The Portland daily press., 1899-03-27


Crowded to Doors, and the Cellars
are Used for Cloak Reconsideration
Largely signed.
Deering, more correctly speaking that
section OF ward eight which Is known as
"woodfords" on tho ancient maps, wants
new school house; not only wants IL
but is bound to have IL and II some Of the
stories told at meeting Of the Interested
citizens OF this locslity should DO
whispered in the ears of the COMMITTEES
on estimates their report would surely In.
olude liberal appropriation Of this same
much needed school building. Think Of
children sitting on slabs because there are
not seats enough to accommodate them
all. Imagine children hanging their
clothing up IN damp and unsanitary eel
lars and crowded together In cloak rooms
because there is not room enough for
them elsewhere. These are only some OF
the things that the people of Woodfords
told about at their meeting Saturday ove-
ming and some of these things may be
spoken out loud before the city govern
ment one Of these days
There we're fifty or more present at this
gathering In the common council room
in the Odd Fellows' block. MIR. Fred ".
Mathews called the assem- blage to order
and read the following petition which
has been generally signed:
1.-The undersigned residents OF ward
eight in the city of Portland respectfully
petition that Immediate action be taken
to relieve the crowded conditions of the
primary and intermediate schools OF our
vicinity and we further nsk that prompt
action in looking to the erection OF n now
school building for said grades be taken.
We respectfully refer TO our former
petition to the Deering city council which
was favorably Endorsed by the Deerina
school bouri and was fayorably referred
to you by the Deering city governm ,nt. :"
Mr. Mathews then opened the proceed
ings by stating that tho primary and In :
te mediate schools OF Deeripg. especially
the one on Nevins street, known ms the
Saunders street school, was crowded with
pup!la The last school houee build in
Deering outside of tbs new high school
building was in 1888, since which time
the population OF the city had Increased
by 1000, with an increase Of over 400
pupils. If the same schools which were
filled In 1883 are made to answer the pur-
pose now how much must school houses
be needed in this fectiou OF the city.
Superintendent Lord of the school com
niitee had officially visited the schools In
wards eight and nine few days ago and
had ernphatically expressed his opinion
that SOMETHING must be done at once to
| relieve the crowded and uusaDitary con-
ditioEs of these schools.
Dr. Foster, member of the school com .
mittee froW ward eight, WAS then called
upon ana said thut new school house
for primary pupils was Immediately
needed in the MGodfords scott n. He
went on to speak of the condition OF the
Nevins street school where every available
place was filed and desks evan put In
the cloak rooms to accommodate the chill
oren. The Ocean street school house Is
also much over crowded ard the cloak
| rooms here are also filled with desks and
in fact desks have Teen erected in every
cvaila BILE place and the overcoats of lac
children are hung in the cellar for want
of a better place In which to Put them.
Something had been seid about utilizing
the city council room in ths Odd Fellows
block Tor primary school children but DIR.
Foster diu not think this Idea was "a very
good one as the location, sanitary con
riitions and lighting facilities we've all
unified.
Mr.. Mathews said that it seemed to him
that the proper place for the new school
building was on the side hill above the
Maine Central tracks and this seemed to
be the general opinion of those present.
DIR. Foster said he believed 1t would be
best to erect four room school house
here as it wonld be folly to build "a big
school house as there was so much terri
tory to cover. 1t would be far better TO
build more school houses and have them
we'll scattered than to build one big
bull ing.
Alderman A. 4. Moulton believed that
the new school house should be built at
once and he thought the location sug-
gested was about right he thought the
citizens should have one plan aud having
made up their minds just what they
wanted to push 1t for all they were worth.
He called attention to the fact that the
Park street school hluse which would be
erected this year would cost about $50, COO
and ward eight could not reasonably ex-
poet too much for the first year.
MIR. Mathews suggested that the lot Of
laud owned by l.. j. Perkins would be
about the right location aud this was re-
csived very favornbly. 1t was thought
that this lot would cost somewhere about
g. COO.
MIR. A. G. Bragg told about the crowded
conditions In the Ocean street school
house. His hoy had been obliged to sit
on bench without any ba,k since last
September and many other children lad
besn Obliged to put up with the same
kind Accommodations.
The sort of building which would be
asked for was then discussed and it was
q ually agreed that a brick building Of
Tour rooms should be asked for, the
aggregate cost being somewhere about
$50, 600 This style of building will
proba bly, be asked for and every attempt
made to secure it by the delegation from
ward eight.