Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1923-08-18
Peoples Column
Pocomoke City, August 8, 1928.

Pocomoke City, August 8, 1928.
Mr.. Editor:
There remains but few more days
until the school bell of Pocomoke
City rings once more.
Once more the doorways which
have seen the passing of Pocomoke' S
most distinguished citizens will look
down upon future executives, law
yers, DOCTORS, and men of all trades
and occupations.
You citizens of Pocomoke City, as
you read this, can, doubtless, recall
your own school days. Mellowed by
time, they rise from the past to haunt
you. Perhaps in the very building
that your children will re-enter, you
once scratched your heads with lead
pencils or slate pencils over some
problem that taxed your undeveloped
brains.
No doubt the. schoolhouse, as you
remember it,-was large enough to &C
commodate all the pupils comfortably,
But do you realize that q schoolhouse
is about the most abused public build
ing there is, and that the Pocomoke
City school building is weary with
years of service to the youth of the
land? And far more children go thru
her portals now than did in former
years.
Pocomoke City needs a school
building, an up-to-the7minute build
ing more perhaps, than any other
town in the county.
She has to take care of an increas-
ing number Of children from the
country districts. We want them, we
welcome them, but We can't give them
the treatment they need. We pupils
will soonabe taxpayers ourselves but
I hope that when we do become that
kind of animals, We will spend more
time in intelligent demands for better
conditions and less in muleish, sense
less kicks against existing ones.
The thing to do, Mr.. Citizen, bis to
get at the root Of the matter and the
results will all be for the better. If
man has q beautiful new car he ma
turally takes good care of it and
keeps it in the best condition he can.
He is proud of it. But if the car is
old and decrepit with squeak here,
rattle there, and a. bump in the 9th
er place he has very little regard for
it. The natural consequence is that
the poor car comes in, for more than
its share Of the knocks. The same
holds true of houses and-school-
houses. You can't expect the pupils
to take good care of an old building.
They feel no pride in it, and tradition
can. help matters very little.
Another thing which hurts, not on
ly the school, but the town as well, is
gossip. Mrs. B tells Mrs. C that Mrs.
A said KS and Y's and rs boys were
whooping and cutting up simply
scandalous in the schoolhouse the 9th
er day. Mrs. c repeats the tale, with
variations and deviations, to Mrs. P
and so on lad infinitum. The result is
a beautiful scandal" that makes a
very ornate tale to come to the ears
of neighboring towns. Very likely the
truth is that the boys were singing
"The Star Spangled Banner" at re-
cess but the gentleman who was pass
ing, having rather poor ear for
Emusic" and being unacouainted with
the time of day, imagined they were
drunk, or words to that effect.
Now, some indiscreet things may
have been going on, but I can give
| you my word, Mr.. Citizen, that they
were not as black as painted. Please
remember that gossip hurts and can
do no earthly good.
There remains but few more days
until the Pocomoke City public school,
the most important institution of the
town, throws open it's doors. But it
will be hampered more than ever by
ia lack Of space. For although the
town is, growing "bigger and better"
moke Public School house is not grow
ing bigger. It is like shellfish which
has outgrown its shell. And if it
fails to grow bigger how can it be
better?'. Xxx.