Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-01-10

The new High school building had
! sn,endid houseWarming Saturday eve
ming which was attended by a large
number of the townspeople supp. L.
! w Gerrish presided at the dedication
and the other honored citizens TO oc-
! cupy seats on the platform OF the AS
semblv hall were: The building COM
mittee. Hon. S. w. Gould, Major }. w.
Foeler and ]. T. Thibodeau; the select
! men. CLYDE H. Smith, Henry Demo ana
ID. Packard; two members of the
school board, W. H. Halves, Esq, ana
Willis Bailey; Principal f. w. Lelsh-
ton: Rev. George Merriam ana the
guest of the evening, the Hon. faSsoh
Smith, State superintendent OF schooiS'
Supt. Gerrish
( Ir his opening remarks, Supt. Ger
IRISH smoke of his coming to SkoWhe-
gan four years ago last September, OF
! the condition in which he found the
High school building with 1870 High
! school pupils and a grade OF % puplls'
! how the manual training department
was one-half mile up the NorridSeWock
| road, the domestic science class ana
! another grade in the engine nan, ana
! bow every other school room III town
! had from 40 to 69 pupils in 1t, ana there
| was some talk of the schools beng
! crowded About a year ago 1t was Not-
ed to enlarge and remodel the High
school. and the committee appointed by
the selectmen consisted of Hon. > W.
! Gould, n builder of man houses ana a.
member of many building committees
at the University of Maine, Major Fog
t Ter and ]. T. Thibodeau.
] Chairman Gould
Mr.. Gould as chairman of the COM
! mittee. briefly outlined the history or
! the: building operations and the help
received from the State superlntend-
+ cnt. the architect, the State health OF
I ficer. Or. Young, the teachers and
: Prin. Leighton. Local labor had been
employed and the building had Been
/ erected, completed and furnished with
in the appropriation of 100000 He gave
! credit to the trustees of Bloomhcld
/ Academy for $500 which had been Civ
en- for various appliances and for lab
! oratory equipment. The building. said
Mr.. Gould, was dedicated to education,
the highest of all attachments.
First SeIectridn Ciyde Smtth
First Solectman Clyde H. Smith ac-
cepted the building for the town with
both pleasure and pride-with pleas
IRE because it was for and in hehalf
of the town; with pride because it was
such a magnificent school building. The
building is not artistic in its makeup,
but democratic. II was built with
Skowhegan labor for stability and
economically and within the approrri-
alton. He spoke of the Responsibilities
Of the people to retain the building and
to keep it from DETACHMENT. He said
he hoped to bring the students lit
tie nearer the practical problems of
life, that they might speak, read and
write plain English understandinsly
and learn practical business methods.
To keep little nearer the old red
schoolhouse will not compromise
school teacher or detract from any
pupil.
w. Il. Halves, Esq.
Following prayer by Rev George
Merriam. w. II. Hawes. Esq, 70" thu
school board, expressed the apprecia-
ton felt for the fine and conscientiouS
work Of the building committee and it
happy results. Major Fogler brien.-
remarked for the work and said that
! proper regard for the right of others
and regard for property was part OF
education as well as the education of
! books j. II. Thib0deau of the buildin-,
| committee spoke briefly addressing the
/ French residents in their own tongu"
! State Superintendent
| Following selection by the High
! school orchestra who furnished the ma
| sic of the evening. State Superintendent
| Payson Smith was introduced and gay"
/ a stirring address. He spoke of the
| prevalent idea that schools and text
| books have the ability of themselves
! to bestow an education. and maintain
| ed that though conditions We're easier,
! getting an education is still the job
| of a person who wants to get it. Tn"
! common schools used to be considered
| enough, but now free education is fur
| nished for all up to college. The in
| crease in High school enrolment has
out-stripped the increase in population
four or five times. Young people now
must compete with High school gradu
ateS.
To Teachers
To the authorities and teachers he