A Little piece of Paradise… College Hill, Ohio - SELFCRAFT

It has been the policy of the present management to make the school conform to the needs of the times,and while avoiding ‘fads,’ to introduce new methods as fast as they proved worthy. In this connection itmay be stated that for several years the language work of the lower grades has been based upon the studyof nature and history. The school is ideally situated for the ‘nature study’ work. Vertical writing was triedwith such success seven years ago that it has been taught continuously ever since.Last year was inaugurated the pupils’ ‘self-government’ plan. Under this plan the pupils have theirown courts and officers. Such things as profanity and rowdyism on the playground, cheating in the schoolroom, and other abuses, are punished without the necessity of running to the teacher with a ‘tale’; andbesides, they are taught responsibility, and as the name implies, ‘self-government.’ The equipment of theschool is first class in all particulars. It is well supplied with apparatus and supplementary reading. Thebuilding is large and commodious, well heated and ventilated, and in all respects adapted to the needs of amodern school. The grounds are large, containing nearly four acres, and covered with many large trees ofthe original forest. Besides the natural forest trees, others have been set out, until there are about fifteendifferent kinds of trees in the yard.The Board of Education is small in numbers, but large in ability. It consists of Theo. W. Pyle,President; N. L. Pierson, clerk, and E. W. Coy, treasurer. To their able and careful management is largelydue the present high standing of one of College Hill’s most prized institutions.WILD AND FERRIS SUBDIVISION...With all its advantages, there has never been much systematic effort to place them (Wild & Ferris)before others. Very little advertising of lots for sale has been done. Messrs. E. N. Wild and Dr. JacobFerris have recently purchased thirteen acres of ground on Hamilton Avenue, the principal street in thevillage, in convenient proximity to churches, school, etc., and on the line of the ‘College Hill and MainStreet’ electric road. This tract they have subdivided, and now offer lots for sale on easy terms. They onlyrequire a cash payment of $25.00 on a lot, the balance to be paid in monthly installments.They are also prepared to build houses for purchasers on a cash payment of one-fifth of the cost,balance in monthly installments.This tract is in the line of improvement, and no one can go amiss in taking advantage of their liberaloffers. The lots all lie well, and drainage is perfect, naturally and by sewer. There is here presented anopportunity of obtaining a pleasant home and letting its rent pay for it.Mr. Wild, at College Hill, or at the office of the Cincinnati Equitable Life Insurance Company, No.38 E. Third Street, or Dr. J. Ferris, at Mt. Healthy, will be pleased to furnish any further informationdesired.... In conclusion, I wish to refer with disfavor to the movement on foot to destroy the individualityof our village, with others in Hamilton County, by their being absorbed in the municipality of Cincinnati,without the consent of the villages. It may be technically constitutional, but it is morally and politicallypiratical. We prefer good, clean, effective and beneficial self government to being the outlying ward of alarge city, and our preference ought in justice to be respected; but as the statute is framed every vote inthe village might be against annexation and have no effect whatever on the result.”***********Daniel Smith, of Given & Smith, did all the work on the pumping station, and had generalsupervision. He also has the supervision of the building of the line between Aurora and this city. Mr.Smith is also a member of the home Council.***********The water tank is one of three erected in the State that were made by the Chicago Bridge and IronCompany, and is superior to the old style of tanks, being round at the bottom. The tank is so strong that itcan not be injured by the forming and melting of ice, like those with a flat bottom, which are always indanger of bursting. It is made of the very best iron, and the Superintendent of the company, Mr. F. C.Ames, has had complete charge of the erection.**********The location and the construction of the College Hill water-works system has been under thesupervision of Col. E. F. Layman, the civil engineer, who for many years has been the leading expert in143