The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1908-03-26
THE SMITH Site
IS SELECTED
OPERA HOUSE PACKED BY VOTERS


uoVu hfVef.
The election Tuesday afternoon to
select site for the new school house
developed In the warmest political
meeting had In this city 10 a long
time and the Smith site was selected
on the first ballot.
The State street school was selected
as the voting place and three o'clock
as the hour. The small room was
filed In less than five minutes and It
was seen that larger place must be
secured, so the meeting was adjourned
to the orera house and In fifteen min
utes standing room was at premium.
Notwithstanding the rain the ladies'
we're out In force, ready to vote for
their choice, but the real contest was
between the Smith block on the hill
and the Batchelder site.
Chairman Strsnahan called the
nesting to order and appointed as
tellers j. L. Hershner, A. d. Moe
and O. ID. Nickeisen.
John Leland Henderson was the first
speaker and read proposition from
K. L. Smith to sell block on the
hill, consisting of 300 feet square,
for ~, 500 aud an option for Eve years
on an adjoining block Of the same
size, for 81, 500, provided the school
district paid interest on that amount
until purchased. Mr.. Henderson
spoke In favor OF the site, saying that
1t was In slightly location, but that
the best argumen In its favor was
that 1t gave plenty o room tor play
ground, which the other sites pro-
posed did not. He also presented q
petition signed by all the high school
scholars In favor of that location.
Mr.. Henderson also said that he
would be one OF fifty to pay $50 and
buy the extra block and donate 1t to
the school board for the school.
A. W. Onthank made few remarks,
endorsing what Mr.. Henderson had
said, and spoke In favor of the Smith
site.
Capt. II. O. Coe then offered two
acres south Of the Crowell residence
for 90, 900, making the point that it
was In location where II could be
seen by everyone passing out the
main travelled road to the valley; also
from the river and the North Bank
road; that IL would have fire protec-
tion, which the Smith block did not
have, and that the grounds were am
pie tor building and play ground.
J. f. Batchelder offered three acres
at the end Of State street, near Para
disc Farm, for $4,000. 5000 down
and 81, 600 on time without interest,
provided taxes and city assessments
were kept paid.
A. A. Jayne made strong argu-
ment In favor of the Batchelder site,
objecting to locating the building on
the highest ground in Hood River,
where the children would have to
climb to reach the school, and where
the building could not be seen by
strangers or our own people who do
not live In the neighborhood, without
making a special trip to the place.
DR.. Brosius made q plea tor the
Batchelder site, stating that 1t was
an ideal place for park, was conven-
ientIy located and that the building
should be placed there.
j. L. Hershner advocated high
ground. He said that In his travels
he noticed that In most places the
school houses we're placed on high
ground. They were usually placed in
high, slightly locations, and often In
the edge Of town, or removed from
the business or densely settled resi-
dence sections. He thought the smith
block bad advantages over any other
site offered.
A question arose as to the manner
of voting, whether the site received
the highest number Of votes be chos-
en-, or whether majority OF the whole
vote cast was necessary. Mr.. Jayne
suggested that In case the first ballot
tailed to carry, the lowest numbers
should be dropped and moved that
vote be taken first on the Coe and
tracts, and the highest one
be then voted for with the Smith
block. This met with objection. Mr..
Henderson declared that the motion
was out Of order, as 1t was against the
school law regulating voting. While
the chairman was considering whether
or not to put the question, Mr.. Evans
moved to amend that the Coe and
Smith tracts be voted on first. The
chair then moved the motions out OF
order.
IL was announced that the vote
would then be taken on all PROPOSE
tions, ty each voter coming forward
and placing the vote In the hat on
the table, the clerk registering the
names of the voters.
The count was taken by the tellers,
with the following result: Smith
block, 1873; Batchelder tract, 81; Coo
tract, %; State street site, II. The
Smith block having received major
ity of all votes cast, was selected as
The new site.