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Time claims Castor landmea Curling Rink gone; $S.2 next? nyone in the market for a slightly used, century-old school house? The North Russell Women's In- stitute is looking for help to preserve old S.S. No. 2, which during its 100 years or more pro- vided education to some 600 pupils. Failing the required assistance, they will have to put the old school on the market and, to quite a few Russell residents and former students, this seems a shame. The old frame schoolhouse, which stands on an acre and a half about three miles out of Russell on the North Road, dates back to some time around 1893, although the actual date of construction is uncertain. It is known that in 1893 an ad- joining shed was moved up near the road, presumably to be near the school. The school was turned over to the Women's Institute some years ago for $1 and they have been sharing it with Junior Farmers as a meeting place. They now find that the cost of maintenance is too. much. The school has_ been broken into on several occasions and once the piano was smashed by simple-minded vandals. The Junior Farmers are willing to help but at this point, the assistance of the entire community is being sought to preserve the school as a functioning artifact in this community. It was not an easy life for the early teachers who had as many as 42 pupils in one room, from primer class up to Senior 4th, and who brought to these young peo- ple something of the treasure trove of human knowledge from the far corners of the world. There, amid the droning of bees, the whispering of the elms in the old graveyard, knowledge was dispensed by a dedicated band to rural youth in days when there was no television to provide ins- tant and synthetic knowledge. _ Twenty-five cents The Russell Village curling rink is being slowly dismantled after being condemned by the Ministry of 'Labor. A $200,000 replacement will rise on the same site by mid-summer. VOL. 4, NO. 8 ALSO INSIDE: : Michael VanDusen photo RS es Ee ER Nee ety DRT TW a wae NCS