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Show """nnMmfWMSIMNWMNMMHtMMaiWWWnHWOTMMI m i in Maii,iMb -at.AjgUVni. iii m ,m. m " i- IMPROVE THE SCHOOLHQUSES Work to Make the Rural Institutions Insti-tutions Better, i " THEY SHOULD BE INVITING, MM II I Have Rooms Well Ventilated, Lighted and Heated So That Health and Mental Energy of the School "Children "Chil-dren Shall Not Do Impaired. The past twenty years have witnessed witness-ed u marked iulvn&ce In school architecture archi-tecture In many towns in the rural sciHIons of the country. More attention atten-tion is bollix paid Godny to school building.. Hnultatlon.BUTroundingB ami location tlxin ever before. The United States was slow in making the start, but How that the initiative has been laken there is no excuso lor progressive progres-sive school directors not doing everything every-thing in thelir power to reicgato the old, obsolete mid frequently Insnul-ttixy Insnul-ttixy buildings to oblivion rei)laclng tlimn witb modern, up to dutcjsanltary htjil sightly Bcboolhouscs. "'Clio .ueed for an enlightened and liberal policy in sdboolbouse coasstruc-tlon- tto tlie end that the scboeUwuse bo nttractlve in appearance and' scientifically scien-tifically constructed cannot be- too strongly urged," nays Io-wa's upela-tendcut upela-tendcut of public lnstmctloa. "It aeajr require" ai few dollars more to seenre snch a sciioolbouse, bat It shool be remembered tbat tbe'dUtrtcTte aulM-ing aulM-ing for half a century; at laaat, ao only the ' best bbou1T tile oossklApedL The NcboolKouse wlthMtA aurroaaidlngs Rboujd bo-jJiojnpEt.a-tttactiye.oliceiAto 9 tlio dlsti-lcit, lu Wlflch every "tana ana every patron will take pride. And the schoolroom should not only ba Invltiag, but it should bo so vcatllated, lighted and heated that the physical health and montal energy of the cliildrea shall sot bo Impaired." The problem of aupplantinjc the old Bchoolhousa with n neyr structure carries car-ries with it the discussion of several Important), topics, chlof amoag them being tho school site, tho school building build-ing and tho ventilation of the building. We can do no bettor in" this connection than to quoto from Professor W H. Gemmlll, superintendent of schools in Dallns county, In., who Rives practical practi-cal ndvlco on all these subjects. "In selecting n site tho area of tho lot, tho elovntlou, tho character of the an old FAsnrotnno iwsakitary sctiool- UOU.SE THAT 1 A MK-VACU TO COUNTHY'H IIEAIiTH. soil, the drninagc, the direction of the slope aud the central location should be considered. No school ground should ever contaim less than one acrer with n frontage of 180 feet and- at depth of 340;feet. In the larger com-solldated com-solldated district it should contain not: less than two and may very properly contain three acres. If possible It should be an elevated! piece of ground, a small knoll or a geatie slope, and the-drainage the-drainage should be away from tlie' yard and house. The soil should be light, dry aud porous. A aaady or gravelly subsoil affords-the-best drainage, drain-age, while an eastern or a southern slope secures rapid evaporation, tin der no circumstance should the stratum stra-tum be cloy impermeable to- groundwater. ground-water. It la desirable thai the school-i school-i house should be located near the geo-' geo-' graphical center of the district, and : the board should select the site wlthi this in mind, but the site should bo Jhlgh and dry and the brightest nndl ' most beautiful spot near the center. ; ! Under no conditions should pleasant i (and wholesomo surroundings be sacrl- ' J j ficed If a better and moro suitable,- site 1 fcan be secured some little distance- j pawhy'Jf Tlfci'ltildlt tonn! 'dlntnuiio lrinrav-'-. ' ellng will be labor well spent if thore- y by tho pupils nre placed In more beau- j , tlful and inspiring scenes. "The foundation Avails of the school- $ I house should be brick or stoue and' or- ' aT" (tend a little below frost line. The- 't walls should be at least one- foot in. 1 ! thickness and extend about three- feet M above- the surface. It is usually well 1 to have a vertical air chamber, and. it J there in no basement suitublo ventila- il tors should bo provided on ouch of tho f ! four sides so as to permit! ot thorough- w : ventilation of the spaco between the- iS surface and the floor during- the sum- I tuer months. Good shutters should be- 1 provided for these openings In order 1 that the winter's cold may not affect 1 the air within the room, near to the- u floor. jj "No more linportajit' question- is be- ' 1 fore the farmer todoy than, that involv- ' : ing the bousing of his children of school ago. With. an. awakened appre- elation of the fact' that better rural j schools will bring nbout a stay at homo . family which will' not And it necessary to seek tho town for the desired education educa-tion ,lu're has come a realization of the fact that more practical studies must be taught lu more sanitary and more sightly buildings." ' i i, |