Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1885-07-16
The High School.

Ia, Bal given by the graduating elias Of
fh' High school on Thursday evening. July
>. Va grand >ucc,>-. The main object -
ii, Bal, Wa 10 pay III, expenses of the grad
tI-i4n. and in yhi- the Managers were sue
e'-~,tui. having ~old tickets To the amount ~
ene Hundred and thirty dollars. a >um >uiii-
gent 20 pay al expenses. and Ia present i
testimonial Of appreciation To their tearher-.
aud add fifteen dollar, 10 the High school
Building fund. The hall WAS very ta>iefully
i 'orat,d. The music by Andrews Orchestra.
Na> very fine About sixty couple occupied
ih, dance floor and thr galleries were well
filled with spectators. We feel safe in pro-
nuuurug thi> Ball one Of the most enjoyable
THAT ever occurred in this city.
4 the lat issue Of the AMERICAN had quite
full report Of the graduating exercises
viii not add 10 what has been written ON that
subject hut We would call the attention Of
our citizens. and especially OF the parents who
have children attending the High School 10
The unhealthy condition Of the room where
the school j. kept. We have called attention
20 th- subject several times, but we feel that
at MS time especially our citizens may be in
'ucel to make effort 10 provide better ac-
commo,laion, for the school for we question
l. there WIZ one citizen Of our town who left
the hall, after listening Ia the graduation eNer-
Uses Of the Class of ~. whose heart did not
thrill with feelings Of pride: and can We better
show our appreciation Of our High school
aud the advantage, il affords the poorest child
in town, than by furnishing a healthy and
convenient building for its accommodation:
For fifteen wears the school has been kept in
hall mol designed for any such purpose, and
80 located a. to be wholly unfit to be used for
school. Every year children have been
obliged to leave the school from diseases con-
tracted from the unhealthy surroundings,
such weak eyes. from the insufficient light,
that compelled the Use Of gas during cloudy
days: sick headaches. from the poor yentila-
ton and foul stencil that rises from the filthy
cellar and defective drains; sore throats and
diseased lungs contracted in damp, cold,
room. where the suns rays have never pene-
trated. Add to this the lack of play ground.
for there is not an inch of ground where the
scholars Of our High School can stand or
walk near the school room. except on public
street no shade trees; no well where they can
get good water and in fact nothing that can
Render it suitable place for children to pass
five or six hours in every day and not endan-
ger their health. We are aware that since
the attention Of the Board of Health has been
called to the condition of the school room the
drain to the cellar has been repaired and some
of the filth has been removed, but nothing can
prevent the room from being damp as there Is
no ventilation, the ceiling being too low TO
admit of it, and the sunlight does not reach it.
When the hall over the school room is let for
entertainments the furnace heat is turned
into that hall and the scholars are left to
shiver with the cold.
Notwithstanding all the disadvantages our
school has had to contend with. it stands well
with the best in the state and il is with pride
we read Of the rank its graduates have taken
in other schools and colleges. We have been
informed that within the past five years there
have been applications made for scholars from
neighboring towns for admittanee to our High
School, whose tuition would nearly have paid
the yearly expenses Of the school. but they
could not be admitted as we had no accommo-
dations for them. 1t il now too late for our