Evening star., 1918-08-04
Franklin
School.

tlon reS4fQeQ a. tno u0eSt
Franklin schoo1houss in Amenca-
81, There was fear. however.
oL while It was In course OF
erection that the District would not
have the benefit Of its use for school
purposes. The Star Of July H. 1853.
says:
There is quite q 1lttls bree50-0f az
citement amongst the public school
folks in the FIRST district over . re-
port that the government Is destrou1
of getting possession of the Franklin
school building for the use of the
magnificent structure. now in course
Of erection at the corner Of 18th and
K streets, is concededly one OF the
finest buildings for school purposes
in the country, and the friends OF
public schools in that district, VINO
and solicitude to its early occupancy.
naturally look with much disfavor
upon any project dfverting 1t from
that use. Those favoring the sale urge
that the money realized upon II wouio
build several smaller schoolnouses
scattered through the school dtsH1ct.
for the better convenience OF tns
school population, and as the fTank-
lin building cannot be finished fof
school purposes, in present conduon
OF the corporation finances, tor =
year or two. It's purchase, however.
by Congress, and In the meantime the
government could only rent II Ine
city has so little to show in the way
of good school buildings thar We
should consider i great mis1oreuH.o
for our school Interests II thls oullo,
ing. constructed on the most improves
plans for school purposes. snouio Do
diverted to other uses.
It is not often that grand jury re-
port drops into poetry or otherwise
presents literary
nlr- aspect. Such a report
however; was Med BY
Poeuc. tho grand jury Of this
p,t,1cx IN 1853. with refsrenoe to TIM
den1orab1e condition Of the local tah
The Star Of August 1. 1858, prmto xne
report in full. including tho 1oaio1ns
interesting passage: =,
vision assigned to male prtsoner1 tne
architectural enormity q the building
c,Imfnates There we found ninety
men and boys cooped mp In q narrow
passage not 1--WE feet wide, most OF
them in a state Of eemi-nudtty. thee1-
cessive heat Of the place rendering
cIofbjne oppressive THIS space they
occupy during the day. with the pr1Vi-
! lepe Of going into the cells opening on
this passage, where they are conaeu
at night These cells arc ny 10 1eet
on the floor. with arched ceiunse
eembling bakers oven in shape. w1SE
no ventilation whatever. ano tne Only
egress for air and light - tnfoogn =
rTated iron door. They arc oocupaeo
at night at this time by dve pefoons
each, and we have ascertatned py rei-
erence to the reports that II mas oeen
found necessary sometimes 70 COLLIDE
from ten to fifteen in each.
/ .-WhiIe we stood Contemplating
these dens and reflected upon the na&-
barity of confining i've or ten human
beings within their walls at any oea-
son, but especially during the NOT
nights of summer, we felt huiuAl41eo
for our age and country that sucn ID
human. degrading cruelty should be
permitted and were forcib1y reminded
of a passage from a pungent satire on
Prison Discipline in our mother coun- :
try. published about tho beginning OF
the present century:
+. From his birthstone bed N efeak Oh
day
A-walking the dev1 is gu0A
To visit his snug little farm. tho earth,
And see how his stock goes on
- Coming by the Cold Bath heads,
He saw a solitary cell,
And the devil was pleased. for IT gave
| Him a hint for improving his pris-
ones in hell"