Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-12-18
ACCEPTED BY THE CITY.
The Myrtle Street Schoolhouse Dedicated b
Appropriate Exercises, Last Night.

1t is said that Alderman Fred d. Lunt
never took Il mouthful of supper last
night. He was on the anxious seat for
he had to make a speech and to turn over
the keys of the new Myrtle street school
house to the mayor and city council last
evening. Fred has had job on his hands
for the past three months. You see IT
was this way For long time the board
of education had been complaining ABOUT
the sanitary condition of the College
avenue school building and the wanted a
new one. Just at the time they proposed
the thing the city council was entertain
ing scheme for a new city building that
was going to cost in the vicinity of SI5OW
and schoohouses did not cut much ice in
municipal matters. Alderman Lunt last
vera asked that the council make an APP
preparation for a wooden building, to cost
not more than $1,000 but II was no go.
The city could not see it, But Fred is
blacksmith and his intelligence is as
strong as his muscles. so he went to work
on a long road. with the idea of getting
suitable building sometime. anyway.
1t is not so long ago that Journal read
ers read Mr.. Lunt's appeals to the gem
erosity of the people for the health of the
small children who We're obliged to attend
school in building that was entirely
unfit for school. particularly in the
warm season. In this project Mr.. Lunt
was ably assisted by r. W. Dunn of the
board of education. Mr.. Lunt watched
the city building matter mature and then
subside in the courts of Maine ana then
he fired his relief battery. Sentiment
turned in his favor for the people awoke
to a realizing sense of danger to re chill
dren of the College avenue school Then
the city became willing to do something.
Mr. Lunt is the member of the board of
aldermen from ward one. He brought
that big legal gun. Hon. S. S. Brown into
the fight and he rallied around Mr.. Brown
every other member of the board of edu-
cation. 1t was an uphill fight but it was
a splendid one. What did the gentleman
want? The reporter remembers that
Mayor RedingtOn said at one of the meet
| ings called to consider the advisability of
building new schoOlhOuse. well, tell us
what you want and we will see what can
be done about it,.
Whew. Mr.. Lunt said that the board
of education and the people up that
way wanted a good substantial school
house and that as it would not be econ
omy to build for only the present needs.
the school constantly increasing in size.
it was better. to build larger than the
school demanded now. They had an idea
| that an eight room school building would
be about the thing for that section. That
settled it. building committee was
raised OF which Mr.. Lunt was made the
head or chairman and the good work
went.
The building committee advertised for
bids and anmOg the bidders was S. f.
Brann. well-known local contractor.
Mr.. Branns bid being the lowest. $4,000
| the contract was let to him and ground
was broken for the building on a lot Sc
cured by the committee on Myrtle street.
| In June Mr.. Brann let the contract for
the mason work to r. l.. Proctor, also of
| this city. July l the carpenters went to
work and the wood work of the structure
was pushed as fast as possible. The APP
| preparation was $4,000 and the under
standing was that but four of the rooms
of the eight should be finished at that
| figure. AS the work progressed 1t was
| deemed advisable to finish the other four
I VDv-rr, fSNvd 70 dn
so. Today the building stands ready in
| every room to receive scholars and the
building complete. has but slightly eX-
ceeded the amount of the appropriation.
granite trimmings. 1t has what is COM
| monty called a 'hip-rOof'' with gables
over each entrance and the two entrances
| are on Myrtle street and the vacant lot.
| The building is 75XS4 in size. two stories.
| finished in North Carolina pine with birch
floors. The basement is cemented and
contains ward room for word one with
separate entrance to the same. The
painting was done by James Clarkin. a
local painter. Thirty men have been at
work on the building for over three
months and the wOrkmen have all been
residents of this city tor some time. The
work on the building has been inspected
by j. ID. Hayden, one of the best known
and most thorough master builder in
Kennebec county. Mr.. Hayden has been
about the building all of the time and
1
| Last evening the Electric cars We're late
and it was o'clock when the members
of the city council met at the school
building. and heard the report of the COM
mittee and accepted that report.
| Hon. S. S. Brown was master of cere-
monies. Mr.. Brown had his hands full
for the rooms and corridors of the build
| ing were crowded to their utmost capa-
| city.
Mr.. Brown said: We have met here
tonight. for the purpose of giving the
citizens whose money has built the
schoolhOuse an opportunity to inspect it,"
| 1t occurred to many present that this
| was the first occasion of the kind ever
known in the city. The first number on
the programme was that of ringing of the
bells of the building. Mr.. Brown explain
ing the use of the bells. The next was
music. singing America Our Hope" by
Miss Reeds class of the North Grammar
school; Prayer by Rev. George D. Lind
sey Of the Pleasant Street Methodist
church. Song, Miss Geneive M. Freese
Chairman Brown next introduced AL
derman Fred D. Lunt. chairman of the
building committee. Alderman Lunt
said:
Alderman Lunt said
| Mr.. Mayor and Gentlemen of the city
council: members of the board of ed,ca-
ton. ladies and gentlemen: l hardly I'M
| derstand why the committee on the new
school building should insist on my MAX
ing any remarks here this evening We
| have on this committee Mr.. Brown, Mr..
BOutelle, Prof. Lane, Mr.. Merrill and Mr..
Prince: every one of them fine speakers,
Ihey well understand this is out of my
line OF business. If they had asked me to
tell them something about blacksmith
ing. | might have been able to tell them
something that they know nothing about.
Mr.. Mayor, 1t Is very gratifying to this
committee. to have you and the mem
| bers of the city government and citizens
here this evening. to look over and in
spect THIS building. of which we as a
committee are proud: For two or three
years past our schoolhouses have been