In the summer of 1882 the Commission purchased the property shown in the cut, page 32. It consists of a fine corner lot beautifully shaded, and a frame cottage containing originally three rooms. These were thrown into one, as many seats crowded in as the room would possibly hold, and the school opened in September of that year. The property cost $1000. The attention of the reader is invited to it. As a dwelling for a small family, it is very fair; but as a school room for seventy pupils, what do you think of it? Bear in mind that the rear part is very low, and the sides are very thin, and the floor is so near the ground that water, beating in at the sides, flows across it. One stove in the centre will not heat the parts near the walls, and the little people, wedged in against the walls, are often chilled with cold. The ceiling being low, and means of ventilation being wanting, the air becomes fearfully vitiated. Do you ask, "Why do you have such a building?" That is just the point we are coming to. It surely is not fit. It does not accommodate properly those already members, much less furnish room for the scores who would like to come. It is not a good place for a Sabbath-school or an evening meeting, and of course cannot attract the hundreds that might be brought under Christian influence. "Build," do you say? "Certainly." With whose money? The Commission has none for it. Look again at those children, see their faces, little and big, and reflect, as you certainly must, that the new building must have room for two grades. It must evidently be a school house of some size. With whose money shall we build? Rest assured if any one should say "with mine, $3,000 of it," we should say, "May God reward you," and build at once, and, in the exuberance of our satisfaction, call the school by any name the donor might select. PROVO. This is one of the most promising towns in Utah. It has excellent railroad facilities and a fruitful country about it. It is thoroughly Mormon in sentiment, has a large public edifice to which the faithful at stated times resort from neighboring towns, and is the seat of the Brigham Young Academy. The Commission has a thriving school in the town, under the care of two teachers, and needs only larger accommodations to enable it to take at once a position of great usefulness. It owns a fine building site one square west of the large Mormon " Stake House," and most earnestly desires to build upon it without delay. CONTRIBUTIONS. The Commission gratefully acknowledges a large number of welcome gifts, coming from all parts of the land, and including a wide circle of givers. Special acknowledgements are due to such organizations, churches and individuals as have assumed definite responsibilities respecting the support of teachers. These are as follows: The Woman's Home Missionary Association, of Boston, supported Miss Grace E. Gilberth, Mrs. H. M. Scruton, Miss Anna Baker, of Salt Lake City; Miss E. J. Colby, of Stockton; Miss Fanny Hall, of Bingham; Miss Carrie W. Hunt, of Lehi; Mrs. A. S. McPherron, of Albuquerque, and Mrs. Hepsie Rood, of Las Lunas, New Mexico. The Union Church, Worcester, Mass., paid in part the salary of Miss Rhoda O. Beard, of Coalville. The_Piedmont Church, Worcester, Mass., paid the salary of Miss Mary E. Pease. The Plymouth Church, Worcester, Mass., paid the salary of Miss Gertrude Sampson. The Central Congregational Church, Worcester, Mass., assumed part of the support of one teacher. Ladies of Wellesley College, Mass., paid the salary of Miss E. S. Jones, of Midway. The Sabbath School, Central Church, Brooklyn, N. Y., paid a part of the salary of Miss Jennie Claffin, of Heber. The Churches of Wakefield and Peabody, Mass., paid the salary of Miss Sarah C. Hervey, of Morgan. The Woman's Home Missionary Society of Mich. paid a part of the salary of Miss Anna La Rose, Midway. The ladies of the Congregational Churches of Kansas paid the salary of Miss Sarah J. Lester, Farmington. Mrs. L. M. Bagg, West Springfield, Mass., paid a part of the salary of Miss Fannie C. Smith, of Hooper. The Belleville Mission Band, Newburyport, Mass., paid part of the salary of Mrs. Cooley, of Lehi. Mr. H. P. Shares, New Haven, Connecticut, paid the salary of one teacher. Mr. David Whitcombe, Worcester, Mass., paid the salary of one teacher. Judge E. S. Jones, Minneapolis, Minn., paid the salary of Miss V. W. Ludden, of Ogden. The thanks of the Commission are especially due to the Congregational Sabbath School and Publishing Society for the generous supply of books and Sabbath School appliances which they furnished gratuitously to the schools. |