Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1913-02-28
WOODSTOCK WILL. HAVE
NEW PUBLIC BUILDING.

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A telegram received from Hon. Jas
Lay announces the fact that an amend
ment appropriating IS, 900 for the
purchase of site for public bull.
ding in Woodstock has been made to
the bill for the erection of public
buildings.
This building will be used for the
Postofjce and the Forestry Com
mission.
The bill may not be passed at this
session, but when the appropriation
bill becomes law, Woodstock's new
building will be a part of it. We
may expect handsome building with
we'll kept grounds, as the government
does not build for the present only,
but for future demands.
The Postoffice will require much
more room than we have at this time.
The Parcel Post will greatly increase
and will demand more extensive
quarters. The government may, or
may not. within few years find it de-
sirable 10 take charge of the telegraph
and telephone business.
The question which seems to agi-
tate many OF our citz ms is the loca-
ton of The building. Priyate inter-
ests warp the Judgment of many. 1T
should be located not only where 1T is
most convenient but vii re it will add
to the appearance an i the beauty OF
the town.
Woodstock has been slowly pro-
gressiye. Sixty years ago, Dave
Strother, writing under the nom de
plume OF Porte Crayon for Harpers
Magazine could only say of our town,
SIT might be like a singed cat bet
ter than it appeared" AT that time
nearly all the citizens lived on Main
street, in log houses. built by their
German ancestors. Nearly all OF
these houses have given place to more
modern buildings and those that re-
main have been greatly improved.
The citizens were then extremely
economical in the use of paint. The
sidewalks were mostly mud, with here
and there a pavement, perfectly level
so that it was necessary to step up
at one end and down at the other. So
devoted were the old citizens to level
pavements, that in some cases, the
fall was as much as four feet.
About 30 years ago, the Town
Council remedied this evil by ap-
pointing a committee to grade the
sidewalks so that it was not necessary
to step down or up at any point in the
town. This wise regulation has been
by the councils of recent
years, and the sidewalks have been
permitted to become rough, by the
growth of the roots of shade trees,
and in some instances they have been
rendered dangerous by the abolition
of the natural grade. Many changes
have been made in the sidewalks and
streets, but some, is is unfortunate,
are not improvements.
Woodstock is now said by strangers
to be one of the prettiest towns of the
State. What we need is concerted
action upon the part OF all classes for
its improvement A creditable and
useful building could be put on the
foundation of the new town hall. We
cannot expect one or two individuals
to build it, but if our people would
unite, with the Shenandoah Fire Com
PAW, and all active effort be made,
it would be but short time until we
would have good hall
AS fast as one Improvement would
be made another would be started and
Woodstock would be one of the
most progressive towns of the
State, one with which strangers
would be pleased and in which
they would love to live.