The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-02-11
THE RAILWAY AFFAIR.
pARoo4IAL SCHOOL CLOSED
By a Ph,hI Ord.rs-I Ssn,u,IOn-A ClthOll.
Clergyman ia PIIOr Of Sending the Cali.
dr'n Of His Parish " tie Pub.
lie Schools Of Railway.

/
Railway, N. j., by Rev. Father McCoskel
Of that place. The fact was singular on
in some respects and the details Of it
given as follows
When Father Smith, who preceded
Father McCosker, left Railway, the paro
chial school numbered about two hundred
pupils. Father McCosker had served I
parish in Newton many years. There wa
no parochial school there, and he made ne
secret Of his belief that It would be as we'll
II not better, for the children Of his par
ishioners to attend the public school
He had found that plan to work very we'll il
Newton, where, he says, the Catholics were
gene rously treated, and where theil
children made creditable appearance in
the public school. BY his sanction, there,
fore, many Of the Catholic parents, espec.
tally Of older children, patronized the pub.
lie schools in Railway, and the parish
school dwindled in numbers until only
forty pupils were left. Father McCosker
seldom visited the school. In his annual
report TO Bishop Wigger, in january last,
he stated that in his opinion that as the
parochical school was not well attended,
perhaps it would be better to close il and
save the expense as nucleus for the
building OF new church, which he thinks
is much needed. To this suggestion Bishop
Wigger replied that in his opinion it would
be better TO induce all Catholic parents to
send their children to the parochial school,
and he requested Father McCosker to use
his influence TO secure that end.
Friends Of the school say that Father
McCosker has not carried out the instruc.
tions Of the Bishop; that he has not en-.
Couraged or Co.operated with the sisters;
that he has cut down their meagre salaries
from $500 a year to S400 ayear, to be diyid-
ed among three Sisters, and that he has ap.
parently sought occasion to close the school
upon some pretext, which pretext, they say,
he found in a sleigh ride with the school
children.
Las; Friday a party Of Catholic school
children from Newark, accompanied by
their priest, Father Holland, went to Rah-
way and called upon the Sisters Of Mercy,
who furnished them with lemonade, and
the party had a pleasant time. Efforts
were made to get Father McCosker to Join
the party, but he refused. Upon leaving,
the party passed the paroChial residence,
and gave Father McCosker three cheers.
The Father was much scandalized by this,
and when it was proposed to get up another
sleigh ride, and two OF the children, Mary
Farrell and Fanny Kenney, went to get his
consent, he ilatly refused and expressed a
decided disapprobation Of the project. On
Tuesday Father McCosker visited the
school. There wasa very unpleasant scene
between him and the Sisters. The Sisters
left the school, and the children were dis
missed by the priest with the instruction
from him that they were to stay away until
they got new teachers. Father MGCosker
says:
Before went into the school prayed
the guidance Of God as to how should
act. had no sinister intention. l was
opposed to the sleigh ride because it was
proposed for Saturday, and l believed it
would interfere with the religious duties Of
children and parents. Twas sorry that the
Sisters did not take my view Of the matter
The most ef the parents Of the children are
poor people, and thought they could not
afford it. / thought 1t was an unnecessary
excursion. told them that while such a
ride might be well enough for those living
in city, who would be benefited by the
change, it was not necessary for them,
as they lived where they could get
plenty OF good air. ! was fearful that
the familiarities Of a sleigh ride might
not be good for the morals Of the chill
dren. l told them that ! hoped il they
did go they would not act as the chill.
'dren Of Newark had. This started
Sister Augustine, who got up to leave the
school. ! requested her TO stay. Then
questioned the children about their obser.
vance Of religious duties. I proposed to
examine them to see how they had pro.
gressed In their studies. Sister Adele came
in. was about to examine the children
in parsing. Objection was made that some
Of the children had not learned parsing. l
examined one girl OF Is. Iwanted to see
whether the children had earned the right
to go on an excursion by progress in their
studies. While was examining the chill.
dren, Sister Adele went out OF the school
room to consult her Sister Superior at their
house. On her return, she and Sister
Augustine took up their bonnets and
shawls and left the house, bidding the chill
dren goodbye. There were words ex-
changed between me and the Sisters which
| should not like to repeat. The children
were excited and crying. 1t was
pititul to see them exchanging part
ing words with their teachers. The
poor little things were very sorry, and |
have sinCG felt much sympathy for them. I
sent them home and closed the SCHOOL.
Wednesday l went to sec the right Rev.
Bishop Wigger at Newark about it, and he
said be had been called upon by two ofmy
parishioners, MessFs. Stacy and Farrell,
and had already prepared letter to me
directing that | shall announce at both
masses on Sunday that the school will be
reopened on Monday. This, OF course, will
be done. The Bishop himself will make a
complete investigation Of the matter soon
and determine what shall be done. The
school will be reopened on Monday, but l
hope that, for the Sake Of our mutual peace,
the Bishop will put The school in charge oi
other sisters. So far as the public schools
are CONCERNED, l think they offer better ad-
vantages for secular EDUCATION than our
own schools, but, in obedience to my supe.
riors, ! have tried to get the people 10 send
their children To the parochial schools"
Several Of Father McCosker's parishiS l.
ers have called on Bishop Wigger and r.,
quested the appointment Of a new
priest for the parish. Bishop Wigger said
he should have to hear from a larger repre-
sentation Of the 600 parishioners before
granting snch a request. There was some
trouble between the Sisters and the prizes,
because one Of the sisters declined TO play
the organ for mixed choir, and Father
McCosker took 500 from the Sister stipend
to pay for music.
| =z=-7SSt S-J-ss==F-
ALLIANCE OF CQNGRESSNEN.
lIIssIssIPpi aud Missouri Valley Mem
beFs ON the Defensive,