The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1875-11-05
CORNERSTONE LAYING

CORNERSTONE LAYING
On Saturday. October So 1875 the corner
stone of the new Normal Boarding Hall was
laid in the presence Of large concourse of peo-
pie. Although the day was most unpleasant by
reason of the continuous rain, the spacious Hall
of the institute was filled with interested hearers
and spectators. The Bloomsburg silver cor
net band kindly furnished the music, and the
exercises were prefaced by one of their stirring
pieces.
PRAYER was then offered by the Rev. Mr..
Hoffmeier. Following was piece of vocal mu-
sic by the glee clubs of the school, given with
great spirit
Judge Elwell, president of the Roard of Trus
tees, then came forward and announced the OBJ
ject for which we were assembled. He gave
short history of the Normal School enterprise in
this town. of its evolution from the organization
of the Bloomsbury Literary Institute, of the lay
ing of the corner stone and the erection of the
building, now about to be replaced, of the repu-
tation the school had acquired and the high
standing already achieved by many who had
graduated from i; ; and the hope that the new
building might continue and increase that repu-
tation, and in its enlarged capacity, enlarge its
usefulness. He concluded by remarking that
the prosperity Of this town, the beautfying of its
streets and buildings, and its late and present
active business life, and its high reputation for
beauty, cleanliness and health were due mainly
if not entirely to the impetus given to it by the
erection of the Normal School buildings. And
as this building was rapidly pushed forward to
completion by the citizens, our well deserved
reputation would spread and grow, and our ma
terial prosperity be greatly enhanced,
Hon. Robert p. Allen of Williamsport was
then introduced. He began by quoting The old
adage that knowledge is power" and said that
knowledge is not only power, it is more than
power. 1t gives a man command not only OF
his own resources, but Of those Of others. In
teligence is the corner stone of our country'-
greatness. 1t makes us good men, good women
and good citizens, The common school system
was the bulwark of our liberties. The common
school teacher was one of the most important
positions in the Commonwealth, quoting a say
ing of Luther upon the subject. He spoke o
the teachers among the ancients, of Homer OF
Plato, of Socrates, of the military expeditions o
Caesar and of Charlamagnc as being sending
abroad of the school master among the barbar-
ians, and teaching them the laws Of life and civ
| ilizaton Of the present public school system OF
| Europe, of the labors of Horace Mann in the
cause of education in this country; and review
ed the state of education in Massachusetts and
4 Al ,ia vos
not behind any of them in her devotion to pop
ular education. That the training OF teachers
was important and should be carefully guarded
and ended by complmenting the citizens o
Bloomsburg upon the enterprise evinced, The
beauty of the town, and the splendid location o
the school buildings, and wishing them the mos
abundant satisfaction and success.
The Rev. DIR. McCron followed in an interest
ing address upon the moral and intellectual us
pect of the common school system. lie sale
knowledge is not power only in its application
as iron or gold or jewels are not wealth in the
mine, but only when rescued from their hiding
| place and put to uSe-that knowledge was wis
dom only when it pursued moral or purely IN
tellectual aims, and the object of teaching here
should be constantly inclining to the moral anc
religious wants Of the young. He dwelt at con
siderable length on this part Of the subject, ant
pictured the advantages here and the gloric
hereafter which would follow proper intellectual
training and proper exercise aud application
of that trailing both to the things Of this life
and to that which is to come And he ended b!
strongly and eloqucnly urging upon the citizen
of Bloomsburg the carrying forward of this grea
enterprise by all the means in their power, thu
giving to US and to the future a vantage ground
and showing that we could pluck, even from til,
calamity of the late fire, renewed energy io
still greater works.
Dr. Griswold, the principal of the School
then came forward and after announcing the or
der of the remaining exercises set down for tn
occasion, said that at the request OF the Pre'i
dent Of the Board of Trustees he would add b,
way of supplement few remarks to what ha'
been already so eloquently urged. That he wa
glad to see so many persons braving the inclem
ency of the weather and coming together upo
this interesting and important occasion, Tha
there was a most peculiar fitness and prophet
in commemoratins the steps in great enter
prise by something more than ordinary displa
and circumstance. That though the day seem
, ed unpropitous, yet as the old corner stone ha
been laid in the sunshine and most sad calan
ity had overtaken that building, he believe
/ and prophesied that this one laid to-day, an
watered by the autumnal rains, would attain
greater and higher reputation than could hay
been reached by its predecessor The DR.. the
mentioned the contents Of the box put into IL
: corner stone as being statement of the fire an
! the date &C., copy of each one Of the papers {
the town, school catalogues, sentence in lie
r brew, and programmes of the proceedings of III
day; and added that the procession form an
file ont of the Hall TO the co ner Of the ne
building,
/ The band leading the way was followed
the Board of Trustees, the clergy, the iaeult!
the societies, the students, and the ciIizcns an
the stone was laid and fitted in It's place by Jndq
Elwsll with appropriate words Of ceremonial