Durango semi-weekly herald., 1902-02-10
DISTRICT NO. ..
A Few Words in General on the ou-
ranpo Schools.

WIN Inc Dufuiuk Vi tne l(DukieiiOH
school last January. some 300 chill
dren were left homeless. and that. TOO,
at season OF the year when they
could illafiord to be deprived OF the
advantage of daily attendance al
school II WAS an emergency-one
OF those sudden tests OF fitness which
come sooner or later to those hold
ing rcsponsibie positions. Something
must be done. and done at once.
II was readily felt by the manage
ment OF dIDtrict No. o that the upper
moor OF the Park school should be pre-
pared for occupancy as soon as posi-.
BILE, thus providing for four rooms OF
former Longfellow pupils. One room
in the high school basement could he
accommodated very nicely. but there
still remained the pupils OF the 9th.
or rooms until the upper floors OF
tho Park school could be completed.
Probably the first thought Of some.
and especially those not particularly
well informed on school matters.
would be TO hire a building temper.
arily. The objection to this was. Of
course, the difficulty In obtaining a
building sufficiently large that could
be fitted up for school purposes at a
reasonable cost
Could such u building have been
found. even then. the money thus ex-
pended would have been dead loss.
Consequently. 1t seemed the wisest
and most economical plan to floor and
NJ up the two basement rooms OF the
Park building. BY holding halliday
sessions and alternating grades the
pupils could be accommodated very
nicely. though. OF course. on half
time.
During the mild weather the steam
pipes passing through overhead kept
the rooms Mt normal temperature.
Az 1t grew suddenly seycrly cold. coal
oil stoves were put In. but they prov
cd Objectionable on account OF the
odor. and also unsatisfactory through
aot giving a sufficient amount OF heat
They were then removed and coal
stoves substituted
The city superintendent and school
board certainly deserve credit for the
manner In which the affair was dis
posed Of by thus improving the
property OF the district the profit will
be permanent. More than that. a
large sum OF money has been
saved the district When the pres.
ont need is supplied there win still
be two weli-vontilated play rooms
where the children from the floors
above may take recess ON stormy
Al.
q change. and also will facilitate the
purifying Of the class rooms without
risk of pupils taking cold
So far as ventilation Is concerned
there In plenty Of fresh air In the
two rooms In question. Four large
air shafts run to the top of the build
Ing and keep the supply always fresh
great that u hnndkeroh c hief held at the
opening OF the shafe will be whirled
up to the top OF The building imme-
diately In fact The draft In 80
strong that curtains We're hung Mt the
mouth OF each nue
The upper floor OF the Park build.
ing was completed more than week
ago and four rooms OF the L.opgfel.
low are comfortably installed In
their new quarters. Mrs. Morgan
principal aud Misses Nora Coulsop.
Anna Melville and Hazel Taylor are
the teachers in charge
The two foors OF the building arc
tonducted as separate schools, Miss
trckci being the principal of the low
er noor. Each school has Its recess
es AT II. own special time and ls en-.
Lennon and Miss Carver, the remain
ing teachers from the Longfellow
scbool. are stili domiciled In the base.
mont. the former at the Park. the
latter at the high school building.
All the pupils are now, however
on full time. In short, the emergen-
cy has been met and the educational
wheels are once more rolling smooth
ly on.
In the past the schools have been
kept very much In the background. as
though OF relatively small Importance
The county supcrintendents ONCE,
the smallest. darkest and most poorly
equipped OF any room in the court
house, is but one OF the straws show.
Ing the direction OF the wind
IL should always be OF interest II
The public to know how the affairs OF
the institutions 1t supports are ad.
ministered. Possibly better knowl,
edge OF school matters will abolish
much OF the adverse eriticism-usu
ally the result OF gross ignorance
which has hitherto been 30 abundant,
1t la only right that the people should
know what the teaching profession
liz doing In the county. II they know
they viii surely appreciate the import.
ance OF the work.
EDITH u. NJ. YOUNG,
County Supt. of Schools,