FUEL FOR THE SCHOOLHOUSE In February, 1858, John McNeill , Visitor of Schools, wrote a report for the Board of Education describing the procedures for providing fuel and the inattention given to the situation by the Trustees. He also referred to teachers' notices stating that there was "No school, no fuel today". (Refer to Governments Records - Departments of Education) The first records for Stanley Bridge (1890-1892) indicate that some residents paid their land or school tax with coal. The supply of coal was soon left to the janitor whose wages included the cost of coal. This method had its drawbacks. The coal was doled out by the scuttle full for the day and no extra was given for colder days. This brought forth arguments at the Annual Meetings. The motion to leave the wood-house (coal house) open was defeated different times. The record of 1926-27 shows that a motion was made "that the District buy fuel for the school (as) students still not allowed access to coal shed as it is locked. Motion defeated". There is no indication when this changed. Around the turn of the Century the cost for coal was $30.00 to $35.00 for the year and was pur¬ chased from Captain Daniel Sutherland off his vessel, the Ripply Ropes. In 1892-93 the janitor received $75.00 for his services and $30.00 of this was spent on coal. The record for 1902-03 shows that the janitor received $65.00 with $33.17 of this being spent for coal. The janitor cer¬ tainly didn't have much left for himself. The contract of 1896 read that he "be janitor, supply coal, have running expenses, supplying brooms, banking, taking down stove pipes, and keeping everything in order for $60.00"!! There are no records to indicate that the students did the janitorial work or lit the fires for schools. However, while in conversation with some older residents, this is exactly what did hap¬ pen. The janitor lit the morning fire, but he only used enough kindling to start the fire, leaving none for the possibility of a smothered fire or for using poor wood or wet coal. Often there was need for re-kindling. The consequences of this were that students took their turn to go to the janitor's house to get supplies. Another situation that must have created many cold days during the winter was the locked coal-house door. This would effectively keep the students and teach¬ ers from using more than the day's allotted amount. The "pot-bellied" stoves were used for heating the classrooms and remained in use until 1960 when an oil floor furnace was purchased. That same winter, due to an ice storm, the "pot-bel¬ lied" stove again came into its own. Classes had to be moved upstairs for the duration of the power outage and students were back to moving close to the stove in order to keep warm. In 1930 a motion was made at the Annual meeting "that if the Women 's Institute members pay 50% on a "Furnacette' the District would pay the other 50%". There is no indication that this transpired. It does, however, point out how dependent the ratepayers had become upon the Women 's Institute for contributions towards improvements in the school. The oil furnace was not entirely satisfactory as the janitor had to light the fire upstairs for music lessons or other special events. So when the water system was installed in 1962, a forced-air furnace was installed to keep the pipes from freezing. FROM RAGS TO RICHES In addition to the care of the inside of the building, the Trustees were also responsible for the surroundings. Great care was taken to record exactly what was expected if work was done and the price that was to be paid for that work. On May 7, 1892 the Trustees decided to fence the school-grounds and the instructions for the job reads as follows: 126