The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-12-28
TIE NORMAL EXCURSION.
The excursionisis Visited the North Ameri-
can Office in Philadelphia.

he Phliadelphla N6fM american
Of last Saturday published the fol-
lowing article OH the Normal School
excursion which went to Washing
ton last week. 1t says:
AS feature of the educational
tour which the Bloomsbury State
Normal School conducts annually,
a visit was paid to The North Ameri-
can yesterday morning at the hour
when the presses begin to run and
the mechanical department of the
newspaper is in full swing.
There were about one hundred
and fifty OF the tourists, most of
them young men and young women
but there were few gray heads
among them. Although, when the
educational tour was devised, about
ten years ago, it was intended
especially for the Normal School
students, the scope of it has been
materially increased, so that all resi-
dents of Bloomsbury, Pa, and its
vicinity can take advantage of it.
Normal School students and
young teachers are still in the ma
jority, and it was a regiment of
youth and beauty that descended
upon this twenty. story building
in the mcin street in the heart Of the
City - as the clocks were striking
midnight.
During its stay in Philadelphia
the party was quartered at the Han
over Hotel, and they marched
around to The North American in a
body, headed by Professor Dennis,
Professor J. G. Cope, DR.. J. p.
Welsh, Professor William Sutllff,
Professor 7. S. Foote and Professor
Clarke, all members of the Blooms
burg State Normal School faculty
and overseers of the tour.
There was such a crowd of them
that it was impossible for them all
to see the same things at the same
time, SO they were divided up into
squads of thirty.
They were much amazed to find
that the biographical department
contained complete histories of all
the Bloomsbury celebrities, and
they knew the information bureau
almost as iamiliarly as if they lived
in Philadelphia and called up "Wal-
nut $50 on the Belp' every day.
They received detailed descrip-
tion of the operation of this bureau,
how the calls were received, where
the information came from, and how
it was possible to answer all sorts of
questions from the price of potatoes
in Canada to the number of seats III
the Harvard Stadium.
The council room, where the
editors meet twice day to map out
the paper, was another interesting
feature to them. The typesetting
machines, the engraving plant, and,
last of all, the mammoth presses in
the sub basement, running Oft
North Americans at the rate of more
than 1000 minute, were all fasci-
mating novelties to them,
Before they made the pilgrimage
to the basement, the tourists went
up OH the roof, where the wireless
telegraphy station is located, and
there they sang the Bloomsbury
State Normal School song 800 feet
above the pavement.
Among the tourists were a bride
and groom, who are taking this
trip as honeymoon. They are Mr..
and Mrs. Harry Haas, Mrs. Haas
was graduated from the Normal
School two years ago, and is now
teaching in the high school at Buck
horn.
The tourists lett Bloomsbury
Monday morning, and returned last
night (Friday). OF that time four
days were spent in Washington at,
tending sessions Of Congress and
visiting the various public build
ings. Yesterday was given up to
Philadelphia. The excursion al
ways goes to Washington, and takes
1, ,h;c city IN the return