The De Soto County news. [volume] (Arcadia, Fla.) 1898-1924, 1916-03-23
2-STORY BRICK SCHOOL
HOUSE AT VENUS.

Yesterday afternoon the editor Of
the News, in company with Prof.
J. o. Buckley, county superintendent
of schools, Dr.. d. G.. Barnett, mem.
Der Of the Arcadia board Of education,
and Mr.. William Bradford, a promi.
rent architect Of this city, drove ont
to Venus to see the handsome new
school building just being completed
there.
To any one who has never had the
privilege of travelling the magnificent
distances across the prairie a picture
Of its beauties both by night and day
would be interesting, but we shall re-.
frain from speaking Of these. since
they are 80 common to large num-
Der of our readers. The ride was a.
most delightful one. indeed. and ii
was exceedingly interesting after
travelling many miles over the prairie
to find ourselves entering into a beau
tiful pine land settlement consisting
Of many homcstcadcrS and others who
would develop this beautiful section
Of country located far away from rail
road and telegraph lines.
But this article must not be too
lengthy, and we shall therefore con-
fine ourSclf to a description Of the
splendid two-story brick school build
ing, that would be an ornament to any
city Of one thousand or more inhabi-
tants. 1t is modern in every particu.
lar, except that it is not provided with
Il water and lighting system. /; con.
talns SIX elegant class rooms. and Is |
furnished with the most modern seats
mat can he found anywhere. The /
building also has large auditorium
that will comfortably seat all the peo-
pie Of the community. thus providin.
not only an admirable place for chap
81 service. but makes an ideal place /
for the assembling VI the people to-
sether in any kind " community cen ,
ter activities. We quit our ACTIVE
teaching more than n dozen years ago. |
but when we stood in these splendid |
rooms with all the delightful appoint
mentS, and gazed out into the mag.
nifccnt surrounding forest of pines,
we could but feel a longing for the
work Of our early life.
Citizens Of the Venus community.
YOU arc to he congratulated. You are
showing to the world that you he-
lieve Your children to he your great.
est assets ,aS they indeed will become
II YOU give them the opportunity for
their highest development. This splcn.
did school spirit is certainly worthy
of emulation, and it gives MS the
greatest Of pleasure to tell tn the
world your loyalty to your children.
Prof. George Chlders, the princi.
pal Of the school, told us that the
will he dedicated Saturday.
April the LIST, with appropriate exer-
cises, and that the people will he serv-
cd with a splendid barbecue. He
hopes that many friends will drive out
on this occasion. This announcement
will be made again, giving the pro.
gram, at later date and we hope
that many Arcadlans will 90 out to
rejoice with these good people ON this
joyful occasion.
Before concluding this article we
take occasion to say that we believe
this is the best school building we
ever saw for the cost. We guessed
the cost Mt $4,000. and found out la
ter that several bids for the
contract were near this amount.
The actual cost. however, will
not exceed $4,000. according to
the statement Of Contractor Smith,
who lives in the community. lie no
doubt did the work for many hundreds
Of dollars less than contractors living
elsewhere could have afforded TO do
1t. and especially since he had more
than the ordinary in its success.