paid when the house was completed. This application
fared better than the preceding one, probably because it
was a portion of Northampton, while Easthampton had
been set off into a separate district. The Roberts Meadow
school-district was to extend from Thomas Cole^s house to
Williamsburg. Mr. Mann was again hired to conduct the
singing-school two days in a week from November to May,
for which he was to be paid $50.
Rev. Mr. Williams Rcv. Mr. WilHams again came before the
Petitions for an towu with a request for more Salary, based
Increase of Salary. .ii ij- -in ^ • ^ • c
on the hard times and the high price of
provisions. The town, however, refused to pay him anything
additional. A proposition to allow him $100 more
was negatived. He was still pei'sistent and at a subsequent
meeting presented an address concerning his financial affairs.
But the town was not then in a generous mood, and
would not consent to consider the matter in any form ; a
proposition to appoint a committee to confer with him was
promptly voted down.
No Change in Bound- An attempt was made to change the
ary. Grant to Israel boundary between the Hatefield and the
Lovefield divisions of the commons, but
the decision was that the line should remain where it was
laid in 1751. At the December meeting an order was
passed to re-enclose the pound. About this time Israel
Rust was given permission to erect a building on town
land, at the brick-kiln, so as not to interfere with the highway.
He lived at that time on Meeting-House Hill, and
this location must have been near the lower end of South
Street, as the brick-yard, laid out near Meeting-House Hill
when the town was settled, had long been abandoned.