Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-09-15
SCHOOL CHILDREN
TO Be PROTECTED
Board of Education InstalIs Steel
Ratings in Buildings as Fire
Precautionary Measure.
WATCH TOWER STAFF NAMED
Harry Lyf0rd Selected as EditOr.in.
Chief OF Publication at Annual
Meeting OF Board.

Added precautions are being taken
by the school board this year to Dro-
tect the school children of Rock Is
land against fire Steel ratings have
just been installed in the high school
on all the stairways over six feet
wide. and others have been secured
which are now being placed in all the
grade buildings so equipped The rail-
1ngs which are composed of steel are
being placed in the center of the
stairways, and are for the purpose of
furnishing something for the students
to get hold of in case of fire and con-
gestion. They will prevent small stud
ents from being trampled by giving
them solid structure to get hold of.
The Rock Island board of education
does not believe in exposing the
school children to the dangers pro-
duced by congested stairways or
locked doors, and for that reason are
supplying these safeguards.
The new ratings were an object OF
must jest, when discovered by stud
ents yesterday morning, and have
been dubbed many things by the wags
of the school. The monicker which
seems to stick however, the The
Freshman Slide" which was intro
duced by a junior who caught several
of the small "greenies" used the rail
ing to wear out the seat of their pants
in a frenzied attempt to descend from
the second to the first floor, with the
least physical effort possible.
LyfOrd Named Editor.
The Watch Tower board. at its an
nual meeting held Wednesday evening
elected Harry B. LyfOrd, editor-in-
chief of the Watch Tower, a paper
edited quarterly by the associated
students. Mr.. LyfOrd is a member of
the senior class and has proven very
popular with the students of his class
He is also president of the Associated
Student body, being elected to that DO
SitiOn by the students last spring The
election OF LyfOrd as editOr-in-Chie is
change from past custom which has
been followed by the Watch Tower
board. In former years. the editor-in-
chief has usually been a girl while the
male element was represented in the
business managers office.
This year it was thought advisable
to elect a boy editor who would be able
TO cooperate with the business man
ageT and thereby secure better results
for the paper. 1t has also been the
usual plan to select representatives
from each of The classes. and let them
gradually work INFO ne business, so
that when they became seniors. they
would have had enough experience to
assume the burdens of editing the
magazine. This will be Mr.. Lyford's
first year on the staff. however. and he
will no doubt have plenty of hard
work ahead OF him
Louis Wilson was elected business
manager for the year, and there is no
doubt that the board displayed fine
judgment in selecting him He is
without d doubt, the best fitted FOR tins
position of any of the senior class.
Although his first year with the high
school paper, Mr.. Wilson's ability has
been proven along other lines. He
was captain Of one of the teams en-
ployed in the membership campaign
conducted by the Rock Island Y. NJ.
G. 4. last fall, and was personally III
strumental i'll securing many new
members for the association. He was
also captain of the junior class team,
during the subscription campaign
conducted last fall by the Watch Tow
er staff and was successful in win
ming a theater party for the junior
class. He secured 30 subscriptions
for the paper.
Eliza beth SwisheT, also a senior,
was appointed assistant editOr-in-chief
and will undoubtedly fill her position
capably, as she has already had two
years experience. Other members of
the staff are: Willard Schaeffer, 10,
assistant business manager; Robley
Clark, Is, literary editor; Howard
Holcombe, 10, athletic editor; Char
lotte Huesing, is, current events; and
Gail Huntoon. 10. joke editor.
Officers of Board.
The officers of the Watch Tower
board are: Miss Jennie B. Sturgeon,
president; Elizabeth Swisher, secre-
tary; R. w. Gill, treasurer. The fac
ulty members of the board are Miss
Jennie B. Sturgeon, Miss Virginia
Ballard, R. w Gill, and c. R. Fergu-
son.
The staff was authorized to begin
work at once and Louis Wilson, bust
ness manaper has already asked for