Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-04-12
Letter from Spruce Hill Town-l
ship.
CENTRE SCHOOL HOUSE,,
March Al 1910.

] N "A
! ship.
CENTRE SCHOOL HOUSE,
March 81, 1875.
M. Editor some interest is felt
among rs here around old Centre in
regard to affairs at " Washington, yet not
SO much as to make US neglect our ed
ucatiouai interests. Our district has
bad employed for the last two school
terms, Mr.. II. P. Stewart, who Is one
Of our iire young men, ard takes great
interest 10 his calling THAT Of teaching),
shd aims to have his pupils thorough in
what they undertake, and also to have
them informed in regard to what may
be of interest to them that be does rot
teach /; and in order to do this, he has
put himself to some trouble to have
some lectures given through the session
just closed, an account Of .yne of which
you have already h.d. Ano.ber one
was given on wedaesday evening last
An organization Vas effected by select,
Ing Mr.. John Wisehaupt, Jr., as Pres.
ident, Messrs. J. G. Wisehaupt aud
Yost Yoder as Vice Presidents and
Messrs. D. A. Yode: and j. F. G. Lope
~ Secretaries
The exercises we're opened with vocal
music BY class Of little g,fls, led BY
Mr.. John McMeen Ia member of our
school, who has given the study of mu-
bic some attention.) The opsuing piece
was "Mighty Rock" after the singing
Of which Mr.. o. L. Hench favored us
with lecture on astronomy, dividing
it As descriptive, physical aud prsctic,l,
and tracing back its history to its
earliest date, and telling how it was
used by astrologers, and explaining the
simplicity and accuracy of the Copper
nican system over the Ptolmeic, or
that used by some of the ancients, and
telling us the velocity at which the
nearest fixed stars would be required to
fy through space if the earth were the
centre. He stated briefly the laws ex-
istiug between all bodies, also .hs laws
of falling bodies next taking up and
explaining and describing the slze Of
the sun by illustration, and explaining
the influence of the moou upon the path
of the earth, the time OF revolution,
and size, relating the latest teiescopic
observations, and describing the differ
ent satellites next dwelling upon the
rings OF Saturn, explaining BY iilustra-
tiou the vast space occupied by the
solar system. He spoke of comets and
the GALAXY or milkmaid's path, aud
gave the methods of calculating dis
tances Of celestial bodies, and the dis
tance penetrated by Herschers great
rejecting telescope (which he said was
45 feet in lengthy into the moon, and
gave 1t ss the opinion of some that it
was not yet completed on account of
the telescope appearance. He also ex-
planned the nodes and eclipses, shad-
Ows and mountains on the surface Of
the moon.
At the close of Dir. Hench's lecture
the class sung piece entitled "We've
been Toiling all the Day." which was
followed by Mr.. @. W. Gilmore with
"Hasel Dell'' on the accordeon. 1a-
Mr.. William Groninger then gave
one of his very interesting and instruc-
tive lectures. This time he took our
earth, describing the animal, vegetable
and mineral Kingdoms, considering man
as the chief o: the animal kingdom.
He spoke Of the different kinds of air
We inbsle, and the difference between
amphibeous and wholly aquatic animals,
and remarked how the ALI wise Creator
had designed aud SO constructed the
creatures of His care that all could
exist in the different elements in which
He Intended they should live. He
stated that although fishes lived wholly
under water, they were so constructed
as to breathe into their lungs, 80 to
speak, that which was necessary for
their existence as easily as man could
in the element in which be is placed.
He also gave Us the information that
upon our highest mountains the air is
not sufficient to enable man TO ascend
to the summit, aud that they are m.a-
sured By mathematical calculation. He
told US the amount of air pressure upon
the body of every man, and the differ
ent kinds of gasses necessary to sustain
life in naa and beast also describing
electricity, both positive and negative,
causes of thunder and lightning, telling
US now to make q cheap and simple
barometer, not forgetting to tell us the
causes of reports or noises, and that
every able. bodied man bad to bear
80 GOO cubit feet Of arr. He acquitted
himself in his usual eloquent tyle.
We we're next favored with a piece
of music by the class, entitled ''By the
Well Side," closing with several pieces
on the ACCORDION, BY Mr. Gilmore.
A vote of thanks was then rendered
the speakers and musicians, after which
the meeting Adjourned, all being highly
pleased with the evenings entertain
ment. j. +. g. L.