Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1894-08-02
hoIER. DAY COUNTY. SOUTH DAKOTA, AUGUSTA, 1894.
THE SCHOOL BUILDING.

In every community there is 0
class Of citizens who feel it then
bounden duty to oppose any move
neht that savors of improvm ent OF
pr repression. These people may be
entitled"pulIbacks". Webster has he,
quot OF them and the special i'm.
ProVement at which they aim theil
lhVectlve, at this time, is the issuance
OF bonds to repair and renorvate the
the school building. Now, we think
that If even the most bitter opponent
OF this work, would pay the school
building a visit, he would not only
be convinced of the necessity of this
step but that it would be criminal
negligence not to do it. Even the
more ardent advocates of the i'm
Proyement did not realize the real
condition of the old building. The
men who are at work there all agree
that it was only a question of time
when the building would collapse
and a visit will show this. Original
ly constructed in a himsy mannerr,
age and wear hadconverted it into a
veritable death-trap.
For instance there were no joists
on the ends of the buildings and the
floors at these points were in no way
fastened and the walls bulged at
least four inches from top to bottom.
The side partition vas drawn from
end partition two inches and the
slightest settling the meant a total
collapse. The floors were only laid
up to the studdinI and with no back
plastering gave free vent for the icy
blasts from under the house. AS
contractor Kendall says: "The best
thing about the building was the
ventilation as it was all ventilation"
The upper story was sheeted on the
inside and this was evidently for
strength, the builders being afraid to
carry up the structure on the same
lines as the lower floors. The lath-
ing vas another inferior piece of
work, as a glance at the ceiling up
stair shows that not n joint in four
rests on the joist. If this lathing is
retained it will necessitate the send
ing of a man overhead to place a
block at each of the false joints.
Taking it all in all, it is no won,
der that with three large heaters on
the upper floor, school had to be dis,
missed on cold days. The saving in
fuel. alone, will be considerable.
The imp rovement consists of the
moving of the old building onto &
good foundation, AXIS and build
inc an addition on the west, to make
it conform to this size. This will
make the bell tower sit in the center
and make an impos ing structure.
1t will then be ack-plastered ant
adamanted $3.50 the lower floor of the
new part finished for occupancy
There will be a well lighted cellar, {
200 barrel ~cistern and when com
pleted the edifice will be a credit to
our growing city. Words cannot
condemn too strongly the spirit that
opposes an improvement of this nat
ure and Webster is to be congratu.
la ted on having a board of education
that has the stamina to do their duty
49,
in spite of the "pullbacks."
With the finishing of the school
house on the lines laid out, we will
then have a well lighted, warmed
and perfectly safe Building with
facilitise enough to prevent over
crowding.
School will open in the fall with
four departments and five teachers
the Board having re-engaged Prof
Rock; Misses Lawyer, Atkins and
engaged Miss Maude Abbott and a
lady from New York, to take charge
of the primary department. With
this corps of efficient educators in
charge, the high standard already
reached by the Webster schools will
not only be kept up, but will be sur
passed.
Since the above writing the school
hoard have closed a contract with