Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-06-06
N. c. INSTITUTE.
lis Growth and Prosperity.
Good Showing for The School.
!aulnls' lTy Day and SarIoRs' Last
Chapel al BsYdcIn College.
u B. G, IS. Batss estate Fais
Trustee Meeting.
Especial to the KxssrBro JouRsAL. I

1 - s~S AASNSkDkS VoCA2ALsI
| PirTsYrgLD, jane 5-Amons the sppro-
p'iAsons made by the Last Legislature WAS
one OF $40, ,00o 70 the Msins Central Inssi-
tase st Pitnfsld, payable in ten yearly in.
stAllmenss, and on condition that the State
have charge Of its normal department.
Your correspondent called upon the trustees
Of the school yesterday to gain some in
formation for the tax payers Of Maine as
to whether this money was we'll expended.
ard as to how this school, which is one Of
toe four leading schools in the State out.
| siie OF the four colleges, was to be i'm
proved.
As We came into the town of Pi.tsield
sod ritaess the prosperity on every side
IS steady growth in wealth and population,
Shiie neighbosing towns with equal advan-
tsses are at . standstill or declining, the
hr.t inquiry is, Why this diference2 We
soon tind the solution in looking about Us.
II Is manufacturing town, full of bust.
ness and ehteTprising people. and the edu-
CATO lsi interests here have kept pace with
The other interests Of the oxn. Last win
Ter her people induced the Legislature land
seiy ,oo) to aid them 10 q work which they
hal been supporting, the State resping the
benefits. Besides this, two large village
hooi buildings are maintained, one with
three departments and the other with two;
'ne of the buildings costing $40 600, and
( - other 10000, and each Of a high grade.
Oa pufsuing GU. inquiries farther we
found Maine Central Institute to be only
sbous coming to its ma ority or shout 81
ears old. 1t was built at q cost of $780,
900 Tot including the grounds which are
extensive and are now being beautiied by
$50 trees set out this spring. The work
Of laying out the grounds has Just been
completed by competent landscape gard
Ger az an expense OF $1,000 which has been
contributed wholly by citizens of the town,
a. the work reflects much credit upon the
management This donation is only one
of the very many contributed by citizens
!oT it has been continual giving ever
-uce the foundation Of the school, as with
u sn endowment DO large similar school
can be sslfsusFainirg where so able corps
of teachers are maintained.
During the past 90 wears there have at.
randed school here 49li students; 1875 Of
the same being from the town OF Pittsfield
1858 being from the county of Somerset; |
1852 from Peuonscot county; 624 from
sncs scattered over every county in the
Stats, from 20 states in ihe Union, also
from Canada, Cuba, Nova Scotia and New
Brunswick.
There have been 1913 graduates during
this time. Ga being from the normal Depart
ment, being connected with the school for
. shorter period, and the number attending
in this department being 787.
| The school is centrally located and in a
| args farming section, and while it is pat
rcnized by many from cities, its patronage
| comes mainly from the farming sections Of
| the State as the inducements offered here
for board and lodging are extremsly good
| ADD the Influence and atmosphere OF the
| village. suth social and religious, are Of
| high order.
| The trustees have recently been in con-
sutation with Hon. N. A. Luce, State
| uperinten5ent of common schools. and
| every means will be devised to improve the
c irricuidm in the Normal Department.
| More morey will be expended here than
| hereto fore, and The State through it's school
| superinte ndent has the direct management;
put this control can be largely reposed in
the trustees 50 long as such efficient business
| ven now remains on the board, as Hon.
| I.iswellyn PJsers, William Dooson. A. l..
| Lumbeft. J. c. Conuor, E. G.. Bryant,
| Iordoa Dobson, DR.. F. J. Taylor, G. f
Kimbsll and s. c. Whitcomb, who are
thoroughly alive to the interests of the vii
| l,ge IS we'll as the prosperity Of the scboo.
| The school though under denominstionsl
control OF the Free Bsptists is absolutely
free of any sectsii iianism, the trustees being
che sen without reference to religious belief
| AZ special attention is Sven to secure only
| ii st-clsss business men who are in sympa-
thy with educational progress, and any
charge that the State appropriated its
monty for the benefit OF sectsrian
schools is sroundless and false so
far ss relates to Maine Central Iastitut-,
| and by the general appearance no money
| appropriated BY .he State will be better ex
| pended. Some Of the money obtained from
the State will be used in putting The build
ing ia coed repair. Il is large brick
| structure, located on a slight elevation
south OF the village proper. and the balance
viii be used for teaching APP, ,ses.
At the present time there are nine teach
| ers in the school, and it maintains six
courses Of study for both sexes college
pre- parstory. classical, normal, scientific.
| c numerical and musical. About 160
| students are in session this term, and the
| ErBuuAlnR Cl1ss bumoeIo <O, ptsiueS 20
| from the commercial department
| lis in connection with this school that the
| State is maintaining = normal department,
| aud sending out se achers throughout this
section who but for this school would re-
ceive no normal training, and by having
the department connected with an old
school Of established reputstion like the
Maine Central institute the State educstes
| its teachers at far less expense per capita
than n: its regular normal schools; for it
syoids the expense of erecting and main
tanning costly buildings, fuel. etc, and
the re is no reason why the graduate from
here lie not SIS well prepared for teaching,
md certainly will be hereafter. though he
| bad graduated from any other State normal
school.
| The te teachers that 60 out from here have
10 trouble in finding lucrative positions.
and the State should have every reason to
be proud of the results. While the school
here has no endowment, it is free of debt,
| aud an fort is being made to secure per-
| msnens endo o~mens fund. 1t fits students