Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1886-07-21
THE NORMAL.

According to the announced plans, the intro
duction to the Normal Institute session cam,
off at the Opera House on the night of the 14tl
instant. Mr.. William A. Bowles, City Super
intendent. master of ceremonies. Upon tn
stand with him, were Professor Frank M
smith, of Tennessee. who assumes charge OF tn
school; Professor S S. Parr, of the Indiana Nor
city; and later. Mr.. Bowles observing Senator
James N Stubs, of Gloucester county. in tn,
audience, invited him to the stand.
Mr.. Bowles introduced Mr.. Kemper as thu
chosen representative of the city in rendering
a welcome to the Professors and teachers who
were to spend four weeks in it with the view o
advancing the cause of education. We adopt
the indicators report of the addresses deliver
ed. Mr.. Kemper spoke as follows:-
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN standing here al
the spokesman of the people of Staunton or
this occasion. it gives me pleasure to welcome
you to our city. You are assembled here as rep
resentatives of popular education in Virgi mia
coming from many different sections, but all
imbued with the high purpose to put forth ev-
cry effort to better fiji yourselves in the calling
you have chosen.
Recognizing, as do the necessity of educat-
Ing all classes and conditions of men, l greet
you, one and all, as public benefactors whose
good works shall live forever.
When look over this audience of teachers
the thought crowds itself into my mind that
perhaps you do not realize your own Importance
factors in the social and political destiny of
this Common wealth. The power you WELD for
good is beyond all measure of calculation. To-
day there may be in the public schools of this
Stste pupils whose achievements Will rival the
proudest deeds of those heroic patriots whose
civic and martial triumphs have emblazoned
not only the history of Virginia, but the bright
est pages in the book of time With such pos
sibilities, your lives as teachers. are crowded,
and the Inspiration of the good you may do
should be solace for your many trials.
The public school system OF this State is yet
in Its infancy. You are the pioneers to hew
down a track through the wilderness of ignor-
ance. and your laoors must lay the foundation
stone OF the temple of universal education
Many of us will not live to see it, but the day is
coming when the face of this lovely land will
be dotted over with common schools and inst-
tut1onS OF higher learning. The lamp of knowl-
edge is already guiding many feet that must
have stumbled on in igorance but for that hui
orlng TO make education free as air to all who
will partake thereof. A Republiclike ours can
not be too Jealous in educating its citizens
The founders of our great government saw with
prophetic vision that If the infant nation was
to live and wax strong, Ignorance must be ban
orally of his well, earned fortune to found an
Institution of learning in this Valley; and Vir
ginia's second greatest son spent the last days
of his grand life within the walls of Washing
ton College, and the splendid university bear
ing the joint names of Washington and Lee
stands to-day the noblest monument erected
to their memory. Thomas Jefferson, crowned
with immortal fame as the greatest apostle OF
liberty, watched from the summit of Monticello
the rising walls of the University of Virginia,
and asked that portion of his epitaph should
be that he was its founder.
Perhaps no dream of the republics magni
ffcent destiny ever dawn ed in their minds; but
they saw that the people must be educated in
order that 1t might live at all; and happy am
to say that the lessons bequeathed US have not
been forgotten. Virginia is far behind some of
her sister States in point of educational ad
vantages. But for 1t a good excuse can be given
The pitiess waves of a four years. war surged
through her borders, destroyed the accumulat-
ed wealth of centuries; one third of her terri
tory was torn away and erected into separate
State; and when peace once more spread her
white wings over distracted lan1. the proud
and ancient Commonwealth of Virginia lay a
blackened and ruined waste. But in our gal
ling poverty, with heavy financial burdens up.
on our shoulders one of the first acts of the re-
stored State government was to put in opera
uon a free school system, free alike to every
color, CLASS and creed.
North and West, but we have done our best
and will do better. Already wondrous changes
are taking place among the hills and noun,
coal and iron is awakening to the touch of
skilled labor and enterprise blazing furnaces
and busy mills are creating values the
magnitude of which we cannot dream; the sails
OF commerce whiten our harbors, and cities are
rising like magic from the plain; Virginia is
growing rich and she prospers so will ed
ucation increase and flourish.
And now again, welcome you to onr city
among the hills of West Augusta, the queen
city and 1oveliest gem of the Valley; in the
name of her hospitable people. bid you well
come.
Here amid the blue mountains, and under
~sktes-Italian blue-you will find scenes of sur
passing beauty, limpid streams, leafy dells and
all the charms offairest wildwood scene" The
beauties of nature viii rest the mind wearied
with effort togain still more knowledge for the
great task You are engaged in as teachers. You
have come to us "a strangers: we will see that
our parting is as friends.
Once more in the name OF the people of Staun-
ton, pledge you the heartiest welcome and
our best efforts will be to make your stay
among us a bright memory for all time.
Mr.. Kemper was frequently applauded dur
ing the delivery of his address.
After music by the band. Mr.. Bowles intro
ducad briefly Prof Frank M.Smfth of Tenn essee,
Superintendent of the Normal who would, he
said. on the part of the visiting teachers,
spond to the opening address. Mr. Smith re-
ferred in his opening sentences, to the pleasure
of being able to visit again this beautiful part
of Virginia. He had been here once before. on
the End day of May, 1861 was treated then SO
well in Staunton, Strasburg, winchester and
through the valley, that he always wanted to
return. This wac the first time he had had the
pleasure OF coming back as teacher, he was
just from school then. as he is just from school
now. (Applause.) He then gave a humorous
description of some of the primitive methods
of teaching in his own State before the war
The old log school house, ventilated by knock
Ing out one end and furnished with branches
through hewn logs with sticks thrust through
auger holes for legs. This description was true
to the llfe, and any old citizen here has seen
such sShool-houses in the Old Dominion. The
old time spelling class was well photographed
and the picture created much merriment among
his auditors His first text book in the olden
time was paddle with the A. B. c., on one side
and the multiplication table on the other This
book was used both as an Indictment ahead of
Mr.. $. continued in this strain for some time
and then described the advantages made in
methods, appliances, furniture. text books dur
ing the last 70 years. Adding, however, that
unless in the school there was real live teach
er all these mechanical advantages were moth
Ing worth. He took up the growth in educa-
= tional matters, especially such development as
comes from a well conducted Institute.
The next gentleman introduced was Mr.. S. =.
Parr, OF the Normal School ofIndiana. Mr.. P.
remark ed that it was needless for him 10 say how
much pleasure it gave him visit this State
do CalnS rlr
of a land so different from his own in scenery,
mountains, and sill the diversity OF topography
peculiar to the Valley of Virginia. He wanted
to see the people. as well as the country; meet
the teachers and see for himself the system of
education in State which has produced
many great men and fair women Different
states, said he, have different systems, but
cry one must have some system, for without 1t
all would be confusion He referred 10 the
strikes out West, and the rarity of such occur
rences here. He thought that education was
possible remedy for many of these troubles.
Ihat Inc troubles between capital and labor
would perhaps cease as knowledge grew great
er. His reference to the Blair bill, and his state.
ment that he thought it ought to pass, was re
ceived with considerable applause He thought
the education of the teachers one of the most
important questions of the day. The speaker
sketched rapidly the uses of Normals, both
temporary and permanent and concluded his
speech with an expression of thanks for Dr.
Buchanan IS giving him the opportunity to visit
this particular Institute. He also claimed that
according to the past history of Virginia he
was native OF this county, as he was born in
extended in early times to the extreme bound
aries of Indiana.
State Senator Stubs, of Gloucester was next
introduced and kept the audience in q good
humor and often N laughter, by his wit and
anecdotes. He was proud, he said in some
measure of the opportunity he had had to IA
Vor such legislation as would help the public
schools and these Normsls. He would never
forgive Mr.. Bowles for calling on him to speak
so suddenly, and had he known that Mr.. b
meditated that wickedneSs, he would not have
voted for him as Superintendent of Schools -
He was going back to Tidewater and tell his
people that he believed the Normal was going
to be success. He complimentet the girls OF
Staunton; seemed a little sorry that his being
married hampered the full expression of his
admiration, but would send his boys up, who
would no doubt be freer in their utterances.-
He told how bushing girl-graduate in the
south, had expressed her love for the old town
where she was educated, and how his being
married had again choked his speech. Mr.
Stubs was frequently applauded, and kept his
audience pleased throughout his irnpromptu
address.