The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1906-09-15

Fork. 18th District.-W ednesday, Septem.
Der 9Th. Mr.. Andrew Dohler was buried at
Fork ii E. Church. He had been sick some
time. When quite young he came from Ter
many and settled in this neighborhood, worK-
ing by the month By saving his earnings he
was enabled to buy a farm on which he and
his wife resided many years and reared
family of four sons-George. Adam, henry
and Lewis. Forty-eight years ago he married
Miss George, sprightiy German lass, who hao
also come from Germany, and she, WITH inelr
sons, survives him. During the 70s Mr.. Dohier,
with his brother George, were the Leading
threshermen in this section of the county.
They had an S-horse sweep power and sepa-
rator and did all the threshing for miles around,
working early and late and accommodating
money thereby. Some time before he died he
enjoyed the visits of Rev. M: L. Beall, who ad-
ministered the sacrament to him.
On next Monday, September 18th, the school
known as No. 4, 18th district, between Fork
and Baldwin, will not be reopened. Mr.. john
Arthur having decided to discontinue It and
REQUIRE the children to attend other schools.
He has employed Mr.. Charles Wiker to trans
port them to School No. 3, at Fork. Miss
Nellie Wright has been principal of No: for
good many years and gave much satlsiacuon,
having forty-four on roll during the last
scholastic year, and thirty five in attendance
during the last quarter. Mr.. Wiker is to be
paid $500 for carrying the children, and Is TO
start at a point on Guyton's Mill road at the
farm of Mr.. Arthur Clayton and go from there
to Fork, the children walking TO meet tne
wagon at the point nearest to them. Mr.:
Wiker expects to run one horse wagon at
first. but how he can carry % to A children on
one horse is mystery. And what Mr.. Arthur
ia going to do with these children after they
are gotten to the school, for No. 8 IS an OLD
time, plain two-room building. and has always
been full, having over 100 scholars ana Two
teachers. To put A more pupils in these TWO
rooms is not advancing in school lines.
Consolidated schools" as conducted In
Ohio-the parent State of such schools
would provide two wagons for No. 4. each one
going to the homes of the scholars and carry
ing them to the school, where modern build
ings had been provided, with enough rooms,
generally to 6, and as many teachers. Ger
tainly it is not to the advantage OF these A
children of No. to be compelled to walk part
of the way to more distant school to be
crowded into two already full rooms and no
extra teacher or if an extra one, then two
teachers must teach in one of the two rooms.
The school law of Maryland is very strange
law in so far as it gives to the School Commits
soner of each district the power to consolidate
all the schools if he sees proper in bis judy
ment to do so; therefore. any School Commits
sioner can close up every school but one in any
district and require every child to come to the
one school he shall say they must attend. l
think such law is unconstitutional, and such
an obnoxious clause should be repealed by the
next Legislature.
The fact is that the parents who pay the
taxes to keep up the schools have no voice in
the matter at all and have no redress, yet am
sure the courts would require that School No.
must be re-opened, if test case is made OF 1t,
upon the ground that under the present ar
rangement the children are not as well pro-
vided for as they could be at No. 4. l believe
in the Ohio consolidated school system, but
not in the consolidated style as proposed for
the 18th district. r.
The writer of the above letter is well known
in his community. THE UNION has large
number of readers in that section off the county
and as there is always two sides to question
there may be those who are ready to take issue
with him on this school matter. If there are
such they will be given an opportunity in these
columns tn do so-EDs