Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1902-04-02
LANG HAS SOME VIEWS.
Expresses Himself az Dissatisfied
With Condition OF School Affairs.

Expresses himseIf az Dissatisfied
With Condition Of School Affairs.
Sometime In September of last year
the writer interviewed some of the
members of the school board of dis
trict No. l in regard to a school house
on the East Fork of Spring creek. I
was assured by taking the matter be-
fore the board In the proper way we
would get a school house at once.
This | thought quite encouraging and
at once | went to work to do my part.
Mr.. e. c. Busch, being most centerly
located, had a petition drawn up with
an agreement therein to donate to
the district one acre of ground any
place along the county road on his
ranch. | circulated the petition my
self and secured about twenty-five
signatures. all being taxpayers of
East Fork Spring creek.
In going the round | met only two
opponents-two Of prominence. name
ly, A. v. Rogers and G. w. Noble.
The former objected as the location
lay in the wrong direction, and as
Mr.. Rogers is a very high-minded gen.
tleman he wanted 1t higher up. Mr..
Noble made the assertion that he
would have a school house near his
home, and IL the board did not grant
his request he would force them to
do SO; and 1t now seems as il he
would win out. My petition was hand
ed into the clerk before the next reg
ular meeting of the board, and, so far
as | can learn, has neve had any
consideration whatever and evidently
found Its way to the waste basket In
short order. But some time later on
one of my neighbors was informed
by a member of the board that there
was nc money. but II the people OF
East Fork would donate the ground,
furnish the material, complete and
furnish the building, hire a teacher
to educate their children out of their
own pocket, the board would grant
them the privilege to do 80, providing
we pay for the drinks and agree to
send in our taxes when due. The
board would look after the money, as
that was their business. Still later
on, and in the dead Of winter, away
up in the Snowy mountains in a dry
and dreary canyon, called East Fork
Spring creek, without the creek,
there sprang up a fresh mushroom
in the shape of a school house. Now
this met the hearty approval and
prompt action of the school board.
money being no object. There was
not even a petition required as a
coaxer, at least the people lower
down the creek never saw one. Ipre-
sumo this is where Mr.. Noble got in
his force action.
Now, Mr.. Noble resided in the city
of Lewistown about three years and
| dent suppose his children's average
attendance in school was one day out
of the week, and IL he had a school
in his own house | believe his chill
dren would take to the woods to evade
1t.
This school house in question means
a great thing to Messrs. Noble and
Rogers in a financial way. In their
own estimation, as Mr.. Noble is figur-
ing on furnishing the district with an
enormous bill Of lumber, probably as
much as five hundred feet, while Mr..
Rogers would no doubt get a summers
job of hacking 1t up. But as it is to
be a log shack it will be very appro.
pirate for the location.
Did any member of the present
! school board ever contribute a dollar
or a days labor toward the building
of a school house in the district, aside
from their tax levy? Even their
school tax is but a trile, compare.
lively speaking, as their holdings are
principally outside of the district. Yet
they are not slow to grasp the ad.
vantages of the excellent school ia.
cilities of Lewistown. I have been
paying school and special school taxes
in this district for the past fifteen
years. and nov that my children are
becoming of school age. as are a mum
Der of others in my n~eighborhood
the board would ask US to go down In
our pockets and donate a school build
ing to the district. or they would
wholly ignore an official petition pre-
scented them by the taxpayers. We
think this very unjust. We have