The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-04-19
County Health Officer Finds
These Ancient Buildings
Are Unfit for the Pupils
to Attend.
TOWNSHIP ALSO HAS
TO GET NEW SITES
King Condemns Overcrowd-
ed Condition of, the Pri-
mary Department Room at
Hagerstown School.

BullQlnSS ana SITES OF GlStrlct
schools numbers >, 3 and 4, in Dalton
township, perhaps the worst in the
county. were condemned: the over
crowded condition and system of in
struction in the primary department
of the Hagerstown school severely
censured, and the site for new
building in Jefferson township school
district No. 4 approved on an inspec-
tiOn trip to these schools Tuesday by
county health officer DR.. j. E. King
and county superintendent, c. O. Will
iiamS.
In Dalton township conditions of an
unhealthy and disagreeable nature
were responsible for the county health
officer condemning the buildings.
Dalton township residents were not
surprised by the condemnation of the
three buildings and sites and have al
ready conducted an examination of
the new laws to determine what
course they must now pursue. The
buildings can not be used again for
school purposes. New buildings on
new sites will have to be built at the
townships expense between now and
the middle of September, when the
fall term opens.
Are Old Structures.
The three buildings are among the
oldest in the county, buildings Nos.
2 and 5 each being fifty-eight years
old, and building No. over twenty
years old. In making repairs to the
buildings not much care was taken
and probably for this reason the un
sanitary conditions a the buildings
are now so bad. The sites for each
of the buildings were poor, being To-
Gated at the base of hills. permitting
water to run under the buildings
At the No. school water formed a
regular pool underneath it, At No.
the worst features of the building
were, ground wet sills decayed, bad
odor prevailing as result of a rotten
floor. At No. >, floors so bad that il
is full of holes: foundation rotten
plaster falling from the walls and cell
ing. joists dropped down and floor un
level, roof leaking badly. No. 4, leak
ing roof plaster from walls and cell
ing about ready to fall. sills under
meath the ground and the iOundatiO
always damp, which patrons OF the
school thought was the cause for theil
children being ill so much of the
time.
The buildings are located as fol
lows: No. 2, half mile north of Dal
ton: No. ). l 1-2 miles south. and No
4, 3 1-2 miles southeast of the town
As none of these sites are available
the township trustee will at once be
gin to look about for new ones. The
three districts may be consolidated
with the building near Dalton. or dis
tricts Nos. and 3 consolidated
Whatever the expense may be, the
township tax officials can levy on the
tax payers for the amount needed ant
special school tax revenue to pay TO
the bonds to be issued.
The Hagerstown common school
which was found to be in exceptional
ly good condition, resulting in the
county officials paying janitor Casto
high compliment, but in the primar,
room fifty-three pupils were being &C
for only forty. 1t was also learned
that by the system of teaching. prim
airy students were three years in &C
complishing what others in the count,
| learn in two. The first and second
year pupils are in the first room. Th'
enrolment of the two grades is 73
| but as it is impossible to get more
than 53 desks in the room, the schoo
authorities arranged for the first yea
pupils to attend three hours instea.
| of six each day. There are siXteel
| township pupils enrolled in this schoo
and because of this fact, the count
superintendent demanded that th'
system be changed, and the count,
health officer condemned the arrange
ment, notifying the officials that onl
forty pupils could have desk room il
this one room. The change will b.
made at once. The heating system O
the Hagerstown school is direct in
stead of indirect. and will be change,
| later.
| 1t is Planned TO locate jefferson
| township district school No. abou
mile west Of Hagerstown. wher
patrons petitioned TO have the ney
! building erected. The site was al
proved by the school and health off
GERS. On Wednesday the Wayne towr
ship advisory board. trustee Howartl
and the health officer visited the Mid
! dIehoro and Smyrna district schools
The purpose of their visit was to Sc
lect site for both districts. in cas-
| il is decided to consolidate the two
or TO pick out another site for the Mid
/ dleboro school. if it is decided to erec
a new building to replace the presen