The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-10-05

The new public school building was
formally dedicated on Saturday afternoon.
when State Superintendent Schaeffer de-
! livered the dedicatory address, The ex-
ercises were held in the general assembly
room of the building, which has been
provided with comfortable opera chairs.
There were few vacant seats when. at two
o'clock, the Somerset orchestra opened
the exercises by playing popular selec-
tion. Reverend Hoover, OF the Lutheran
Church, offered an invocation, and he was
followed by F. J. KO7ser, who spoke of
the work involved in the construction Of
the commodious building and OF the un-
tising efforts OF the various members of
the school-bosrd to erect the best school
house TO be had with the money at their
command. He gave Mr.. J. NJ. Cook,
president Of the board, special credit for
the part he had taken in planning and
securing the erection of the building
about 20 be dedicated.
Mr.. S. r. Sbaitz, one OF the teachers
employed in the schools, read an enter
tanning, but all too brief, history of the
borough public schools, tracing it from
the time of the passing of an Act OF AS
sembly appropriating 5000 to the public
schools OF Somerset borough down until
to day. He paid a tribute TO Prof. J. J.
Stutzman, State Superintendent Sehaeffer
and other well known educators who
have at various times been actively en-
ployed in the schools of the town.
Aftar duet by two school girls, ! rinci-
pal Seibert introduced Doctor Schaeifer.
The State Superintendent said that he
had Inspected the building from cellar to
gsrret, had examined the means OF ad-
mitting light, Of securing proper ventila.
tion and heat, and everywhere he saw
written "valne received He then refer
red TO the wonderful revival of educa-
tional work following the close of the
civil war. Before the war. he said,
cotton was king;@ during the war the
Yankees said powder was king, and after
the war it was generally agreed that edu-
cation was king. Prior 10 that time pal
aces were erected for kings, but since the
war palaces have been and are being
erected for the common schools. Your
loved Judge Black never dreamed Of
such a public school building as this
when he was boy, aud the college from
which Jim Blaine was graduated was not
half so good. 1t is right that our schools
should contain every comfort and conve-
nience. for it is only in this way that the
rising generation can be taught how TO
enjoy the beautiful and the good. But
what is more important than erecting
magnificent school edifiees is employing
good teachers. Nothing should stand in
the way Of securing the best teachers OBJ
tainable. They should be intellectually
the best, morally the best, anl the best
cultured Continuing, the Doctor cor
rected a false impression that an effort
Is being made TO create throughout the
rural districts in regard to the collection
aud distribution of the State school ap-
preparation, every penny Of which, he de-
clared, is collected by means of tax lev
led upon corporations, and not a cent of
which is raised by taxation on real estate.
He illustrated this point by citing an in
stance in the Cumberland Valley, where
a member Of the Legislature who had
voted for the S5,50000O appropriation to
the public schools found that his cOnstit-
uents had an turned against him until
they learned that the money came from
the corporations. when he was re elected
by a largely increased majority. The
Doctor said that he has always believed
that there are more pretty and intelligent
ladies in Somerset TO the square inch than
elsewhere in the State. and he took oecs-
sion to impress upon those present that
they owed it to themselves and 10 the
cause of education to see that Somerset
and the public schools of the town are
provided with a good public library.
Don't let a rich old bachelor die" he
said. ''until he has left liberal donation
for this purpose"
The closing address was made by
County Superintendent Pritts-