Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-09-22

Albion. Me, Sept. (Special)-
Not a ray of sunshine, not a drop of
rain, not a gust of wind came either
TO enhance or to mar the day that
was supplied by good Dame Nature
for the dedication exercises, at which
Frank l.. Besse of Clinton presented
to this town a modern 2-story brick
schoolhouse at a cost of $4,000, and
at which many of Names most prom
made brief addresses. As there was
no room within the building large
enough to contain the 500 or so peo-
pie, who had gathered to witness the
exercises. settees were arranged in
front of the sehoolhouse, and the
speakers delivered their addresses
from the front portico of the school.
A few dark clouds lowered in the sky
as the exercises began, shortly after |
p. NJ, but they seemed to have been
there to protect the listeners from the
heat of the sun. 1t had rained. in
the morning, to lay the dust on the
roads, and folks from miles arouni
took advantage of the good travelling
and brought their families and despite
the overhanging clouds there was no
fall-like breeze to chill the audience as
1t sat listening to the Speakers
Several Boston friends, a few of
the speakers and the newspaper rep
fesentatives We're met by Mr. Besse
at the Clinton station, on the arrival
of the 1908 A. NJ. train. In large tour
ing cars, they were whisked to the
beautiful Besse homestead on Main
street. Far across the valley can be
seen the great red building that Mr..
Besse made possible through his gem
crosby and wealth. 1t stands out on
the horizon as an imperishable mon
ument to the cause for which it had
been erected and to the man who had
given it. Through its spacious, airy,
and well-lighted rooms, the guests
and townspeople walked, gazing with
almost silent admiration at its beauty
and simplicity.
The School Building.
The building itself. which is on the
principal street of the town, faces
toward the south and is II feet wide
and 40 feet deep. 1t is built of brick
and other Slow burning material,
adopted from a standard set of plans
drawn by Miller & Mayo of Portland.
and approved by State Superintend-
ent of Schools Payson Smith. 1t is
admirably heated by steam and the
ventilation is modern in every respect,
- a I. a
ating system.
The north side of the building is
practically all windows, for 1t is on
this side that the rooms are arranged.
In the basement there are two large
piayrooms. one for the boys and the
other for the girls. The first floor is
given over to the primary and gram
mar rooms, the teachers office and the
office of the superintendent, ID. V. Rol-
Inns. Each of the two school rooms
will seat 35 pupils. a long, broad,
well-Iighted corridor runs the entire
length of the building on the south
side. with ample opportunity and fa-
cilities for the hanging of the chill
dren's clothing. The corridor on the
second floor is a duplicate of the low
or Hoor. An upright Howard piano,
the gift of DR.. c. w. Abbott of Water
vile, occupies a place in the lower
corridor and will be used in the diff
ferent exercises.
The second floor contains the large
assembly room for the High school
with n seating capacity of IS. A lee
ture room at the east ard the assist
ants room at the west end give the
whole second floor to the High school
department. The rooms throughout are
equipped with individual steel desks,
except the lecture room, which will
have the broad arm lecture chairs. The
stairways, and there is one at each end
of the corridor, are substantial and
broad. The interior finish is North Car
DINA pine, with the doors of cypress
and the desks of birch and maple. Each