The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1911-06-01
From the Sunday News, Denver, Coll


They are building a schoolhouse and
building an Idea at Sterling. Sterling
on the Prairie-where men sow and reap.
People are always building school
houses somewhere, to be sure land fire.
quently the building is considered more
important than the children to be housed
in it). AS for ideas-or what passes for
them-they have been common enough
since long before the days of that"White
Queen in Through the Looking Glass"
who objected so vehemently to the per-
nicious custom of ''filling ones head
with ideas without telling you what they
mean.
But even in mob of new schoolhouses
that county high school rapidly nearing
completion at Sterling in Logan county
would attract attention by its beauty and
size and fitness. And the Idea which is
also building there is not at all like those
which distressed Alice's White Qneen,
since the people talked with know what
it means.
Before going to Sterling l asked vari-
GUS questions about the town, as also
about Logan county, and was told of
long lines of slow moving oxen, of big
irrigation projects and of beet sugar fac
tories. The chief business, so it was
said, centered around farming.
But that was mistake. The chief
business there is going to school.
That was the first fact to impress me
at Sterling. The second fact was the
new schoohouse-''t he first Industrial
Arts High School in Colorado" so the
principal, j.. B. Raglan, proudly declares.
| have every reason to remember that
high school,
Judge w. L. Hays. member both of
the town and the county school boards,
offered to guide me over it. The lower
floor, with it's household arts department,
its forge room and carpenter shops and
agricultural section, was extremely in
teresting But with a dizzy constitu-
tional objection to travelling over abysses
on narrow planks | wanted to take for
granted the statement that the gymna-
SUM sis quite equal to that of the Den
yer Y. M. C. A.
1t was of no use. Judge Hays was
there to show me that gymnasium as
we'll as to tell how it is to be used for
Logan county agricultural fairs-so
meekly walked the plank. felt myself
growing pale amid the mortar at steep
ladder leading to the auditorium-such
flimsy looking ladder-and earnestly pro-
auditorium would seat 1000 people and
dramatic entertainments. pleaded
would take his word for it as FOR the
laboratories-and the view over the
plains. 1t was all in vain. Tie Judges
forensic eloquence prevailed. climbed
the ladder.
After all, there was only my insignifi-
cant neck to be risked-and it was such
wonderful child!
The pride of the whole county is this
new high school, for which the people
have already voted a bond issue of $685.
900. And q new bond issue of $40, 900
probably will be allowed this spring for
the proper equipment of the school.
Logan county people may grumble over
some of their taxes; that is the immemo-
rial privilege of tax payers, but never
over their school levy-God bless them!
And, besides, there is that Idea which
the people are building as their money
rears the brick walls Of their beautiful
new Industrial Arts High school,
All, The Ideal Brick and mortar are
all very well, but the Idea is the thing.
The old manual training movement was
good enough in its way. 1t has undoubt-
eddy helped to make men "more handy
round the house," has made them "bet-
ter husbands" in other words. But
whatever may be said of the principle,
there is no doubt that there has beer
considerable disappointment over the re-
suits.
But as we are learning that the cure
for any failure in democracy is more
democracy, so the hard-headed farmers
of Logan county grant that the remedy
for any apparent failure of manual train
ing is wider application of its princl'
pies.