The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1906-08-20
JAMES J. HILL PAYS
FOR SCHOOL HOUSE

Over in the grey desert land OF
Douglas county. near the liue of the
Great Northern railway, where the
sage brush flourishes particularly we'll,
and where people 60 for miles to
visit with their nearest Eeighbors,
stands a school house of which any
rural community in any part of the
country might be proud. 1t is built
according TO the latest IDEAS of country
school house construction. Ir il well
lighted and roomy and stands in the
midst Of neatly cleared and well rene
ed grounds. Its air of we'll kept lux
ury is entirely foreign to its surround.
lngs
Jim Hits mouey is pay ing for it.
He is pay ing the taxes which are de-
creasing the nonds and max ing it the
property of the district.
Mr.. Hill has not gone into the busi-
ness of endowing schools nor is ne
willing contributor toward the edu-
cation IF Young America; bus all the
same it Is said that be has pal Id for
more school houses than any other
man in the country. The one stand.
ing over 10 Douglas county is but
sample or string of school houses
that dot tue line of his road west from
st. Paul.
few munths ago the farmers of
this particular part of Douglas county
decided that they peeded new
school house. They held meeting
and voted to build one They voted
tax sufficient to erect modern strucr.
ure for is not good building con-
ducive to more and better education?
They decided to equip it witt the
latest furniture and make it the sind
of building tney would liked to
have had when they were children.
They decided with one accord that
their children should have better ad
vantages than they had been given by
ed everything and voted bonds snffi.
ciently amply sufficient TO carry out
their idehs.
The school district was formed, tax
great enough 10 pay off the bonds
within short zine levied and when
the day for. paying the tax came
around the money was forthcoming.
But each and every tax receipt made
out by the treasurer of Douglas
county for the new school district was
made cut to James J. Hill and the
Great Northern road, for as lack
would have it. all the taxable ty
in the district belonged to the man who
unaided, financed transcontinenta tai
road. This strange state of affairs
was brought about by the fact that
Uncle Sam decided long ago that
homegteads upon which the owner has
not yet proved up are not subject to ii
tax of any kind and the state law ex-
empts all improvements thereon up to
a valuation of $500. Every man iu
the new school istrcict is home.
steader and his improve ements are
assessed at below the $500 mark. It
is barely possible that the men knew
this when they voted the general tax.
It is stated that Mr.. Hill. has iDtima.
ted as much and other like instances
where the farmers struggling for a
bare existence IN new country have
seemingly opeDed their hearts and
pocketbooks and contributed with
apparent generosity t. the cause of
education. Nevertheless his objec-
tions have already been overruled an d
the farmers viaw their pew school
houses with pride and satisfaction
upalloyed with the thought of the as
SCISSOR or tax collector.
There is no man SO ignorant that
you can't learn something from him.
Popular ministers avoid touching