Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1883-06-13
Extracts from Address Delivered
Before the Teachers ASso-
citation.
BY GEN. JOHN N. PURYIANCE.

citation.
BY GEN. JOHN N. PURVIANCE.
NV friends of the Teachers Associa-
tion Il have accepted an invitation
kindly rendered to me to make the adj
dress of welcome to the teachers of the
educational institutions Of the county,
or rather the Teachers Association.
With degree of reluctance more than
usual l have accepted. | feel compe-
tent to the task as far as regards the
pronouncing of words of welcome,
which | do with hearty, earnest,
good will, for feel it pleasure per-
sonally to bid you a hearty welcome to
the county seat of your county.
1t is our pride that no county in
Pennsylvania has shared more largely
in the progress of educational attain
ments, proportionate to population,
than the county of Butler. From the
very inception of the common school
system to the present day our people
with great unanimity have sustained
the system. They felt the need of ed
ucation, and determined to promote and
encourage it, especially by accepting
the advantages (which the common
school system afforded. And now, af
ter lapse of half a century, it is the
pride and pleasure of our people to look
back over the long years and contem'
plate the great progress that has been
made and vast improvement in educa
tion in all it's branches; the refinement
and culture, in moral and intellectual
attainments, that are the marked char
acteristics of our citizens. +
We find many of our brilliant orators
and profound statesmen possess nc
other scholastic education except what
they received from the common schools
of the country.
1t may be noted that when, some
fifty years ago, the academies were
founded, the germ of the common school
system was engrafted in oil the acts in.
cooperating them by the appropriation
of land and money and providing for
the education of o certain number Of
scholars gratis. Those who were the
bene6ciaries of this act scarcely cared
to share its advantages, for the reason
that it seemed to be kind of pauper
provision, as those only could accept
who were unable to pay for tuition.
This system continued for period OF
about thirty years, but with general
disfavor, and left no other door open to
education generally but the subscrip-
tion schools, and they were so poorly
patrohiZed that not one-tentb Of the
children derived much benefit from
them. AS first step towards the
present general system the branches
provided for to be taught ip the common
schools were reading, writing and
arithmetic. This was an ADVANCE in
the right direction as far as could be
safely ventured upon in accord with
public sentiment at that time. Only q
few years elapsed, however, and the
system grew into such favor that the
higher branches, grammar, geography
astronomy, &C., were provided for in
the legislative enactments. Then soon
followed the public Normal schools and
they received the fostering care ct thf
lawmakers, as well as higher SCHOOLS
where diplomas were awarded. And
to give permanecy to the system 30 thai
no vandalism could successfully attack
it the constitution of your State con
tains the provision that the general as
semb!y shall provide for the main
tenance and support of q thorough and
efficient system of public schools where
in all the children OF this commonwealth
above the age of six years may be edu
Gated, and shall appropriate at least
one million dollars each year for thai
purpose, thus founding the system
permanently beyond the reach Of its
enemies, if it has any.
1t Ia refreshing to contemplate the
great advance that has been made in
educational attainments. In our own
county within the memory of many we
had the log cabin school house, with
its clap-board roof, puncheon floor and
door, and The CREASED paper between
the openings in the unhewn logs for a
window, and the whole oIe eide for q
fire place, and with teachers half edI.
Gated in the branches they proposed to
teach, and the rod always visible and
in frequent use. Now in place of them
we have the large, fine, airy brick or
frame school houses provided with all
modern improvements of ease and COM
fort and teachers of certified scholarly
attainments as well, qualified for their
duties.
In those days few of the younger
msl ooald read and still fewer could
write-even in common business trans
actions they had to invoke the aid OF
Squire, lawyer or clergyman to have
the simplest transaction reduced to
writing, and then almost invariably
the mark was the only signature they
were capable of making. Notes, deeds,
wills, agreements and other instru-
ments in writing were verified by the
mark only. Now who can take a re-
prospective view of the past and the
adoption of the system that you are
now the. worthy representatives of but
must feel grateful for the BENEFITS and
blessings of liberal education, such as
is the privilege of all to enjoy? X
The Hessian Fly in Berks County.
REApIEa. Iune THE Hessian fly
is playing havoc with the grain fields
in Cumru, Berks. Heidelberg and other
townships. The Hessian fly was not
in the section last summer at all. The
average wheat crop in Berks last year
was TWENTY-FIVE bushels to the acre,
but not ten bushels will be realized to
the acre on any of the farms where the
fly has made its appearance. No rem
edy has yet been found which will
exterminate them, and they
are considered among the very worst
enemies Of the farmer. The fly is