The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1886-01-30
Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
LETTER FROM CALVERTON.
Wretched School Facilities-A Case that
Needs Attention.

CALvERToN, BALTIC. COUNTY, Jan. %, 1886.
Messrs. Editors You will please grant us space
in your valuable paper to lay before the taxpayers
of Baltimore county a matter of interest to them
and one of supreme interest to our neighborhood.
We have suffered with patience until patience has
brought shame to our cheeks. We have stepped
up to the Treasurers Office and paid our taxes to
support the demands for better school facilities in
other parts of the county without murmur, and
now we only ask that others give that same cheer
full assistance to us in our efforts to better our
school facilities, the necessity for which will be
conceded, we are sure, when we have placed be-
fore you the shameful state of present school.
For more than twenty years we have received
comparatively nothing. Our children were housed
in an old stone building, once used a chapel in
burying ground, until the transfer of the county
aims house to Texas. Some of our citizens pre-
vailed upon the Commissioners at that time to set
apart small triangular lot, at the juncture of the
Calverton road and Garrison lane, for school,
The old building and grounds were sold and to
the proceeds was added small sum and the pres
ent onestory structure, with two rooms was erect
ed nearly half mile from the village, with a
brick-yard on one side and cattle-felds on the
other. Now, what is the state of affairs +? This
building is in most deplorable condition. The
walls and foundations crumbling; great holes
in the foundations, and the building is really
unsafe. The fencing enclosing the sink and sepa-
rating the enclosure OF the boys from that of the
girls, is down and gone; the sink is in such a
condition as to cause anxiety on the part of the
parents lest their children fall into it, and the
fence around the grounds has nearly all disap-
peared. So much for this house.
The neighborhood has grown in the last few
years surprisingly, so much so that if the present
building was in good repair it would only accom-
MEDIATE about $50 out of between 400 and 500
children in this vicinity large enough to attend
school, To help our condition we obtained per-
mission to rent room in the village-a part Of
Mr.. Slack's wheelwright shop-and in that room,
21x27 feet, we have crowded 43 children. Such a
state of affairs this has aroused people and
they met in mass-meetng at Calverton, Monday
evening last, to take some action. By their mum
bers and enthusiasm they showed that something
must be done. As the School Commissioners
could give no relief, they being limited to a GER
tain per centage of the levy-and existing schools
absorbing all that-our only hope is to have the
Legislature do for us done in the matter of
the Oak street school, north of the city. Conse-
quently, bill had been prepared similar to the
Oak street bill, and offered in the House at An
napois. The meeting on Monday evening passed
resolutions praying its passage and appointing a
committee to go to Annapolis and urge upon our
members the cravings of our people for relief
On Wednesday the committee went down and
fully stated our needs and wants to the members,
and we glad to say they gave us a most cor
dial reception, attentive hearing and every en-
couragment to hope that our request will be
granted. Respectfully,
ONE OF THE COMMITTEE.