Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1858-12-28

the education of the blind, or even the
workshops Of an armory, shall be in
/ themselves imposing exhibitions of archi.
tectural skill, and that they he situated in
spot rendered beautiful both bv nat re
and art. But whoever thinks that anv
such attraction shoald be given to the
place whete the li;lle, seeing, thinking,
imPressible beings with whom we have 10
DO are 10 form habits Of order and neat
ness, and TO establish a taste for the in
tellectual, the good, The beautiful. If these
are established at all. But If time per-
mits we will speak of this again. That
the location of the proposed building is
healthy, is absolutely indispensa ble- 1t
should be neither in or near a swamp, or
unusually exposed TO the win,ry blasts !;
and if by situatng it few rods from the
centre of the district, or by expending a
few dollars additional, place remarkable
for beauty may be obtained, the advantage
gained will be well worth the sacrifice, if
indeed Ii seems one. OF course the ma
terials used in constructing the house Will
depend III great measure upon the situ-
alton of the place in reference to quarries,
railroads, etc.
l am told that in many places in the
West, especially If situated at little dis
tance from railroad, stone is as cheap as
lumber. If either stone or brick are used g,
great care should be taken that dampness,
so common to structures of these materi-
ais, be provided against. This may be
done by having each Of the walls double,
that Is, composed Of two thicknesses, hav-
ing a space of three or four inches wide
between them. The size and plan Of the
building must, of course, be determined
by the nun Der Of scholars to be accom-
modated. When this number does not
exceed fifty, single room, to be used as
both session and recitation room, may an
swer. The house should be supplied with
two doors, opening into separate halls,
provided with hooks for clothes, racks,
for umbrellas, etc. If possible, II would
be well to provide a room for the use Of
the teacher, to also be used as library
and apparatus room, and, whenever it IS
necessary, as a recitation room. If, how
ever, the number Of pupils will exceed
fifty, I say fifty, because that is the
greatest number any one person can DO
Justice TO in a common school,) there
should be either two large session rooms,
adapted TO the grading system, or several
commodlous recitation rooms should be
furnished, in which assistants may con-
duct recitations. IN building of this
size, two rooms besides the recitation
rooms should always be provided-one
for a conference or teachers room-the
other for use OF a library and for the safe
keeping of maps, globes, and other ap-
pur,enances of well conducted school.
But the most important, yes, by far the
moztimpor'ant, things which claims the at
ten,ion of the building committee, are
those, which were before noticed as es-
sential, viz:
lst. That the rooms be Of a size and
height proporuonate TO tie number which
they are intended to accommodate.
2nd Great care should be taken ,hat
the different rooms be capable Of a prop
er ventilation, not only that the foul air
may escape, bat that air fresh and pure
may be constantly admitted to supply lis
place.
80. That the rooms be sufficiently light.
4th. That a convenient and cheap way
Of heating The house be provided.
9th That abundant means of egress
from every part Of the building is secured.
Want of time, and fear les, may be-
come tedious. alone prevent me from
treating each Of these points al length /;
as it is. l viii simply touch on each, CIV
ing some Of The most important reasons.
which demand that attention be bestowed
on them. Physiologists are agreed that
five TO seven cubic feet Of air per minute,
is the least quanty that is required by
each person. How few school houses
contain air enough 10 supply those in at
tendance with enough to last them five
minutes a this rate
Time after time death has resulted
from long-continued confinement in apart
ments incapable Of being ventilated. Aad
DO we think that because we DO not tempt
nature to the last extremity, re shall al
together escape punishment 2 Is it not
true = the tendency IS o disease, and oar
rashness is punished By headache and
!istnessness in The present, and, if the same
course is persisted in, outraged nature ex-
! IL al fFv- ALI ,r~n