The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-05-03
III IS THEIRS At LAST.
The School Board Takes Formal Pos
session Of the High School
Building.
And There Are Two Little Signs
Which Are Now up Over
tho Doors
It Was All Accomplished With out the Aid
Of shotguna or Howitzers ] ust
at Twilight.

The trustees OF the Helena school district
are 10Y in possession OF the uncompleted
high school building, and may be looked to
to finish it in time for the next term, which
begins in the fall. 1t was done without
any violence or any resistance. No guns
were visible during the ceremony Of captur-
ing the building, and had there been any,
there was no oooasion to use them. There
was nobody to diapute the capture. Shortly
before eight O'clock last night, when day
light and darkness were about evenly di-
vidsd. a small detachment Of men might be
seen approaching ths handsome pile of
stone and mortar which stands on . com-
manding eminenoe on Warren street. The
party consisted Of Chairman LanRhorne
and Trustees Klsinachmiat, Walker and
Guthrie, and Secretary Ellis, of the school
board, together with the war cor
respondent OF the only sevsn-day
Helena paper. The ~arrowns Of the
board walk compelled them to walk two
abreast, Reaching tho new high school
building, the forces wers augmented By the
addition OF Trustees Miller and Cans. and
supsrintendent Williams, who had acted
door in front and the main door above it
were quickly stormed and there being no
defenders they Wsre taken without firing q
shot. After both had been securely look0d
the following notice WAS nailed to the base +,
mont door:
.Ihe board Of trustees Of school district
No. / have this day taken actual possession
of this building and all persons are warned
not TO trespass or in any manner interfere
with workmen or those having the same in
charge. This is done in pursuance OF q
resolution adopted by the board"
On the main door OF the front Of the
building this was tackled:
"All persons are hereby notified that the
school board will prosecute as trespassers
anyone entering without permission
Then the party marched back to the
school board rooms, whore the proceedings
were regularly placed on the minutes by
the adoption Of the following report:
To the Board: Your building committee
and committee on grounds, repairs and
jhnitors. respectfully report that they have
taken possession of the High School build
ing, and pnt up notices warning all persons
hat anyone entering on the premises will
be prosecuted, as tie board had formally
taken possession of the building in accord
ance with the resolution of the board.
9. 3. MILLER,
H. .- w. II. GUTHRIE,
JACOB WALKER,
FRED GAMER.
About this time Judge Atkinson, attor-
ney for the contractors. came in. He
said be had understood the board
was going TO talk over the high
school matter with . view Of
taking final action. He was told the board
had finished talking over the situation and
had already taken the sts7s they intended.
Then Judge Atkinson went out again.
Ths high school building was started in
August. 1880, and was to have been com
pletsd BY April, 1891. Many changes in the
orioinal rlana cauaad eoma of the delay
and the contractors got very much behind
for other causes as we'll. Til board has
been talking of finishing the building for
about two months, and last nights action
settles it very likely. Contractor ]. s.
Grant has been rendered the position of
superintendent to complete the building
and will probably accept.