The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-03-15
THE LAFAYETTE SCHOOL.
Exercises at the Opening
of No. % Yesterday
Afternoon.

Il
Lafayette residents trudged yesterday
afternoon to the new edifice of Public
School No. %, on Halliday street, to wit
ness the formal opening of the school.
The exercises were rendered in the upper
room, occupied by the grammar depart
ment. The American flag, festooned
above the archway in front of the plat
principal decorations.
About two-thirds of the hall was occu-
pied by the visitors, the great majority of
whom were ladies.
On and about the platform were John
J. Voorhees,, President of the Board of
Education, Directors Reid and Pfingsten,
Mayor Cleveland, ,ex-Assemblyman James
Stevens, Alderman Hoos, ex-Alderman
Mcknight, Captain McKaig, Superinten-
dent A. b. Poland, Principal Kirby and
others. Director Reid presided and the
exercises commenced with the reading by
Superintendent Poland of Psalms xix.
A CHORUS OF WELCOME.
At a signal from the piano, sixty girls
arose from their seats at the rear of the
room, and to appropriate music marched
down the aisle to the front in six rank
formation, and sang the song, Welcome
to Friends"
President Voorhees,, of the Board of
Education. delivered the inaugural ad-
dress. He described the causes leading to
the demand of Lafayette citizens for the
erection of the new building, and OF. the
plan of bonding the city for its erection.
''On the opening day, this school he
went on, twas nearly filled with scholars
Now, sixty applicants for admission have
been refused, owing to the lack OF accom-
mediation, and old No. 13, which this
school was expected to relieve, has 450
Statistics for 1889 show that 1,091 children
were refused admission to the schools of
this city. / am satisfied that the statistics
were incorrect, and that the number ex-
ceeded 4,000.'
He referred to the advantages and bles-
sings of our public school system, and
eulogiZed the principal and corps OF as
sistants attached to the new school for
their ability and qualifications for the re-
sponsible charge to which they had been
assigned, and said that 1--WE have in this
school teachers who are up to the stand
ard and who will keep their pupils up to
the grade"
President VOORHEES, spoke warmly in
favor Of supplying every scholar with the
necessary text books free. He congratu-
lated the citizens for having secured the
new school; the teachers for their reduced
class rooms, enabling them to give indi-
vIdual attention to pupils, and the chill
dren for the superior advantages OF the
school, and ended with expressing the be-
lief that the new school building is the
first of six or eight which will be erecte d
within six years.
HIS HONOR MAKES A SPEECH.
The pupils sang sweeJly and effectively,
"Till We Meet Again, and then Mayor
Cleveland was introduced The Mayor
q oil foQl liKo SAVING from hQnrt
God bless these little ones till we all
meet again in a better and happier lifep
No more beautiful spectacle can be pre-
sented to my mind than that of children
gathered together for the purpose of re-
ceiving an education to fit them for the
responsible duties that are to follow.
Jersey City does not do all it should
for the education of its children, but 1t
does what it can. 1T provides all 1t can
of school houses and teachers, and should
provide each scholar with text books.
But there is no disgrace in being poor; II
there was, would have been disgraced
long ago.
Jersey City is poor With $4,000, 600
taken from us by railroad companies to
escape their share of taxation throwing
the burden of providing for government
and education, we are unable to raise the
funds we would like to expend for the
care of our children.
He explained his scheme for building
new school houses, by bonding the city
for 100000, and thought by that method
two or three old school houses could be
rebuilt and four or Ave new ones erected
during the coming eight years. Then the
bonds could be paid off and after thato
school house per year can be erected.
He described the changes that had oc-
CURED during his recollection in Com
munipaw and after congratuiating the
citizens and teachers, ended by urging
the children to edo the best you can in
securing an education. If you do so, you
will ever afterwards do the best you can
for society, for yourselves and for God"
BEAUTIFUL RECITATION.
To piano accompaniment Miss Adele
r. Weber recited "A Story of Some Bells. "
and it was an effective, splendid effort.
With clear enunciation, well modulated
tones. accompanied by appropriate ges-
lures, she told the poetic story, ending
with description of the bells that
''pealed matin of immortal day." She
was warmly applauded, and for the
encore she recited the humorous story,
Counting the eggs"
Short addresses were made by Director
Pfngsten, Supt. Poland, Principal
Alderman Hoos, and then the school
sang America" and everybody joined
in the patriotic refrain.
A short speech from Director Reid pre-
ceded the adjournment, and Public
School No. 22's formal opening was then
concluded.