The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1881-03-30
Editor Home Journal :

to the members of our County Court, a.
to extending the lease of our Count,
Academy property to the Faculty o.
the Winchester Normal, are, as think
very good and appropriate. 1t is to b.
hoped the gentlemen ior whom the sug
gcstions were intended will give then
that thoughtful attention that their i'm
portancc demands. Permit one who
lives in remote part of the county t.
add hasty postscript to your article OF
this subject.
The property in question is held il
trust to afford good educational advau
tages and facilities for all concerned
The grounds were set aside and the
buildings erected for these noble pur
poses over II quarter of century ago
Those of our citizens who know most Of
its history, and the schools that have
been conducted from time to time in the
buildings, are prepared to admit that
the present lcssces have taken better
care Of the property, and kept it in a
better state Of repair, and last, but not
least, have carried on by far better
school than any Others who have ever
occupied it. They expended 81, 600, as
| understand, in improving the property
at once after they took possession. They
began school that has been growing in
popularity from the day of its organiza-
ton to the present. Students who are
eager to prepare themselves for useful
ness and responsibility, from every dis
trict in the county, from each grand di-
vision of our State and from many of
sister States are in attendance, amount
ing in the aggregate to over $50. And
still they come! The buildings @rc full !;
no more can be accommodated without
buildings. The lessccs do
not feel authorized to spend any more
money without an extension of their
lease. | hope the County Court will
take steps to either put the buildings
there, at the expense Of the county, or
extend the time at least fifty years, so
as to warrant the lessecs to do 50.
These gentleman are conducting the
best school that we have ever had. 1t is
an ornament to our county and to the
whole country. 1t is accomplishing all
that its most sanguine friends have ever
anticipated. The friends of education
are realizing these facts, hence the I'M
precedented patronage of the Normal,
and the necessity of cxpending five or
eight thousand dollars to accommodate
the students that are likely to demand
admittancc very soon, and thereby eX-
tend its usefulness. There is a tide in
the affairs of men, when taken at the
flood, leads on to fortune; when omit
ted, leads to ruin.
1t is not reasonable to suppose in these
''low-taX times" that the county will I'M
lertakc to make the much-nccdcd i'm
If she cannot and will not,
then she should at once extend the
lease to those who will do so. The
longer the lease the better for the coun-
ty and for all concerned. Experience
shows, beyond doubt, that the grand
objects in securing the property for the
county can best be attained by leasing
to god, live, active men.
| don't know that the lcsscss want
the time extended. Have no informa-
ton ON this subject; but do insist that
the best interest of the county demands
that it should be leased, 50 as to be i'm
proved and enlarged so as to extend ed
ucational advantages to as many as pos
sible. | believe that our County Court
has sound discretion sufficient to prompt
ly tender the property in question to the
present lessecs for at least fifty years,
upon the conditions that the property
be improved and kept in good repair,
and that good school be kept up in the
same from year to year.
| hope the Court, IN view of all these
facts, will not assume the unenviable at
titude of the classic cur who occupied
the crib door-the only approach to the
hay for the hungry OK. One of the
best acts the Court ever did was to
lease the property for fifteen years.
Now repeat the benefit by leasing for
ninety-nine years, if possible, on terms
just, equitable and safe to all parties
OLD CITIZEN.
DR.. Ragland's celebrated Lightning
Al