Vermilion County, Illinois - Chapter 31: Schools and Education, 1911

Chapter 31: Schools and Education

THE GEORGETOWN SEMINARY THE DANVILLE SEMINARY THE UNION SEMINARY SEMINARIES GIVE PLACE TO THE PUBLIC SCHOOL - SCHOOLS IN OAKWOOD TOWNSHIP SCHOOLS IN PILOT TOWNSHIP SCHOOL AT DENMARK THE

The first school taught in Vermilion County is said to have been in Elwood township. It was in a log school house one mile west of Vermilion station. Reuben Black, a lad of eighteen, came from Ohio and in the winter of 1824-25, secured enough subscription pupils to make it worth his while to open a school. He taught one winter. John Mills sent four children - three sons and one daughter. Joseph Jackson, an Englishman, sent two children; Ezekial Hollingsworth sent four children ; Henry Canaday sent one ; John Haworth sent three ; making fourteen in all. The branches taught were reading, spelling, writing and some of the older pupils were taught arithmetic. So it was that these fourteen children, Ira, Millican, John and Rebecca Mills, Nathan and Mary Jackson, Jeremiah, Miles, Mahunday and John Hollingsworth, William Canaday and Thomas, David and Elvin Haworth were the first children to go to school in Vermilion County. This was two years and more before any one lived in Danville. In 1827 two miles northeast of Vermilion station there was another school taught. This time the teacher was a preacher from East Tennessee, of the Methodist faith, Mr. Elijah Yager by name. He took a step beyond the Ohio teacher and introduced common arithmetic and declamation. He was a talented man for the times but his employers must not have appreciated him or he found other ways of getting a living more congenial, for the next school in this neighborhood was taught by Henry Fletcher, the following summer.

In the Butler's Point neighborhood the schools were not so prosperous. The first school taught was by Hiram Tinckor. It was south of the well known Thomas Keeney home. Mr. Tinckor was a good teacher and kept his pupils busy with their "Readin,' 'Ritin' and 'Rithmetic." He had fifteen pupils and those among them who lived at the Salt Works had to walk three miles to this school, and it was the only school for them to attend. A school house was built in 1827 in Georgetown on the square in front of the store of Mr. Frazier. This school house would hardly be considered of much use for that purpose at this time. Indeed it was the cheapest affair that could be built, of logs and had absolutely no conveniences.

A puncheon floor, a log sawed out over which a piece of greased paper was put, through which the light had a hard time to come, slabs for seats and no desks. It does not make a very attractive picture. But it was the best that could be had and served the purpose of housing the boys and girls whose parents were able to pay the subscription price of their "schooling." The teacher's name was Givens and after him it was Owen West who gave these children the desired instruction in the three "Rs." The pupils were Perry, Martha and Luzena Brazelton, Brackin Lewis, George Lewis, Millican Moore, Eli and Mahlon Haworth and James Staunton.

The books used were the Old English reader, Talbott's Arithmetic, American Spelling book and Lindley Murry's grammar. At that time it was the universal practice to study aloud and the noise which issued from that school house was something from which to escape if possible. The lad who could make the most noise was supposed to be gaining the greatest amount of "learning." This school was continued until 1844 when the Georgetown Seminary was established.

The first school house in Newell township was on section 23, and was built in 1827. A man named Scott was the first teacher who has been described as a fatherly, elderly man with perhaps, too little force, since his successor with or without reason resorted to the use of the hickory stick upon every occasion. This man's name was Duncan Lindsey. He taught a good school and his pupils made remarkable progress, but his methods were approaching brutality. How much of this came because of the laxity of the first teacher can not be estimated at this day, or whether in fact the kindness of the first teacher did not seem to be laxity in contrast to the ways of his successor. The second school built in Newell township was put upon land owned by and called for Jacob Eckler. This school house was located between Joseph W. Osborn's and William R. Campbell's. A large walnut tree stood in the corner of Mr. Osborn's pasture and for years marked the site of the front of this school house. It was built in the fall of 1830 and Valentine Leonard coming to this neighborhood at about that time, lived in the house until the following summer, when the first school was opened there by Miss Elizabeth Stipp as teacher.

The pioneer school house is at once one of the simplest and most celebrated institutions in the early settlements of the country. It was made of round logs, puncheons covered the floor, a rude fireplace at one end reached nearly from one corner to the opposite one; in the other end of the room an opening had been made by leaving out a log, and in this, upright pieces were placed at intervals and on these oiled paper was pasted to admit the light. Under this improvised window a long board was put up with the proper pitch and along it a long bench was put. Here in this "flood of light," the children practiced their copies using a quill pen which the teacher made. One dear little girl, alas no longer here to tell the tale herself, loved to tell how she would get up early often and look for the quills the geese had cast in the night to take them to Mr. Huntington, a favorite teacher. And woe to her when her brothers happened to get up earlier than she did and gathered all the prizes from her, leaving not a single one. This was long before there was a system of free schools in Vermilion county and education had to be the product of greater effort than at this time. Schools were inaugurated by direct exertion and supported by private contribution and only those who paid received their benefits. School houses were built in this same way. The settlers agreed upon a place and then they all met at that place and divided work ; some cut down the logs, others hauled them up and yet a third set them up in place. It was not necessary to have a school house to have a school, however. Where an empty cabin was available a subscription was the only thing necessary to the establishing of one of these temples of learning. Whoever proposed to have a school, went around among the settlers and took subscriptions from all for as many as were wanted to go to school. If it was a stranger who proposed to do this one of the well known citizens would offer to take him around and introduce him to those who would be interested in the matter. The usual price was $1.00 and $1.50 per term of three months and sometimes the winter term came higher, a charge of twenty-five cents extra was made to provide fuel. Sometimes a man who was very much interested in the school would subscribe for three or more than he had to send ; and sometimes a man had two or more children to send and he couldn't afford to send them all, then he would send them alternately; that is, would take one subscription and one child would go one week and another the following week. Reading, writing, spelling and ciphering generally comprised the text. On the interior of one of these houses there would always be wooden pegs driven upon which the boys hung their caps and the girls hung their hoods and shawls. Elisha Hobbs took the school down at Vermilion in 1831. He was one of the true teachers who could give a stimulus to learning that made the pupil want to go to school. He did more for the cause of education in Vermilion county than did any one else ever. He never paused in his efforts until the citizens found themselves with a school house 16 ft. square and six feet and a half between joists. The district got up a subscription to build a new house, but could not raise money enough to build it. At this juncture William Canaday, David and Elvin Haworth decided to make an effort to secure the amount. They got hold of the subscription paper and destroyed it and went to work with a will and their purses and their influence to build a house fit for an academy. So well did they succeed that in the summer of 1850 they had a seminary building, 30 x 52, with two recitation rooms supplied with proper desks and furniture. They employed Jatnes Davis as principal of the school and it opened with one hundred and ten students. The branches taught were geography, algebra, chemistry, geometry, surveying, history, mineralogy, reading, spelling, elocution, domestic economy and Latin. Mr. Davis continued as principal for five years. He was a man of great energy, wisdom and tact. The standard of education was kept high and this seminary did a great work, leaving on the community the influence which marked that part of Vermilion County. Of the men who did so much to build this school it is only necessary to state that William Canaday had seven sons who were educated in this school and David Havvorth had eight. This seminary disappeared with the coming of the free or public school system.

The first school ever taught in Danville was in a log house probably built for the purpose, standing on the ground where Wright's mill stands. This cabin was built of huge burr-oaks fully two feet in diameter, and the ends were left sticking out without being sawed off, with clapboard roof and puncheon floor. It was rough in outward appearance, and inside had nothing to change that appearance. The hugh fireplace extended across the room and was something peculiar in its way; without, instead of the chimney beginning at the ground, strong braces extended from the wall near the floor out into the room and upward, and upon these the chimney was built.

It was not less than six feet wide and large enough to hoist a good sized drygoods box up through it. The fire was built under it and the first thing to learn in this school house was how to induce the smoke to go in the right direction. One advantage of the fireplace was that the wood did not need to be cut at all. Anything short of sled-lengths could be put in and the fire did the work of the wood chopper.

This school was opened in about 1830 and the teacher's name was Clark. He was a good teacher, and had charge of this school for a time, after which he was a tanner until he died. Another school building was put up near the river where the old planing mill stood and many of the elder sons and daughters of Danville went to this school; yet little record of this school can be found.

The Georgetown Seminary which together with the Vermilion Seminary furnished the school facilities for the children of the county for years, was built in 1844.

In 1836 a charter was granted incorporating the Danville Academy a stock company. Its terms make it possible for every free white person to subscribe to this school, and every subscriber was entitled to one year's tuition for every share owned. This enterprise never amounted to any good, however. No permanent organization was ever effected.

While Vermilion was working for a seminary, which came in 1850, and Danville had secured a charter for the means of establishing one but had done nothing else, Georgetown opened a school wherein the needs of the times were met. The Georgetown Seminary was organized in 1844 and for twenty years was the place sought by those of the entire county who were looking for means toward an education. This was a denominational institution, being under the charge of the Methodist Conference, and the teachers were selected by that body.

Here as in Vermilion is found the name of Canaday as one of the promoters of this institution. This name is often found in records of that which tended to advance the interests of Vermilion County. Mr. Canaday, Presiding Elder Robbins, J. H. Murphy of Danville, and Mr. Curtis were the early promoters of the Georgetown Seminary. Much depends upon the selection of the first teachers of any institutions of learning, and a happy choice was made in this case in the choosing of the first principal. This was Jesse Moore, a young man of not only excellent education but of commanding presence as well, and possessed of superior tact. Jesse R. Moore was at that time a local preacher and since one of the leaders in the Methodist church, afterward a presiding elder. When the war broke out he went into the service and was promoted to be a general in the army and after he came home represented his district in the national congress, after which he was pension agent at Decatur. His was a long life of usefulness and in no place did he render more efficient service to mankind than while he for four years was the principal of Georgetown Seminary. During these four years the school was operated in the frame building some of the older people of the county remember which had been built for a church and had been moved to the grounds afterward occupied by the district school. Mr. Moore's assistants were Miss Fairbanks, Walter Smith, afterward a Baptist preacher and Archibald Sloan, who, too, afterward became a preacher. The Seminary building was erected in 1848. It was a plain brick building, two stories high and capable of accommodating two hundred pupils. Mr. Moore was succeeded by Prof. J. P. Johnson, who had charge for five years, with his wife and two nieces as assistants. Pupils came from a hundred miles away to this school. Danville sent her young people and the northern and western part of the county as far as having need of a school availed themselves of the opportunity given by an institution of the kind inside the bounds of the county.

Miss Sophia Lyons, afterward Mrs. Holloway, taught music. Prof. Asa Guy taught two years, from 1853 to 1855. He had his wife and Miss Hazelton as his assistants. Rev. Railsback was principal for four years and he was followed by Rev. McNutt. After his term was over the seminary was merged into the public school system. The seminary was built by individual donation of money or anything which could be turned into money and proved to be a power for the upbuilding of the community first and the adjacent territory of the county, to say nothing of the increased power of the church. The school was turned over to the district in 1861 and the public school directors of the district took entire charge of its management from that time on. There had been a sort of partnership between the directors and the trustees of the seminary for a few years past, but the sentiment favoring the public school had grown to the extent that it could not be sustained longer.

Six years after the Georgetown Seminary was established and at the time of the organization of the Vermilion Seminary, a charter was secured to incorporate the Danville Seminary. There was already one flourishing Methodist school in the county and one under the charge of the Society of Friends. There did not seem to be any need of another under either denominational government. But those who had the papers of incorporation made out, were particular to stipulate that the majority of the trustees should be members of the Methodist church and that the teachers should be chosen by these trustees. That left all but the Methodists outside of the management of the school, either in the way of determining the course of study or whom should teach the course. Naturally this arrangement, no matter how well it was used, could not be satisfactory. An antagonism was the only outcome of such an ignoring of the opinions of one set of people by another who had only the right made by circumstances. Citizens of all denominations had subscribed to the enterprise and this restriction of their privileges resulted in a bitter division of the community on the subject of all others upon which there should be perfect union of opinion and action. The first trustees of this institution were Eli Helmick, Benjamin Stewert, E. F. Palmer. Daniel

Fairchild, James Partlow, James Dennison and J. H. Gilbert. They located the school on two acres of land just north of Main street and built a two-story brick house for the use of the school. The land was deeded to the use of the church for school purposes and after the seminary was merged into the public school system there was a long litigation over the ownership of the land, because of this clause. At last it went back to the original owners. O. S. Munsell was the first principal of this school and Mrs. Munsell, C. W. Jerome, Miss Sarah Whip and Miss Ellen Green were the teachers. This was in 1852, when the roll of membership was 206. This school had the advantage of having been in existence before it was incorporated under the management of Mr. and Mrs. Munsell. They were popular teachers in their school, kept in the old North Street church. Two courses were offered to the student, the classical and the scientific. This school was continued for twelve years. Mr. Munsell was succeeded by Prof. Aaron Wood, he by Prof. P. D. Hammond, he by Mr. McNutt and he by J. L. Dickson as principals of the school.

The dissatisfaction with the management of the Danville Seminary grew to such an extent that another school was organized March 15, 1851. This was called the Union Seminary and while the subscribers were not of the same church as that which dominated the other school, they were restricted to no one denomination. It was established by a joint stock company and was an excellent school. These opposing schools were supported until the popularity of the public school system made it no longer a necessity to have the youth of Danville educated at subscription schools.

The trustees of the Union Seminary were representative citizens of Danville. They were L. T. Palmer, J. A. D. Sconce, S. G. Craig, Guy Merrill and Hamilton White. They secured three acres of land in the part of town then called the north part, but what would seem almost the heart of the city at this time, and put up a good building which they used as a school house for a long time after the seminary was a part of the public school. The only relic of the location is now the name of the street which ran in front of the enclosure, on the south side of the building. Vermilion street was the western limit of the seminary grounds. In 1862 a common school system was adopted and it was very soon that the usefulness of these two private schools was at an end. A levy of a tax which was to be paid to all school districts in proportion to the number of pupils who attended the public school was a just cause to induce every public spirited man to support the public school with the attendance of his children. The outcome of this was that both buildings were rented by the directors of the public school and J. L. Dickson, who was principal of the Danville Seminary, was retained as principal of the public schools with nine assistants. The following year Mr. Spillman was employed. Thus it was that the seminaries at both Georgetown and Danville gave place to the public schools.

Such was not the case at the one under the management of the Society of Friends at Vermilion. When the Vermilion Seminary was established it was built as a permanent institution and remained an institution all the years from its organization to the time when, in 1873, the Vermilion Academy was organized to take its place. And unlike the other three institutions of higher learn-

While the more pretentious schools are being considered it must not be forgotten that there were schools in other parts of the county where although the extent of the attempt was the mastery of the "Three Rs" yet they laid the foundation of learning without which the after building would be impossible. The first school building in Oakwood township was put up in 1829 or 1830. It stood close to the present town of Newtown, and was of the pioneer style.

Squire Newell and a Mr. McGuinn taught in this house soon after it was built. It continued in use for some time but another was built on what was known as "Parsonage Hill" just south of Newtown. Another of the early school houses was built on the state road near Stony creek.

School was taught in the neighborhood of the Juvinalls at an early day by Morgan Rees. This was on the east side of the creek but the children would attend school there and so it was not considered necessary to have one on the west side. The first house built in Pilot township was put up on section 20, T20, R.I2. This was in 1836 or 1837.

Ezekial Leyton was the first school teacher. However, there had been a school taught in this township in about 1834. This was housed in a cabin and was taught by Mr. Beard. As early as 1833 there was a school house on the banks of the North Fork about eighty rods south of Denmark. Mary Beasley, Noah Sap and Elizabeth Stipp, were among the early teachers in this building. After a few years the building was abandoned and a private house in Denmark used. The Lamb school house was built in 1835 and was one of some pretension, having a window on each side, consisting of a single row of 8xio inch panes placed close up to the eaves, and running the whole length of the building. Among the teachers at this school house are found these names which may recall early times to some one. There was Robert Price, John McKee, J. Poor and James A. Davis. It is not recorded which teacher of all these it was who punished a bad boy and in turn was severely punished together with his entire school. The circumstance was as follows. The boy was punished by the teacher and went out of the door which fastened on the outside with a padlock. Taking advantage of this fastening the boy made a prisoner of each and all in the school house and then climbed on the roof and covered up the chimney. While he sat on the outside awaiting developments the smoke poured into the room and was very annoying until the teacher thought to put out the fire with water and then a boy crawled up the flue and uncovered the chimney and unfastened the door.

To return to the schools of Danville it is found that the first one was taught in Haworth's smokehouse, a little building ten or twelve feet square. It was made of logs without a floor and its only openings were the door and a square hole cut at the opposite side for light and ventilation. It stood west of Haworth house and back some distance north from the line of the sidewalk.

Dr. Norton Beckwith, the brother of Dan Beckwith was the teacher. After this there was a school house built upon a lot on south Hazel street on the west

This building was made of small logs covered with clapboards, with the chimney on the outside made of stone and sticks mudded after the fashion of the Kentucky cabin. At first it had no floor but later the floor was made of puncheons. The seats were made of the same material, smooth side up, supported on wooden legs. Among the teachers who taught here at different times were Harvey Luddington and Enoch Kingsbury. Mr. Luddington also taught a Sunday school here. At a later day James A. Davis came to Danville without a cent of money, having lost everything while coming up the Wabash in a boat. Dr. Beckwith found that Mr. Davis had a fine education and said he was the very man Danville needed to teach school. He at once wrote a paper and circulated it that he might secure a school. Such good satisfaction did Mr. Davis give that he taught school for a long time in different parts of the county. From Vermilion street a little south of the square there was a trail led off southeast across lots to the school house. This trail went through a thicket of hazel bush and it was so high that the teachers and pupils were obliged to part it with their hands to go to school.

The first school house was destroyed by fire. Mr. Henry Hunt had collected some two hundred venison hams and stored them in Haworth's smokehouse, where he was smoking and drying them to ship them to New Orleans by flat boat. For a joke (a sorry joke it appears) some of the men attracted the attention of Mr. Hunt, while others fired the building. The market was glutted with venison partially cooked, since the fire was not discovered until too late to save the meat.

This school house was not up to the needs of the times, or at least so thought Amos Williams, the man who did so much for Danville, and he built another at his own expense. He put up the building on the west side of Franklin street a little north of the alley. This building was fully twenty feet square, some twelve or fourteen feet high in the clear and made of logs hewn inside and out. It had a door and two windows fronting east and was further lighted with a row of three or four 8xio window lights in width, and extending nearly the length of the three other sides. The floor was made of sawed plank, matched and evenly laid. In winter time a stove occupied the center of the room. A double row of seats (one of which was in front low down, next to the floor, and the other raised up like a gallery, some three feet back of and above the first, with the wall behind and sloping desks in front), extended around three sides of the room, with openings cut near the middle of each row, and provided with steps, so the pupils could ascend to the higher platform. Here the three months' school was held for many years. The school teacher was generally a stranger, who would go from place to place looking for a school. His education varied with circumstances, and at times he would be well prepared for the work he sought while at others he was but a bully or a brute.

The first school taught in the southwestern part of Danville township was at what was sometimes called Payne's Point. Mrs. Cromwell was a dearly loved teacher in the years previous to the opening of the public schools and after the new building on the corner of Madison and Pine streets was first opened she was the first teacher for the children as long as she was able to be in the school room. The men and women of Danville can not forget until at least another generation the kind and efficient teacher who was very nearly a mother in her care and solicitude.

That which predominated in the development of the educational system in Vermilion County from the year 1880 to 1900 was proportion, uniformity and thoroughness in the common school course of study ; namely, that composed of the common branches. From 1900 to the present, the emphasis has been gaining toward the higher development of the secondary or high school course of study. In the county administration of schools, J. D. Benedict became superintendent in 1881 to succeed C. V. Guy. Mr. Benedict came into office about the time that additional powers and duties were granted to the county superintendent. Previous to this time the office had been largely that of custodian and trustee of school funds and school lands, together with the duty of examining of applicants for license to teach. With the new powers given under state law, the county superintendent was given more school supervision. Mr. Benedict was one of the foremost superintendents of the state to exercise the new powers vested in the office and established in Vermilion County a system of monthly examinations of pupils in all the village and rural schools. To make this work more effective, it was necessary to evolve a prescribed course of study to be placed in the hands of the teachers after those teachers were duly instructed in its use. The operation of this course of study under a sensible line of examinations, has been well carried out through Mr. Benedict's term of office which closed 1889, succeeded by L. H. Griffith whose term of office which closed 1889, succeeded by L. H. Griffith whose term of office extended from 1889 to 1899; this followed by R. B. Holmes from 1899 to 1906; followed by W. Y. Ludwig, 1906 to 1910. Haworth is the present superintendent of schools.

The rural schools in general, do most excellent work in the common school branches corresponding to the graded schools of the vilages and cities. Pupils, after completing the common branches in the rural and small village schools, are usually transferred to the accredited high schools, the number of which has rapidly increased within the past decade. It now seems to be within the reach of every child within the limits of Vermilion County to acquire a good common school education, and added to that the completion of a four years high school, which fits him for entrance to the best universities, technical of professional schools of the land. In the high school development of the county, two high schools, Danville and Hoopeston, are accredited in the "Northcentral Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools." The following high schools are on the accredited list of the University of Illinois; Danville, Georgetown, Hoopeston, Rossville, Vermilion Academy, Ridge Farm and Sidell.

The high school of Danville was not legally incorporated into the system of schools until 1887 when a vote of the people made it a part of the city schools. Nothwithstanding this there has been graduated several classes. The first class to graduate from the Danville high school was in 1872.

The total enrollment of pupils of Danville for all grades during the past year expenditures for past year were $128.026.67. . This sum includes disbursements for all purposes. Expenses per capita for teachers, janitors, and fuel were:

The Danville high school had a total enrollment of 476. The number graduating from the Danville high school during each of the past four decades were as follows:

The private schools of Vermilion County do not make an extensive list. The Vermilion Grove Seminary has already been mentioned, together with the Georgetown Seminary, the Danville Seminary, and the Union Seminary; all of these, with the exception of the one first mentioned, found their time of usefulness cease when the public schools were established. The first private school to be opened after that was the one known as the Chilcoat school, or by the name given it by the proprietors, the Danville Normal and Academic Institute. This school was established during the latter part of the seventies, and was a popular school for several years. It was conducted by the two brothers Chilcoat. Music was a well conducted department in the school under the management of Prof. Vandersteen.

The German Lutheran private school has been an established institution since the sixties. The school is supported by the congregation of that church. The congregation appoints the teachers, and is in every way responsible for the school.

The Parochial schools became an institution of the Catholic church in the eighties. This institution is in a flourishing condition. A large and commodious building is located at the corner of Main and Park streets, where a day school to accommodate the children of Danville is supplemented by a boarding school well patronized and known as the Sisters Academy.

Greer College

Greer College was founded and endowed by the late John Greer in 1891, who gave his fortune as a heritage to all young people who are ambitious to rise in the world. Like most men, Mr. Greer's life had been one of toil and trial. When young, his opportunities for an education were meager enough, and this he believed caused his life to be more irksome than it otherwise might have been. Business and normal colleges, such as Greer College, were unknown when he was a boy, and the common schools were then poor at best. He desired to make conditions better, and so resolved to found a college where young people of any age would be received and educated with care and patience, no matter how poor their early means for schooling had been. The beautiful buildings

The buildings of Greer College cost nearly $50,000 and are provided with all modern conveniences. Several hundred dollars have been expended during the past two years for libraries, laboratory apparatus, tables, cases, commercial offices and desks, cabinets, microscopes, air pumps, electrical machines and appliances, good water supply in laboratory, biological and geological specimens, skeleton, charts, physiological models and typewriters.

The college buildings occupy a commanding site in the western part of the city. The campus is a beautiful sloping lawn, ornamented with trees and shrubbery. The grounds are high, affording perfect drainage and a pleasant view of the city and surrounding country.

The main building is a magnificent specimen of modern architecture. It is built of St. Louis pressed brick, laid in black mortar. The arched entrances and large landscape windows are set in cut stone. The trimmings are of rough stone, terra cotta and ornamental iron. The auditorium, halls, etc., of the building have recently been repapered and varnished and made bright and cheerful, as when new. It is heated throughout with steam, lighted with electricity and gas, and supplied with an abundance of pure artesian water.

The inner appointments of this building are all that could be desired - comfortable, convenient and elegant. The college auditorium or assembly room has a seating capacity of about 700 persons. A commodious gallery in the type of an amphitheatre extends around three sides. The lighting and ventilation of the rooms is perfect. Here are held the daily chapel and general assembly.

Greer hall is a fine brick structure containing comfortable apartments for gentlemen students and teachers. The rooms are arranged in suites and the interior finish is similar to that of the main building - natural wood oiled.

The president's home is a large modern home fitted with electric lights, steam heat, bath, etc., where young women will have elegant rooms with all the comforts and conveniences of a home life while attending college.

The library and reading room is a commodious apartment, well lighted, warmed and ventilated. Among the reference books are encyclopedias of history and literature, atlases and the standard dictionaries. There are valuable scientific and historical works, books of biography and travel, standard fiction, polite literature, poetry, etc. There is a large number of volumes treating directly on the branches of daily study. The leading magazines and teachers' journals and the local and Chicago papers are kept on file.

The courses of study have been revised recently and consist of two-year courses in commercial work, stenography, civil service, elocution and penmanship; four-year courses in preparatory, normal and music, and four-year college courses that entitle students who finish them to the usual degrees given for the various courses, such as Bachelor of Arts (A. B.), Bachelor of Literature (B. Lit.), Bachelor of Science (B. S.), etc. Gfaduates of the college or of other colleges may become candidates for the master's degree after having received the corresponding bachelor's degree, or upon a satisfactory showing of worthiness, the master's degree is conferred.

The school is non-sectarian, but a thorough Christian spirit is maintained. Daily devotional exercises are conducted, and students are advised to attend at least once on Sunday the church of their choice. The different denominations are represented on the faculty, and almost every denomination sends its students. The teachers are workers in the respective churches, and the usual young people's societies are encouraged.

Two student literary organizations are maintained - the Olympian Literary Society was organized by the young men and has steadily gone forward in its splendid career, and many prominent young men of this state and others can trace their success in public life to the training received while members of the Olympian Literary Society.

What has been said of the Olympian Society is also true of the Vesperian Literary Society, which is the young ladies' literary society of the school.

The Alumni Association now consists of 439 members, and many of them are occupying important positions in public and private life throughout this country and also in some foreign countries.

The Brown Business College has a good location. Mrs. Morris is the principal. Other small attempts have been made to establish private schools, but have not continued long in profit. The private school of Miss Edith Yeomans, established about 1902, continued in existence until the principal moved west, when it was continued but one year. Schools for young children have been established to live but a short time and then pass out of sight.