The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-02-12
NORMAL MODEL BUILDING
FORMALLY DEDICATED WITH
APPROPRIATE CEREMONIES
From Mondays Daily.

From Mondays Daily.
Ceremonies incident to the dedica
ing were held i'll the normal chapel Sat
urday evening Members of the sen
ate and house normal school commit
tees were present, and there were
many citizens in attendance who eX
pressed their appreciation by APPLAUSE
of the program rendered.
The ladies glee club opened the
exercises with double number, eX
ccllcuty rendered.
Red Letter Days.
President Cooper said that this was
one of the red letter days of the
institution. The last one was when
the new library was dedicated and he
expected to have the next one when
the new dormitory shall be dedicated,
which he hoped would not be far in
the future. They were now celebrat
ing the opening of tie fine new model
school, and he expressed his thanks to
the legislature and to the Blue Earth
county members, publicly acknowledge
ing the great Indebtedness of the in
stitution. He turned the meeting over
ito Lieutenant Governor Eberhart, who
presided and had some humorous ref
erence for each speaker He said that
10 L.
or house than the present ones. and
, they were conscientiously and earn
estly working for the best interests OF
the state. All of the members pres
cnt were interested in normal schools.
Normal graduates make the best teach
crs, and the graduates from the Man
kato normal had made fine record.
Representative McGrath of Clay
county said that he expected this
school to wait another two years, and
then he would help to get an appropri-
alton for the ladies' dormitory.
Address of Mr.. Garfield.
Senator Garfield of Rock county said
that as he looked at these classic
walls he could not help but think of
the long path that the race has had
to take. He compared the present
with older forms of government. He
doubted whether the younger persons
present appreciated the work which
was before them. These institutions
of learning had been established that
! the people may be made the props of
| the state. The Young teachers were to
build board and deep foundations. 1t
was intended to educate the people to
| be self sustaining as well as en-
| lightened and virtuous. 1t was not
| the purpose otJ the state TO make
dudes of BOTH sexes, but to equip
them with mental powers to bring
thought and matter together. There
are manifestations OF power Oh all
sides, but the invisible power lies be
! hind it i'll the thinking faculties of the
| brain Of man. Education is intended
to perfect this power and to train it
to mix thought and matter. The child
| who is hest equipped to take hold OF
the practical things OF life is the one
who conquers difficulties best. People
are realizing that they have been max
/ ing u mistake He was glad to sec
this spirit of new practical age
coming. Agricultural schools are be-
/ ing established, where the transcendent
needs of the farmers will be taught
and which would result i'll keeping the
| boys OH the farms and would teacl
the girls the dignity of work i'll The
| kitchen.
Representative McGary told how he
came to represent the Chippewa In
dams i'll the legislature. MankatC
was most beautiful city. He had
talked normal school until three O'Clock
: the previous morning, and would be
found an easy mark if called upon
| for aid for the Mankato normal.
Remarks By Senator Clague.
Senator Clague told how he had
heard of the Mankato normal schoo
twenty six or seven years ago, AND
how he had come to it to get an ed
ucation how he was met at the depot
/ by John Duane of the Washington
House, and spoke of the teachers OF
that period, giving each a nice men
ton. He paid a special tribute tc
Mrs. Swan who is the only one still
connected with the school. He saic
that he had more faith in the norma
schools than i'll almost any other in
stitution. He wanted this school tC
ask for $4,000 for site for the
ladies' dormitory, and it would be
granted. The state university would
| be given large sums, and the norma
schools were entitled to fair appro
priations for dormitorcs He said thai
he would take the floor and fight fol
| it that Mankato gets at least S2O,OOC
for the dormitory site. People iiy
ing elsewhere would like to have /
dormitory where their daughters would
| find good nome while attending school
/ and where heir health would espec
! tally be taken care Of 1t would be d
great thing for the school and als'
for the city. Bills had been intro
duced to establish agricultural schools
one being located at. Mapleton. H'