Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1904-10-21
ADVERTISES DALLAS COLLEGE
President Polling Writes of His Work
in Pennsylvania.
JoHNsrowN. "a, o.. u, l9O4.

Greetings: Ipromised towrite some
of my observations after I got settled.
I will now fulfill my promise. The
trip east over the Great Northern rail
road was made without any unusual
delays or accidents. We left Portland.
Monday, June 10, and arrived at
Chicago the 23d After stop-off at
South Bend, Indianapolis and Hicks
vile, Ohio, we arrived at South Fork,
Pa, July 8. We received a hearty
welcome by parents and other relatives
and friends. Here we made our head
quarters during the summer months.
I was not permitted to rest long until
| was billed for rallies of various
kinds, preaching at campmeetings,
and addressing various kinds of
gatherings, so that l was permitted to
rest one Sunday during what I hoped
to be my vacation. But with the
change of work and scenery, [ have
been gaining in strength and aver
dupois as well. I assure you I took
advantage of the opportunity of adver-
tising our Dallas College, and as re-
suit the interests Of the college are
more widely known than formerly.
During the Summer it was my
privilege to visit the Indiana State
Normal School, located at Indiana,
Pa. was treated very cordially and
enjoyed my interview with those in
authority and my visit to their beauti-
full grounds and buildings. Have be-
come somewhat acquainted with the
public school work, also, since here,
and I am impressed with this fact that
Oregon has as good public school
system as any I have been privileged
to investigate. Our Oregon require
ments for teachers are as high and
even higher than in Pennsylvania.
Another thing has impressed me since
here; More of our young men and
women Of Oregon finish the public
schools and continue their education
either at the State OF Independent in
stitutions. This speaks we'll for the
Of our people, and also, is
prophetic of the high standard of
culture of the future generations. Our
Oregon people ought to be proud of
our excellent state and county boards
of education. am free to say il is my
opinion that the Oregon school system
is superior to Pennsylvania. Of course
1 dare express this opinion in Oregon.
1t has been my privilege to meet
several of our eastern educators, and
after discussing school work with
them I am prepared to say that the
students who attend our Dallas College
have as many advantages and oppor
tunities as those who attend institu-
tions with larger endowments and
What we lack in these
lines is more than made up in the
special and individual attention given
the students by the faculty. More and
more am | convinced that the smaller
independent Colleges still have large
field of work. 1t is true the small
College gets little advertising and is
generally unendowed. 1t cannot en-
ploy celebrities in its faculty, but that
is not severe loss to the student, for
the majority Of celebrities make poor
teachers. and the best university
teachers are usually the obscure in
structors who are paid poorly and
whose names are printed in small type
in the catalogue But the small
College turns out more than it's pro-
share of solid men and
leaders. The foremost men Of the
various professions and callings of |
our country were educated in small |
colleges. The men who are willing to
sacrifice larger salaries to teach in |
5he smaller institutions, when they |
could command amueh higher salary,
10 it for the love of the work, and such |
men will always render devoted and
lnselfish service.
But have departed from the pur-
pose Of this correspondence. We are
1T last settled into what we call home. |
We left Johnstown for the Willamette
Valley to enter the pioneer work of
our church. Now, after twenty years.
am placed back among, many of the
same people with whom l spent two
very pleasant years. Many changes
nave taken place in these years. The
errible flood Of 1889 swept over this
great Conemaugh valley carrying
ieath and desolation in its wake, and
With it many of our former friends
md people. But we are glad there is
| remnant left so our coming is not
ntirely among strangers. This is a
great manufacturing center. [ am
Informed that Johnstown has a larger
'ay roll than any other city of its size
n the state. The city nestles in a
harrow valley at the junction of Stony
Ireek and the Conemaugh river. The
hurch Of which l am pastor for the
ime being has a membership of nearly
90, situated in the heart of the city,
nth five other churches, supporting
heir own pastors, in the suburbs. But
18th all we have to make our stav
leasant we often long for Oregon
nd the associations of the past years.
We often think Of our Oregon friends. d,
nd still believe there is no better state
q the union than Oregon; no better
Innate than the Willamette: no better
ao,,la fbor - n,O.- - a.