The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-20
COMER, GUNNELLS
 AND OTHERS AT
 PLEASANT HILL Cornerstone of New School Laid and Pleasant Memories
 of Past Resulted
LADIES SERVE BIG DINNER
 10 1900 HAPPY VISITORS
Jonesboro Is Having Trouble Over Principal of the Schools-PersonaI and General News of Besse-
 rner and Vicinity.
BY H. N, FREEMAN,

laying of the cornerstone of the Pleasant Hill school, which took place today, was a decided success in every respect A num- ! Der of distinguished visitors from all over | the state were there-Governor B. B. | Conner, H. G. Gunnels, state superintend- ent of public schools; President Hosmer | of the Methodist college at Greensboro, | and many others.
 Promptly at 1O:3O o'clock pr. NJ. c. Ragsdale, the chairman, arose and intro duced R. NJ. Vines, who delivered the ad- dress of welcome. MT. Vines stated that ihe was only too glad to be called on to de- liver an address at such an occasion, and for such a grand purpose. He said that he believed the boys and girls of Alabama, and especially those of Pleas ant Hill, would take their stand with any boys and girls from any place or any where.
 Dr. Hosmer president of the Methodist college at Greensboro, was the next speaker. Dr. Hosmer said that he had been invited number of times to at tend exercises, similar to the one at Pleasant Hill but he stated that he did,
 
 hlln quite as much pleasure as did this one. He said that he had found in his experience that in order for people to fit themselves for anything in this life they were compelled to start at first with the determination to get an education, and another thing it was certainly bad idea for pupil to try and Jump into any high CT branches of education before they had fitted themselves to be ready to meet the demands that a higher education would necessarily require. He paid a beautiful superintendent of education, and stated that through his efforts many poor child that under ordinary circumstances would never have had the chance of an education was brought to the little Pleas ant Hill school and given a good start pr. Hosmer was a pupil at the school at the same time that some children were attending many years ago.
 By doing extra work at night and by making untold sacrifices, he was enabled to give the children the best that was to be offered at the time
 Gunnells Is Introduced.
 H. c. Gunnells, state superintendent of schools, was the next speaker Mir. Gun nells stated that he believed in universal education. first, last and for all time. He said that education was accountable for every success, no matter in what line. He said If man was to be a splitter of rails or if a man was to be a builder of great railroads, or a lawyer Of ability. ~t.,1,A nf I0l l..I ln fitted for 1t first, and each child as he grows up in life should have the idea of education instilled in it's mind. He said If the man that split rails was brought to know the real meaning between having an education of some sort and not having any, even In his lowly station. he would at least know the difference between the good and bad products that he was labor ing on. He said that even down to the education of horses, dogs and plants, it had been proven that education was d benefit The education and tho care given to the horses of Kentucky has made that state famous. The education and the care given to dogs had made him the friend of man. The education and the care given to the raising of cotton had without q doubt made it king. The edu- cation and the care given to the raising of grain in the middle west had made 1t the granary of the world, and so on down the line. He said he believed In educa- tion in all its branches, and he wanted every one to have 1t.
 He told a little story to illustrate just what he meant He said htere was once an old maid who got married. and he made the remark that old maids do get married 'at times" This poor Miss Mary had waited for night unto forty years ere she met her affinity, and on the eve of her marriage the minister of the church of which she had been a member of the choir for many years desirous of doing something that would give her pleasure. He asked her what song she would like to have sung as she walked down the aisle. After thinking a few minutes she replied, Please sing that good old d-time hymn. This is the way have long sought
 to go, and mourned because it came not"
 Just so he wanted to see education spread and he was more glad than Mary was to know that at last it seemed to be spreading to the remotest hamlet of the state. and he said that he had evidences every day of how much the people in even the smallest places wanted education. Mrs. Mattock on School Improvement.
 Mrs. Matock of Birmingham was the next speaker Mrs. Matock is a promi- nent member of the Alabama School I'm provement association.
 She stated that she was very glad to be able to talk to both the young and old people regarding the Improvements of schools. She said of course the first tnng to be done by the school was to get 1t paid for, but she stated that while this was going on a school improvement as- sociation might be formed and many things could be accomplished. For m stance. q few books might be provided for the school library. Several nice pictures might be had to adorn the walls. the grounds surrounding the school might be beautifed, and trees and shrubbery plant ed, thereby giving the scholars something hours A school improvement association, composed of only a few members, could do great things even in a small school. and she wished most heartily that this school would in the very near future take steps to form such an association. She stated that the benefits to be derrved from such a step would not only appeal to the young people, but the grown-up people as we'll
 Conner Makes Happy Speech.
 Governor Conner was the next speaker. The governors talk was a happy and witty effort, He reviewed the worfS tina the recent legislature had done along ed- ucatonal lines. and remarked that ai- though he had heard the legislature crit zied In some quarters regarding the large