USA > Pennsylvania > Berks County > School history of Berks County in Pennsylvania : by Morton L. Montgomery > Part 5
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SCHOOL HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY.
town. They did not then number 100 altogether. Religious services were always conducted at private houses. The first bishop of the denomination in this vicinity (comprising Berks, Chester, and Lan- caster Counties,) was Jacob Mast, who settled near the place named in 1750, and began to exhort and . preach about 1765. He continued in active and faithful service for many years. The second bishop was Peter Plank, who moved from Oley and settled
in Caernarvon. And the third was John P. Mast, who officiated for over 30 years. He died in 1888. His father, Daniel Mast, was a minister of the de- nomination from 1830 till 1883. At one time there were three other congregations in the county-one in Cumru, the second in Maiden-creek, and the third (called "Northkill ") in Bern township. The last named was the oldest in this State.
Other Denominations .- The Episcopalians, or members of the Established Church of England, were in two sections of the county before 1740; one was in the southeastern part, in Amity town- ship (now Douglassville), and the other in the southern part, in Caernarvon township (near Mor- gantown); and in each locality they caused a church to be erected. They were among the first inhabitants of Reading, and had regular preaching for ten years before the Revolution. The officiating minister was Rev. Alexander Murray. They were then inactive for fifty years. They erected their first church at Reading in 1825 on 5th near Court Street. A new structure was built in 1863. A second congregation was organized in 1859, and
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called St. Barnabas, which erected a church in 1860.
The Presbyterians began to collect a society in Reading about 1813, and from that time onward they increased in religious activity. They erected a church in 1823, on Penn Street above 2d; and in 1848 they dedicated a fine new building on 5th Street near Franklin, in which they still carry on religious worship. They were earnest in insti- tuting a general Sunday-school.
The Methodists, Baptists, and Universalists fol- lowed in 1822, 1828, and 1831, and also erected churches.
Every district in the county has one or more churches excepting Douglass, District, and Earl townships east of the Schuylkill, and Penn town- ship west of the Schuylkill.
Cemeteries .- Burying-places were attached to all the meeting-houses in the county froin the time of their erection, and therein the members of the con- gregation buried their dead. Many persons estab- lished "family burying-grounds" on their farins, and continued the custom of burying their dead in them until about 1860 ; then the practice began to be discouraged, because the farms, upon which they were situated, passed into the possession of other parties not lineal descendants of the first owner. The grave-stones, marking the place of the dead, were simple and inexpensive. No one thought of erecting a monument or costly tombstone in our early history. But after a higher average general education prevailed, a superior taste was mani-
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SCHOOL HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY.
fested. Cemetery companies were then formed and incorporated in all the sections of the county, and the citizens began to show a marked improvement in laying out and adorning their burial-places. From sandstone and slate they advanced to fine marble and granite; and from a small headstone, costing only a few dollars and extending not much above the sur- rounding grass, they grew into large and elevated monuments, costing thousands of dollars. By com- parison, it is apparent that the taste, liberality, and affectionate remembrance for the dead, of the present generation, are far beyond the previous generations, and this can be attributed to our increased general education.
SCHOOLS.
Early Encouragement .- The first settlers of the county appreciated the importance of education, and encouraged it as a means of promoting the gen- eral welfare. They were not slow in erecting churches wherever they had effected a considerable settlement ; and therein they caused their children to be taught the common branches of knowledge, such as spelling, reading, writing, and arithmetic,
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so as to enable them to conduct their daily affairs with success. This teaching was influenced to a great degree by the religious spirit that prevailed amongst them ; for religious principles were con- sidered a vital part of their education. By this, it is apparent that the school was regarded as of equal importance with the church; and the two were therefore conducted together, the one for the younger folks, the other for the older, -the one for secular knowledge, the other for spiritual.
In the first settlements, and until the passage of the common-school law of 1834, the education that prevailed throughout the length and breadth of the county was almost entirely in the German lan- guage, which was a natural consequence from the great predominance of Gerinan settlers over all other nationalities. In Exeter, Maiden-creek, and Robeson townships, the Friends were rather nu- merous ; they established English schools at an early period, and continued them for many years.
The first German settlers brought along their teachers and ministers. These were so recognized before emigration. If there was no minister, the teacher officiated in both capacities. Some teach- ers even practiced their trades, such as tailoring or shoemaking, whilst teaching.
Common-School Education .- Various and re- peated legislative attempts were made, in pursu- ance of a constitutional provision, towards general education throughout the State. The reformers labored hard to develop a satisfactory system, and, fortunately for the people, their earnest purpose
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SCHOOL HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY.
prevailed against arguments, obstacles, and preju- dices of all kinds. The subject was discussed from the beginning of the provincial government. Wil- liam Penn recognized its importance and encour- aged it. He declared that "that which makes a good constitution must keep it, viz. : men of wis- dom and virtue, qualities that, because they de- scend not with worldly inheritance, must be care- fully propagated by a virtuous education of youth." It was a question of public importance immedi- ately after the' " Declaration of Independence," and for nearly eighty years afterward, until the adoption of a compulsory scheme.
The Constitution of 1776 provided that "a school or schools shall be established in each county by the Legislature for the convenient instruction of youth, with such salaries to the masters paid by the public as may enable them to instruct youth at low prices ; " and that of 1790: "The Legislature shall, as soon as conveniently may be, provide by law for the establishment of schools throughout the State in such manner that the poor may be taught gratis." This provision continued in the funda- mental law of the State unchanged until the new Constitution of 1873, when it was modified as fol- lows : "The General Assembly shall provide for the maintenance and support of a thorough and ef- ficient system of public schools wherein all the children of this Commonwealth above the age of six years may be educated, and shall appropriate at least $1,000,000 each year for that purpose."
A great weakness in the early history of educa-
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tion was the incompetency of teachers. Educated, experienced men and women could not be obtained, for duty to their families obliged them to labor in vocations which afforded a fair remuneration for their services. Pronounced opposition discouraged those who felt inclined to teach. A general tax for the purpose was considered burdensome and un- just, and the less paid then the better. The seed had to be sown, and the plant therefrom had to grow, however slow the growth. We cannot, at this day, understand the feeling as it obtained pre- vious to 1834.
School Progress .- In 1833, when the State con- tained about 800,000 children, less than 25,000 at- tended the common schools,-just one in 32, or about three per cent.,-notwithstanding the offer of education at the public expense. After 20 years of experience with comparatively little progress, all act was passed on May 8, 1854, which authorized a school tax to be levied, directors to be elected, etc., and made the proceedings compulsory. And the of- fice of county superintendent with a terin of three years was created for the purpose of seeing that the branches of a common education were properly taught, teaching directed, established graded schools maintained, and uniformity in course of studies preserved. Since then the system of education provided by the State lias been carried on success- fully in the county by school directors and a county superintendent. In 1883 the State contained about 2,000,000 children ; the number attending common schools was 957,680-nearly one-half or 48 per
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SCHOOL HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY.
cent. This shows an increase of 16 fold in 50 years.
County Superintendents .- The county superin- tendents were :-
William A. Good . . 1854-60 Samuel A. Baer 1875-81
John S. Ermentrout . 1860-69
David S. Keck 1881-90
David B. Brunner . . 1869-75
Origin of System .- The general system of public education, provided by the act of 1834, is attribu- table to a society which was organized at Philadel- phia in 1827. The express object of this society was general education throughout the State, and its efforts, after laboring in this behalf for seven years, culminated in the passage of the act named. In 1835, a great effort was made to repeal this act, but it failed. The credit of preserving the system at that time is generally given to Governor George Wolf and Hon. Thaddeus Stevens.
System Accepted .- The following table shows when the common-school system was accepted by the districts in the county :
Reading 1834
Centre . 1851
Albany
1855
Centreport . 1884
Alsace .
1849
Colebrookdale 1838
Alsace, Lower I888
Cumru 1850
Amity 1850
District 1867
Bern . 1850
Douglass 1850
Bern, Upper 1851
Earl .
1851
Bernville 1851
Exeter . 1849
Bethel I854
Fleetwood . 1874
Birdsboro' 1873
Greenwich 1851
Boyertown I866
Hamburg 1838
Brecknock
1850
Heidelberg 1849
Caernarvon
. 1834
Heidelberg, Lower 1850
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Heidelberg, North
1850
Pike .
1851
Hereford .
1845
Richmond
1854
Jefferson .
1855
Robeson
1836
Kutztown
1838
Rockland 1850
Lenhartsville . 1887
Ruscomb-manor 1837
Longswamp
1851
Spring
1850
Maiden-creek
1849
Tilden 1887
Marion
1839
Topton I875
Maxatawny
1852
Tulpehocken 1850
Muhlenberg
I851
Tulpehocken, Upper 1855
Oley .
1850
Union 1836
Ontelaunee
1851
Washington
1850
Penn
1851
Windsor 1850
Perry
. 1851
Womelsdorf 1836
In 1854 the schools in the county numbered 362, and the scholars 10, 116; in 1888 the schools 628, and the scholars 26, 114.
Teachers' Institute .- An institute, composed of many of the school-teachers of the county, was held in March, 1851, in the court-house at Reading, for the purpose of encouraging the general work of education by a discussion of improved methods of teaching. The meeting was largely attended ; and it was very successful. Institutes were held for several years in succession and then discontinued.
In 1867 an act of Assembly was passed, requiring the county superintendent of common schools "to call upon and invite the teachers of the common schools and other institutions of learning in his county to assemble together and organize them- selves into a teachers' institute, to be devoted to the improvement of teachers in the science and art of education, and to continue in session for at least five days." Accordingly, the superintendent held
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SCHOOL HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY.
an institute at Reading in 1868. It was largely attended by teachers from all sections of the county, and great interest was manifested throughout the whole of its proceedings. Since that time annual institutes have been held with increasing attend- ance and success.
In 1869, Professor D. B. Brunner, county super- intendent, inaugurated the system of local insti- tutes, and during that year held eight institutes in different sections of the county, which proved very successful. This enabled the teachers in remote districts to attend an institute and become familiar with its proceedings, and also to take part in its discussions, an opportunity being afforded and an inclination to do so being encouraged. Each suc- ceeding year till now has shown an ever-increasing interest in them.
Pay-Schools .- Various pay-schools have been conducted in the county. The Keystone Normal School, the Oley Academy, and the Reading Scien- tific Academy (now Business College), are worthy of special mention, having been conducted successfully for many years.
NEWSPAPERS.
During the early history of our people before 1789, there was no newspaper published in the county. News was communicated by persons to one another mostly at inns, of which the number was large in proportion to the population. It will not be supposed that the inhabitants encouraged these resorts only for the liquid spirits which they
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afforded. Men there drank whiskey, cream-beer, mead, etc. ; and they played at cards, dominoes, checkers, etc., for sport, if not for stakes. And the young people frequently indulged in dancing in the bar-room and dining-room of these places. But there was a prominent feature of the daily life at inns which surpassed all the things mentioned. This was talk, and gossip, and story-telling. Each man was an unappointed, implied committee of one-a reporter, as it were-to collect and report anything new. The "bulletin board" was not in existence. The latest accident, death, transac- tion, or crookedness of any kind was communicated from one to the other, or to small groups of persons, by the living voice. And so it was carried from building to building, and from place to place. What interesting persons these reporters must have been-not reporters with pencil and paper gather- ing news for the press, but communicators report- ing what they knew or heard for the general infor- mation of the public ! What versatility-what attention-what memories-what imagination they must have possessed ! And what story-tellers, in- deed, enlivened frequently, if not generally, under the influence of "apple-jack" and "old rye !" Not in the English language, for English was rarely spoken then by those who assembled at inns ; but in the German language, which was used al- most entirely throughout the county in the daily affairs of life, both secular and religious. The inn of the past can be, in this sense, likened to the newspaper of the present. People assembled there 6
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SCHOOL HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY.
for information ; and the places could have been appropriately named-" Messenger," "Observer," " Courier," "Reporter," etc., instead of "King George," "Gen'1. Washington," "Red Lion," " Black Horse," etc. Now reporters go there daily, not to communicate, but to collect news for news- papers, by which it is circulated throughout the community.
Then the Pennsylvania Gazette, published at Philadelphia, had a limited circulation here. It was an interesting messenger to the people; and its weekly arrival must have been an event of more than ordinary importance. A copy was doubtless busy in passing amongst persons who could read English-not for the personal matters which it contained, but for foreign affairs, market reports, letters published at Philadelphia, etc. Christopher Sauer's Journal, a newspaper printed in German, and published at Germantown, had a more ex- tended circulation in this vicinity, and it exercised a large influence over the residents.
Forty years in the history of Reading elapsed before the newspaper became a local institution. The entire period of its local life as a town, with all its interesting and many important events, passed away without having it introduced. This would seem to be a long while for such a factor to obtain a foot-hold in a community otherwise ener- getic and progressive ; but this delay is capable of explanation. The people were interested in home rather than in foreign affairs, and strove to give them successful, if not profitable, development.
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Local matters required no printed publication, for, the town being small and the population limited, they were easily communicated. But as the town grew into a borough, and especially as the borough grew into a city, with its territory enlarged, the in- habitants more widely scattered, and the population largely increased, the natural way became more and more incapable of satisfying the in- quisitiveness of the people, and an artificial way had to be introduced; and this was sup- plied by the newspaper. After the lapse of one hundred years since its introduction, general progress came to be so wonderful, the people so numerous and scattered, and their relations so intermingled that, just as the natural way had to yield to the artificial, so did the old and slow process of printing on a hand-press, with its limited capacity, have to make way for the new and spirited process by a steam- press, with its un- limited capacity. In the beginning the newspaper was weak in every re- spect-small in size, limited in cir- culation, uncertain in financial sup- port, and wanting in originality; but now it is strong, rich, bold, and energetic, and exercises much influence over social and political affairs.
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Weekly Newspapers .- The newspapers of the county comprise two classes-weekly and daily. The weekly began in 1789, and continued to be the sole public agency for the transmission of news and the advertisement of merchandise, notices, etc., for seventy years before the daily was introduced per- manently. The first publication was in the Ger- man language in 1789, and the second in the English language in 1796 ; both at Reading. Many were started afterward in both languages, but few survived. Those worthy of particular mention, on account of long-continued and successful publica- tion, are the Readinger Adler, and the Berks and Schuylkill Journal, the former a German newspaper begun in 1796, and the latter an English news- paper begun in 1816. The Reading Gazette and Democrat was published for thirty years success- fully till 1878, when its name was changed to Read- ing Weekly Eagle. An active English weekly for thirty years, from 1835 to 1865, was the Berks County Press, devoted to Democratic principles ; and the Liberale Beobachter (Liberal Observer), a German weekly, devoted to Whig principles, was also prominent for twenty-five years, from 1839 to 1864. Besides the first three named, there are published at Reading eight weekly newspapers- three in the English language and five in the German : -
Banner von Berks . . . 1864 Die Deutsche Eiche . . 1869
Reformirter Hausfreund 1867
Reading Weekly News . 1881
Die Biene . . . 1867 Reading Weekly Herald 1881
Republikaner von Berks 1869 Reformed Church Record 1888
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Weekly newspapers are also published at Boyer- town, Hamburg, Kutztown, and Womelsdorf.
Daily Newspapers .- Reading possessed a popu- lation sufficient in number to support a daily news- paper long before the first was established. The rapid increase of the people would seem to have warranted-if it did not inspire-such an enter- prise. Education was quite general, though only stimulated with marked public energy after 1834; and the English language was growing gradually into favor. The railroad was constructed ; various shops and factories-especially for the manufacture of iron goods-were erected ; and English churches were founded. The borough was promoted into a city. All these things came to pass ; still the daily newspaper had not arrived. The second period of Reading was unusually prolific in producing great things for the common progress of its citizens. In 1840 the population was 8410, and in 1847 it was about 12,000 ; and in the respective years named the entire county had about 65,000 and 70,000. A railroad extended through the entire Schuylkill Valley, and stages ran daily in every direction. These means facilitated the distribution of news- papers, even encouraged the spirit of publication ; but still there was no daily newspaper. The third period-the city-came. Then there were seven weekly newspapers carried on successfully, -Adler, Journal, Berks County Press, Liberale Beobachter, Alt Berks, Jefferson Democrat, and Reading Ga- zette. They were issued upon different days in the week, but mostly on Saturday. Naturally, this
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SCHOOL HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY.
number was sufficient to discourage the thought of a daily publication. But the spirit of enterprise was working its way in different channels ; buildings were multiplying, trade was growing, population was increasing, and many strangers were locating liere permanently. The daily events necessarily grew with the general growth, and the disposition to know them at once was preparing the way for a step beyond the weekly publication. Just as the stage-coach and canal-boat, through the energy of trading, were found to be slow and had to make way for the steam-car; so the weekly newspaper was coming to be late in communicating news, the feeling against the delay was growing stronger and stronger, and public eagerness was clamoring for an improvement, for a step beyond the days of decades before. Of course this feeling, this eagerness, this curiosity had to be satisfied ; 'and in time it was.
Two efforts in this direction were made in 1847; but they both were failures for want of sufficient encouragement. Ten years more elapsed. In this time two new railroads were extended from this natural centre, one to the west through Lebanon Valley, the other to the northeast through East Penn Valley. From 12,000 the population in -- creased to 20,000, and the population of the county increased from 70,000 to 90,000. The post-offices roundabout in the county multiplied from forty-one to seventy ; the added wealth to the community from all sources was estimated not by the thousands of dollars, but by the millions ; and the hand-press was supplanted by the steam-press. Surely, under
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these inviting circumstances, the time would ap- pear to have come for a certain step in advance of the days of 1789, of 1816, and of 1847. So a third effort was made, but it likewise proved a failure. Its list of patrons embraced only 450 regular sub- scribers ; and only 16 out of 240 business men of Reading took sufficient interest in its success to give it advertising patronage. It would seem that the daily newspaper, like all great things in the progress of mankind, could not be created in the first effort, and that several efforts in its behalf also had to be made before it became an established in- stitution in our community.
In many things, it is said, a prophet is not with- out honor, save in his own land; and this was ap- plicable here with respect to the daily newspaper. These efforts had been made by men of Reading, who were practical, experienced printers and well known to the community ; but it remained for a stranger, not a printer, to come here, take up jour- nalism as his vocation, and make it a success. This was J. Robley Dunglison, an accomplished young man from Philadelphia.
On July 19, 1858, he issued the first number of his paper, which he entitled the Reading Daily Times, and he continued its publication till December 9, 1859, when he transferred it to Henry Lantz. After changing hands several times it became the prop- erty of the present proprietors, J. Knabb & Co., on June 19, 1869. Within a year afterward (April 4, 1870) the firm purchased the Evening Dispatch, and united it with the Times, entitling the news-
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SCHOOL HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY.
paper Reading Times and Dispatch. From that time onward it has been successfully published by the same firm as a morning newspaper.
The Reading Daily Eagle was begun on January 28, 1868, by William S. Ritter and Jesse G. Haw- ley, as an afternoon paper. Mr. Hawley became the sole proprietor in 1874. The Sunday edition was begun by him in 1877.
Die Reading Post .- The first daily German news- paper was established here on June 1, 1868, by William Rosenthal, a practical printer and editor of large experience. It is the only daily paper in the State, outside of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, pub- lished in the German language.
Two other daily English newspapers are pub- lished at Reading : the Herald, begun in 1881, and the Telegram, in 1887.
No daily newspapers are published in the county outside of Reading.
LANGUAGE.
The great majority of the early settlers of Berks County having been Germans, their language, man- ners, and customs became predominant. Their in- dustry, perseverance, and economy built up and en- riched its valleys and hills with substantial improve- inents. Over one hundred and thirty years have elapsed since the erection of the county in 1752, but the general features of the whole community bear their impression. Their language is still in gene- ral use in every section. It is composed of words principally from German dialects, such as the Alle-
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