Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1910-04-08
THE NEW HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING

lhE NJ " HIHH SGHOUL BUILDING
As the orator Of the occasion yester-
day stated, TIE laying Of the corner
stone Of a public school building is 4
matter Of no mean Importance, OF no
secondary significance. It means that
the city has taken another great for
ward step in the training of its chill
dren, N their education for the duties
Of citizenship, for the responsibilities
Of life, for the fuller enjoyment Of ex-
istence through a broader apprecia-
ton Of its opportunities.
It has been probably a half century
since Americas has had similar oc-
casion. Two generations have come
upon the scene and grown to man
hood and womanhood since the cor
nerstone Of the present FurIow school
building was laid Built for other
purposes than public school, but
devoted from the beginning to
educational ends, the old brick
building by the railroad has had a
long and useful history. Today it
provides accommodation for five hun
dred or more children. Through its
portals have passed several thousands
of those who make up the population
of Americas TODAY, and many hundreds
who have gone out from the commun-
ity to lives of usefulness elsewhere.
The memories of the mass Of our peo-
pile are clustered around the old
structure, and there is a sentimental
affection for it that is worthy of a
city that is not ashamed to own it's
attachment to the things of the past
and to hold in esteem the landmarks
of other days.
1t is an occasion for much gratifca-
ton that Americas has outgrown the
accommodations of its old school
building; that the increase in its pop
ulation, and the earnest aspiration If
its people to provide facilities in keep
ing with those found in the most pro-
gressive of other cities, have lead
them to erect a new structure, de-
voted especially to the higher grades,
that viii compare most fayorabIy
with the best to be found elsewhere.
The new high school building typffes
the ambitions of the Americas of the
goth century; it voices the determina-
ton of its people to give their children
every opportunity that is possible; it
is the visible and unmistakable ex-
preston of their willingness to ex-
pend their money 50 that Americas
may show to the world that it is
abreast with the times. Furthermore,
it is an additional invitation to home
seekers to establish themselves here.
No more potent influence exists IN
drawing people to town than the
character of it's school accOmmoda-
tons, the facilities furnished the chill
dren for mental training. AS never
before in the history of the world, the
value of education is appreciated, and
especially by the people of this coun-
try. The new school building is ac-
cordingly not only an additional equip |
ment for the benefit of the present res
idents, and their descendants for gen
erations yet to come, but it will serve
as valuable advertisement to out
siders, acting somewhat as cen
triDetal force in our efforts to build
up the city by inducing desirable fam
lilies to locate themselves here and be-
come an integral part of the life of
Americas.
Now that the building is sufficiently |
advanced to show its size and char
acter, there will be doubtless more
than ever feeling throughout the
city that tie Board of Edcuation acted
wisely in its decision to expend the
entire bond money in the erection of /
one structure that would be an adorn- |
ment to the city and at the same time
unquestionably provide the additional /
accommodations required and the
greater facilities to improve the work
in the high school course. 1t would
evidently have been a grievous blunder
to have dissipated the money on sew
eral insignificant structures, just as
we nearly all can now see and fully
appreciate that it would have been
an error Of judgment to have simply