Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-06-03
PUPILS HONOR THEIR TEACHER
Surprise for Miss Mary B. Newton,
Principal of CASTELAR,.
GIVE HER DIAMOND BROOCH
First Glass to Graduate Shows Re-
spect for Woman at Head of the
School for the Last Twenty
Five Years.

For the love they bear their former
teacher and in appreciation of her long
service in the public schools of Omaha.
members Of the class of 1896 of the Castel-
lar school, presented Mrs Mary B. New
ton, principal, with a beautiful diamond
brooch yesterday afternoon.
Headed by w. s. Stryker who made the
presentation speech, the old guard swooped
down on Mrs. Newton, taking her COM
pletely by surprise.
| In brief address Mr.. Stryker told his
former teacher how much her pupils still
loved her and that they took this way of
showing their appreciation of her efforts
to direct them In the straight and narrow
path.
Mrs. Newton has been the principal of
the CASTELAR, school for twenty-five years.
For thirty-six years she has been a teacher
| in the different schools. In 1886 she
was made principal of the CASTELAR, school.
a position she has filled with credit since.
| The class that presented the brooch Fri
day afternoon was the first that graduated
at CASTELAR, under Mrs. Newton.
Old Crowd Gathers.
The members of the old pupil band gath
| cred in Mrs. Newton's room. Knees
| crowded a little closer, and elbows hung
| farther over the edges of the desks than
| formerly but a roll call would have
sounded the same as that of a quarter of
century past That is, If the changes
in the names Of the girls were excepted.
Children, 1 can't help calling you chill
dren," said Mrs Newton, "for YOU still
are youngsters Of the olden days-it does
not seem like twenty-five years to me
The time has passed quickly, and many
| faces have looked at me from those seats
that you now occupy. But 1 cannot erase
the impression that you once made. You
were my first class when became prin-
cipal here, and those memories are indelli-
| BILE"
| Mrs Newton paused. A tear started, and
| then anothtr The little woman in a plain
black frock was nearly overcome with
! emotion.
You gave me this pin," she murmured
lingering the brooch IT never wore one
before, because never had one. And now
I am going to wear this beautiful gift all
the time"
The Instructor paused Her eyes passed
over the assemblage. The faces she saw
We're quite different from those she had
met when she took charge of the CASTELAR,
school, which was oponed at that time.
Little girls with braids had grown into
mothers-there was a comfortable repre-
sentation of the second generation present
and freckled faced, mischievous boys had
become staid men with stable pursuits in
life.
"Oh, do you remember the white catP''
suddenly Mrs Newton cried.
Yes, yes,' was the response from the
class" which also was on the verge of
tears. And then followed a review of the
little incidents of school life which mean
so little to those who have not been di-
rectly concerned, and so much to those who
have The white cat had become a fixture
OF the CASTELAR, school soon after II was
built, and il remained there for TWENTY-FIVE
years, by Mrs. Newton's count The school
building was the death place Of the animal
which never was named, but was known az
Mrs. Newton's cat"
Relies of Jackknife Days,
Men and women searched the building
70 rtheir old rooms. They looked for tn
initials that had been surrepuciously carve
on desk tops. Many OF these were con
nected with the initials Of girls of a quar-
ter century ago, who now are Mrs. So-and
so or Mrs. Somebody Else.
There was talk OF the worst bad boy
and the meekest girl, the "puggest' nos
a and the prettiest curl. And during 1t a
the younger generation stood by an
grinned. They were getting the goods" o
v pater and mater
:, OF the sixty-eight old pupils, those VIII
d were present were Mr.. and Mrs. StrykeI
j. T. ]. Shanahan, James Allen, William
d HOFFMAN, Mr.. ad Mrs. George Pray, WA
y lam, Him., Mr., ad Mrs. NJ. c. Cole, E.
e Mortensen. Miss Sophia Grau, teache
c in the CASTELAR, school; Mrs John Morter
II sen, Miss Phoebe Lenquist, Mrs. Paulin
Thiele, Mrs Frederick jain, Miss Eliza
beth Drage, Mrs f. w. Brewington, Mr.
l. T. S Mortensen, Mrs. A. c. Kellar, Mr.
d. A, Cozzens and Mrs. Z. Nicholas.