The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-12-06

The new drinking system is a cup
| less, dipper-leSS affair, supposed to be
highly sanitary and the latest thing in
school drinking fountains. Instead OF
a cup or dipper, one who wishes to
drink bends over the fountain and
plunges his face, or part of it, in a
bubbling stream of water forced up
ward through the fountain much like
an artesian we'll.
1t is really an adaptation of the
oId-fashioned country school way of
spout of the pump, while another
pumps, and when the cupped hand is
full of water plunging the chin, nose,
and forehead if necessary, into the
water, if the hand is big enough, while
the thirsty one drinks.
These horse trough" drinking
fountains have been tried at the Sum
ner school, and Supt. Whittemore re-
ports that they are an excellent de-
vice. The special advantage is that
the persons who drink do not use a
common cup and their lips touch no
cup, and for this reason there is no
danger of communicating disease.
These drinking fountains will be
placed in the halls and will continual
ly bubble and spout. The idea OIL
scholars and teachers bending over a
sort of trough arrangement and plung-
ing their faces in a miniature pool or
water came as a surprise to the MEM
berS of the board of education until
Judge Carver reminded the members
by some stream, plunged their faces in
the water and drank their fill when
they were boys and why not allow the
present high school generation to- en-
joy, even in a moderniZed form, such
luxury.
Another innovation at the manual
training school will be long wash sinks
instead of wash bowls in the school
rooms. In the matter of water and
water receptacles the manual training
school is going to be thoroughly up to
date and abreast of the latest fashions,
for another feature of the building will
be shower baths for boys and shower
baths for girls.
The High School Athletic association
is behind the shower bath proposition
and is to raise the money to pay for
them. On that assurance the board OF
education has given permission for the
shower baths to be placed in the girls
locker room and the boys locker room.
The board discussed once more the
proposition to oil or not to oil the
walls of the Manual training school.
Several weeks ago the question of oil
ing the pressed brick was referred to
the building committee and on the re-
port made to the board it was de-
cided not to oil the walls. AT last
nights meeting of the board Con-
tractor F. NJ. Spencer made a strong
plea for the oiling, or embalming of
the walls with preventative, and Of
fered to do the work for half price.
81 am bound to see the walls
CREASED some way" he said, and he
will embalm them at cut rates. His
price is $50 while the regular price is
$500.
During November the tuition paid
by out of town scholars attending the
High school amounted to $3.50 and
the tuition paid by scholars attending
the graded schools was s1O2. The
total tuition paid for the month was
S3S5. The total tuition collected in
October was 1898. AT this rate the
tuition to be paid during a nine
term of school will amount to
between $4,000 and $4,000 a year and
will mean quite a good earning for
the schools. Until this term the tut
ton was never properly collected al
though for several years during SUI
perfntendent Davidson'S time as the
head of the schools the board in
him to see that the tuition
was paid.