Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1895-01-03
Our City Schools.

In another column appears an ar
5icle on our city schools, describing
briefly the physical condition of all
the schools of the city.
From an educational standpoint,
Ellsworth has reason to be proud OF
its schools and its efficient corps of
teachers, but in sanitary arrange
ments our schools are sadly deficient.
The greatest evil is the lack of proper
means of heating and ventilating
the school rooms. The only means
of ventilation in nearly all the schools
is by the windows, and in many cases
these can be raised from the bottom
only
Who can estimate the injury to
the health of pupils by sitting in the
sitting. foul atmosphere of a crowded
school-room, or by the sudden changes
of temperature occasioned by Win
this mode of window ventilation in
The article referred to is in no way
exaggerated.
How can this evil be remedied?
The careful training of our teachers
in the principles of hygiene may in a
measure lessen the danger, but can
not accomplish the result to be
desired. The only way is by the
adoption of modern system of ven
tile. This means of course. the
OUTLAY of some money, not great
dedi. out is not the health of our
children of far greater Importance to
us than dollars and cents? Let our
supervisor of schools be instructed to
investigate al inexpensive but etiic-
lent system of ventilation that can be
applied to our rural schools. There
is no necessity of expanding a large
sum of money at the outset. Take
first the schools in which the need is
most pressing, then, year by year, add
to the list, until Ellsworth can point
witt pride to Is schools from d san
itary as we'll as from an educational
point of view.
description of the present condition
of the building occupied by the high
school, is the need of a new school
building. The present building is not
only poorly ventilated-or. rather,
not ventilated at all-but is even now
not large enough to accommodate all
the pupils, some of whom, during the
last term, were compelled to study
outside the school. With comp u
lively small senior class going out, the
large freshman class of last year re-
naming, and a new freshman class,
probably as large or larger, coming IN,
what will be the condition of our high
school next fall
4 partial solution of the problem
was suggested last summer; namely
the consolidation of the commercial
and high schools and the purchase of
the dwelling adjoining the present
school building. But the city fathers
put veto on this movement.
cd schools and modern
-scheol buildings are in the line of
progress. We believe in the future OF
Maine the future of Ellsworth. Cap
italists of the country, shrewd, eXpe-
rienced men, whose business it is to
study the possibilities and probabili-
ties OF state for purposes OF invest
ment, are directing their attention to
Maine, and not only their attention,
but their capital as well. The tide CT
progress. which has so long been roll
ing westward, has turned, and Maine,
with its magnificent undeveloped re-
sources, is becoming the loadstone Of
capital.
One of the greatest attractions to
new settlers are the schools, and a
town possessing the greatest advan-
tages in this line has the confidence
of capitalists, who look upon il as an
evidence of prosperity and progress.
The town which offers the greatest
educational advantages, the town with
an advanced high school and high
school building with modern sanitary
improvements insuring health to its
pupils will be the town that will first
reap the benefit from the influx of
capital and settlers into the State of
Maine
1t is not necessary to build an ex-
penslve monument to architecture;
what is needed is a modern school, a
monument to the progressiveness and
enterprise of the citizens OF Ellsworth.
We believe money expended in the
erection of such a school would be
money well invested, and would pay
interest in the increased prosperity
of Ellsworth and its people.