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Show COMMUNITY SPIRIT "Real Citizenship." This thort phrase aptly describes the spirit that enabled North Little Rock, Arkansas, to put over one of the finest community endeavor that has recently come to public attention. at-tention. On the day set for the, opening of the public schools, North Little Rock's beautiful high school building was destroyed by fire. It was a severe blow. The city was proud of its school plant and the loss of the building seriously affected the entire system. There was no other building available to meet the emergency. The Mayor of North Little Rock is one Burns. He is evidently, equipped with some of that resourcefulness that has characterized others of that name. Putting the problem squarley to constituents, he issued a call for volunteer workmen, placed , himself at their head, and early Sunday morning, September 1 3th, with 400 followers, set out to erect in one day a temporary structure that would accomodate twenty classes and thus permit the school system to successfulljy meet the loss occasioned by the destruction of the high school building. The Arkansas Gazette for Monday, September 1 4th, contains a thrilling account of the feat of the citizenry of this little city and the reading of it should prod those pessimists who deplore the apparent lack of civic spirit into more optimistic channels of thought: "North Little Rock spent Sunday hard at work. To an accompaniment accomp-animent of pounding hammers, droning saws, shouts, songs and band music, more than 350 local citizens turned carpenters for the day, erected a large temporary high school building so that the school term might start today. ' It was a gala occasion and an unusual example of civic co-operation. Work started at 8 o'clock in the morning and by sundown the building was practically completed. "Men and women of all occupations and circumstances assisted in the enterprise. City officials, members of the School Board, carpenters, carp-enters, doctors, lawyers, business men, contractors, locomotive engineers, en-gineers, clerks, brakemen, and representatives of all occupations labored manfully beneath the torrid sun. Women prepared two meals for the volunteers. Small boys carried water and got in the way as much as possible. The Booster Club negro band played lively tunes from start to finish. "While one group laid beams for the floor, another group followed fol-lowed and nailed down the flooring. Others erected the framework, then up went the roof-tree and the rafters. "The lumber that had been stacked on the ground in advance soon was used and tractors and teams were kept busy throughout the day keeping the workmen supplied. Free soda pop was consumed by the case while two large wooden containers were kept filled with ice water by the Missouri Pacific. "At noon operations were suspended. Had it not been for the stimulation of this meal and the anticipation of another after work, it is doubtful that the building would have reached its present advanced stage in one day. "Mayor Burns who spent the entire day working on the building was tired and gratified last night. When work ceased, the large building, build-ing, measuring 200 by 48 feet, was practically completed. 'Perhaps some other town besides North Little Rock could put over a project like that, but I'd have) to see it done before I'd believe,' he declared. 'Everyone who helped construct that building deserves praise. Had it not been for the splendid assistance of the Missouri Pacific employes and their superintendent, Mr. Stroeh (who directed the building operations) the work accomplished today probably pro-bably would have taken a week or more.' " All Arkansas rejoices at the success of North Little Rock's daring dar-ing feat. The narration of the event is somewhat remindful of pioneer tales. It is safe to say that practically every reader will heartily concur in the sentiments expressed by another paper that said: "As a physical physi-cal monument it cannot long stand as a tribute to the men and women who made it possible. But long after it has been torn down and the children have occupied the new school building, the splendid work of the builders and the real citizenship which the erection of that building build-ing typifies will remain as a pleasant memory and a daily reminder." |