The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-03-11
GEORGE ROWLAND.
Eulogy of q Pioneer in Western EducA'
ton by His Successor.

Eulogy of q Pioneer in Western EducA
ton by His Successor.
A part Of The secret OF the success o
Chicago in many ways was revealed a
Huntington hall Tuesday afternoon. II wa
II a meeting Of the school superintendent
bf the nation now in convention here.
meeting in memory OF Mr.. George How
land. who was for many years superintcnd
snt of the Chicago schools, after long ser
vice ss a high school principal. Thousands
Of the young men and women who are II
active life In She west have come under thu
direct personal influence of the sweet.na-
aured, silent and scholarly man who died
last autumn, deeply mourned by all. Col.
Parker, formerly OF Quincy, paid tribute to
Mr.. Rowland i'll words which expressed
singularly we'll the nature Of the long strug.
ule Of the west with primitive conditions.
adverse to all the G.acious amenities OF
life.
It ia simply a fact that in this struggle
George Rowland was a hero. as truly a
pioneer as the mon who hewed the western
forests or conquered the prairie for the
plow and the wealth OF its succeeding haI-
vests. He worked for education. for cul-
ture, for truth and simplicity Of life. for
individuality and for humanity most stead
tasty and unwaveringly while tho crude
young CITY was in its first days OF darkest
materialism and philistinism. He WAS
never daunted by political complication
or BY turbulent factions in the schools
under his charge. He made Of them Renu-
inc living forces for education, and never
permitted any teacher or student to regard
tha public schools as merely irresponsible
parts of an organization, As IL it were an
organism. He was n man who mover made
q speech, but whose silsnces were immeas-
urably golden, particularly when he disap-
---- --- mat ~A n~ N EI0
influence in American education is greater
than that of the men of over seas who are
praised for their vivifvinU influence upon
the educational thought Of our times
Froebel aud PestaloZzi n Thomas Ar
mold. -,
There was something encouraging to al
that Ia hoped for the finest future OF Gull
ture in the west in the eulogy Of MI. How
land by Mr.. Lane, the present superintend-
emit OF Chicago schools. This opened the
Tuesday meeting. and was short. simple.
clothed in pure English, full Of high feel
ing and indomitable persevsrsnce in the
service in which George Rowland lived and
died. It is especially fitting that this man
be we'll praiDed in Boston. He was q son of
Massachusetts. and tho west is always
proud and happy to " the Bay state
mother of her intellectual forces. There
were gray-haired men present Tuesday who
told with shaking voices Of taking their
Greek examinations at Amherst OF this be-
loved teacher before he went to Chicago,
with words Of honor for the friendship
and advice he gave them long ago.
He lived alone; he died alone; his
home was in his books. and the Latin
authors whom he loved were his chief
companions. and on his gravestone are only
the words, George Rowland, a teacher"
But for people who are unaocustomed to
think with sufficient earnsstness Of the
value and dignity OF his profession. there is
nourishinR food for thought in the story OF
his life. Young men of Ma%ssachusetts who
are deferred from following q wish to
choose the work OF teaoning by the cheap
masters" can find stimulus and cheer in
the u%pboundsd source of a life like George
Howland'S, and indeed in the lives Of these
men who praised him.-Boston TRANSCRIPT.