The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1867-01-12

| in the completion of this fair fabric-tbis
ornate temple of learning. the intellige nee
of our people and the wisdom of our leg
islators have forged another, aud the
brightest link in our Educational System.
Intimately connected as it is with the
welfare and success of our Common
Schools, the grand basis upon which
rests the superstructule of our E iuca-
;ional System, and the browning glory of
our civilization, -it is and must ever CON
linue TO be the pride and glory Of our
people. Already is it infusing into our
Common Schools the healthful, inVigo-
rating Influence of It's teaching. Il will
elevate the Teachers humble calling to
its proper place in the ranks of the learn
ed professions. Its mission is 10 supply
skillful. trained, disciplined, professional
teachers for the thousand schools of the
State. We only need these TO develope
in our Stale system of education that
shall reflect immortal honor. upon its
founders.
Only give US the teAcheFs-the men
and the women-who have the knowledge
and the skill 70 educate, and then we can
carry on the work of education; rather
than all other appliances without teach
ers. Let our great concar bs how to
provide the living, working power of ed
ucatlon.
We cannot depend upon forsigu imTor-
tatiJns. or rely upon the raw militia and
adventures who constitute, in SO large a
measure, our provisional army of teachers.
We must have the firm step, the rigid
] Il.
steady nerve of veteran lagions. We
must have men and women who can sat
isfy their ambition in making the profess
sion of the teacher their calling aud life
work.
Then we can disband our corps of
atragglers from other professionalism
most motley and Falstaffian aeeemblage
of lawyers without brief, clergy nen with
out calls, merchants who have failed, me-
chanics without work, and boarding
school misses prospecting for husbands,
who now throug the profession only to
disgrace it.
This proud Fabric, these ample halls,
give assurance that our State, young in
years, but old ia wisdom, is not blind to
this the great want of system, nor for
getful of her children Fresh from the
architect. unique in design, symmetrical
and faultess in proposition, and lowered
with the wealth of an exalted mission,
she stands forth the youngest, fairest
1 daughter of the commonwealth, this day
t. be welded to Silence. The g stone a nd
mortar walls that have passed from the
builders hands into those of the chosen
/ guardians of the State shall be simple stons
and mortar no longer. Translucent with
The light oflearning they shall, heDceforth,
shine like alabaster, rejecting forth light
in long lines of bsauty,-uot from the
EN- blazonry of war and slaughter, bat
from the modest and transformations rec
ord of tie heroic bands of teach ers that,
In annual succession, with the coming OF
the leafy JuHe, through all the years to
come, shall 60 forth to the gathering in
the intellectual harvest, SO golden aud so
glorious.
Report of the Executive Committee.
To THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE
STATE NORMAL ScH5oL:
The undersigned. Executive Committee
of the Normal School Board, for the
year 1865, respectfully submit the fol-
lowing
The duties devolying upon your com
mittee were to properly expend the ap.
preparation made by the Legislature, last
winter, in the construction of the build
ing-the plan Of which was adopted by
the Board-and TO supervise the general
conduct of the school. Immediately
after receiving the plan and specif cation
from the architect. your committe adver
tissd for "sealed proposals. to construct
the building. Upon an examination of the
bids, it was found that the proposition Of
JOhu Hammond, of E nporia. to construct
the building according to the plan aud
specifications for the sum of fifteen thou
sand and three hundred dollars, was the
lowest aud best bid. Although this bid
exceeded the appropriation 0 last winter,
five thousand and three hundred dol ars,
your committee deemed it to be alike for
the interest of the State and the school
to accept it. To have reduced the size
of the building would have rendered it
almost entirely insufficient for even the
present necessities of the school. Con-
sidering the competition in biding for
the work by builders in Lawrence, En-
poria and other parts of the State, it was
manifest that. nothing but expense and
delay would result from rejecting call
bids" and advertising anew So your
committee closed the. contract with Mr..
Hammoud-he agreeing to thoroughly
inclose the building and finish it off in
side as far as he could for the means al
ready at haud-speci6cally STIMULATING
to finish the principal room, and two rec
itation rooms, by The 1st of January 1857.
and the remainder of the building when
the additional means should be provided =.
1t affords your COMMITTEES pleasure to say
that Mr. Hammond has not only done
his work we'll and promptly, and to the
entire satisfaction of the superintendent
of construction, Edward Borton, and the
committee, but that he has actually done