Iowa Old Press

LeMars Sentinel, Tuesday, June 25, 1889, Page 3, Columns 4-5:

THE NORTHWESTERN NORMAL
Meeting of the Advisory Board Friday afternoon.--Present Condition and
Future Prospects--Prof. Wernli's Report.--Commencement Exercises in the
evening.

At the meeting of the Normal Advisory Board, Friday afternoon Rev. J. E.
Snowden was made chairman and J. M. Emery secretary. The attendance was not
large and none of the members from abroad were there, though several sent
letters of regret, among them Hon. Henry Hospers, of Orange City, Ex-Gov.
Carpenter, of Ft. Dodge, H. C. Wheeler, of Odebolt and several others. Rev.
I. N. Pardee addressed the meeting at some length upon the present condition
of the school, the work it had done and its needs. There was a general
discussion of the situation in view of the approaching expiration of the
three years which Prof. Wernli has agreed to keep up the school up in LeMars
and of the offer he has had to remove it to Sioux Falls. M. A. Moore made a
report from the committee of which he is chairman, suggesting a plan for
raising a fund to keep the school in LeMars and it was adopted by the board.
M. A. Moore, Rev. J. E. Snowden and J. M. Emery were appointed a committee
to secure an agent to work in this and adjoining counties to secure
subscriptions, make contracts for scholarships and have authority to promote
the educational and financial interests of the school in every way. The
committee will proceed to business at once.

Prof. Wernli made a report of the work done by the school since the
opening, as follows:
"Our normal school was established to train teachers that would give to
our growing generation in the northwest such instruction as our children
have a right to claim at the end of the nineteenth century. The great need
was deeply felt and in the name of God and for the benefit of our suffering
youth the work was commenced.

"Our intention was to help individually the northwest until the grand
state of Iowa would see our own energy and success and then make our work
her own.

"How we succeed in our work the following exhibit will prove: (1)
During the first year, or from March 28 to August 12, 1887, the attendance
of pupils was 29. (2) During the second year, 1887-1888, the entire
attendance was 113. (3) During the third school year of 1888-89 the total
enrollment reached 193. (4) The entire enrollment since the beginning of
the school is 283. (5) These students belong as follows: Plymouth county,
230; Dakota, 11; Lyon, 6; Osceola, 4; Cherokee, 1; Sac, 3; Sioux, 18;
O'Brien, 3; Humboldt, 7; Woodbury, 1; Buena Vista, 1; Minnesota, 4. (6) Of
the students that have attended during the existence of the school
ninety-three have passed the examination before county superintendents and
entered the public schools as teachers. (7) Many of them have returned
again after teaching one or more terms to continue their studies. (8) In
order to give our young and hard-working but poorer classes an opportunity
to obtain the blessings of a good, practical education, we charge a very
moderate tuition and furnish the students with everything needed in the
school while the entire expenses for forty weeks need not exceed $120,
comprising tuition, board and lodging.

"The course of study contains every branch taught in the state normal,
and such additional instruction as regarded essential for our people in the
west, as horticulture, arboriculture, bookkeeping, commercial law, etc.
That our pupils may join those classes no extra tuition is demanded. The
course of study is so arranged and the program planned in such a manner that
any scholar of proper age and a desire to learn can enter the school at any
time, while at the same time every teacher endeavors to exert a wholesome
and encouraging influence upon each individual scholar.

"As far as the school is concerned we have been meeting with entire
success. The students come and learn, the school increases, the members of
it are our best, our only agents, they have been spreading the name of the
Institution and bring their brothers, sisters and friends to us for
instruction."

THE GRADUATION EXERCISES.

Anyone who thinks there is a lack of interest in the Normal School at
home should have been at the German M. E. church last Friday night and taken
notice of the people who were there. Every place where a person could sit
or stand was made use of, hot as the evening was. On the platform sat Revs.
Wellmyer, Pardee and Snowden and Prof. Wernli. The invocation was
pronounced by Rev. I. N. Pardee when Misses Eva Luke, Nettie Ege, Ida
Koenig, Clara Wernicke, Geneva Glenn, Anna Wernli sang "The Distant Chimes."

By a very wise change in the program the Baccalaureate address by Rev.
J. E. Snowden was given at this time instead of at the close. It was rich
in thought and common sense and its counsel well deserved the consideration
of the students. It will be printed in full in the SENTINEL next Friday.

After this there were several declamations, interspersed with music, as
published last week, excepting that in the absence of Miss Pardee, Miss
Bourgmeyer, sang "The Johnstown Disaster" made a very choice selection and
it was a great hit, for which she was generously applauded. The other
musical attraction was a chorus, "Simple Simon," by Prof. F. Hirsch, Chas.
Wernli, Geo. Wernli, C. A. Mauer, H. Adler, J. Brown, John Beeley, C. E.
Hass and G. W. Hoover. This was accorded the only encore of the evening.

The two orations were given by graduates of the Normal department. Mr.
C. H. Blake, of Union county, Dakota spoke first, and below is a short
synopsis of what he said about

COMPULSORY EDUCATION.

He spoke of the rapid progress of the country and the importance of the
problem of education, and whether we should adopt the European plan of
compulsory education. Some of the states have laws of that kind, but they
are not satisfactory, are not enforced and do not reduce crime; only one
criminal in five is illiterate; crime and ignorance do not go together. New
York and Pennsylvania have rigid compulsory education laws, yet their per
cent of literacy is nearly double that of Iowa; (word smudged out)
percentage of school attendance is only 59, while Iowa's is 75. The trouble
is with poor people who cannot afford to send their children to school.
Especially in the cities, where the poor child is subjected to ridicule and
torture by the well dressed children of the wealthy, parents will scheme
with it to escape attendance. The state should aid by bringing the schools
to the poor instead of taking the poor to the schools. The city and town
schools are too much in the hands of a few, whom the teacher must favor or
lose his position. Compulsory education is contrary to the principle of
American freedom.

Oscar Smith of Akron took for his subject

PRACTICAL EDUCATION.

In these days of skepticism it is not to be wondered at that our school
system is so sharply criticized. It is claiming that it is not fitting the
young for the duties of life and that it is turning them from manual labor.
They say teachers cultivate the memory at the expense of the reasoning
faculties. The charges can not be substantiated, while the public schools
have had so large a share in our national progress. Now methods are being
introduced, teaching harmony in all kinds of effort. The one who follows a
scheme of study is far more likely to look at things, and their relations,
in their true proportions than one who pursues a desultory course. One who
chooses a certain line of study which may suit his inclinations may become
learned in that line, but he can never become educated. His one-sided view
of any subject, which is the privilege of a symmetrically developed mind.
Educational training gives us that faculty of the mind called judgment. It
can only give a broad, sure foundation for the pursuit of such a life-work
as shall be found to be suited to the subject. It develops him, gives him
strength for adversity; it makes earth a paradise, makes a strong
government; it gives him power to do and enjoy many things impossible to the
untutored mind.

Prof. Wernli made some appropriate remarks in presenting the diplomas,
giving the people some of the facts in his report printed above and showing
how deeply in earnest he is in his school work.

When the diplomas had been presented, Rev. I. N. Pardee, with some
choice compliments to the school and the work done by it, moved a vote of
thanks to Prof. Wernli, which was most heartily given. It was a proud
moment for him to see how his conscientious, thorough, self-sacrificing work
was appreciated. A benediction closed the first commencement of the
Northwestern Normal School and Business College. May it not be the last in
LeMars.

Page 3, Column 3:

Died.
BROWN--At the residence of his daughter, Mrs. L. K. Bowman, in LeMars, Iowa,
Friday morning, June 21, Daniel L. Brown, aged 84 years, 2 months and 17
days.

Deceased was born in Verona, New York, April 4, 1805. He was married in
September 1827 to Diana Sturtevant, who survives him, after nearly 62 years
of married life. She was 79 years old last Christmas. Eight children were
born to them, of whom three are living, A. P. Brown, and Mrs. L. K. Bowman
and a brother at La Crosse, Wis., who was unable to be here for the funeral.
Owing to this the funeral was held at the residence of L. K. Bowman at 2
p.m. Saturday, Rev. J. E. Snowden officiating.

Died.

RUBLE--At the residence of his daughter, Mrs. Tegar, in norht Elgin township
on Thursday, June 20, Jesse Ruble, aged about 88 years.

Mr. Ruble came to this county from the eastern part of the state about
ten years ago and has been engaged in farming. He has a son, Thomas, who
resides in northwest Fredonia township, and since his wife died, seven years
ago he has been living with this son and daughter. The funeral was held on
Friday at the M. E. church in Seney, conducted by Rev. Marcus Delano.

Died.

Thos. J. Bettsworth, one of the oldest pioneers of Plymouth county died
very suddenly of heart disease at his home near Merrill last Friday morning.
He was a strong healthy man but had not been feeling usually well for
several days. On the morning of his death he ate a hearty breakfast and
afterwards sat down and began singing the old Methodist hymn, "There will be
no more sorrow there." While singing, he fell over, dead. Mr. Bettsworth
was born in Somerset county, Maryland, a little over sixty-two years ago.
He came to Plymouth county from Maryland in 1867. For thirteen years he has
been an active member of the Methodist church. The funeral services were
conducted by the pastor of the Merrill church on Sunday, assisted by Rev. R.
C. Glass, of Sioux City. Deceased leaves a wife and seven children to mourn
him.

PERSONAL:

J. J. McDuffie was in DesMoines last week.

W. J. Vogt returned last night from Iowa City.

Chas. F. Schmidt was a Sioux City visitor over Sunday.

Alton Democrat: Miss Lena Engels, of LeMars, visited with Mrs. Scheckel last
Wednesday.

Hull Advance: Rev. J. E. Snowden, of LeMars, one of the Academy trustees,
came up to Commencement this week, and to visit his daughter, Miss Clara M.
Snowden.

Miss Mable Mudgett, formerly of this city, now living at Lake Charles, La.,
is very ill and serious doubts are entertained of her recovery.

Decorah Journal and Press: The graduating exercises of the Immaculate
Conception Academy on Thursday evening, June 27, will be of much interest,
quite a number of pupils taking part. Graduating honors will be conferred
on Misses Marcella Quinn and Rosa Wilson. The address will be P. Farrell,
L.L. D., LeMars, Iowa.

Alderman John Bunt, the carriage maker, is in Fremont, Nebraska, this week,
arranging for the removal of his shops and entire plant to that city. Work
has been commenced on buildings there, but the removal will not be made
before January 1st. It is an unfortunate thing for the city that Mr. Bunt
should find it profitable to remove his works from the city, but he says
that there is good reason for it, that he will be able to do larger business
and have more capital to work with.

All the trotting races for the Fourth will be five heats, best three in
five, instead of best two in three as stated in the program printed last
week.

The Northwestern Military Band is busy preparing some fine special music for
the Fourth.

Dr. Arnold, the practical optician, has in his possession autograph letters
from men in high position all over the United States proving the truth of
his statement. He has shown them to us and will be glad to show them to
anyone.