The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1889-12-06


number Of children OF legal school ag
made 1t necessary to proceed at once t,
make provision for their accommodation
An additional building became neces
sity.
March 10th of the present year j. II
Townsend and James g. Brown were ap
pointed committee to procure plans for
new building to lie erected on the old iai
lot and to submit the same to the board.
| AT the regular meeting Of the Board OF
the 9th Of April plans were submitted from
Parsons & Son, Topeka, Kansas; weitzel
and Retmyer,, Danvllle, and E. e. Ritter
| Allentown.
| The Ritter plans were upon due consid
Grafton unanimously adopted, and ordered
that the letting for the construction of tho
building be advertised, proposals to be re
ceiyed up to May 18th, 1889.
The subject Of heating and ventilation
being one of the most important in a well
regulated public building gave the board
| no little concern. Individual members Wis
tied Danville to investigate the subject and
inquire into the effectiveness of the Smead
Wills system of heating and ventilation
combined with their dry closets. So favor
| ably impressed were these members with
the result of their investigation that al d
subsequent meeting a contract was entered
into with Smead, Wills & Co., to introduce
their system for S2540.
AT the time specifi ID bid were receive d
as follows David Hensinger, $l55S5.4S
Sterner & Sons, S172O0 90; Samuel Shaffer
$lS5O0O0; Samuel arnsworth, $10l29. 90
Thomas Corey, $23i4300. The contractor
to have all the material in the old Jail
buildings. The contract was awarded to
David Heusinger at his bid and at the same
time loan was authorized of $50, 600 at
a per cent. exempt from taxation to pro-
vide resources to construct the building.
This with the $4,000 Of bonds issued for
the lot makes a bonded debt of S23, 900
$1,000 of which is due and will be paid
January 1. The last of these bonds is due
and payable January 1, 1902.
The contractor at once entered into an
agreement for the construction of the build
ing and in few days began work which
was faithfully and diligently prose cuted
Gas the weather permitteu) to a success fuI
issue. Since the first of June the compost.
ton of the Board of Directors has been
slightly changed by the retirement of
Isaiah Hagenbuch, expiration of term, and
the substitution of Joseph Garrison.
At the meeting of June 3, 1857, new
building committee was constituted con-
sisting of j. Il. Townsend, w. Chrisma n,
VIM. Kreamer and J. q. Brown. We leaye
the public to judge AS TO how faithfully
this committee and the contractor per-
formed their respective duties.
(Here follows description of the build.
ing)
Rev. D. ]. Waller, Sr, followed in an
interesting address. He said: Ladies
and gentlemen, perhaps you will wonder
why am here. 1t is customary now to
supply the children with specimens of fos-
sils and didn't know but that was what
primitive character of the school houses OF
Pennsylvania as they were 70 years ago
In 1888 the old log school house was re-
moved from the corner of Main and Iron
streets, on the grounds of the Episcopa
church, Up to that time this was the
only school building in Bloomsbury. The
new brick church that was built by the
Episcopalians at about t'Iat time, was con-
sidered a great adva nee in architecture
The Academy on Third street was occu.
pied as early as 1888. The first teacher of
classical school was brother of Mr..
Waller.
A school was conducted by Benjamin
Eaton and an assistant named Wells, on
Third street where the Catholic church
now stands, Subsequently d. A. Beckley
became Principal and conducted school
in the Academy. In 1866 Henry Carver
came here from California, and the follow
ing year the Bloomsbury Literary Insti-
tute was built. From this school the pres
ent Principal of the Normal School, d.
j. Waller, Jr, Geo. E. Elwell and
Charles Unangst were the first gradu-
ates who went to Coll ge, in 1867.
The Institute in 1869 became State
Normal school, and its progress has
been constant and remark able. Mr.. Wal
ler's address throughout was historical,
and abounded in entertaining reminiscent
ces extending over the past seventy years.
After music by Prof. Niles and the Glee
Club, Col. John G. Freeze was called upon.
He Congratulated the President and
the Board of Directors upon the success OF
their efforts, and upon the beauty of the
new building. He too remembered when
a log school house was the best the county
afforded. The room was so small that the
stove kept the boys heads hot and the
masters birch kept their backs warm,
The location of this new school is good
one. A gentleman who has travelled
through Ireland, once told the spc lker that
the location of the Normal School and the
scenery from that point, was equal to any
he ever saw except the Lakes of Killarney
Education does not make brains, but il
teaches you how to use them. The speak
er was glad to hear the President say thai
new era was here, and he hoped thai
when the mechanical departments in the
schools were opened, that every boy anG
girl would not only educate the brain, but
also the hands, so that there may hereafter
be no such thing as right-handed nor {
left-handcd man, and that both might bt
equally useful.
DR.. T. f. lleebner of Scranton, on be
half of Camp 80, Patriotic Order Sons o.
America, presented the school with hand
some American flag. His presentation
speech was eloquent and patriotic, AT III
close the school sang the Star Spangled
Banner.
William Chrisman, ESD, accepted thu
flag on behalf of the School District, il
which he painted glowing picture of the
glories of the flag of the Union, and tht
principles which it represents.
The Glee Club sang again, and then Mr.
Townsend, after stating the regret of thu
Board that the State Department was no