Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-11-24
SHOULD REMOVE THE SCHOOL.
Editor Of Magazine for the Deaf Be.
Iieves Council Bluffs School Should
be CHANGED,

be Changed.
Editor Times Republican,: May l
have space in you valued paper for the
following?
Recently the members of the Iowa
state board of control made a semi-an-
nual visit to the Iowa School for the
Deaf at Council Bluffs. Their opinion
is that IL the school is maintained at
Council Bluffs the following conditions
and requirements must be met:
A tract of land of not less than 400
acres must be available.
The land must be comparatively level
and suitable for building purposes and
for all the requirements of agriculture.
1t must be within the city limits or
on a trolley line that will provide cheap
and speedy transit for teachers and
pupils.
1t must not be surrounded or hem
med in by railroads that man endanger
the lives OF the pupils in crossing them.
1t must lie close enough to trunk
line railroads to permit the construc-
ton of a switch for use in delivering
the institutions supplies.
The land must be purchased cheaper
or slightly above normal prices Of farm
lands.
The land must be neither hilly nor
muddy.
The board is unalterably opposed to
any further expenditures for buildings
and improvements on the present site
of the school.
The board is right and correct in de-
handing a better site, or, II necessary.
nf he fn other
city.
The surface of the land where the
city of Council Bluffs Is located, is not
level. On the east range OF bluffs
lies, and on the west the lowlands
extend towards the Missouri river.
Many of the hills are precipitous. The
lowlands have been several times hood-
ed. If the school were located on such
low place, the state might be forced
to suffer an unnecessary loss OF prop
erty thru a flood that might cover many
square miles of country. Records OF
past floods will not fail to convince
you.
In the year 1868 the legislature made
a blunder in ordering the school re-
moved from Iowa City to Its present
location. A greater part Of the mem
bers of that legislature were farmers
and as subsequent times showed, they
did not fully understand the conditions
which did not justify the removal to
Council Bluffs. OF course they were
easily Influenced by men who might
honestly have been interested in the
education OF the deaf. and who were
evidently wrong in getting the school
moved to their own city against the
wishes Of the majority of the taxpay-
ers who live In central and eastern
Iowa.
When the state took possession of
a tract of land at that end Of the state,
1t was necessary to level the NIL 10
such a large extent as to increase ex-
pense unnecessarily. When the center
part OF the building was being built,
the ground on the east side was SO low
that it was necessary to fill 1t up
Here the east wing was built ana
soon settled down and the walls were
cracked in some places A hand could
be thrust almost thru the crack In one
place. 1t was a piece OF fraud. The
ground was OF such clayey character.
The lay of the land where the school
Is located is not generally level. The
northern part Is nearly level and low.
with little creek running thru tha
northeastern corner.
remember that one night a heavy
hail and rain storm was raging around
the school building. The creek, fed by
water running down the eastern hills,
was swollen, and the corn and potato
fields were a perfect lake. The storm
abated, and the water left the fields
without anything that was growing.
Since the school was removed to 1T
present site, the city Of Council Bluffs
has failed to provide better and easy
means of transit between the school
and the city. The country road has
not been always in proper condition.
1t Is often muddy, and no wonder.
Complaints have repeatedly been made
to the county officials But very lit.
tie has been done to improve the road.
Another great danger is a number Of
railroads hemming the land In, and the
pupils have to cross two railroad tracks
at a point where passenger trains pass
at full speed. No wonder many mar
row escapes from being struck down
by the trains have been and will be
experienced.
Another thing that must be tnouSnt
of Is that about tho thirds of the pupils
live In the central and eastern parts
of the state, many of whom are forced
to go all the way across the state to
Council Bluffs. putting their parents
to much expense. For this and other
reasons the school must be removed to
some other city. Deaf mutes are few
in numbers when compared with the
insane and the convicts. Therefore 1t
is cheaper and better to remove the
school to a more central location. and
make another state school unnecessary.
The past history OF the school will
show that the state has already lost
more money on 1t than on any other
state institution, and that the present
site of the school has been and Is the
cause of all the troubles that befell the
school.
Had the legislature of 1868 known Of