The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1895-03-15
AN EDUCATOR.
Such Was the Trip to Lansing on Friday
About One Hundred Forty Scholars
Visited the Capital.

The first excursion from our public schools
was given Friday, the objective point being Ian
sing and its places of interest.
About 40 young people from the high school
and upper grammar grades, accompanied by
three teachers, made up the party.
Upon arriving at Lansing the party was first
taken to the State Industrial School for Boys.
At this institution no pains were spared upon
| the part of Supt. st. John and wife and their
worthy corps of assistants to make the visit a
very interesting and profitable part of the day IS
| program.
The visitors were shown through the dormito-
ries, school rooms. tailor shop, knitting room,
| shoe shop, printing office, cabinet shop, chair
shop, kitchen and dining-room, thence into the
chapel, where all were seated, Supt st. John
had planned n surprise. 1t was concert given
by almost thirty of the boys. Several finely rem
dered songs were given as well as solos and reel
tatons. This part of the program closed with a
very enjoyable bell Duet.
The excursionistS were then given the freedom
of the largo Sunday School room where the
lunches soon disappeared through the agency of
sharpened appetites.
After lunch the party was taken to the large
dining hall and given positions around the room.
The dinner hour for the boys having arrived,
they began to arrive in divisions and marched
into the spacious room in double ranks The
marching IA nd taking positions was a worthy eX-
hibltion of careful discipline. 1t was grand
sight to see those five hundred sixty boys in
uniform move as single individual showing by
every action that their superintendent ruled
them by kindness rather than by fear.
| The eXcursionists babe Mr.. and Mrs. st. John
adieu and betoOk themselves to the capitol
1t was worth AL the trouble it had been to hear
| the young people give expression to their glad
surprise as they passed through those grand cor
/ rldors, upon marble floors and beheld the mag
nificence of our capitol, The freedom of the en-
tire building was accorded to the young people.
There was scarcely a place left unvisited from
cellar to dome. The state museum, library, gov
ernor's rooms, Supt Pattengill's Offices the Sen
ate Hall and House of Representatives, were
most visited. Senator Fitzpatrick, Representa-
tive Wescott, DR.. Curtis, of Corunna, and Mr..
Cook, of Bennngton-the latter two being en-
ployes--had made arrangements for the party.
and the result followed that the guides and
guards of the capitol acted as escorts to the va
rious small parties into which the company was
now divided.
Senator Fitzpatrick invited the young people to
take seats upon the floor of the Senate or In the
galleries just as they preferred. The same invi-
taton was accorded by Representative Westcott.
The visitors saw the lawmakers in full action.
The process of law-making was surprise to
many.
The great event of this part of the program
was the speech of Senator Fitzpatrick upon the
corporation bonus bill. Senator Fitzpatrick had
evidently cleared the deck for action, and 1t can
be said that there was not inattentive ear dur
ing the whole of his animated and logical al
dress. The opposition to the bill came from
Grand Rapids, and the gentlemen from that city
soon found out that the Senator from Owosso
was more than equal to the emergency. The OPP
position struggled to free themselves from the en-
tanglement butt fterevery effort they found them
selves still more tightly bound. They resorted to
every possible subterfuge known to them to out
wit our townsman, but they found that their best
efforts were only "a serviceabe instrument In the
hands of their opponent.
Senator Fitzpatrick received many congratu-
latlons from other Senators and from Lieut.-Gov
Mines. The latter gentleman said that such a
brilliant constituency rs surrounded the Senator
during that speech could not help but greatly
inspire any man. The reference was to the
young ladies and gentlemen.
During the afternoon while n large party was
In the Governors parlors, Gov Rich called upon
the young people and extended few words of
welcome to the capitol and the freedom of Its
places of interest.
The Central school building was visited by a
large number and the unanimous verdict was