Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-06-10
H0OSIERDOM.
Something About Hoo.ier Institution by a
Badger.

Mr.. EDITOR :-Having been at,
tending this institution for several
months past and considering that q
large number from Wisconsin are
here pursuing studies to fit them for
life's work, | trust that few things
concerning the Northern Indiana
Normal School would be of some
interest to our friends at home.
Students flock into Valparaiso
from every state in the Union to at
tend the Largest Normal School in
the United States" and yet we of
Grant county wonder that we had
not heard of it before. Indiana
boasts of the largest school fund of
any state in the Union, yst in spite
of this boast statistics show that
her illiterate population proportions
ally exceeds by far that of any
state of the northwest. When we
consider that this vast school fund
is in the hands of few selfish men
we naturally conclude that it were
better far to have q small fund in
use than large one not used at all.
Valparaiso ranks second on the list
of Indiana cities aud towns in the
matter of public school, and yet
Valparaiso has debt that compels
her citizens to pay a tax proportion.
ally higher than that paid by the
people of Chicago. The place has
over 1000 Inhabitants. It's debt is
somewhere about 100000. When
one thinks of these things he can
account for the shabby appearance
of the place. He can see why they
do not replace the ragged and an
Gent sidewalks with new ones, why
the many staguant pools by the
roadside, in which the swine wall
low, are not drained why the rub
bish and cellar cleanings in the
streets, which render the air impure
and endanger the public health, are
not removed, and why generally
the people cannot afford to make
this as its name indicates, a "place
of paradise" This is the county
seat of Porter county and there is a
very attractive public square in
which the eye beholds an ancient
looking structure which, with its
crumbliDg walls and moss-covered
ROOT, reminds one of some of the
prehistoric edifces found in the
mountain regions of Arizona and
Mexico, but lest some of our scien.
tific friends from Wisconsin should
come here and, on beholding this
structure, be SO misled as to think
that be had actually found prehis>
toric relic, | will say for his future
guidance that it is only a Hoosier
court house. And it is in full har-
mony with the place. 1t is to such
o state as Indiana, to such town as
Valparaiso that persons come from
all parts of our Union to secure the
benefits of an education. 1t is in
such q state, in such O city, that
there exists school, which, in point
of the number of students, far ex-
ceeds any other educational Institu-
ton in the United States. This
Normal School is private institu.
ton. One man has entire control
of the buildings and workings of
the school. 1t may be a question
with many why an institution CON-
trolled by one man should attract
more students and gain wider
spread reputation than most of our
higher institutions of learning.
There may be two or three reasons
advanced for this. One of them is
that the school meets a long felt
waut, viz. that of enabling the stu
dent TO pursue any study he wishes.
Another reason is the very low price
at which one can receive his educa.
ton here. There is still another
and greater reason--one which lie
the secret of success of every profit
able undertaking - il advertisss.
Thousands of circulars and cata-
logues sre distributed broadcast
over the land every month. Hun.
dreds of dollars are expended every
year for printing these circulars
and hundreds more for mailing
them. And it is needless to say
that every dollar expended in adj
vertising by the primo pal is more
than doubled in return. When we
see q private institution by its gen.
crosby in advertising, and by its ao-
commodatiug all with low prices,
thus bringing education within the
reach of those of small means we
are led to ssk why the state does
not adopt this plan in connection |
with its Normal Schools and thus |
place their advantages within easy |
reach of its citizens who must pay |
taxes tor the support of them with
out receiving any benefits there. |
from.
There ere SONS faults 10 be found |