The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1895-09-07
Grove School Affair-Letter From the
Patrons of the School.

Patrons of the School.
After having heard the verdict of guilty
without trial or hearing. we desire the public
to know to what extent we are deserving Of
this maledictous report, by hearing the r 90
facts of the case.
None OF our Oldest citizens rec ,llr,
OF hearing their fathers say when Grow
school house was built A. f. Mearns one "
the present trustees and John Lakeland, o.
Principle have both said they ATTENDED
school In the same building sixty-three year
ago and that it was an oldish building ut that
hundred years old.
For the last ten years the children have
been compelled to wear their wraps in school,
and the drinking water would freeze in the
| same room with the stove when the weather
was cold. We venture to say that there has
not been ten dollars expended on repairs to
the building proper, in the last 20 years. New
school houses have been erected all over the
county to replace buildings very much b 'ttcr
large sums of money have been expended tea
expensive school buildings and books furnish
ed for graded schools in larger towns Of e."
county, and the Taxpayers of the Ninth dis
| trict have paid their share of taxes for the
same, yet when the School Commissioners
have been approached in regard to II new
| bIiling to replace Grove school, No. 2, the
money WAS not in hand to do so and the
matter dropped Believing those assurances
| to be correct we had concluded to wait and
| allow our children to suffer, pending the con-
the II of August. John White one of the COM
missioners, with helper, came to the school
house and proceeded to remove the roof, the
only good part of the building. Neither the
trustees or anyone in the neighborhood had
any knowledge or information that any
repairs were contemplated, and believing Mr..
White was exceeding his authority, com
mittee of two called on Commissioner I. A.
Everist, at Port Deposit. to learn the facts.
when Mr.. Everist informed them that this
was the third time that Mr.. White had gotten
the Commissioners in II similar trouble and
that he had exceeded his authority to
the extent of commencing the building at all,
for the repairs and submit them to the board
He instructed them to have the trustees of
the school see Mr.. White and politely ask him
to suspend operations until "A meeting of the
board could be held, and to write him as
President of the Board to have meeting of
the same on the premises the Goth inst, all of
winch they did. Mr. White promised to
I'll. ,l,,
mailed. Mr.. White, instead of suspendng
operations. brought another man and pro-
c"cd"d with the work using 2v4 in. hcmlocks
for r!ttcrs, to take the place of the old 3x5 in.
oak ones. hauling the latter away, and max
ing the pitch of the building precisely the
same as the old one. the only difference being
an extension of Il few inches on the heel of
the new ones, two hy two inches, which
would have been a much better Job nailed to
the side OF the old rafters, and saving much
repairs. When the trustees and patrons
found that Mr.. White would not suspend, he
having the entire supervision of the work,
those under him going to him for instructions,
a petition was circIated demonstrating against
the extensive and expensive repairs. which
would not make the house better, and which
was signed by forty-siX patrons and taxpayers.
ON the night Of August 18th. some mis-
crcant not having the fear of the law threw
out the loosened gables and otherwise de-
molished the remaining part of the house
We're the walls not in such condition as to
fall down themselves? While we as patrons
of the school dcpore the procedure, we can
not and will not suffer ourselves or our fell
| low-citizcnS to be accused of such a lawlcss
act, and now ask thorough and searching
| investigation. not by the self constituted
judge of the county, but by those having
authority.
Another matter and we are done. Why
did F. A. Everist and John White appoint Il
meeting OF the school board to be held in
Elkton the 26th inst. and invite those
interested in the matter to meet them, and
then change the time of meeting to the 9th
without notifying those interested of the
change? Why did they then accept report
from John White of what he had done in
regard to estimates, etc, from parties living
in the Sixth and Eight districts. If con-
tractor why was Mr.. Dempsey or his rep
resentative not at the school building Why
did they report the demolishing us being
done by the citizens of the Ninth district
without any proof whatever that such was
the fact Stand up and explain, Messrs
School Commissioners, and give the citizens
Of the Ninth district some semblance of fair
play. Signed by
JOHN A. Fox, Trustee.
Ross II. SMITH, Trustee
GEORGE w. TAYLOR.
GEORGE A. HALL.
j. VI. G. CARHART.
ID. l.. CLIFFORD.