The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1911-03-15

iAhuSt NitS not WllnStOOu the
onward march of progress. This
type Of school house has been
supplanted by modern school
buildings and equipment. Pas
sing over the Intermediate
stages we believe that a de-
scription of n one room house
erected this year will give ms
good idea of the development
along this line as anything else
that we could do. Following in
the line of the other description
IN order to aid in the compari.
son, we give it as follows: A
one room frame building. hay
ing a playground of about one
acre in level bottom. even if
1t is shut in by chain Of
mountains and i'll very rural
section, what some are still
wont to call the "backwoods:"
size Of classroom % feet by 30
feet, with cloakroom S by %
feet, a vestibule s feet square.
and with porch in front S feet
by 10 feet; height OF ceiling l3
feet; floor surface classroom
500 feet square; number of pa
pills about i0; number of square
feet floor space per pupil
about 20; number of cubic feet
of air space per pupils about
26O; light arrangement. LIFT and
rear, six lGX92 inch S light
windows, massod, On the left,
aud two l2XlSinch 10 light
windows in the rear, with two
large windows TO tho cloak
room, and two for the vestihule:
percentage of light in cluss.
room based on floor space, %;
heating, modern jacketrd
stove with fresh air duet Lead
ing TO outside air. the same
being regulated toy "a valve
inside the classroom, and "a
double stack for smoke from
stove and to extract from the
classroom all the vitiatcd air in
a very short time, thus chang
ing the air i'm the room every
few minutes. Seating, patent
desks, single Omnde "a mistake
10 not using adjustable desks.
blackboard, slate and about 100
square feet of 10; decoration
inside, an woodwork hurdoiled
and plastering % be tinted a
cream color, while 90 this we
hope to effect through n civic
league the collecting of some
pictures for the wallis. and by
This we do not mean "a collec
ton Of calendars and whatnot.
tackled "all over" the wallis. but
we believe in "a picture mould
ing, pictures framed, and
artistically arranged We much
prefer tile dignity of bare
wall than one spotted with "a
conglomeration of scenes, then.
We do not believe in teaching a
child TO mar the beauty of a
plain wall, even; outside. paint
ed a good gray, with the hipped,
tin single roof painted, and
withal, made as homelilSe as
possible. With this comparison,
then, may we not say that our
educational development has
Kept pace with other develop
meuts SO far as buildings are
concerned?
We might mention, in pass
ing, that the buildings at Big
Stone Gap, East Stone Gap,
Appalachia, Wise, Norton,
Coeburn, Georgel, and st Paul
were erected at a cost of about
$4,000, and with equipment,
improvements etc. are worth
about $4,000. We might men
ton other smaller buildings.
erected this year which are
modern in every particular,
having lavatories and drinking
fountains in the buildings, but
time forbids
The School. We are well
aware of the fact that fine
building with a splendid equip
ment and every modern CON
yenience does not make Il good
school. Such things are very
necessary means to the end. but
not the end We hear a great
deal these days about the school
and society, much of which is
good, but it is simply supplying