, 1860-07-02
l1aIV(RslRY WRRK IT ILOONIyCTOY.
Comm On sement NJ tho 8&Ata Normal
UniveFaity.


UniveFsity.
1As Kksretsss In tbs -Hrsae 0xtl1fax.
Tho COLLATION. by the Cltlxens.
Correspondents Q! The Prsss Ind Ttibune.]
Dloonlaaros. June 18th. 1850.
To-day has wituesssd the frat anniversary Of
the Stats Normal University, IN this city, tho
completion Of its curriculum three ysars study
BY the graduating class, md the commence
msnt exercises and its attendant features in tho
noble building just completed.
gave you In my last some references to the
examination exercises Of Thurslay, in Msjo1's
Hall, the final connection and last appearance
OF thu Normal instructors aud students in those
hired apartments. thus fsr occupied, now to be
dfsmaut!ed By the transfer OF books, desks,
maps, Dc, &C., to ample aud commodious quar-
ters and permanent home in the new building.
This structure, noble brick edidce, stands,
az have already stated in previous letters, on
hns swell Of the rolling prairie. about mile
and half north Of the road. It has been erect
ed during the per cd OF great depression in
money matters, which has fallen heavily upon
State. It's cast was little over &l00, ,000 aud it
IL pronounced by Ill an excellent product for
even that liberal sum. Certainly it is the finest
Normal School sdlfce in the United Staies.
In the somewhat Of detail this reference de-
serves, the credit of architecture and general
super,atendence should be given to George r.
Randall, Esq Of Chicago. Messrs- Mortimer
i LOBBY, OF Chicago, were The original cont:ac-
tors for the masonry, but on the necessary sus-
pension Of the work at the coming Of the cri,is
in money matters, they surrendered the work
7. d. Rounds, Of this city, has since carried the
masonry to completion.
In dey1sing inside plans for the University
edifice, it Was necessary to determine, in I'D.
rance, the principle On which the school should
be or sauized- Three systems were considered,
which may Be distinguished By the terms Col
sege, Graded, and LancasteTian. Should the
C"llege plan be adopted, then I chapel aud
clasa rooms, no matter whether adjacent or not,
would alone be required. If the Graded sys-
TEN prevailed, separate rooms for each teacher,
8n Independent school, would be necessary.
The Laucasterian plan would require large u.s.
semblY or study room with adjacent class.
rooms.
1t was evident. on reflection, that the College
plan would not do, and just as evident that the
Graded plan WAS best adapted to the Mode!
School, while the Lsucasterlau possessed some
advantages for the Normal. 1t wa*, therefore,
Determined to combine the two, and to construct
4 more complete e4ifice than any now existing
on This continent tor a similur purpose. Iswas
necessary TO provide for the Normal School, the
Model School, the Jaaitor, Library, Gallery
Of Fiue Arts, a Museum Of Natural History
general purpose Of the University.
The basement story is mainly above ground.
Here is the jantor's house, consisting II par.
lor, kitchen, cellar, three bed rooms, ect.: q
storage room; laboratory; chemical lee.
ture room; boiler or furnace rooms; boys' az d
girls play ROOMS for the Model school, to be
used in stormy weather (32 1t. 6 in. By Is fl, i
in.): Corridors and stairWays.
The first story is Is feet high in the clear,
aud contains the reception-room, Principals
room, teachers room, text book and apparatus
room. wardrobee, and four Model School rooms,
two Of which are 81 feet square, aud two Is IL.
6 in. 10 81 #, & in- These rooms are intended
tor Urinary. an intermediate, a Grammar,
aud a High School, and will accommodate ifty
pupils each. Stud dents enter the building at The
ea4t and west ends, and visitors 1t the South
front. The first floor is reached by fur flights
Of stone steps.
The second floor is devoted to the Normal
School. In the centre Is placed the assembly
room, sufficiently ample to seat 500 students.
On either side Of it are four large recitation.
rooms, and at one end are teo af smaller di.
mensions, making ten ID all. These rooms have
been so arranged that 800 students can pass
from the assembly room to the class rooms. or
rtet rersa, in two minutes time, and without at
all interfering With each other. This story il
16 teet high in the clear.
On the third floor, 90 feet high in the clear. il
located Normal Hall, large enough to hold !
thousand people. On one side Of it is the Nu.
scum Of Natural History aud the Library; on
the other, the Gallery OF Fine Arts, the draw.
| iDg-room and the ante-room fer the Hall, This
story is reached By four broad stairways, az /:
also the second story, afording the amplest
means Of ingresa and egreas.
The building Is 30 ftanned that 1t may b.
0PAfAJf &fnYAa ora afo
Tbs design that is to be followed in the iu1-
| proyement OF the grounds of the University
| was prepared by VIM. Saunders, Esq of Phil
alelphia, and exhibits not only the proportions
Of the htty y-bix acres composing the immediate
| site Of the edi6ce. but the proposed walks, gar
With the It. Louis. Al'on and Chicago Kairoac
at the south. The Illinois Central Rallroae
crosses the Chicago, Alton and St. Louis Rail
road little to the east Of the grounds. Tht
building is in full rev Of both these grea
lh0rous shfates.
| TIL. Soper of Chicago, ha. r,ade an excel
| lent lob OF tho toiner'work, painting, dc
baum Sons Of plumbing and tin 1oof. The en-
tire work will bear the cl,sest inspection, ant
compare handsomely with any public building
in The State.
The citizens here feel ju,t pride in the coz,
plesion Of NJ enterprise they so literally vel
| euutus "uu INV ueeu iuE tue week past aSsl
for bringing about Of liberal preparations 0
ho:pitable purpose and intent, in shape Of
collation. in Normal Hall. Immediately to follos
the commencement exercises Of TO day.
All has passed of as per programme. l. fin
rain had lad the dust, and restored freshu es
to the face OF nature, and by nine O'Clock th
road from town toward the Upivere,tY was
busy scene, with vehicles Of all classes, and nu
meTous pedestrians, which movement resulte,
in goodlg gathering that filled ,1e spaciou
laN Of the Normal School by the time appoint
ed for opening the literary entertainment oi III
forenoon.
The audience was of class largely md lib
orally both in chaFac'er and Eumbers to attes
the interest and pride of the citizens OF gu
State ia this noble enterprise. Substantia
farmers t1om various sections Of the State ha
remained utter the close OF the late Axticullu
| raj Convention t., witness the first "commeuce
ment Day " in the Normal School. Pram,uen
ci&lzeus Of McLean county and tha city Of Bloom
ington we're there. Our State officers we're reu
resented in the presence Of Hun. Jesse K Du
bos, Auditor, and Hon. Newton Datemau, Su
perintendent 0, Public Instruction, both inte.
ested spectators Of the exercites Of .hese ~
days past. There were numerous clergy men {
this section, and nearly the entire S.ste Boa1
Of Education.
The Principal, Charles E. uovsy, presided
and tbs following as the order Of exercise
which gives in addition to the names and pa,
taken BY each student the county represents
by each on the roll Of the school.
ORDER OF EXERCISES,
THE LORDS PhAylI.
Tss il. ssiaoi s.'e ny as:ts9 rs
The As1Ieatsa Edwin rlIb:ook, rayet.e
MUS
'ss1 .s. iA..Z s-ay' the 0'niz
] - It h1rA