The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-05-26
PAID OFF THE DEBT
The Big $4,000 Note, With Accrued
Interest, Wiped Out.
THE CATHOLICS REJOICING
The Parochial School VIII Not
Have to Ee Sold = Father De
Siere Pleasantly Interrupted
By Master Burkhardt.
THE CATHOLICS REJOICING

The last of the Indebtedness which
has hung heavily on st. Patrick's pa
rochial school for some years was paid
off yesterday, and the big note of $780,
600, with accumulated interest, which
had been held by the First National
bank, was cancelled. 1t was an event
which caused great rejoicing among
the members of the Catholic church
and the school children, for a few
month ago it looked as If 1t would be-
come necessary to sell the elegant
school building to pay off the indebted
ness. The matter reached a point where
the sureties on the note made a propo-
sition to the public school trustees last
January, to sell the building to the dis
trict for $4,000, and the trustees had
given the proposition serious considera-
ton; but when the facts of IL were pub
lished in the Standard, ii aroused the
Catholics of Butte and a plan was inau-
gurated to raise the whole amount of
the Indebtedness by public subscrip-
ton.
The result has been surprising, even
for such liberal community as Butte.
The first payment was made on the
note in February and the final one yes
terday. Father De Siere personally col
lected 1880 and a committee of church
members secured SIS. 800, which paid off
the note and accumulated interest and
left balance in the church fund The
Indebtedness was represented by a note
on an overdraft at the First National
bank and was signed by Z. A Largely
William Gwin, John O'Rourke Godfrey
Lavell, S. Marchesseau and Is others.
The sureties on the note were in no
way secured and when ii became evil
dent that the earnings of the school
could not pay off the note, the sureties
desired to be relieved from responsible
ity and the proposition to sell the school
followed.
When it was announced that the late
Indebtedness had been paid there was
general rejoicing. 1t was the day for
the presentation of monthly report
cards in the parochial school, and the
children, some 600 in number took adj
vantage of it to get up a surprise for
Father De Siere and congratulate him
on the removal of the school debt At
the close of the school, the father step
ped on the platform to present the re-
port cards, when he was interrupted
by Clement Burkhardt, who acted as
spokesman for the children. In a neat
little speech he told the father that
business should be put aside and that
pleasure be supreme. Father De Siere
gave way in surprise to the young
speaker and Master Burkhardt then de-
livered a congratulatory address, to
which the father responded very touch
ingly and with considerable feeling, ex-
pressing gratitude over the reception
given him by the children and the joy
he felt over the fact that the burden of
Indebtedness had been lifted from the
school, and spoke of the generosity of
the subscribers to the fund, and the
gratitude that was owing to them.
The addresses were followed by sew
eral instrumental and vocal selections
by the pupils, and the entertainment
closed amid general rejoicing. The pa
rochial school has an enrolment this
year of about 700 pupils. and is more
than self-supporting now