The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-12-04
LAID IN The Rain
Corner Stone Of School No.
29 Goes Down With
a Splash.
SHOWERS OF APPLAUSE
Superintendent Snyder For
gets and Waves His
Umbrella Freely.

MS weather ScheQule without consulting
the Board of Education. He certainly
could not have given much worse day
than yesterday 1t was ten times worse
than the snow storfa in which School
No 20 corre1s stone was laid. Still, it
was the day SET by the Board of Educa-
ton for the laying OF the corner stone
of new School No. 20, Claremont and
Rose avenues, and laid that stone was
shortly after two in the afternoon.
The original plan had been to hold out
door exercises on the first floor of the
building, which was as yet uncovered.
An elaborate programme had been pre-
pared. But when the rains descended and
the floods came and beat upon that floor,
the Board of Education had to take an
other course--a watercourse to the con-
/ tractors building in the rear. 1t was a
case of sink or swim-nearly everybody
sank-and there was a general climb over
bricks and lumber in the old schoolboy
style Of follow your leader and do
stunts. Mr.. Barker stood in the door
way of the contractors hut and hailed
everybody who looked in the least edu-
cational to go round by the bricks, ac-
companied by a wave of the arm east
ward
tPhew," said Director Lewis, shaking
himself free of raindrops and making the
rest of the Board back UP. 81 should
think you fellows might have held this in
School No. Is or the Claremont Church, 2
with a glance at the Rev. Mr.. Stuchel.
Il wish l had worn my bathing suit
remarked the Rev Mr.. Scudder, who was
to invoke the blessing, and those present
der at the seashore.
Make it short Dominic, whispered
someone near by. with finger on the
first number of the programme.
Yes" responded Mr.. Scudder. brevity
is the soul Of. 1 say, Mr.. Chairman, :
turning suddenly to Mr.. Birdsall, '.do you
wait the old fashioned Methodist
prayer?a
Oh, make it a limited express re-
sponfled some irreverent person-not Mr..
Birdsall--as they all drew up their coat
collars. eighteen or twenty in all, count
ing the contractor and his men, and filed
out under umbrellas, over temporary
bridges made of planks. which sank de-
plorabIy with the middle and heavy
weights, until His Honor the Mayor
nearly fell overheard, to the great danger
of spelling the red white and blue rib
bons on the pretty little silver trowel
he carried, all done up in paper to keep
it dry.
Arrived at the building by circuitous
route, they all filed up the planks (the
steps being not vet completely like a
new species of animal-a cross between
an umbrella. a man and a drowned rat
entering modern Noah's ark When
they were all assembled at the southeast
corner the Mayor carefully unwrapped
his little trowel and put some red paste,
to match, on the corner stone. The der
rick went to work, and splash went the
stone down into its watery grave to-
gether with a Theoretically sealed copper
box which would persistently bob up Sc
renely on top. The box contained, all
beautifully tied up in red, white and blue
ribbon
The names of the Mayor and other city
officials; the names of the members of
the Board of Aldermen, committees and
rules; the names of the members of the
Board of Finance; the names of the
members of the Board of Street and
Water Commissioners, committees and
officers; the names of the members of
the Board of Education, committees and
officers; the names of the members of the
Board of Police Commissioners and of
Board of Health. committees of the Board
Of Police Commissioners rules of the
Board of Police Commissioners; the names
of the members of the Board of Fire
Commissioners, committees and rules;
the names of the members of the Board
of Tax Commissioners; the names of the
members of the Board of Sinking Fund
Commissioner; the names of the members
of the Board of Commissioners of APP
peals in Cases of Taxation; the names of
the members of the Board of Commits
sioners OF Assessments; the names of the
Trustees Of the Public Library; the names
of the members of the City Hall Com
mission; the names of the architect con-
tractors and inspector of the building;
the laet annual report of the Board of
Education; the manual of the Board Of
Education; the course of study of the
Board of Education; copies of the news
papers published in Jersey City; the pro-
gramme OF exercises al the laying of the
corner stone OF the building; manual of
the police department.; directory of Jersey
City, 1901; specifications of the new water
supply for Jersey City; specifications for
new Schools Nos. 2S and % and the en-
largement of No 49, and the names OF
those present. among whom were Mayor
Hoos Directors w. K. Birdsall. George
f. Witt, Charles 0. Barker, Superintend-
ent of Schools Henry Snyder, Charles
Keuderly, the Rev. John L. Scudder the
Rev w. Terrence Stutcheil, Director w.
Lewis, John Rowland, Jr.
Then they all filed back to the contrac-
lstor's hut to hold as much of the pro-
gralnnse as the talent present would per-
| nit The first number, America. by the
pupils OF Schools Nos IA and Is, was
omitted as it was a half holiday, and
| probably the children objected 70 working
Lin the rain ON a half holiday, SO Mr.
Scudder invoked the blessing at once. Mi
waiter X. Birdsall, Chairman of the
Committee of Arrangements, presided
and would have made the opening adj
dress. but, as he explained. he had based
| his irnpromptu remarks upon tic song
s.America, intending to make II apply &
the public school buildings anG had only
the commencement of the building lefs
so he would resign in honor of the Mayor
Mayor Hoos in turn thanked those who
scrofrla, with its swollen glands, running
sores mfamea eyeiids, sutaneous eruptions