The Portland daily press., 1873-05-24
Eastern Normal School.

Il The exercises of graduation and the dedica-
stion of the new school building of the Eastern
Normal School at Castine occurred on Wednes-
day and Thursday The State was represented
by Gov. Perham, State Superintendent John
son, Messrs Harlow, Thompson, Files and Pull
sifer of the Council, and Messrs. Abbott, Pull
len, Dresser and Patten of the Board of Trus-
| tees Mr.. Rounds and Miss Hayden Of the
Western Normal School were also in attend
sance, and several other educational people of
distinction. Nearly all the visitors reached
Castine on Wednesday morning by steamer Lew
iston from Portland, and returned by same boat
| on Thursday night. The care and cordiality of
| Capt. Deering and his associates, and the adj
mirable equipme nts and general good manage
,ment of the boat make it a desirable and favor
lite means of travel. ,as,.rg Ell, =, "a s,-.au
| ~ "a EXAMINATION OF CLASSES. ~ -,
|. "Wednesday forenoon was occupied by an ex-
animation of classes, which was on the whole
emnently satisfactory. In view of the low
grade of attainments required for admission
and the shortness of the course-two years
& the proficiency of many of the pupils was re-
markable and indicated eommendables eff cien-
cy on the part of the Instructors The after
noon opened with a general exercise in didac-
tics by q class of young ladies and gentlemen,
who were required to discourse upon wide
range Of educational topics assigned them at
the time by lot. Some of them showed great
originality and independence of thought, anG
the young ladies particularly evinced much
readiness and self-possession in answering ques-
tions propounded by the visitors on the subjects
Of ,,,oa fafr a;s, src1, -.
school supervision, the building and equipment
Of school houses, the district system and cog
nate topics The discussion of the mill tax
question was quite lively, several of the trus-
tees and other officials taking a part After
ward there were several recitations of original
and selected pieces, and Miss Laura L. Jennys,
Of the graduating class, gave an admirable
model lesson in Botany, making very favora-
BILE impression. 1" tf@ els-3 - i'3s@9s sigi
-tFSS IA OBLIGATORY EXERCISES 3EA Hebsos
In the evening the formal dedication of the
new SCHOOL edifice was made. This building
stands ON the hill back of the village, just be-
low the old British Fort of Revolutionary times
which crowns the summit The location is mar
vellously beautiful, overlooking the bay with
its numerous islands, and having the hills of
Mt Desert and the mainland northward for
background of the view. The building is a
handsome, tasteful structure Of brick As by 6S
on the ground, with front projection Of IA by
40feet. In the high andwell lighted basement are
located the steam heating apparatus, spacefora
chemical1aboratory etc. Four recitation rooms
each 81 by 2s feet and 12 feet high, are located
on the first floor on either side of the hall,
which is GA by 81 feet The two entrances, one
insthe front and one in the rear of the building
open into the hall. and from it one may enter
the recitation rooms spoken of, or ascending
the stairs the main school room, the dimensions
of which are &C by 43 feet and 16A feet high,
and from this the teachers room, library, APP
paratus room and cabinet. Tie third floor is
at present occupied as gymnasium. "A beau.
tiful toned bell weighing five hundred pounds,
present from Dea. Samuel Adams of Castine,
hangs in the cupola and a Howard clock, pre-
seated by j. III. Jarvis of Boston, is attached
to the wall just over he3lteachers platform.
These, with some valuable specimens as nucle-
usfor a cabinet, presented by Mr.. w. H. Pennell
of Portland, comprise the presents thus far re !,
ceiyed. The appropriation of $4,000 made last
winter will provide the necessary furniture,
and part Of the apparatus needed in the Illus
tration Of principles in Physics, Chemistry, As
tronomy, etc. NSs9
Some Of the minor details of the building are
perhaps fair subject Of criticism, which, howev-
er, should be tempered by the consideration
that the managers were required to make bricks
with a rather insufficient supplyof straw-only
$4,000 having been appropriated fora building
which legitimatey should have cost $4,000.
Hon. E. G.. Harlow; of the Council, under
whose special supervision the work has been
done, Is fairly entitled to .ongratulation and
praise for the generally satisfactory result. The
dedication ceremonies were opened by Mr. Har-
low, who gave some account of the erection of
the building and the general advances in cduca-
ton which it indicated, and closed with the fol-
lowing original lines, called forth by consider
alton of the beauties Of the site, which indicate
that, while thoroughly practical and business
like, hes not entirely unmindful of the charms
Where the wind of the east breaks its softest SIGH
Where the bilowy ocean is rolling by,
Where the SUMS warm smiles early dispel rss,
Nights tears from this temple it loves SO WELL
Gov. Perham, as temporary chairman Of the
Board Of Trustees, received the keys from Mr.
Harlow with some brief but happy and inspir-
ing remarks, and formally conferred the au-
thorty over the building upon Mr. G. T. Fletch-
er who had just been elected Principal for the
seventh time? Mr. Fletcher responded feel
ingly, abiding to the vigor with which the
school enters upon the seventh year of its exis-
tence, the encouragement that the instructors
have to labor, the Importance of education in
maintaining strong andpowerful government,
md ho adxy aoAn in rino CT nfc
for useful public or private life.
At the close of Mr.. Fletcher's remarks, Hon.
Warren johnson delivered polished and high
ly interesting dedicatory address. He began by
saying that this was the first instance in the
history Of Maine in which o school bnilding
was to be de Dictated, built wholly by the State.
Thus far, he said, we have BEEN dealing with
effects, not causes. sJails, Prisons and Houses
of Correction have been built at the expense of
thousands of dollars and years of toll, while
the cause of this outlay, and of the filling of
these institutions has not been struck at with
the same labor and expense. Mr.. johnson then
took up the subject of Normal, Schools, show
ing their efficiency and benefit to a nation by
citing the effects resulting to France from their
| degeneracy and to Prussia by their maintenance
L lue uTSG NOrIudl SCHOOL III UnlS country, Sa1Q
| the speaker, was established in Massachusetts
! in 1889, and had an attendance of three pupils.
Rhode Island, Connecticut and New York fol-
lowed, and so on until at the present time one
hundred and fourteen of these schools are in
progress in twenty three States. . In addition
there are forty-one Normal departments con-
nected with colleges and academies, but these
mixed Normal and Academic schools have
proved a failure. The address closed with a
brief review of the work in Maine, where there
are but two Normal Schools, one Of which, The
Eastern, began its efficient work in 1867, with
| thirteen students. iis TGstta Gatfs sssa
At the close Of Mr., johnson s address, mem
bers Of the graduating class sung fine dedi-
catory ode written for the occasion by Mrs. M.
A. LAWRENCE sff "a usifagai,lbs~t sr,,
Governor Perham, Hon. Sumner A. ,Patten
Stanley T. Pullen, ESQ Hon, R. w. Files. Mr.
j. w. Dresser, Deacon Samuel Adams. MI. G.
G. Rounds and OTHERS. made brief remarks,
congratnlating the teachers and scholars on the
fine building devoted to their use, the people