FIRST COUNTY NORMAL-EARLY INSTRUCTORS-DEPARTMENTS OF WORKS -RESULTS-SUBSEQUENT SESSIONS AND INSTRUCTORS-ATTENDANCE -SHOW OF INTEREST-EDUCATIONAL ASSOCIATION FORMED-ITS PROJECTORS AND MANAGERS-TEACHERS' ASSOCIATIONS THE FIRST STEP TOWARD NORMAL INSTRUCTION-SOME OF THE FIRST OFFICERS AND TEACHERS-EXPERIENCES, ETC.

The first session of the Delaware County Normal School was held at Daleville in the summer of 1875. A. W. Clancey and J. R. Woodward were the proprietors, and the attendance was sixty-five. The time of the commencement of the enterprise was unpropitious, being the rainy summer, when everything seemed gloomy and hopeless. The first session lasted six weeks. Although the attendance was but moderate, yet the interest created was so strong that, by common consent, a second session was undertaken the next year. The same managers conducted the normal, having additional instructors-Miss Mary Little, in music; J. O. Lambert, in penmanship, and Mrs. Waldo in language. This time, the normal had an attendance of one hundred and ten. The instructors were earnest and laborious; the pupils were eager and intent upon their work. Hard study during the day, and lectures and socials during the evening, mingled with recreations of other kinds, joining labor and pleasure in a harmonious union, created and maintained good fellowship, harmonized the work of teaching, and added largely to the good results of the labor performed in the schoolroom throughout the county. A spirit of enthusiasm and of healthy emulation became apparent among the teachers, and a new, fresh life was infused into the work of education in the community at large. These good results attained, tended very much to establish the county normal as a permanent institution within our borders. The third session was held under the management of Rev. O. M. Todd, County Superintendent, and D. H. Shoemaker. The instructors were Prof. H. B. Borson, of the State University, with Messrs. Todd and Shoemaker. The attendance was large, but the summer was hot and the shade was pleasant. Much comfort, therefore, was taken in the enjoyment of a retreat under the leaf-covered bowers in the current of heat-dispelling breezes, at the expense of scholastic improvement. But what matter? "It all goes in a lifetime," and they could study by-and-by.

The fourth session was held by Messrs Clancey and Shoemaker,and the reputation of the normal for solid work was regained, and a fine body of pupils was on hand, one hundred and thirty-five names being enrolled. The work was thorough, and was well appreciated. Prof. Peters did his part most creditably in conducting the musical exercises. Messrs. Shoemaker and Saffer took the normal in hand during its fifth session, in the summer of 1879. The attendance was less than in 1878, but the instructors were masters of the situation and those who participated in the exercises as members, were richly compensated for the time and money expended in the work. The sixth session, held in 1880, had as instructors Messrs. Shoemaker, Saffer, and Cromer. The session continued four weeks, and the attendance numbered seventy-five, doing excellent work. Prof. H. S. McCrea and A. W. Clancey, with some others, also assisted in the department of instruction.

During the six years of its existence, the normal has proved a pleasant and valuable aid to the progress of education in this county. The great body of its members from year to year could not have gone abroad for instruction, for the presence of the county normal encouraged them to attend its sessions, and thereby an easy and quite thorough means of preparation for teaching was placed within their reach. Through the agency of normal and institutes, home teachers are utilized, the talent of the county is developed, the wages saved to our own citizens, the standard of education is elevated, and every way great good is accomplished.

CHAPTER X.
SUNDAY SCHOOLS.

THE SPHERE OF SUNDAY SCHOOLS-EARLY SCHOOLS IN CONNECTION WITH CHURCHES-ACTIVE WORKERS IN THE CAUSE-GENERAL MOVEMENT-ASSOCIATION ORGANIZED-FIRST OFFICERS-LEADING MEMBERS-TOWNSHIP, COUNTY AND STATE ASSOCIATIONS-EXHIBIT OF STATISTICS-DENOMINATIONAL SCHOOLS-COUNTY SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION-PRESENT OFFICERS-SCHOOLS FOR THE NEGLECTED -PRIME MOVERS AND SUCCESS.

There have long been Sunday Schools in connection with the various religious congregations throughout the county. The first general movement, however, to systematize this useful and important work in Delaware County, so far as now known, was made in 1870. On the 22d of August of that year, a Sunday-School Association was formed with the following officers:

President, Rev. Robert Irwin; Secretary, J. F. Nickey; Treasurer, J. E. Langdon; Vice Presidents-Mrs. James Sparr, Muncie; Miss Nettie Gallaghan, Center Township; James Montgomery, Mount Pleasant Township; Dr. Morgan, Harrison Township; Morris Jones, Washington Township; J.H. Studebaker, Union Township; Amos Wilson, Niles Township; James Orr, Delaware Township; Dr. Black, Liberty Township; A. H. Kennedy, Perry Township; D. M. Tuttle, Monroe Township; J. M. Shirey, Madison Township; N. Shafer, Hamilton Township.

The first annual meeting was held in the Methodist Episcopal Church (Simpson Chapel), in Muncie, on the 24th of October 1870. Other prominent members of the Association were Rev. O.M. Todd, Conrad Kuntz, Rev. - Fish, Job Swain, Rev. J. E. Irwin, Amanda Fleming, David Miller, Hattie Cowing, Mrs. John Marsh, Rev. James Heath, G.S. Maddy.

The work of the association was established throughout the county with gratifying success. Many schools were organized, some of them denominational, and several of them on a union basis. The annual report for the year 1873, of the County Association to the State Sunday-School Association, makes the following showing by township:

RECAPITULATION.
Whole number of schools report 37
Methodist Episcopal Schools 7
Union Schools 9
Christian School 3
Baptist Schools 2
Presbyterian Schools 1
United Brethren Schools 8
Methodist Protestant Schools 1
Universalist Schools 1
Doubtless, these are not all the Sunday schools in operation at that time.

In 1877, a new organization was formed for Delaware County, at a large meeting held at the Friends' Meetinghouse, March 22. Several denominations were represented at this convention. For this new organization, the following officers were chosen: D. B. Pershing, President; R. A. Hall, Recording Secretary; Mrs. Mary Goddard, Corresponding Secretary; Josiah Cromer, Treasurer; one Vice President from each township and one from Muncie. The Executive Committee is made up of the President and the two Secretaries. Under this organization, eight of the twelve townships have township unions, holding annual and semi-annual meetings, and reporting to the county union, and the county union, also, has meetings twice a year. The number of schools has been forty-eight. Many of the county schools are on a union basis-some of them are not so. About 2,000 scholars have been connected with the schools of the Delaware County Sabbath School Union, as last organized.

The Sunday schools in Muncie at the present time are: Presbyterian, Methodist Episcopal, Protestant Methodist, Baptist, Christian, Universalist, Episcopalian, Friends, African Methodist Episcopal, and another for neglected children. Several of them are large, prosperous and efficient.

The Sunday schools of the present day are much better organized than they were in the olden time in this county. The International Lessons are used in most of the schools, in some form, and their common study throughout the World makes a most interesting spectacle. (Pages 60-61)