Omaha daily bee., 1911-06-18
ROSEWATER SCHOOL-Ad
$ Victor Rosewater at Dedication Exercises June &C.

preciate the honOr conferred his by the
dedication of this magnificent school in his name
We scarcely less gratified by the sentiments ex
pressed and tributes paid to him by those who hsve
spoken here today We know the achievements of
his lifetime and the notable record he left a heri-
tage to all, set example of lofty purpose and
patriotic citizenship which it will require our best
efforts to emulate. and hope that the name in
scribed the front of this school building will
be inspiration, not only to us but to all who may
year by year pass under it and through the portals
to higher levels.
To this dedicatory program believe that what
best contribute is brief account OF my fathers
own schooling and his educational equipment. to-
gether with his ideas and ideals of public school
education. This WILL perhaps lead up to and explain
how he came to choose the public schools as the
channel for his principal public bequest. in recogni-
tion Of which at least in part, the naming of this
school building prompted
Early Educational Achievements.
1t is wonderful-almost unbelievable-to con-
template what in other days would be regarded as
next to miracle-that by force of his own person
atty poor boy, born in small village in distant
country across the sea, where a totally different
language is spoken should here be acclaimed with
memorial highly valued than tablets of bronze
or shafts of granite, because this school is one of
living, growing institutions that shape the lives
Of rising generations. When he born, seventy
pulsory attendance such have today, but even
then there were schools in Bohemia open to those
who wished to take advantage of them. Edward
Rosewater was born in little village called Bukowan
about fifty miles south of Prague, which then did
not even possess school building, and believe does
not to this day. His father had been left
an orphan at the age of seven and had been APP
prenticed to butcher, but in spite of that by pur
suing studies in German and Hebrew on his own ac-
count had secured fair education that at four
teen he served as private tutor side pursuit in
addition to his regular duties. The mother was a
woman OF keen intellect and superior education, to
the extent that education of at that time went
that the development of the boys talents was not
neglected He had lessons at home in all the elemen-
tary branches with occasional exhibitions to prove
his fathers full acceptance of the old rule that to
spare the rod would spoil the child, with the result
that before he five he could read and write
Hebrew, and had soon added the groundwork of Bo-
hemian and German Whether it due to an ex-
traordinary aptitude for languages thorough
ness of his early home training be never lost even
through years of disuse, his familiarity with these
three languages shall refer to his peculiar lnguis
tic abilities again.
As soon he able he was sent to a school
corresponding to grammar grades a school which
taught both German and Bohemian. This school was
In the neighboring village of Pisek, and was main
tanned by the government public school, al
though probably not free school. have lately
come across document that may be of interest to
you, as it is to me, being the school record, duly
attested OF father in this school for the year 1852
He was then eleven years old and had finished his
first year and been promoted to the highest class
which was there taught The certificate shows that
he ranked "sehr gut" very good in German in the
three branches of conversation spelling and compo-
siton; in his Bohemian lessons he was marked very
good" in reading; and fright good" in geography;
good" in history, and very good" in arithmetic
geography science. drawing history and PEN
manship
The probable reason why this certificate was
made out and preserved was that in the following
year he was sent to Prague to attend the Real
schulz there, living with relatives the interval,
studying under teachers more competent and experA
enced than those in the small village schools He
was still in school in Prague when in his thirteenth
year, his parents having decided to emgrate to Amer
lea, he was called home to help get ready for the
trip across the ocean to the tabled land of liberty
aud plenty TO which they all looked forward with
great expectations and many mtsgvings.
Migration OF Family to America.
a The family which then consisted of father
mother and nine children, landed in New York on
christmas day In 1854, not OF them able speak
word of English having the slightest knowledge
OF the country beyond what had been conveyed to
them In letters from immigrants from their own vii
lage who had gone ahead of them They settled in
Cleveland O., where Edward, as the oldest boy
and the next younger brother to be put to work
at once at odd Jobs to help out with the household
expenses. He soon succeeded in securing place in
u tnWare and stove store, where he picked up COM
mand OF English rapidly, and then obtained a posi-
ton as clerk, first in a grocery and then in dry
goods and notion shop.
His ambition, however. did not let him rest in
that sort of work Wishing to perfect himself for
more responsible vocation he quit his lob and nut
in three months at commercial college. taking a
course designed to fit him to be accountant and
bookkeeper. He engaged in this capacity in a whole
sale house Just the panic of 1857 broke. which
left him again unemployed With no prospects AT
home he seized upon this opportunity to start out
and see the country on his own resources taking nm