The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1891-01-23
BLOOMSBURY NORMAL SCHOOL,
CONTINUED.

On the 23d of June, the Board met
to consider the subject of the Normal
School Building. 1t was "Resolved,
that the following specific articles be
put in the cornerstone of the new
building, to-wit A copy of the Bible, a
certified copy of the charter, names of
the Board of Trustees as follows: L.
B. Rupert, President; John G.. Freeze,
Secretary; Elias Mendenhall, Treas
urer; Robert F. Clark, Conard Bitten
bender, John Wolf, Joseph P. Conner,
William Elwell, and William Neal !;
Catalogue of Faculty and Students,
State School Board as follows Mai.
Gen. Geary, Governor of the Com
monwealth Hon. J. p Wickersham,
Superintendent of Common Schools :;
{. K. Coburn, Deputy Superintend-
ent last message of Gov Geary;
copy of school laws 9history OF the
Institute and school buildings; one
copy of THE COLUMBIAN, The Re.
publican and The Democrat pro-
prietor of the grounds, and first treas.
urer, VIM. Snyder deceased building
committee, Leonard B. Rupert, Viii
liam Elwell and William Neal; archi-
tect and builder, Henry Carver ad-
visory architect, Samuel Sloan; one
specimen of each of the following cur
rency: three cent postal currency,
five cent postal currency, ten cent
postal currency, three cent silver
piece, late issue, five cent silver
piece, old issue and programme of
the anniversary exercises.
The laying of the corner stone of
the Bloomsbury State Normal School
was performed upon the a5th day of
June, 1868. tI ..... ~. II "a.
At 1880 p M, the Hon. c. L. Ward,
delivered an Grafton in the hall of the
Institute. At its close procession
was formed, headed by the Board of
Trustees, and proceeded to the corner
where the stone was to be placed
Arrived there and opening to the right
and left, Gov. Geary, Mr.. Wickersham,
and other distinguished gentleman,
came forward. Rev. Mr.. Waller Of
fered prayer. Gov. Geary then laid
the corner stone, after having deposited
within it, the articles mentioned.
After the stone had been placed, with
appropriate ceremonies, the Governor
made an address. Judge Elwell then,
on behalf of the Board of Trustees
made an address, Judge Rupert, read
a history of the Institute as deposited
in the corner stone. Governor Geary
then handed the plans of the new
building to Prof. Carver, with a short
address; Prof. Carver accepted them.
promising to urge the completion of
the building as rapidly as possible. In
the evening Mr.. Wickersham met and
addressed large audience, in the hall
of the Institute, on the subject of cdu-
cation generally, and Of Normal
Schools, particularly.
Thus this new and important enter
prise was fairly under way, and a
reasonable prospect of sufficient inter-
est in it to insure its completion.
There was still small element of
croakers, clogs on all progress, who
sneered at the whole matter and pre-
dicted it would never succeed, AS it
is intended that their names shall be
forgotten, they do not appear in this
sketch.
What do they think now, however,
when they see following that enter
prise, the erection of the best hotel
within the forks of the Susquehanna--
the building upon Second St. of more
than dozen first-class three story brick
buildings-of extensive Improvements
and repairs in all parts Of the town
the erection of an Opera House-the
introduction of gas and water-the re-
moval of unsightly distractions from
the streets-the opening, grading and
extension of thoroughfares large
influx of permanent and desirable citi-
Zens.
1t is but fair to say thatllttle, if any,
Of all this would have happened had
not those buildings first been erected.
They are an advertisement of the
town of which it has not yet shown
itself to be, collectively, entirely ap-
preciative. 1t was the first determined
effort at improvement and progress,
and it was an effort whose far-reaching
good never can be measured. And it |
brings money, reputation, and popula-
tion to the town, as well as providing
healthful educational influences to
thousands of our coming men and |
women.
On the 10Th Of February, 1860, the
Legislative committee, composed of /,
Messrs. Hon. Wilmer Worthington,