Rocky Ford enterprise., 1907-02-08

Rocky Ford has before Il pretty
continuously the question OF school
room space. Every growing town is
confronted with this question. The
local board has had in eontempla-
tion for years the purchase OF the
Fenton cottage and lot abutting on
the high school grounds for school
purposes. IL would be an all round
wise proposition to fcn; the proper
~ IL il Is no, to he purchased. Some
Of the lower grade rooms arc over
flowing now and there Ia need in the
Liberty building o! ono extra room
and an extra teacher " no, more NJ
the present time. sand~iehed in by
some subdivision Of the second aud
third grades. A teacher cannot do
her best work in the present crowd
cd condition OF these grades. The
coalition may exist in other rooms
and in the other buildings TO some
extent as well as In the down town
building. Then the need oi play
ground at the Liberty building 10 al.
most as imperative as the need of
indoor space. and the control Of tho
Fen;on property in some form would
supply much needed play ground
for the small children. who are now
often run down and sambled over by
the larger pupils in their rou.her
sports.
The Enterprise has dealt with this
.ubjee; Afofe,ime and the facts arc
pretty well known to tho patrons OF
the school. We return TO u again
partly for tho purpose, OF emphasis.
ing the local need In school accom-
mediation and partly 60 point tho
moral and repeat the tale that the
Colorado Fuel 4 Iron Co. tells in
the October bulletin Of i,s Sanitary
and Sociological Department. The
lC. r. & l.. being Corporation.
comes in for full share Of the local
criticism so literally dealt out to
corporate concerns In these modern
days. and Il will not be giving more
than ",he devil his due" to express
some appreciation Of the good work
{, has been doing for several years
past through this special Depart
ment" Of the great concern. That u
should maintain such a department
which |. so largely In tho public in
,eres, and Of such great personal ed
ueasionai vaiue TO those who can take
advantage Of Il. is greatly to tho
eompany's credit.
But TO tho October Bulletin: I,
sets out with the pertinent question:
"yShy build tall school houses'" The
answer Il quite apparent to some
people. Bu; ,ha, aside. The fool.
ishncss Of such building l. tho thing:
and that is very clearly set forth in
the bulletin. I, gives twenty-five
good and substantial reasons why a
oue-story detached school room is 10
be preferred TO a building of two
and three stories high and Of many
rooms: and then Il gives profcs.
sionai architects specimen plan oi
wha, a school district may do. with
architectural taste and with econ.
omy in tho matter of school build
ing. The health Of tho child tha; i
to be educated In city schools Is
4 surely a matter as important as the
education itself. The advantage oi
separating six hundred pupils into
groups sufficiently isolated to iimi,
the amount Of bad air brcathcd. oi
dust inhaled. of contagion spread; 10
save the climbing OF stairs for little
tots and for girls nearing puberty,
to escape the danger Of fires (thcrc
have been twelve large school build.
ings burned In Colorado within a
quite recent period) and the nervous
strain of ERE drills, to limit the de-