The San Francisco call., 1899-07-28
Trouble Over Owner
ship of Building.
TWO BOARDS CLAIM IT
DISTRICT TRUSTEES AWAIT AC-
TION OF OAKLAND BOARD.
Professor Colby Hopes for an Ami
cable Settlement Before Resort
Is Had to Any Injunc-
ton Proceedings.
Oakland Office San Francisco Call,
QnS Rrna 4 u.a Y I11IN- q


Trouble is brewing in Peralta School
District over the ownership of the old
sch0olhouse which lies in that portion of
the district which was annexed to Oak
land two years ago. There is strong talk
among the property owners in the dis
trict Of preventing the city authorities
from taking possession of the building
when school opens next Monday. Action
on the part Of the School Trustees of the
district is awaiting the outcome OF the
meeting of the Oakland Board of Educa-
ton tomorrow night. when that body Will
be asked TO declare itself.
Not long since the Board of Trustees
notified the Board of Education that the
Peralta School District laid claim to all
the personal property contained In the
building This personal property consists
of books, maps, charts ana piano. me
Trustees were ordered to investigate the
question of the ownership OF the realty,
this instruction being in strict conformity
to a notice sent the Oakland Board OF
Education over a year ago saying that II
the Trustees of the district ever claimed
any of the real property they would not
stop short of claiming 1t all.
PadlOCks on the door of the schoolhouse
on Monday morning next, with determined
men 10 prevent the city authorities from
beginning the fall term of studies WITHIN
CITY Superintendent of Schools. While
he is in hopes of matters reaching an
amicable settlement, he admits that
things look serious. Hence the meeting OF
the local board tomorrow night. 1t is
understood that at this meeting large
delegation of interested residents or the
Peralta district will be on hand to state
their case and insist on the recognlu0n
of their claims to the building, which the
city says came to 1T with the annexation
of that territory.
In speaking of the situation. Professor
George Colby of the State University, one
of the three Trustees on the district
board saws that while matters are indeed
serious he will endeaVor to exhaust every
means of reaching a peaceable settlement
before resorting to the courts with any
LAS a board" said Professor Colby,
I'VE have taken no action in the premises.
We shall await the outcome OF tomorrow
evenings meeting of the Oakland Board
of Education before making any move to-
ward forcing our rights. ! am not a
lawyer and really do not know exactly
what those rights are, but great many
people in our district claim that as long
as Peralta School District exists the
schoohouse belongs to il and not to the
city of Oakland. Further than this l do
not care to speak.
In spite of this claim, however. the rem
nant of the old district has let the con-
tract for the construction of pretty, new
school building to be erected in Clare
mont.
On several previous occasions Peralta
School District has come into prominence
because of trouble with its Board of Trus-
tees over the teachers employed there.
About twelve months ago the strange
spectacle of a teacher inStructing a score
or more of pupils in a tent was presented
because of a difference between members
of the board over what teacher should be
employed. More recently Trustee Allison
became conspicuous because of jOcular
note he wrote to an applicant, giving her
some faCetiOus instructions about being
good-looking and duly attentive to the