New-York tribune., 1912-01-21
DINNER FOR EDWARD BUSH
Graduates of Public School 18
to Honor Old Principal.

Grauates OF Public School IS, Maujer
street, near Leonard street, and Of the
old Evening High School 2. are preparing
to give their former principal. Edward
Bush, a dinner at the Imperial. Fulton
street and Red Hook Lane. on the evening
of February II. That date will be near
the sixty-eighth anniversary of the ap-
pointment of the guest Of honor as a
teacher in the public school system Of
Manhattan. More important in the eyes
of most people. the occasion will celebrate
Mr.. Bush's ffty-sixth anniversary as the
principal Of No. 18 No other schoolmas-
ter In the city has such record TO show.
The dinner will probably be the last that
his old pupils will have an opportunity to
tender him as an active educator, for he
has expressed his desire to retire. Though
past the allotment of threescore and ten
years, Mr.. Bush is still in excellent health
and does not even wear glasses.
He began his career as a Junior teacher
in 1874 at Public School 16 Manhattan. He
was later transferred to No. Is, Manhat-
tan, as a senior teacher. He was appointed
second assistant principal Of No. Is, Brook
lyn, on May II, 1S49. This was the day
that the present building was opened. The
school was only five years old, having been
first opened in building at Remsen street
and Graham avenue on January 2, 1ai-
the year in which Mr. Bush began to
teach He was advanced to the position
of principal Of the school on January 2S,
1856. Beside his day school work, Mr.. Bush
organized Evening High School 2, South
I'd and Keap streets, in 1880, and was its
principal for twenty years. He was the
first president of the Brooklyn Teachers
Association, and held the place seven
years At present, he is financial secre-
tary OF the Brooklyn Teachers Life AS
surance Association.
Among his former pupils are many who
have come into prominence. Among these
are Justice Samuel T. Maddox, OF the Su-
preme Court; Surrogate Herbert T. lAetch-
am. the late Colonel BrowneI, OF the Hth
Regiment; former eX-County Clerk WILL
lam p. Wuest, several members Of the
Brooklyn and New York City Boards OF
Education, numbers of school principals
and heads Of departments in the schools.
Arthur S. Somers was one Of his former
Evening High School pupils Speaking Of
his career the other day, Mr.. Bush said:
"sixty-eight years ago 1 was appointed
at $50 a year as junior monitor of a New
York school to teach and also to see that
the floors and windows and fires and all
the premises were as well kept as mod
ern janitor can keep them at fifty times
the salary. Sixty-eight years ago has been
showed into the remote past-into the re-
gion Of myth and legend and poetry. How
much the public schools have had 10 do
with this impetuous swiftness ii might
be hard TO say. Perhaps as yet they ere
more indebted TO it than it 10 them But
their work will follow.
'Sixty-eight years ago our country was
still standing on the sand. states rights,
the doctrine of disintegration and decay.
What now? An ideal nation In one war
the nation received the revelation of the
new fighting ship and. in another. the reve-
lation OF a new fghting man. the man of
tncessant drill who for years practised
and practised. and when the time was come
knocked into smithereens the whole fabric
OF four hundred years and cleared the air
for new age. I wonder II that drill was
not In some way the offspring of the pub
lie school teaching-learn to do by doing?
The rolls Of the public school contain
names OF men and women distinguished I'm
every walk of life and undistinguished
names as well. the rank and file. cheerful
unselnsh, public spirited, doing their work
paying their debts, helping others, living
and enjoying life. Characters such as these
are built up In the public schools. Would
you walk through and see a public school
~ IT'S work? We Will give you samples OF
human nature for child study rich in sug
gesuye material as our machinery grlnds
10 fne edge the little tatterdemalionS who
aIe 70 become the sharps and sharper lie
hmes." VI iuture