The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1880-09-11


porous little town, and there is M
reason why it should not continue t.
progress and increase rapidly in pop
tulation, unless the leading citizens
who are directly interested in its ad
vancemcnt, neglect one of the es
sentials of a lasting and permanent
prosperity. And that is education
Why is it that while they are ready
ito foster every business enter
prise that looks to the Immediate
benefit of themselves and the town
they are so deaf to the demands daily
and almost hourly made upon them
for their future good, and the good
of their children? Are they blind to
their own best interests; or do they
think that children reared up without
the advantages of good schools will
make society better? Surely 'sif ig-
norance is bliss tits folly to be wise"
Suppose we were DESTROYS to invite a
thrifty and intelligent population to
settle among us, land I presume all
desire it, and we should go or send
10 those educated countries of Europe,
or to some of those Northern and East
ern States where children are educated
in the public schools from four to
twenty-one, where education is the rule
and ignorance the exception, and
should tell those people that Lake
Charles not only had no public school,
or at least only enthusiastically, but
did not even have a school house?
How many of those people do yon
suppose would be anxious to emigrate
TO this section? The great secret of
the rapid growth and wonderful pros
perity of the great Northwestern
States is due to the fact that the first
thing the emigrants did after settling
was to build school-houses and
churches, and any man in that section
would blush to own that he lived in a
town of 800 inhabitants that did not
have a school-honse. The time has
come when we want better grade of
schools at Lake Charles, and this can
be accomplished by a concert of &C
lion on the part of all who feel the
least interest in the upbnilding of
society in our midst.
We may not succeed in uniting all
The elements at once, in the establish
ment of first class school, nor is it
necessary we should. 1t is only
that few individuals should
take the initiatory steps, and enough
can be accomplished to make it a
complete success.
There are in Lake Charles three or
more competent teachers, who have
made teaching their business for many
years. Though with limited pecunia-
~ means, they are rich in the
knowledge of what should be done in
tbe matter of education. Let a sub
stantial and comfortable school house
be erected here, sufficiently large for
school Of three or four grades, and
let those teachers unite their efforts in
one graded school, and we will have
an excellent and permanent institution
Of learning here, the good influence of
which, not only upon the pupils but
upon society, can scarcely be oyer-esti-
mated. The existence of such a i
school here will also rebound greatly
10 the credit of Lake Charles, and will
END directly to increase its population
and prosperity. 4
Let us all awake to sense of our
duty and interest in this matter. Let
us lay aside our personal differences, if |
we have any, for the good of our
children and for the benefit of our
society and town. i
------e~ness.-~------- Il
A = III q r CT. II