The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1876-04-20
ST. CLOUD AND THE IoRlflI
SCHOOL.
'" Beautiful Location Of the City. A..
IT'S BUsn1Ess AND EDUCATIONALA D
VANTAGlcN.
The Normal School and the Good Work
1t IL Doing.
From the Glencoe Register (Hon. Liber'
EYoNl

From the Glencoe Register (4on. Liberty
HaN.)
We visited St. Cloud last week for The
first time. For ten years past we had been
looking for some occasion that would call
us to that portion Of the State. The clos
ing exercises of the Normal School was just
the occasion. for we had special desire to
look in upon that school.
St. Cloud Is most beautifully and advan-
tsgeously located: 1ntime all the Sank
valley country will be connected by rail.
road With the city, and the long-talked.of
North and South road from that point to
the Minnesota river will become reality.
The absolute necessity for this line Of road
will soon become 50 apparent to all the
people living along the line of the proros-
ed route, that the demand for it will be i'm
perative, and when constructed it will be
~avrov gauge, built at an expense so trifliug,
compared with the cost Of the broad gauge
roads, that the burden of taxation will be
20 light Is scarcely to be felt by property
owners. But we do not intend to discuss
railroad matters at this time.
St. Cloud is particularly fortunate in
numbering among it's citizens many of the
best business men Of the State; and it is to
their energy and business sagacity, that that
section of the State is indebted for the build.
ing up Of business and educational CEN
ter which issto be of incalculable benefit to
all the surrounding country.
stearns county is settled largely by Ger
MANS. and, ~ rule, We are sorry to say
that our German fellow citizens have not
taken that interest ii, our public schools
that their importance demands. But few,
Comparatively, Of our teachers are of Ger
man descent, for the reason that only . few
have seemed to think it worth their while
to make an effort to prepare themselves for
the teachers work. We were especially
pleased to notice the German element Of
stearns county society 60 largely and 10
creditably represented in the St. Cloud
Normal School. Within year or two, 4
large number Of young ladies and gentle
men of German nationality will 60 out
thoroughly qualified to take charge Of the
country schools.
We are happy to learn that Prof. Kiehle,
who took charge of the school At the con-
mencement Of the fall term, has already
won the entire confidence of the commune
ty Of which he has recently become 4
member and has demonstrated ample capac-
ity to fill the place to which he was as
signed by the Normal board. We do not
hesitate to say that the St Cloud Normal
School, under the judicious and able man.
agement of Prof. Kiehle, with his efficient
corps of teachers, is one of the most pro6ta-
bic and useful educational institutions of
the State, and 1t is one that the State can
not afford, by unfriendly legislation, to
cripple.
This school is drawing to itself that class
Of young ladies and young gentlemen who
could not, for the want Of means, obtain an
education elsewhere. The sons and daugh-
tiers Of farmers, for fifty miles around, who
could not obtain the means to pay for board
and tuition at other schools, can 70 to St.
Cloud and by having tuition free, and max
ing arrangements to board themselves, and
by securing cheap board in private fami.
lies, can manage to get through the course
and hundreds of this class are taking ad-
vantage of these favorable circumstances to
prepare themselves for becoming useful
members of-soc;ety, and valuable citizens
Of the State.z:. We are more than ever sat-
is6ed that the people Of the State general
~ do not appreciate the character of the
work that is being done by our Normal
Schools. If they did, we should not wit
ness the disgraceful raids that are made
upon them by each recurring Legislature.
The st. Cloud school, at least, is emphat-
ically the poor boys and poor girls school
and We have no reason to doubt that the
Mankato and Winona schools are none tie
less institutions Of the people for the peo-
pie.