The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1891-06-25

/ sons commented upon and numerous III
teresting and humorous incidents Of past
school life were hehearsed as the reading
progressed.
As their names were mentioned letters
from the following persons were read
John G. McMynn, Chas. II. COTE, Mary
Jennie Williams, Prof Alcee and Arthur
! Wheeler
! The following letter was received from John G.
McMynn, OF Madison, Wis.
MADISON, Wis, June IS, 1901
/ Daniel Iah0nsy, City >Sxberintenaent.
DEAR SIR nrovgh the courtesy OF Mr.. Frank
| H. Lyman | have your invitation to attend the
dedication Of your new high school building on
/ the 10Th inst am unable to meet the citizens OF
/ Kenosba IN fiat Interesting occasion. which
very much regret. One OF my boys expects to
| graduate at Cornell University on tie 10Th inst,
and the other expects to graduate from Williams
College or the 24th inst and it seems almost nee
essary that should visit them on ansoccaslon OF
SO much interest to them and to ne.
/ To meet the citizens of kenosha on the 10Th
would afford me pleasure difficult to describe.
Some are still living whom first saw IN I84o, and
! there are probably some who were my scholars
/ between that year and 1855.
/ The Old school building, which you intimate is
soon to disappear, has many associations cluster
| ing around it, and they are all pleasant ones to
me. When reached kenosha Chen SouthEo in
September r848, the foundation of that building
| had been laid. 1t was finished and occupied in
| I84o taught a private school in the winter ct
| 49, and had some hope that when the high
| school building should be ready for occupancy.
might be invited to take charge of the school But
| the school board were men of rare good Judgment
| and decided that was not qualified for so in
nosha High School. However, the school board
of the north district gave employment in the
spring of r849, at salary of $3.50 per year.
The school board of the south district employed
Mr.. L. c. Graves. of Ashtabula Ohio, as Principal
of their school. He of fine scholar
| ship and exceptional abilities. He was most kind
and generous toward me-visited my school and
spoke kindly of my work and in every way showed
that ne was true teacher-that is a true gentle
man. l can think of no other teacher OF the many
have since known, whom l would consider his
equal
| taught in the north ward three years. I think
My opinion is, that all things considered, that was
the best school have ever taught. The, south
pie quite up to their level of intelligence and re-
inement, but the north side folks considered
themselves respectable enough for all practical
purposes. They took an intense interest in the
education of their children, and, the first dis
trct meeting after took charge of their school
one-tenth per cent. This is probably the highest
school tax ever unanimously voted at district
school meeting in this state
Mr.. Graves was unable to remain more than one
year and he was succeeded by Mr.. Marks, a
brother-ln-law, and very fine teacher When he
resigned, the school board invited me to succeed
him. The success of the school under my man
agement, such as it was, was largely due to the
fine condition in which the school was left by
Graves and Marks. may state incidentally that
received the munihcent salary of $3.50 per year.
In 1858 accepted an offer of the Prncipalship of
the Racine high school-the principal inducement
being 500 more salary. While have reason
to think that the people of Kenosha desired me to
leave them, | am that their regret at our
parting not equal to my own.
With the exception of the writer am confident
that the city of Kenosha has had the abest teach
| arg H:rrn Of f0rtv oit +l,S
State. This has been largely due to the intelli-
gence OF its school oficers-and the active inter
est in school officers the part of its citizens.
| Teachers OF any ordinary ability would have sue
ceeded with the aid of such judicious advisers as
| Col Frank, Elder Demiug. John b. TiIson, F. W.
! Lyman. Charles c. Sholes, DR.. Mckinley, Harvey
| Durkee, Charles Durkee, c. Latham Sholes and
many others to whom feel greatly indebted for
| the moderate success | achieved, but when men
| of gi eat ability like Graves and MARKS and Coe
| and DeWoif and McKindiey an Conathy and Al
/ bee work in harmony with the men mentioned,
| success meant educational victories of wide and
lasting influence But am forgetting that this is
only a letter Of regret
Permit me to add that X seems to me, the Ke-
nosha people of the years spent in that city
were the most intelligent, kind and hospitable [
have ever met. They felt great interest in and
cit!zens, like COL Frank, used to watch strang
| ers who landed from the steamers or alighted
from the stage. ready to invite and escort them TO
see that old building that you tell me is about to
| be demolished. and to show them the fine boys
and the beautiful girls who were studying within.
And by the way permit me to- say, that if any
city in this State debt OF gratitude and at
fectionate regard to citizen, which it is imposs
bic to fully pay, Kenosha is that city and Col.
| Michael Frank is that citizen.
| Be kind enough 20 convey my CONGRATULATIONS
to Principal Cleary, and my sincerest wishes for
his success OF course his boys are not such no
bic fellows as mine his girls SO beau
tiful as were mine yet he may console himself
with better school building and bigger salary
and thus reasonably hope for success should
any gray haired old boy kindly inquire after me
tell him love him
Very truly yours,
JOHN G. McMxNN.
Impromptu remarks by w. j. Eng
fish and J. E. Petit, full of "reminiscences
formed one of the most entertaining feat
ueS of the occasion. The ''Kenosha
High School Alumni Association" was
formally organized by electing E. l..
Grant president and Frank H. Lyman.
secretary and treasurer and fixing the
membership fee at fifty cents. An execu-
tive committee consisting of Mesdames
Harriet Wattles Saunders, Rebecca South
worth Bacon, Mary Davidson and w. J.
English, J. E. Petit and Day Shuart was
elected. An address was made by Mrs.
Bradford which was considered one of
the gems of the occasion. We publish
it in full.
AS representative of the feminine portion of
those specified in the circular 'old teachers
pupils, and graduates am glad to say few
words. l regret that the many duties, which the
closing days of the school year always bring have
rendered it impossible for me to make the prep
aration that should have done honor to this occa-
! sion.
We who sat here in the early 7o's have been
accustomed to consider ourselves .'old pupils
but we yield the honors of such claim, without
hesitation, in the presence of those whose mem
DRY of their school days here takes them, as Oliver
Wendell Holmes said, away back in 1900 and
ever so far" However, though my memory may
not take me to such aremote date in the calendar,
still there is one thing can claim, that since
starting in the old building. l have been mere
about all the time; and, this is to be sort of
experience meeting. may be pardoned for giving
summary somewhat personal in its character
These old busts looked down upon my youthful
Efforts as student Later they witnessed the
trials of the young teacher she learned by dis
appointing experience, the art of assimilating
Normal school methods to actual conditions and
! OF boiling down theories to the proper conssten-
cy, process, by the way, that sometimes leave
no appreciable residuum. Later still, vixen life