Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1912-10-05


credit of the Town-It Would
Be More Economical to Add
Second Story to the New
Building Now.
Editor Spirit of The Age:
Sir Your editorial in last issue,
(Sept 299 is very much to the point,
aud as one who wishes whatever If
best for the schools | cry loud
Amen " to every word.
Let me review some ancient his
tory regarding town school bnild-
ings, and apporlion whniever OF
praise or blame there may be. The
present High school building is NOT
what your school board started to
build. AS | understand it, there was
an intention tu build four room
building, aud certain adequate
sum OF money was voted. Then here
arose cry for more room but there
was no equal cry for larger sum OF
money until it was found that a
larger building was impossible with
out more morey, and an extra pit
tance of $4,000 was voted. This war
not in any way sufficient for it's pur-
pose but the committees did won-
ders with it and erected the present
High school building To do this
they made every cent do almost
double duty, and were forced to sub
stitute for the very best materials
something which would come within
the apportionment. Ontllis account
there is leaky roof of inferior slate
which must be replaced by better
quality, as glance at the roof shows
broken states everywhere, aud there
are leaks to-day which are to be
patched. The glass III the large
sashes is SO thin that especially cold
weather makes it brittle, and il
cracks when the sash is raised, and
has TO he replaced with heavier and
better quality.
In designing the building now
being erected your present school
board recognized that it would moi
be long before two additional rooms
would be necessary. aud so the rood
has been designed to form a truss
which car, be readily raised from the
plate and second story built be-
Meath The ceiling joists have been
made sufficiently strong to serve fo,
the floor Of a second story, and the
bulk-head foundations wilI'serve for
brick well which will furnish a
tire-proof entry and exit from sec
ond story.
1t stands to reason that it would
be more economical to build the sec
ond story now but there is no
money There is, however, such u
suspicion that your committee is de.
termined to introduce mechanical
training course, or some such fad,
that the good people OF the town view
with suspicion every attempt to
enlarge the area Of our recitation
rooms Everybody who thinks for a
moment will remember that the
writer opposed this a year or SO ago,
and it is safe to suy that nothing Of
the kind has been brnght up since
he took office That matter is dead
and buried until the demands OF the
people again awaken the subject, if
any such demands ever can come 10
life
Regarding the small house moved
behind the High school One Of our
citizens said it looked like the High
school privy 1t does so look. and it
is not at all fit to place beside the
other buildings. 1t was moved to
: the rear and will be put where least
conspicuous; but it will not be very
much OF an exhibit when we take
strangers about to see the public
spirit 81 the people as shown by the
public buildings They will ask why
in the name of common sense such a
building is allowed 70 remain. The
school board will say something like
this:
We are sending our High school