The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-08-19
SCHOOLBU|LDING'|
.....|.N"DIC''|K|'E||::.N||||S||.0||.N|I|..
An Old Law Resurre ctc;dt q That That
fl Has Not Been Enfyofeed
NJ ,8 for Some Time.
tXOtdE
STRATEGY NOT EFFECTIVE 4: !. { 9 \ e
jAt;ti1aEducator Disposing 81 Aid,
Builds a Log School sSss$
SSs8 aIS5 8llouse Himself.
FFYsncc,nl u rho 14,no,y-DIsy,atch.)

(SSpcClal
iS OsBORN's GAP, VA, August 4 81 a
That there inre special or local laws on
the statute books Of Virginia which are
nevor Ell forced, Is true. It liz said that
some, Il not alt, Of the famous blue
laws, are virtually standing on the
statute books Of Connecticut, for Il does
not appenr that they have ever been re-
fpealed, and yet tho executive department
! never gets It's courage vi to the point
OF trying to enforce them. IT seems.
that laws which are unpopular with the
masses are often ignored by the execu-S
tive powers, and become 4 dead lett Ter
Upon the statute books--ar easier way
ito get rid gof them than to clnmor for
their repenl. 81 & "a " 81 d.
Nh During the session OF the General Ass
isembly Of Virginia Of 1898 an Act
was passed for Dickinson county, req uir-
ing all road hands to work on the school
houses \ Of their respective district It's, IN
repairing or erecting new ones: the law
governing the matter to be the Same IN
all respects as the road law, except that
the mum ber Of days to be work ed was vas
not limited. SA The intention Of the law
was that the necessary amount OF work
should be performed. George ". % XII
gore, member OF the House from Wise
county. was the patron Of the bill. ~
.3G5 The year following this enactment m
effort was made to enforce It, but with
an lunsati sfactory measure of mi success
Among Il the work hands""s were some
who had mo children to attend the pub
lilo schools, and others who, while they
were blessed with children, lived so res
mote from any school that their children ! 'e
scoiild not attend 50 In ei Their case, they
had a valid N excuse. The next year no
attempt was made to repair. or to erect
school houses under this special law
ya5s8 All few \ years later an elderly gentle
man OF oneaof the Isolated districts be-
came intereste cd il In educational facilities
md und ert ook the erection Of q school
house. 835I II seemed that he had trouble
In getting his nelghbors interested y IN
the work n to- the point ofsl giving him ~
any substantial aid. Some enc sugg est &C.
that u he make an effort to s rev I've the
special 4; law mentioned above; u TO this
end 5Eh he had the Act examined, but its
construction does not appear to have
beenS{very clear to the old gentleman.
and his friend who assisted him n this
iexnlninat on. w They made out that the
oyerseers OF tho roads would have the
work Y in charge 8. III The old man Nv no be-
lieyed I'M educational facilities also be-
tlieved that his overseer: would not take
the mat ter In hand; W 50 he planned % " q
lscheme 81 to have the overseer removed = g ed
and himself appointed In his stead. q A 81
$#cordlngly,} q 4 t the next term Of y county
court MI. i Educator was on hand with
some trivial charges agal Inst his over YER
seer. Il The commemorative attorney was
tho old man's nephew, and q OF course 1lrs
being In sympathy with a5 good cause aus
was willing to lend a. hand ~ 7 e y;
splalned A to the court that Mr.. overseeri
wa s doing several things In his offlcialS
tcapacIty that were not proper, nor & for
the best interests Of his district. He He
would, therefore, recommend his re
moval, and the appointment OF Mr. MT Gdll- 4
ca tor in his stead. This was done;
meantime, Mr. Overseer knowing nothing nothing;
OF what was going on. 7i G9a
81 The new overseer began to stir things
pretty lively in the Interest OF his pro-
posed y school house scheme, when Sthe
road hands had the law examined 20 gain,
when It developed that the law prov dess
that ( some one qualified shall be ap-5
pointed las school house overseer. and an
shall have all the powers over his work
that are conferred upon the road over r.
seers The old man made no furthe * e.
fort to revive this special K law, but y g,
rude log school house was! erected z py
rim with little or no help, u ISL jS