The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1884-02-21

school room, or more than one teacher
at $500 per month wages, but. Mr..
Editor, You might rs we'll attempt to
stop the Mississippi river with a hay
fork as to stop the increase OF children,
and / say the Lord forbid that such
calamity should ever befall us, for.
according to the best political econo.
mists, the wealth of nation or of a
community of any kind. is in its in.
crease of population. The progress
sive element prevailed however, and
the thousand dollar room was built,
and that small building was more of
An undertaking, and heavier tax on
the district than two schools like the
present one would now be. In a few
years the FIRST BUILDING was too small,
we needed two grades and two teach
ers it is fresh in the mind Of every
one who was in Morris at that time,
that We had hard fight to get the
district bonded for the present beau
tiful building, and for the same reason
we didn't need one so large, which
was again the fact. But the party of
progress again carried the day. The
school board contracted for the erec-
tion Of the building, and for furnish.
ing and providing two rooms, hoping
poor fellows, that their descendants
at some time in the distant future
might be required to furnish the re.
naming two r IONS. Al this occurr, d
as far back AZ four years ago, and
now the four rooms of the building
are not only full. but another depart
ment with an extra teacher is crow.
ded into the recitation room, and we
have an overlooked department Of
46 scholars on the east side of the
track.
Now nine years ago there were but
four school districts in this county.
This district embraced all the terri
tory west and south OF Morris as far
as you could reach; the assessed value
of the district was $35, 000-intt rest
on 81 900 at IL per cent would make 4
tax of three and four-tenths mills.
The district is bonded for SIS ,000-for
the present school building at per
cent, making $500 per annum to pay !;
suppose it costs $4,000 to build
another such school house. the bonds
| would bear interest at 6 per cent
making $3.50, or a total interest of
$4,000; the present valuation of the
district is $685.. 129. 90, thus $3.50 on
this valuation would be small frac-
ton over two and one-tenth mills
tax, or one third less tax than the dis
trict had to pay IN the the one room
house.
But. as there seems to be diversity
Of opinion about the amount that
should be expended for building.
ranging all the way from $4,000 to
$50, 900. suppose we take $4,000 for
the new building. then let us look at
at the relative tax on the first build
ing, and with the SIS 900 bonds already
issued and $4,000 additional. Thus
we have $1,000 interest at 8 per cent
$500, and 10000 ut 6 per cent 5000,
total ST. 900 annual interest. This
amount on the present assessed val.
uation would be two and eight-tenths
mills; you see this is still less than
the tax our fathers had to pay on
their first structure.
Now these facts ought to strengthen
the nerves of the most timid tax
payer. If any one should say the
town has got its growth. let this be
my answer, the increase Of chi.3ren
will not stop with the increase OF
houses; Look at the births in this
village for few years past. In 1878
| there wereseven births.in 1879 eleven
in 1880 fourteen. in 1881 fourteen. in
1882 twenty-six, in 1883 forty nine.
don't you see at this ratio we mus,
have about one hundred births in
1884. 1t is therefore sheer nonsense
to build for the present; let US put
up building that will meet our wants
| for five years at least.
just another word: this town
has. at least, one first class hotel. a
large number Of fine private residen'
ces, two splendid banks, FIVE church
buildings and one more to 60 up next
summer, a magnificent court house
and these improvements are all greet.
ed with hearty hnrrah by every.
| body, and yet from the very first till
now the improvement that will d,
most to build up town with the best
class of citizens, the school house.
meets with the most violent opposi-
ton.
Let this feeling be buried for once
in Morris, and let us rise to the evil
| gencies of the occasion let us do our
selves a credit. and a financial benefit
by a liberal forward movement. such
as we will be able to look hack to
with pride.
Let every citizen who has the in.
terest of his home at stake, turn out
to the school meeting on next Monday
evening, at 1880 o'clock, and do his
duty to his children. first for love OF
the children, and next for the love OF
the country that will be theirs to en-
joy when we have gone to "that nn'
discovered country from whose
bourne no traveller returns"