The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-02


meeting Of last week. Everyone not
ed the painfully inadequate facilities
and accommodations Of the court
room for the holding Of such a gath
ering as the Institute has grown to
be, and everyone was casting about
for means OF provide needed relief.
The Institute supporters have even
gone SO far as to suggest that the
new city hall be 50 constructed as to
afford accommodations for their uses
and have passed resolutions promising
financial assistance to the extent Of
several thousand dollars If such a
thing can be done,
This brings the people Of the city
and the people of the county together
again on the subject Of a larger hall
or a place where gatherings OF the
proportions of the Farmers Institute,
county conventions, trades gatherings,
lodge conventions and similar assem-
blies could be held. The question Of
a new armory for Company f is
brought up again in connection with
this subject, and it seems as though
the time for action toward securing
such a building has arrived,
The Farmers Institute is growing
rapidly. Everyone who attended at
i any time during the week will ac-
knowledge that the Institute has out
grown its present quarters in the
court room and the surrounding Of
fees. The exhibits had to be placed
any and everywhere, out in the corri-
doris, in the various Offices and wher-
ever the adjoining rooms offered a
square foot Of space. The exhibits
were painfully cramped and could not
be properly displayed on account of
lack Of space. The Institute has been
crowded during a number of years
past, but it has continued in its
growth from year to year and has also
used the court room. There has been
no other place to accommodate the
Institute and its gatherings. But no
n will dispute the statement that
the Institute has now outgrown its
old quarters and no one can be found
who is willing to offer rules for re-
stricting it's increase in popularity for
the purpose of keeping it within its
present limited quarters.
An armory building is needed for
the accommodation of Company F,
and such a building would afford the
needed accommodations for the Insti-
tute and for other large gatherings.
The farmers are intensely interested
in this problem just now, and are be-
coming more so from year to year. A
stock company could be organized
and sufficient funds raised by the
selling of the stock among the people
Of the county to provide the neces-
sary funds for the building.
The officers of the local military
company have the building of a per-
manent home in view, but it was
thought to drop the question for the
present, on account of other matters
that were to be brought up, and prin-
cipal among these, the building q
the city hospita.. The boysSeta ~
wish for the building Of the afm3fy
to interfere with the hospital, or vice
versa. The hospital problem was
thought to be more pressing than the
armory enterprise, and hence the sol
der lads thought to remain in the
background with their plans for the
time being. But the time seems op-
perfume for the organizing of an ar
mory company, or if you please a Col
iseum Co., and the building of a place
that will serve the public in all capac-
tiles. The people of the entire coun-
ty are now interested in the matter,
as they have never been before, and
the movement should be started going.
The plans to have the Farmers In
stitute, together with other large
gatherings, accommodated in the city
hall are not such as fit the situation.
The proposed audience room would of
necessity have to be placed in an up.
per story accessible by stairways.
: This would be a drawback for many
and would tend to make the place un,
: popular for the very purposes nov
seeking accommodations. What the
Institute and other similar institu
: tons need is a place on the ground
floor, and an armory or coliseum
D would provide such conditions and ac
commodations, easy of ingress and, in
, case of accident easy of egress.
The matter should be taken up i'm
D mediately and most likely will be, anC
there is no reason why we cannot
s have both hospital and coliseum build
s ings.