Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1894-09-10
A HAPPY BEGINNING.
Education Interests Awake-The Sill
YER City Normal and How Its
Good Work Prospers.

To the Editor of the New Mexican.
Silver City, N. NJ, Sept. 8, ls94.-You
are cordially invited to attend the cere-
mony of laying the corner stone OF the
New Mexico normal school building at
Silver City, N. NJ, Friday afternoon, Sep
TENDER IA, 1894, at 2 p. M, and grand
ball in the evening.
ALLAN H. MACDONALD, Chairman,
A. j, LOOMS, Secretary,
R. s. V. P. Committee on Invitation.
This kindly invitation, showing as it
does the substantial progress the terri
torial institution referred to is making,
prompted a news scribe to hunt up Hon.
w. G. Ritch, one of the regents OF the
Silver City normal school, yesterday and
get a few pointers. He said:
SIN July last the board of regents let
the contract for the erection OF Its school
building. The latter will cover not far
from seventy feet square in an irregular
form with three floors for use including
the attic. The structure will be of brick
and the roof made up of hips and gables
and belfry in harmonious design and
altogether will constitute an imposing
ed1fice and a striking feature as seen
from the railroad and the town. Only
the first story will be completed for i'm
mediats use. The contract price under
the lowest bid was $l0,S00, and calls for
the completion of the building on the LIST
day of February, 1895.
'sAt the same meeting of the board they
elected Professor George Selby, late OF
Illinois, IN experienced teacher in normal
work, as principal, and Professor James
A. Long, late of New York, a thoroughly
competent educator, as assistant, and ap-
pointed tie opening of the school year
as the day for inaugurating the work.
accordingly, on Monday, the Sd day
of SEPTEMBER, witnessed the opening of
the first normal school in this territory.
Some emphasis was given to the occasion
through formal Inauguration of the
work in temporary quarters, kindly ten
dered by the Presbyterian society OF Sill
yer city, rtnt free. The exercises con-
sisted of lumber of short addresses by
local speakers, the opening or dedicatory
address beng made by myself.
"The deep interest taken in this enter
prise is paient in the number of appli-
cants for Omission which had reached
fifty-seven On Monday morning. EXami-
nations made up to Tuesday noon de-
veloped thu fact that with barely two ex-
captions out of thirty-seven the applicants
came up to the high standard determined
upon at the start for their taking two
years course. The normal school of New
Mexico thus starts off with better
showing Of it's rolls at the start than any
other of Tho high grade schools.
"The geat necessity for competent
teachers ii our public schools as viewed
from a mdern standpoint gives special
importance to New Mexico's normal
school. The start that has been made IS
certainly most encouragiv and crafty
ing"
THE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE.
To the Editor of tho New Mexican.
Las Cruces, Sept. 8.-Herewith find
enrolment in the New Mexico College of
Agriculture and Mechanic Arts for the
first weekof the term: Seniors, 2; junl-
ors,7; soplomores,7 freshman, 19;special,
2; business department, Is; third year
preparatory, II; second year preparatory,
20; first YER preparatory, %; total, Ia
| This enplmenu is about three times
that of thefrst week of last year, and
greater thai that of any week since the
college was started. The students of the
business department. with one exception
. can entG or have already entered the
? college curses. The third year prepare
, tory clas is the equal in advancement Of
any freshman class of former years; and
the stan,ard of admission to the prepare
f tory DEPARTMENT enforced this year il
. higher tan that of any year in the past
, All professors, instructors and students
start in his year in the most earnest ant
, enthusiastic manner.
s. p. MoCREA, President.