Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, July 19, 1903, Page 13, Image 32
18 July 19, 1909. A Splendid School For Boys The Kearney Military Academy THE ILLUSTRATED BEE. T"or the purpose of providing a thorough preparatory training for college or for business for boys and young men at a mod erate price and under the best influences, this sohool was founded by Bishop Graves In 1891 The academy commends Itself to parents desiring; for their boys a school e .sly reached In a country unequalled for Its healthy climate and one In which, while . very care is taken to provide all equip ments essential to the proper instruction and well being of the boy, and such as may; , be found In the best schools of Its type, nonessentials are kept down In order to allow the management to put the fees at such a moderate price as to be within tie reach of all. The discipline and Instruction are of ths blghest order, the boy Is taught to worlc from right motives, every proper effort Is made for his comfort and happiness, and the fact Is never lost sight of that mere proficiency In studies is no more Important than the development upon right lines ot the boy's character; and this is the mors readily done as the school Is not so 1-irgs In numbers but that every boy must corns Into Intimate personal relationship with th principal and Instructors. The academy Is pleasantly situated In the valley of the Platte, about a mile and a half from the city of Kearney, a station on both the Union Pacific and Burlington railroads. The location Is an unusually healthy one and the distance from town sufficient to insure freedom from Infection in case of the outbreak of an epidemic. The buildings are large, commodious and tn good condition. Kearney hall, the main building, is built of brick, four sturie high and contains the rooms of the head master and family, study hall, office and dining room, recitation room, sick room an 1 quarters for teachers and twenty-two of the younger cadeta. lwls hall, which has been almost en tirely remodoled in the interior this ye.ir, contains the gymnasium, a large, well lighted room with about 2,000 feet of floor space, completely equipped with apparatus horlsontal and parallel bars, traveling rings, trapeae, etc. One end has been specially prepared for hand ball. There is a shower bath with hot and cold water and dressing room in connection. Here are also the carpenter s shop and the black smith's shop for the department of manual training, the chemical and physical labora tories and the chapel. Cochran hall, the main dormitory, con tains quarters for forty cadets and two masters. Each cadet has a room to him self, heated by steam and furnished with the usual bedroom furniture and bedding. It Is the Intention of the founder of this school that nothing shall be left undone that can help to make the work more effi cient. In this connection attention is called to the following alterations and additions COMPANY AND MA TV PTTILPTNn made during the present year: Electric lights throughout all the buildings, en largement of the workshops and chemicil laboratory, additional and more convenient bathing facilities. The grounds, twenty-five sere In extent, are level and afford excellent facilities fur drill and for the various forms of ath letics so essential to a complete education. Ample space Is given for foot ball, base ball and tennis, together with a small but good golf link. Long experience has shown that a system Of discipline, senil-mllltnry in character is most efficient in cultivating the essen tial habits of obedience, prompt ness p u n c t u ality and neatness. Regularity of routine incul cates a me thodical habit, which the ca det soon ap plies to all branches o f his work, thus becoming better and more efficient student. The daily drill of the school pro vides a regular physical exer cise which ehows Its effect) in better, health, a mors rorrect carri age and In creased men tal aptitude, while prompt submission to authority teaches habits of e I f-restraint, and the exercise of It a proper sense of per sonal responsi bility. The fact that the disci pline I s a means and not an end Is nev er lost sight of, thus avoid ing as far as puHMimo the danger of nuking a per formance o f duties mechan ical. For the pur poses of dlclpllne and for Instruction in infantry tactics the cadets are organized into companies, each company be ing commanded by a cadet officer, who Is under the direction and supervision of the commandant of cadets. The officers ere se lected from those cadets who have the best record for study, conduct and soldier-like deportment. Length of attendance at the academy Is not a necessary qualification to enable a cadet to receive an appointment. During the year the cadets have been divided Into two companies, officered by a captain, first and second lieutenant, three V iL'E ' rial. 111 ' i lit. 'X. -sHstV . . .. COCHRAN HALL sergeants, thrrs corporals and a musician. An Important fact, which shoukl not bS omitted In this sketch, Is the efficiency of the teaching corps. They are fitted by training, experience and travel for the work which they are successfully carrying on. Bach is a specialist In his department and the work accomplished by the students Is abundant proof of It. There Is no hurry, there Is no half-understanding of a subject, and the patient, persistent mastery of ths work In hand Is looked upon as an essen tial part of the training which Is a lead ing feature of the school. Thus equipped and thus officered ths academy finds Itself In a position In whloh It can offer Its students advantages whlcB the bent public school can never c'.alm ths best course of study, the best teaching and a home life and an Influence which can not be surpassed. From this last the stu dents are never freo From morning until night and from September until June ths home Influence never slackens. The best ordered home Insists no more strenuously for personal attention to the requirements of cleanliness In self and Its surroundings than the academy. The untrained boy may bring to the table the habits which a car less home life have allowed, but these ars corrected. His language drops Its mis takes under tho conn t ant watchfulness of the teachers, who, lino upon line, precept upon precept, here a llttlo and fhere a little, often work wonders In the boy committed to his care. He In taught to stand and sit erect, to hold up his head and to look men In the face, and after the lesson has been taught It Is followed up until It has fas come a dally practical reality. Th real trouble comes when the cadet begins to practice here the vices which too many homes permit. Profanity must be stopped. Vulgarity In speech and action must cease. Lying and underhandedneas must be given up. Tobacco Is not allowed and all habits which prevent wholesome living and wholesome thinking must bo changed. To accomplish this tho Kearney academy does not resort to violence. "Kindness Is , greater than violence; God la love," and If this last should fall, the academy Is no place for that kind of a boy the risk Is too great and the results too disastrous. This is a conclusion of the whole matter. Ths I Kearney Military academy has for Its aim ' and purpose a home school which shall bring to bear upon its boys a rigorous training, morally, mentally and physically, with the single thought of making men of them, ready and eager to do the work that the world demands of American manhood and of American citizenship. With Its lim ited means It has so far been able to real ise Its ldeala With these means Increased, as It hopes that they will be, It Is conn dent of correspondingly Increased results. Progress of Work on the Omaha Auditorium HTE cuts here presented were made from photographs of the Omaha Auditorium taken July 8. The wider view of the two was taken from Howard street, east of Four teenth, catching the northeast corner of the building and giving some idea of the full length and width of the structure. The shorter view was taken from Howard street, Just west of Fourteenth, at close range, and shows a part of the north front. The contractors permitted their workmen to enjoy a breathing spell of a few mln ' utea while the photographer trained his camera upon the building and builders. Ths walls of this immense structure ars up to the floor of the gallery, but. they will go up much higher before they reach the point where the roof will appear. Since these photographs were taken sev eral of the main steel pillars have been raised In the interior, around the ma n floor or arena, rising to a height of ovor seventy feet above tho arena flo.r. On top of these giant posts will rest the trusses that are to support the roof. This mammoth structure covers am entire halt block. It Is 264 feet long and 132 feet wide. It will seat comfortably over 8,000 people and will have a stage more than ninety feet wide by fifty feet in depth, with a curtain, or proscenium arch, over sixty J -1 h jr nil, B h 1 "!-t-4 t i t- - ,f f t ! f t a t - Ls- U tv" Li, j, Uijl. mmm, feet wide. The bulliling will be fireproof, being built cf buff lledford siono. pressed brick und steel, it will co.Vt when com pleted ready for use In the nc.Bliboii.ood of $Jii0,0O) and will lo otiu of tlio liaudsuiiieat and moNt suliistaiitlal buildinss of Uie kind In the country. Put three cities In ths United Ktatex have auditoriums larger than this, New York, Chic igo und K insa: City. 1'nlcKs there should b- uiexect l d lays In the progress uf tht work, t i An lit' ii una will be completed alniut Uie niidiila of December.