The herald., 1898-05-21

OF this amount $4,000 was for the mainten-
ance of the high school, and the remaifflug
$15 900 had to cover the cost of buying land,
building and furnishing the two new
school houses and repairing the old ones.
He complimented the architect, George +.
Costerisan, upon the happy design, and
the contractor, John Driskill, upon the
careful and faithful manner in which he
had performed his contract. The people of
the school district were commended for the
splendid manner in which they had stood
the tax. In fact, it was an investment, and
not tax-an investment which all Amer
leans delight to make. We live for our
children and in them. In proportion to their
wisdom and goodness, so will our country
be. II we excel all otter nations it is
because Of the excellence. of our schools
and the number of them. The speaker
then proceeded to give the building away,
and In turn presented it to the county of
Los Angeles, the city of Long Beach. the
school district and the state He did not
forget the Masons who laid the corner
stone, nor Judge Ling, who acted as the
mayor of the disincorporated city on that
occasion. The responses were equally felt
citous and are given below
Superintendent Riley, in behalf of the
county, responded in part as follows:
What could have been presented to our
county, whose entire people are alive with
the feeling of advancement what tha.
would have been more appropriate. more
valued and more valuable to our children
and our children's children, than this beau-
tiful and splendidly equipped school build
ing? Permit me to say that when pet!-
toned, about three years ago. to organize
a public high school in Long Beach, en-
tered upon that duty with no slight feel.
ings of doubt and with some serious mis-
givings. Besides the difficulties that are
usually experienced in all new undertake
ings, 1t occurred to me that to establish q
high school at point where there were
but comparatively few high school pupils
and but a short distance from great and
growing city, already supplied with all the
machinery and facilities for higher edu-
cation, with cheap and rapid transit CON-
munication between the points, would be
to me work fraught with much uncer-
tainty, not to say dangerous results; and
I yet think that in any ordinary commun-
ity those difficulties would have proved
almost if not quite fatal. TIE mistake
an ordinary community.
Friends of Long Beach, in accepting on
behalf of the county, this magnificent gift,
l cannot refrain from congratulating you.
The wisdom, foresight and energy dis
played have been remarkable, indeed.
can but entertain the most happy inticipa :.
tions, and venture nothing in predicting
for your beautiful city by the sea most
prosperous future cannot close without
saying word in behalf of your excellent
corps of teachers, for in the ultimate anal
ysis the teacher is the one potent, indis-
pensable factor Of success"
Following Superintendent Riley's re-
sponse Mr.. Dillon read the following letter
from c. F. A. Johnson, president of the
Long Beach city council. who was unavoid-
ably detained by pressing business which
demanded his presence at Riverside, at
which place he then was: "It would give
me great pleasure to aid in any degree in
ohservances of so much Importance to our
little city. The transfer to her of so fine u
property, so completely adapted to the edu-
cational demands of these progressive
days, marks an epoch in our history. The
labor and care and Investigations of your
honorable body in the planning and erec.-
ing of house so beautiful in it's exterior.
so attractive and convenient in its interior
arrangements, merit the warmest appro-
baton of your fellow citizens. believe 1t
is the handsomest school building on our
coast. While the spirit of congratulation
is strong within me for ourselves, do
most heartily congratulate you and your
colleagues on the successful issue of an
enterprise SO fraught with the present and
future interests of our CITY, AS a work of
art, aside from its material aspect, it will
make its impress upon the minds and lives
of our young people. They can never wan
der far enough to forget the advantages
and beauties with which you have with
such care environed their school days.