The San Francisco call., 1895-11-16
A Groggery Under an Infant
Class From the. Hearst
NGhooi'
BETTER QUARTERS DEMANDED.
Residents: Near Fillmore and Herman
Streets Make an Indignant
:. :' Protest. -.

About thirty families living in the neigh
borhood of Steiner and Herman streets
are complaining bitterly over the action of
the Board of Education in placing the re-
ceiving class, composed of children of tender
ages, over saloon. Several weeks ago
the crowded condition of the Hearst Gram
mar School on Fillmore and HermaI
streets caused the educational authorities
to send the receiving class to a two-story
building on the northeast corner of Her.
man and Steiner streets.
The schoolroom is in the second story of
an old building that would burn like tinder
in case of fire in high wind, and the
exit is anything but safe for little children
in the case of such an event.
But worse than fire are the next-door
ne1ghpors of the little ones. The ground
floor is occupied as a corner saloon. The
inch board walls and the equally thin CELL
ing of the saloon permits all the barroom
language of the place to be heard by the
little ones.
The patrons are mostly the laborers con-
nected with Contractor Buckman's grading
camp. 1t is asserted by those who live in
that locality that Buckman runs the sa-
loon and that he expects his laborers to
patronize the bar literally. The result can
easily be imagined.
The loud language and songs divert the
attention of the pupils, who should be re-
moved from such surroundings.
Daniel Jones, a real estate man who
lives near by, and whose little six-year5old
girl attends the school over the saloon, is
one of the indignant parents. Last even-e
ing he said:
When the change was made and the class
quartered over the saloon but little attention
was paid to it, as it was the idea that better
quarters would soon be found But it looks as
though the quarters are permanent and l for
one am highly displeased with having my lit
tie girl placed in any such surroundings.
1t is a shame that little boys and girls should
be obliged to almost enter corner saloon in
order to get into their classroom: On more
than one occasion my little girl has been
frightened almost to death while on her way
to school BY - couple OF M drunken s1Iae bFawlers M
door of the school. 1t is about time for the
matter to be looked into and change effected.
Another indignant parent who does not
care to have his name mentioned, echoed
the remarks of Mr.. JONES' and added that
the citizens in that locality should hold an
indignation meeting and protest against
the outrage. He said:
Contractor Buckman has a construction
camp back in the hills near here, and nearly
all of his men patroniZe the saloon under the
schoolroom. My little boy has picked up more
profanity since he has been i'll this school than
all my other children ever knew, and several OF
them are well along in years. Il don'tsend him
to school to learn cuss words, but what can be
expected when he has to pass several times
day through q gang of foul-mouthed quarry
men? 1t is time the matter was looked into
and a change made.
Director Clinton last evening stated that
the class was placed in the building by the
classification committee, and al the time
the change was made he for one was not
aware there was saloon under the class
room. He will look into the matter at
once, he said, and take steps to remedy
the evil.