The daily gazette., 1878-05-16
President EckeI's Guests.
DISCUSSING SCHOOL MATTERS ovEB
STRAWBERRIES AND ICE CREAM,
AT THE CLAYTON HOUSE.

tions issued by Col. Henry Eckel, the
recently elected President of the Board
of Education, assembled in the Clayton
ii ouse parlors, at $3.50 o'clock last even
ing, for the purpose of accepting the
| Coloneps acknowledgements of the
honor conferred upon him by his recent
elevation to the Presidency of the
Board. All the members of the Board
| excepting Mr.. Morrow, who was un-
avoidably detainedD were present, to-
gether with Superintendent Harlan,
Prof. Wiley, DIR. Shortledge, ex-Presi-
dent of the Board, and the representa-
tives of the city press, making about
thirty in all.
| When the guests were assembled they
were conducted by Col. Eckel and pro-
prietor Pyle, of the Clayton House, to
the tea room, where tables were spread
with handsome collation., comprising
| cold meats, rolls, coffee, ice cream and
Strawberries, cake and fruit. Mr.. Eckel
sat at the head at the tables, with DR.
Grimshaw at his right aud Prof. Wiley
| Mt his left.
After all around the Board had fully
satisfied their appetites, DIR. Grimshaw
arose and proposed the first toast, as fol-
lows:
"The health of the President of the
Board of Education the veteran in let
ters."
In responding Col. Eckel said that
private information from DIR. Grimshaw
assured him that the allusion to letters
simply meant to A. B. c., which infor-
nation relieved him f, ON much einbar-
rassment. Proceeding he said 1t is
pleasant to be able 10 see and feel that
after the excitement and turmoil that
recent circumstances surrounded us with
we can meet together as friends, disown-
ing all except such honorable, manly
lsentiments as are dictated by courtesy
and friendship, thus enabling us to Assem-
BILE in social communion forgetful of all
that may for the time have rstranged us.
As a Board of Public Education we have
great work to do--agreat responsibility
rests upon us. We are not simply re-
qured to visit the schools and See the
teachers and scholars, but to see and
to know that we are doing something to
!contribute to the happiness, prosperity
and welfare of those under our charge,
and, endeavor to make good, useful
citizens of the children in our public
schools.
see around me, gentlemen engaged in
the various professions of life-editors,
lawyers and doctors-who, are also edu-
Gators in their various positions, especially
the editors. They are the educators of
the public mind-they shape, mould and
direct public opinion; and the editor who
is not willing TO shape, desirous to mould
and anxious to lead public opinion in
his community has not yet reached that
point when he can be regarded us sue
cessful public educator.
In concluding, Mr.. Eckel said it would
be the duty and the pleasure of the Board
to advance the educational interests OF
the city, and elevate the already excellent
common school system. He then pro-
posed the health of
"Col. John O'Byrne-The editor and
the LAWYER"
Mr. 0Byrne said he would disavow
the military and editorial titles. He had
"never set a squadron in the field, and
though he had occasionally written edi-
torial articles, he e nerally got then
back again with compound interest. Ht
= deemed the editorial profession a specia
science; requiring talent, labor, research
and examination, and the man who
4 thinks he can edit newspaper and a
the same time practice another business
or profession, will fiud himself painfully
mistaken. The speaker, therefore, on
account of his large legal practice, whicl
A occupied the major part Of his time
could not pretend to be an editor, but ht
l could conceive of no more useful or hon
= orable profession.
Mr.. OByrne then spoke at length upoI
the subject of education, taking stronl
grounds in favor of mechanical as wei
e as intellectual instruction. The educa
/ | ton of the mind, he claimed, was no
sufficient it only resulted in sending
: forth class of young men with n,
4 knowledge of any practical trade, will
. no opportunity of obtaining employment
suited 10 their ideas of gentility, and thu
they drift into career of crime tina
lanss them in the prisons and peniten
o riaries of the country. Mr.. O'Byrne ar
. gued strongly in favor of industria
l ~ nj rpfn n
r the criminal abuses Of the country. H'
r favored the Prussian school system.
a Mr. Eckel announced the next toas
as 1.-The sword, scalpel and health OF th'
o ex-President of the Board of Education
p Dr. Grimshaw."
DIR. Grimshaw said he had laid asid
. the sword and buried the scalpel. Re
!. ferring to MIR. O'Byrne's remarks, h
u claimed the education of the mind to b.
8 of paramount importance. though he di'
l. not discountenance the education OF TIL
hand. The hand should be educated
Through the brain. Ignorance is tn
greatest incentive to crime, as Is show
!, by the history of Span, Mexico, AM
- other countries of that character. HI
A. said the main reason why the graduate
a of No. l school did not learn trades wa
/ that the course was too long, and tn
: boys, when they graduated, were geneI
: ally too old to gain admission to goo
c trade.
n The ensuing toast was, "The VII
), mington High School-The Flower an
n Pride of our Educational System"
;, Prof S. j. Wiley, Principal of tn
!. High School, responded by speaking i
n favor of mechanical education. ii
=, wanted practical drawing taught in tn
I. public schools by practical teachers. TIL
la great need of the country Is educated
"a labor. He also favored shortening o
o the course of instruction ia the big
e School, and thanked the Board for thei
h great interest in the success Of the schoo
,f over which he presided,
.oI "The Press-wnen properly conducted
IF an engine of public usefulness whel
l. perverted despieable nuisance"
ID C.P. johnson, editor of the GAZETTE
"a being called upon responded. The pres
AZ of Wilmington, he said, has always col
Ar daily assisted and diligently labored t
r. build up our public schools, at least TO
il the past twenty-five years they hay
10 besnits constant care. The late Judge II al
he who was the father OF the present sys
TEN, and for many years President OF tn
Board, wrote numerous articles on schoo
:. subjects for the GAzRTTE, which l wa
u always glad to publish. They were ad
a T., ba hfi, ,.fast and most elOQueQ