Volume 6, Number 11 - Spring 1979
Douglas County Normal School
Copied by John H. McDaniel, from Douglas Co. (MO) Herald in June, 1978
Continued From Volume 6 - No.10
Jan. 22 A number of teachers whose schools are about to close will take advantage of the liberal terms offered by Prof.’s MERCER & KAY. A splendid opportunity to fit teachers for effective work is offered by The Douglas Co. Normal.
Jan. 22 Ava Normal, MERCER & KAY, have made arrangements with Mrs. Payne of this place, and T. W. Davis of the Pilot Nob School, to assist them in their arduous work. This step plainly shows that MERCER & KAY mean business and are determined to spare no pains or efforts to make the Normal a grand success.
June 5 Closing Exercises - Ava Normal School:
Declamation - Pearl Mercer; Dewdrop Mercer
June 11 Prof’s MERCER & KAY of this city are attending the commencement exercises of the Mt. Grove Academy this week.
July 23 Blackberries are being peddled on the street - l0¢ per gal.
July 30 Douglas Co. teachers institute closed Friday.
Aug. 6 R. R. Ritter, chairman of Ava Cemetery, said it needs improvement. (Note: J. S. MERCER bought his farm from Ritter, Oct.23, 1890)
Aug. 13 Last issue of Normal School of Ava advertisement run: MERCER & KAY
Oct. 29 Teachers Ass’n. of Douglas Go. - Program
by J. S. MERCER: "Objects of Teachers’ Meetings, and what we expect to accomplish through them." Discussion, in afternoon, by J. S. MERCER
Nov. 26 The Ava Normal School is now comfortably located in its new house which is a credit to the District.
Dec. 3 Douglas Co. Teachers Assn. program:
Elocutionary exercise by: PEARL MERCER
Discussion by: J.S. MERCER
"The Gladiator", by PEARL MERCER. Ava school music-instrumental 1st prize went to PEARL MERCER. Prize p2.50.
2nd Day: - Moved by J. S. MERCER, that all contestants be given prizes. Motion was seconded, but motion lost!
Paper read by Prof. J. S. MERCER, on "The Objects and Benefits of Teachers Institutes".
Recitation by: J.S. MERCER
"What is Expected of our Teachers, Mentally, Morally, & Physically", by J.S. MERCER.
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Page 4, of excerpts, copied by John H. McDaniel in June, 1978, from the Douglas County (Mo.) Herald.
Dec. 24, Prof s. MERCER, PLATT, AND KAY, of the Ava Normal attended the 1891 teachers Institute at Noble, this week.
Dec. 31 Prof. MERCER has been suffering with an attack of the grippe.
Mar. 3, New display advertisement - 2 columns by 6" 1892 to May 19, 1892
DOUGLAS COUNTY NORMAL SCHOOL
J.S. MERCER, President
W.S. PLATT, Vice President
DEPARTMENTS Primary, Normal, Academic, and Business
EXPENSES (tuition rates)
CALENDAR Dates of terms, etc.
T.A. KAY, Business Mgr.
July 7 Normal resolution-(2) That we appreciate the untiring efforts of Prof.’s T. A. KAY, conductor, and W. W. PLATT and J. S. MERCER, instructors, etc. signed by: a committee of 6 persons.
Sept. 15, 1892 Ava Normal School - 140 pupils enrolled.
Oct. 6 Normal School attendance - 160 pupils.
Feb. 23, Prof. MERCER - sold some property to Isaac Story, of Barry Go. 1893
Mar. 9 PROF. MERCER informs us that 23 new students have entered the Normal the past two weeks.
June 1 Prof. MERCER and ED MILLER (Edwin S.) left for Bradleyville the first of the week, where the latter will put in an application for principalship of the school.
June 1 Commencement exercises: - at conclusion of orations, Prof. J.S. MERCER addressed the graduation class in particular, and the members of the school in general, congratulating them on their advancement, at the same time warning them of their responsibilities to the public and admonishing them of their duties to society, at the close of which the audience dispersed, with hearts full of gratitude and many tender recollections of the commencement exercises of the most prosperous year in the history of the Douglas Go. Normal.
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June 15 Prof. MERCER has the thanks of "The Herald family", from the editor down to the little "devil", for a sample of as fine red raspberries as ever ventured down an editors cavity---etc.
June 29 Prof.’s PLATT & MERCER, and EDWIN MILLER will leave the last of the week for the World’s Fair.
July 20 Prof. J. S. MERCER left for Chicago Sunday, to pay his respects to the Worlds Fair. He expects to make a four weeks stay.
(R.R. fares reduced to ½)
Aug. 3 Prof. MERCER returned from Chicago last week. He found the fair 1893 as portentous in every particular as represented, and is of the opinion that its distance from Southwest Missouri did not materially lessen its attractiveness. (I figure Prof. Mercer didn’t stay over 2 weeks, including traveling time).
Mar. 1 Big Normal School advertisement, reinserted: J.S. MERCER, President 1894; W.W.PLATT, Secretary
July 19 New advertisement: Prof. J. S. MERCER not mentioned.
Aug. 2 Gall at MERCER’S new Grange Store and meat market, at the old Pennington Stand on South side of the square, where you can get fresh groceries and provisions at Grange prices. New goods. Produce taken in exchange.
Oct. 11 Mercers Grange store sells apple cider vinegar at 25 ¢ - good molasses at from 25 to 30 ¢ - lard l0 ¢, and coal oil l5 ¢. Wheat, oats, fat hogs and cattle wanted at the Grange Store.
Mar. 28 Prof. J. S. MERCER met with the misfortune of having his 1895 buburban residence entirely destroyed by fire last Monday about 6 o’clock. The contents were nearly all lost and the loss is about $200. There was no insurance.
Aug. 1 Prof. MERCER has moved his store from its old quarters in the Pennington Building to PAYNES old stand. MERCERS GRANGE STORE has moved next door to the saloon.
Aug. 29 MERCER keeps a constant supply of groceries, flour, meat, lard, 1895 horse shoes, nails, etc.
Sept. 5 MERCER pays half cash for heavy bacon.
Oct. 10 MRS. ED MERCER & son, DAINA, of Labette City, Kans. in Ava, visiting Robert Thrasher family. Were friend when in Kansas. (Who-any relation?)
Feb. 1896 Ava Literary Society - Declamation: R. P. Mercer
April 16 J. S. MERCER, one of the enterprising merchants on the south side of the square, has a brand new sidewalk in front of his business place.
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We believe it would be a good policy if several others would either rebuild or else repair their walks around the square.
April 30 We neglected to mention last week that Mr. and Mrs. J. S. MERCER were the happy parents of a baby girl. This is their first girl and as a natural consequence they are unusually happy.
June 18 Ava 4th July celebration: finance committee: J. S. MERCER
July 9 Enrollees at Institute: ROBERT PEARL MERCER
Dec. 31 Philamathion Society - Declamation: CORAL D. MERCER; ROBERT P. MERCER
Mar. 11 Normal School enrollee: ROBERT P. MERCER 1897
Mar. 25 Philomathian Society - Debate: Resolved, "That education be made compulsory" 6-17. Affirmative: ROBERT P. MERCER
Mar. 25 Sunday School Program - Baptist Church: Recitation: R. PEARL MERCER and NORA JAMES
Aug. 5 Teachers Institute, who passed: 2nd grade: R. P. MERCER; 3rd grade: REBECCA JAMES and NORA JAMES
Sept. 9 Dewdrop MERCER, son of our grocerman, J. S. MERCER, while helping load goods at Mansfield, the fore part of last week, fell from the wagon and broke his arm. He was immediately brought home and Dr. Landers set it.
Dec. 10 School notes: New pupils - R. P. MERCER
Jan. 13, 1898 Bradleyville - destructive storm on Tuesday - 6 killed!
Jan. 20, 1898 Temperance Mass Meeting - short and earnest talk by J. S. MERCER. He was also on committee to draft suitable resolutions. (This as result of a shooting, and killing, at local saloon)
Feb. 10 Attended Assn. ROBERT P. MERCER, Ava- teaching school 1-26-15.
July 14 Mrs. J. S. MERCER, and son, DEWDROP, of Ava, were guests at T.D. Kearney’s, on Sunday evening - at "King Hollow Flints
Sept. 1 Contract let to build new brick building on South side of the Square. It will be 4 rooms in the burnt district, and we understand Mr. MERCER will also build a brick in place of the frame he is now occupying. This will make the south side solid with brick, except the saloon building on the corner.
Continued next Issue
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