Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-12-19
Handsome New Structure Ded-
icated Tuesday Night With
Appropriate Services
PRESIDENT sEERLEVs ADDRESS
Building Thrown Open to the Public
and 10 Inspected by Many-Good-
Sized Audience Attends Dedication
Observation-Disclosures Pal
NOR speaks-Teachers Remember
superintendent coffeen.

The Independent school district of
Marshalltown threw open to the public
it's new $4,000 manual training build
ing Tuesday afternoon; In the evening
with appropriate services dedicated 1t
to the use of the children Of the public
school Of the city. During the day the
building passed the inspection Of the
experimenting architect, j. e. Robin
son of Cedar Falls, but has not yet been
formally accepted from the contracting
firm by the school board There is no
prospective hitch that will interfere
with this for1nality. however, which
will take place in day or two.
Incidental to the opening and dedi-
cation of the building 1t marked the
first visit Of Superintendent-el A.
Palmer, Of Maquoketa. to the city. and
was the occasion Of his initial appear
ance before a local audience.
Reception and Dedication.
During the hours between and 5
o'clock Of the afternoon the building
was open to the inspection Of the pub
lie. Members Of the board were the
reception committee, and many took
advantage OF the first opportunity to 20
thru the building. In the evening many
came early, that they might also ex-
plore the structure before attending the
dedication services. The general opin-
ion OF those who visited the building
was that 1t was handsome, well and
conveniently arranged, and well adapt
cd Tor the purposes for which it is in
tended. There are still a few minor de-
tails, little things that will have to be
done about the building before 1t Is
entirely finished.
Seven hundred forty-six chairs were
placed in the auditorium without
croWding 1t for the dedication services,
and when the program opened about
oO0 OF these were occupied
President SeerIey's Address.
The dedicatory address and the
speech of the evening was delivered by
President H. H. Seerley, OF the Iowa
State. Normal School. Cedar Falls Mr..
Seerley's subject was Complete Edu-
cation" He was introduced by Presi-
dent A. G. Click, OF the board, and In
opening referred with feeling to his
first visit to this city, in 1875, and his
acquaintance with the late Superin-
tendent G. p. Rogers, to whom he re-
ferred as 'this first educational friend, "
and from whom he received his first
conception Of what was great and good
in elementary education"
Taking up. the subject Of manual
training Mr.. Seerley spoke Of the ire
mendous strides this branch Of public
schools had made during comparative
ly recent years and cited the technical
high schools Of st. Louis. Springfield
Mass, Kansas City and other places
as examples.
The three essentials necessary for a
complete education, Mr.. Seerley said,
were equilibrium, integrity, and intel
lectVality, all Of which are given to the
child by school system which trains
the mind and body and educates the
hand. without a good physical he
Ing" he said, "the equilibrium of the
mind Is impossible. Training of body
and, hands and mind teaches integrity
and intellectually"
No system he said was so fitted to
bring out and develop these qualities
| as was manual training. 'Tn manual
training" he continued, "there can be
no deception, for unlike the work of
the class room where it is possible for
the child to deceive the teacher, every
thing the child does shows in MAMMAL
training. 1t serves to show the pupil
their capability. 1T teaches him eff
fciency, and helps him to become a
part Of the life in which he must live.
When boy or girl has gone thru, a
course Of manual training he goes
home as a helper and not as a de-
pendent upon this civilization"
Mr.. Seerley paid glowing tribute
to the city for the start it had made
in manual and physical training by
the building of the first structure Of its
kind in the state devoted exclusively to
training the hands and bodies Of the
boys and girls Of Marshalltown.
Building Cost $1e,1ss.
Following the invocation, which was
delivered by Rev William Pence
James, in which the audience joined,
President A. G. Click in am introduce
tory speech, told the detailed cost Of
the building and heating plant. The
building complete cost $1S,1SS, and the
heating plant $11,031, total Of $29,-
PIG for both.
Following him Superintendent e. l..
Coffeen appeared for probably the last
time before an audience in public. He
said that public sentiment was per-
haps more responsible for manual
training, and the building in which it
is to be taught, than either the school
board or the superintendent. He ex-
pressed regret because of his early de-
parture, and thanked the board. teach
ers and public for their support and
encouragement
]. L. Carney, in a little speech,
couched in happy vein, introduced
Superintendent-ele A. Palmer. Mr..
Palmer said his highest aim would be
to maintain the high efficiency and to
keep up the standard which his pre-
decessors had established in the schools
of the city. He is a believer in manual
training, and complimented the city In
being the first to erect a building in
which to teach it.
A score Of boys from the seventh
grade sang flag song, and the nigh
school mandolin club played, and both
did 80 we'll that they had to respond
with encores Miss Amy WATSON ac-
lcompanied the boys On the piano. aud